Two arguments sit behind the footnotes that unsettle many Bible readers. One holds that the first five books were assembled from older sources long after Moses. The other holds that several letters bearing Paul’s name were written by his followers. Both raise the same question: did the named authors write these books, and if scholars disagree, does trust in Scripture rise or fall with the verdict?
The scholars here defend the traditional authors, though not all in the same way or with the same confidence. They also show that the two disputes are different kinds of argument. The case against Moses rests heavily on assumptions about what a text from God could contain. The case against some of Paul’s letters rests mostly on vocabulary, theology and travel history, evidence a believer can weigh without changing any belief about God.
They also show that trust rests on something narrower than a byline. The church relied on anonymous books from the start. The real question is whether a name attached to a book is true. That question presses on a handful of New Testament letters. It barely touches the Pentateuch, which never claims Moses wrote every line.