Forgery versus pseudepigrapha

ETYMOLOGY

pseudepigraphy (n) is the "ascription of false authorship to a book," 1842, probably via German or French, from pseudo- + epigraph + -y (1).

Related: Pseudepigrapha; pseudepigraphic (1830);

pseudepigraphical (1838);

pseudepigraphal (1630s).

From Wikipedia... Many scholars maintain that no letter actually known to be pseudepigraphical would ever have been admitted to the New Testament canon. Other scholars suggest that the church only developed its hard line against pseudepigraphy because the practice was being abused. Some works that were definite forgeries led to a rejection of any sort of pseudepigraphy

Mark Powell writes that the first-century church did not seem to have a problem with the now-disputed letters since their thought was compatible with Paul's doctrines. An established convention at the time—especially epistles written in the first two or three decades after Paul's probable martyrdom, may have been viewed as part of the legitimate Pauline tradition and included as such in the New Testament canon.

However, that apparent attitude of "acceptable pseudepigraphy" was short lived and did not continue into the second century.

Powell says that there is no record of anyone in the early church ever recognizing that a writing was pseudepigraphical in any sense of the word and still regarding it as authoritative

Is this a genuine discussion board post, or is it fake? if it's fake, is it a forgery or is it pseudepigraphical?


Click here to find out!