Paul the Letter-Writer and the Second Letter to Timothy

by Michael Prior

This study argues for new perspectives on the letters of Paul, especially the Second Letter to Timothy. It examines striking aspects of Paul's letters, especially the fact that many of them are co-authored, that six of them acknowledge that a secretary has penned the letter, and that 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus are the only ones addressed to individuals. It investigates the implications of these facts for the concept of Pauline authorship. Prior maintains that the received arguments, statistical as well as literary, which exclude 2 Timothy from the influence of Paul, are less than convincing. The author suggests an original reading of 2 Timothy arguing it was composed by Paul towards the end of his first Roman imprisonment. Contrary to all interpretations of the letter which argue that Paul was about to be martyred, Prior claims that Paul was confident that he would be released, and was assembling a mission team to bring his proclamation of the Gospel to a completion. Timothy's courage and missionary zeal needed rekindling, for he and Mark were to be key figures in this new team.

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1989

Reviews

[Michael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

He upholds Pauline authorship of II Timothy. He addresses alleged stylistic deviance from the "authentic Paulines" by examining the use of co-authors and secretaries for most of Paul's other letters. II Timothy is a more personal letter and so is in a different, thoroughly Pauline style.
His primary thesis is that II Timothy was written by Paul in light of his expected release from Roman imprisonment, not his soon expected execution as is traditionally held. He is preparing Timothy for the next missionary venture and requesting Mark's help with it as well. Well researched and well argued (the endnotes are about as long as the book itself). The bibliography is thin, but that is more a function of the paucity of scholarly literature on the Pastorals in general and II Timothy in particular. I highly recommend it for anyone studying II Timothy.