Q&A Home > B > Holy Bible

On the most prominent Coptic website, http://www.coptichymns.net/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-7967-p-61282.html#61282, a person wrote regarding St. Paul's verses on women: "Agape, Let me put it very frankly (and I apologize if my frankness causes any kind of problems): St. Paul the Apostle did not write these verses." Does this mean that the Scripture is not all God-inspired and as such, some verses can be criticized or its authorship questioned?

All the Holy Scriptures in the Holy Bible are inspired by God. Some scriptures are conclusive of its authorship; while that of others may have been narrowed down to a few possibilities and so determined by the early church fathers to be less conclusive. The theology and teachings of the Coptic Orthodox Church are not based on assumptions, but  on the wisdom of the early church fathers.
 
In thirteen of the fourteen epistles, St. Paul clearly designates himself as the author. The Epistle to the Hebrews raised some questions because of its difference in the manner of greeting and style. However, Hebrews has been determined by the Church of Alexandria and the early church fathers to be St. Paul's. Once hailed as a "Pharisee son of a Pharisee," of the prominent Jewish heritage, he was very knowledgeable in the teachings of the Old Testament. Even as he began his ministry, the scripture says: "But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 9:22). By the grace of the Holy Spirit, once St. Paul's eyes and heart were open, he clearly understood and was given the grace to articulate the preeminence and superiority of our Lord Jesus Christ over all the prophets and angels.  
 
The signing off in St. Paul's pastoral epistle to the Romans was dictated to his companion in the ministry: "I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord" (Romans 16:22). From this example, we gleam the deliberate personality of St. Paul and his companions and associates who clarified the finest detail. The Church of Alexandria and the early church fathers have confirmed and canonized all fourteen Pauline epistles as St. Paul's authentic teachings, written or dictated by him. It does not seem likely that one, as meticulous as St. Paul, would not have reviewed every word of his epistles.
 
As for the scriptures addressing women's role, St. Paul set a fair and attainable message: Women have a role in the ministry. He defined the restrictive portion of their role in his epistle to the Corinthians for a specific reason. Incorporating that role in their ministry was seemingly fit to their benefit. St. Paul mentions many women whose services were acceptable and commendable. Even the names of Aquila and his wife Priscilla were interchangeably equally mentioned regardless of whose name came first.  

Examples: Romans 16  
"I commend you Phoebe our sister..."
"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus..."
"Greet Mary, who labored much for us..."
"Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine..."
"Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympias, and all the saints..."