I. The Question of Authenticity

Most Christians regard Colossians as Pauline. The letter purports to have been written by “Paul, an apostle . . . and Timothy, our brother” (1:1). A few biblical critics contest this ascription. For example, Lohse has recently stated, “There are strong reasons to doubt the Pauline authorship of Colossians” (p. 176).

The majority of scholars, however, remain convinced that the author was Paul. Kümmel argues that Colossians is “doubtless Pauline” (p. 155). F. F. Bruce concludes, “There seems, in short, to be no sound argument against the genuineness of this epistle” (p. 83). The Wesleyan Bible Commentary states, “All things considered, . . . there seems to be no adequate basis for doubting that the letter before us is from the hand of the Apostle” (p. 488).