Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Is the claim correct that Paul wrote most of the New Testament?

The information used below comes from the oldest sources we have: the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. As you may know, the authors of the NT wrote in Koine Greek, which was the lingua franca of their day. The word numbers may vary slightly from source to source, but these are not going to change our final results.

So who are our Top Three writers?

The New Testament has a total of 138,020 Greek words in the Analytical Greek New Testament (AGNT).

Of those 138,020 words, the most prolific writers of the New Testament were:
Author Books # of Words % of NT

Luke / 37,933 / 27%
Gospel of Luke
Acts

Paul / 32,407 / 23%
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon

John / 28,092 / 20%
Gospel of John
1 John
2 John
3 John
Revelation


While Paul may have written the most epistles, he did not produce as much volume as did Luke the evangelist.

http://apologika.blogspot.com/2014/0...testament.html

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Now, wait...much of Acts was about Paul, so he should at least get a partial credit.

Then there's the age-old question of Hebrews' authorship. Some do believe Paul held the pen for that one.

So, with this factored in, surely the majority now goes to Paul.

:winkgrin

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

If Paul wrote Hebrews, 4953 words
that would bring Paul's total words to 37,360 words
which is still less than Luke's 37,933.

So, it's close but Luke is still ahead.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Sorry, Paul, I tried. :sad

Either way, cool stats on Luke.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

So you're saying Luke was loquacious? :icecream

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Luke must have the cool hand.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Yep, no fluke in Luke.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Right, Luke was no mooch.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Paul surely wrote using larger words than Luke, having used more alphabet letters, thereby giving him the actual win :D



But then again, physicians seem to have this thing about big words...

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

I personally do not think Paul wrote Hebrews...doesn't seem his style of writing...just my thoughts...

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Anybody in mind?

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Are those word counts in English or Greek ?

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Greek

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Interesting, how does it not seem to be his style of writing?

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

https://media.giphy.com/media/ONFXQWjI3Gaju/giphy.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/7rDHThdje7CGQ/giphy.gif

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

There is possibly more to the story regarding Paul's writings.

Some of the epistles traditionally attributed to him may have been coauthored, as follows:

1 Corinthians 1:1-2a,

1. Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth...

2 Corinthians 1:1,

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth...

1 Thessalonians 1:1,

1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ...

2 Thessalonians 1:1,

1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ...

Philemon 1:1,

1. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer...

Each instance of "and" in these verses has a copulative effect, making the preposition "unto" require the sense that the respective epistle in question was co-authored.

To what amount is not to be known, but these letters weren't simply the work of Paul by himself.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Most (if not all) ancient documents were co authored. One would dictate, while the other wrote it down. Sometimes two wrote down what was being dictated.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

2 Peter seems to have been written by someone other than Peter. So he could have dictated it.

If others cowrote Pauline literature, there is no stylistic evidence to support it.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Does anyone around here ever attempt to prove what they post?

I would appreciate it if you show us how these statements are true, are probable, or just a thought.

Please I really mean you no offense, but how do we come up with this stuff?

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

The vocal and style of 2 Peter is very different than 1 Peter.

I have never read of anyone who thought Paul cowrote his literature.

Re: Luke wrote most of the NT
 

Romans 16:22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

Scott, nothing is co-written, but dictated to a scribal secretary. One dictates the other jots the thoughts down. Baruch ben Neriah was the scribal secretary of Jeremiah. You have to keep in mind that these men were part of a scribal culture. Hence the reason when Paul jotted down something himself he made it known to the reader Galatians 6:11, Philemon 1:19. 1 Corinthians 16:21.