The New Testament

A Historical and Theological Introduction

Chapter

34. The Pastoral Epistles

Questions for Review

  1. Who was Timothy and what was his relationship to Paul? What about Titus?
  2. Why are the Pastoral Epistles called “Pastoral”?
  3. What are the main arguments for the Pastorals being pseudonymous? Evaluate the arguments against pseudonymity.
  4. Which of the Pastorals has the strongest claim to be written by Paul? Why?
  5. If Paul wrote the Pastorals, when were they likely composed? If they are pseudonymous, then when were they most probably written?
  6. How do the Pastorals display a more formalized form of church leadership than the undisputed Pauline epistles?
  7. Why is Gnosticism believed to be the heresy that is in view in the Pastorals?
  8. How does the picture of Paul in the Pastorals differ from that of the undisputed Pauline epistles?
  9. What is the fundamental concern of the Pastorals?
  10. How is the word “faith” used differently in the Pastorals in light of its use in the undisputed Pauline epistles?