Which Books of the Bible Did Paul Write?

Thirteen New Testament letters begin with Paul’s name: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. A fourteenth book, Hebrews, has been linked with Paul since the early centuries, but it does not name its author, and Christians have debated its authorship ever since. So the short answer is thirteen letters that clearly claim Paul as writer, with Hebrews as a separate and much-discussed case. Those thirteen are usually called the Pauline Epistles, and they take up a large part of the New Testament. They are not arranged in the order Paul wrote them; they are grouped roughly by length and by the churches or people addressed.

Why are these letters called Pauline?

The simplest reason is that each one opens by naming Paul as its writer. Romans begins, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1, BSB). The pattern holds in the others: 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon all carry his name in the greeting. That is not a guarantee by itself, since a letter could be written in someone’s name by a follower, but the early church received these thirteen as genuinely from Paul, and the letters themselves show the marks of his life and travel. They mention his coworkers, his imprisonments, his plans to visit churches, and the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. Acts, written by Luke, tells the story of Paul’s journeys and his preaching, and the letters fit naturally into that story.

Paul often used a scribe. He would dictate the letter and then add a few words in his own handwriting at the end, as he says in several places. This explains why the letters have a consistent voice but also some variety in style. It also explains why the closing lines sometimes stand out, since Paul took the pen himself to authenticate what had been written.

Which letters did Paul write, and when?

The thirteen letters are commonly grouped like this:

• Romans — written to the church in Rome, probably in the late 50s, while Paul was collecting funds for Jerusalem.
• 1 and 2 Corinthians — written to the church in Corinth, dealing with divisions, discipline, and the resurrection.
• Galatians — a strong defense of salvation by grace through faith, likely written to churches in the region of Galatia.
• Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon — often called the Prison Epistles, because Paul wrote them while under arrest, likely in Rome. Philippians is full of joy despite his chains; Philemon is a short personal letter about a runaway slave named Onesimus.
• 1 and 2 Thessalonians — written to a young church, with teaching about the return of Christ.
• 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus — the Pastoral Epistles, written to two men who were leading churches, giving instruction about elders, teaching, and sound doctrine.

The exact dates are not certain, and scholars differ on details. What is clear is that Paul wrote over a period of years, from the late 40s or early 50s until near the end of his life, probably in the mid-60s. In 2 Timothy, his last letter, he speaks as a man near the end of his race.

What about Hebrews?

Hebrews is the one book that many Christians have connected with Paul but which does not claim him as author. It has no greeting with a name. The style is different from Paul’s other letters, more like a sermon, with careful arguments from the Old Testament. In the early centuries, some churches in the East accepted it as Paul’s, while some in the West doubted it. The debate has continued. Some point to the mention of Timothy near the end of the letter, which could suggest a close companion of Paul, but it does not prove Paul wrote it. Others think the author was someone else, such as Barnabas, Apollos, or another early Christian teacher. The honest answer is that we do not know who wrote Hebrews, and the book itself does not tell us. What matters is that it is part of the New Testament and speaks clearly of Christ as our great high priest.

How many books of the Bible did Paul write?

If you count the thirteen letters that name Paul, the answer is thirteen. If you include Hebrews, the number becomes fourteen. Many Bibles and reference works list fourteen Pauline Epistles, following the older tradition that Paul wrote Hebrews. But since Hebrews does not name its author, it is best to say that Paul certainly wrote thirteen, and that Hebrews is a separate case. The letters are not the only thing Paul wrote, of course. He wrote other letters that have not survived, mentioned in 1 Corinthians and Colossians. The ones we have are the ones God preserved for the church.

Why does it matter who wrote these letters?

It matters because these letters are Scripture. Peter refers to Paul’s letters as part of the inspired writings: “He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15-16, BSB). When we read Romans or Ephesians, we are not reading a private opinion. We are reading the Word of God given through an apostle. That is why the church has always taken these letters seriously, and why they are read in worship and studied in small groups.

Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, told in Acts 9, is the backdrop for all his writing. He was once a persecutor of the church, and then Christ appeared to him and called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. His letters carry that same gospel: we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, not by our own works, and we are called to live in a way that honors the one who saved us. That message runs through all thirteen letters.

If you want to read Paul for yourself, a good place to start is Philippians or Colossians, which are short and clear. Then move to Romans, which lays out the gospel most fully. Read with prayer, and if you have questions, ask a pastor or a mature believer in your local church. The goal is not just to know who wrote the books, but to know the Christ they proclaim.

Common questions

Did Paul write all fourteen letters attributed to him?

Thirteen letters name Paul as the writer: Romans through Philemon. Hebrews does not name its author, and while some early Christians attributed it to Paul, many today are not sure. So Paul certainly wrote thirteen, and Hebrews is debated.

Which letters did Paul write while in prison?

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are often called the Prison Epistles. Paul mentions his chains in them, and they were likely written during his house arrest in Rome, though some scholars suggest Ephesus or Caesarea.

What are the Pastoral Epistles?

First and Second Timothy and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles because Paul wrote them to men who were pastoring churches. They give instruction about church leadership, sound teaching, and godly living.

How can I know which letters Paul wrote for sure?

The surest guide is the text itself: the letters that open with Paul’s name and fit the history in Acts. The early church also received these as Paul’s. For more detail, good study Bibles and church history resources can help, and your pastor can point you to reliable material.