Cun, hi Pastor Cakuat cu Paul cakuat hna lak ah “Disputed Letters” timi “Amah Paul bak nih a ṭialmi a si hnga maw?” tiah lunghrinhmi cauk 6 chung ah aa telmi a si. Cu kong cu tam deuh in a tanglei ah fianter kan i zuam lai. Cakuat ṭialtu taktak hi Paul a si maw si lo, timi kong ahhin a tlangpi in ruahnak phun thum a um. Paul nih a ṭialmi a si lo, midang nih Paul min in ṭialmi a si, a timi an um. Paul nih a ṭialmi a si ko, a timi zong an um. Cun, midang nih Paul cakuat bultan a khawmh i, thilsining he aa tlakning in le a hnu-hmai a pehtonh in a ṭialmi a si a timi zong an um. Cu ti i an ruahnak a ruang cu hi ti hin a si:

1. Paul nih a ṭialmi a si lo, tiah a ruattu hna le an ruahnak a ruang:

AD 140 hrawng ah zumhnak pial a si tiah an rak hnonmi pa Marcion nih Timote Cakuat le Titus Cakuat cu Paul ṭialmi a si lo, tiah a rak ti. Marcion nih cu ti i a rak chimnak cu 1 Timote 1:8, 6:20, asiloah 2 Timote 3:16 hi a pom khawh lo ruang bik ah a si, tiah Tertullian nih a rak ti (Oden, p.11). Cu dah lo cu, kum zabu 18 tiang Pastor Cakuat cu Paul ṭialmi a si, tiah lunghrinhnak ngei lo in khrihfami kip nih an rak zumh. Asinain, chanthar Theologians cheukhat (F. Schleiermacher, F.C. Baur, H.J. Holtzmann, P.N. Harrison, M. Dibelius, le R. Bultmann) nih lunghrinhnak an hun ngei. An ngeihnak bik a ruang phun nga a um.

1.   Lamkaltu cauk chung ah Paul khualtlawnnak hmun le caan sining chung (chronology) ah khumh ding ah a fawi lo. Tahchunhnak ah, Paul nih Crete khua i mission a ṭuannak (Titus 1:5) le khuasik caan ah Nicopolis (Epirus) tlawn aa timhnak (Titus 3:12) kong hi Lamkaltu Cakuat chung i Paul khualtlawnnak he a caan le hmun aa pehtonh kho lo.

2.   Khrihfabu chung i a cangmi hnahnawhnak hi Paul a thih hnu i a chuakmi si dawh a lo. Hi cakuat nih a dohmi cawnpiaknak hman lo (Gnosticism) hi Paul thih hnu lawng ah a ṭhangmi a si. Gnostic hruatu hmasa hna (Valentinus le Basilides) zong Paul thih hnu i a hung chuakmi an si (Barclay, p.9).

3.   Pastor Cakuat chung ah hmanmi biafang le caṭial ning tampi cu Paul nih a dang cakuat (lunghrinh lomi cakuat) chung ah a hman tawnmi biafang le caṭial ning he aa dangmi tampi a um. Tahchunhnak ah, Paul nih cakuat dang ah a hman lengmang mi “Vailam (cross),” “Vailam ah tah (crucify),” le “Luatnak (freedom)” tibantuk biafang hna cu Pastor Cakuat chung ah an um lo. Pastor Cakuat chung ahhin biafang (words) 902 a um i cu chung ah Paul cakuat dang ah aa tel lomi biafang 306 a um ti a si (Cu biafang dang tampi aa tel a hngal hmasatu cu Schleiermacher a si).

4.   A cheu nih, Pastor Cakuat chung i zumhnak lei cawnpiaknak (doctrines) hi Paul cakuat dang i cawnpiaknak he aa dang, a timi zong an um.

5.   Khrihfabu ṭhithruainak kong ah Pastor Cakuat ahcun a dotdot te le ningcang tein (elders, deacons, deaconess ti in) system a um i Korin le Rom cauk chung i hruainak (authority structure) he aa lo lo (Towner, p.16). Khrihfabu chung ah Thlarau hruaining in (charismatic) tinak nakin ningcang tein phunglam he i hruainak (institutional) hmuh khawh deuh a si. 1 Timote chung i a ummi nuhmei zohkhenhnak kong zong Paul cakuat dang chung ah a um lo (Knight, p.29).

Cucaah, hi hna nih cun, Paul cawnpiaknak ṭha tein a hngalmi pakhatkhat nih kum zabu pahnih thawkka hrawng ah Pastor Cakuat cu a ṭialmi a si lai, tiah an ruah. Hlan lio (ancient world) chan ahcun mi nih an upatmi hna min in caṭial cu palh ah an rak ruat lo. Judah nunphung zong ah ca an ṭial tik ah an upat mi hna (zumhnak lei heroes ah an chiahmi hna) min an putter tawn. Tahchunhnak ah, Pentateuch tiah kawhmi (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Number, le Deuteronomy) cauk khi caṭialtu ah Moses min an bunh. Salm cauk chung i hla a tam deuh zong David min an put ter. Phungthlukbia le Phungchimtu zong Solomon bia a si, tiah an ti. Cubantuk in, Pastor Cakuat zong Paul min an putter khawhmi a si ko, tiah an ruah (NIB, p.780). Mah cu English in “Pseudonymous writing” asiloah “Pseudonymity” tiah auh a si i hi hna nihcun Pastor Cakuat cu cu caṭialning cazin chung ah an chiah.

2. Paul ṭialmi a si ko, tiah a ruatmi hna le an ruahnak a ruang:

Khrihfabu hramthawk te in zumtu hna nih an i tlaihmi cu Lamlaktu hna cawnpiaknak a si i cu lio tein Pastor Cakuat cu an rak hman cang. Khrihfabu hruaitu hmasa hna nih Lamkaltu hna caṭial (cakuat) hna cu Cathiang Cauk cazin ah an rak fonh hmasa bik (the oldest canon of New Testament writings) hi AD 170 ah a rak si i cu chung ahcun Pastor Cakuat hi an rak telh cang. Cucu a min ah “Muratorian Canon” tiah an rak sak. Paul nih a ṭialmi cakuat a si, tiah rak zum hna hlah sehlaw Biakam Thar chung ah an rak khumh hnga lo. Cuticun kum caan saupi khrihfabu le hruaitu hna nih Pastor Cakuat ṭialtu cu Paul a si, tiah lungawṭawmnak um lo in an rak zumh. Nain, a cunglei i langhter cang bang in, Schleiermacher (A.D. 1800s) te pawl hnu hin Pastor Cakuat cu Paul cakuat hna lak ah lunghrinhmi cakuat (disputed letters) cazin chung ah hun khumh a si.

Asinain, Paul ṭialmi Cakuat a si ko, tiah a zummi chanthar scholars tampi an um ṭhiamṭhiam. Bible scholars min thang Zahn (1906), Lock (1924), Schlatter (1963), Spicq (1947, 1969), Jeremias (1953), Simpson (1954), Hendriksen (1955), Guthrie (1954, 1974), Kelly (1963), le Fee (1984) te hna nih Paul cakuat a sinak kong biatak tein an hun dirpi i nihin ahcun an chimmi cu mi tampi nih an cohlan cang. Hi hna nih Paul ṭialmi a si ko tiah an zumhnak le dirkamhnak cu a tanglei ning in a si.

1. Pastor Cakuat ṭial caan le hmun kong hi Lamkaltu cauk chung i Paul khualtlawnnak hmun le caan sining chung (chronology) ah khumh awk a ṭha lo, timi hi a dik ko; asinain khumh a hau lomi a si zeicahtiah Lamkaltu chung ah Paul thihnak kong aa ṭial lo; Paul nih a rak i ruahning tein, Rom i thong a tlaknak in a chuak ṭhan i cu hnu ah Pastor Cakuat (1 Timote le Titus) cu a ṭialmi a si, an ti. Kum zeimawzat thawngṭha a chim hnu ah Rom ah a voi hnihnak thong a tla ṭhan i thong chung in 2 Timote hi a ṭial mi a si (Mounce, p.lv). Paul nih a rak i tinhmi cu Spain ah thawngṭha bia chim a si (Rom 15:24, 28). AD 90 ah Bishop Clement nih Corinth khrihfa mi sin ah ca a rak kuat hna i cu chung ah, “Paul nih a thih tiang vawleicung nichuahlei in nitlaklei tiang thawngṭha bia a chim. Martyr in a thih lai te ah nitlak ram deng (extremity of the west) tiang a tlawng ta,” tiah a ṭial. Clement nih Rom khua in hi cakuat a ṭial tiah ah “nitlak ram deng,” a ti duhnak hi Spain ram a chim duhmi a si lai tiah ruah a si (Barclay, 12).

   Cun, hlan lio khrihfa tuanbia ṭialtu Eusebius nih, “Lamkaltu Paul cu thong chung in a luat i thawngṭha a chim ṭhan hnu ah a voi hnihnak thong a tla ṭhan i martyr a tuarnak cu langhtertu thil (evidence) ṭha tein a um ko,” tiah a rak ṭial fawn (Edon, p.12). Cu ning in an tuak i Clement nih, “Paul cu Nero chan kum 13-nak (AD 67) ah Martyr in a thi,” tiah a ṭial. Jerome zong nih Nero a thih (AD 68) kum khat duh ah Paul cu Martyr in a thi a ti ve (Edon, p.8). Hi nih a langhter mi cu Pastor Cakuat ṭial caan le hman hi Lamkaltu Cauk chung i Paul khualtlawnnak hmun le caan chung ah silo in cu hnu tu ah a si, ti hi a si.

2. Gnosticism cawnpiaknak (1 Tim 6:20; 1:4; 4:1-3; Titus 1:15; 2 Tim. 2:18 ah a langmi pawl) biatak tein a hun dirkamhtu cu Valentinus le Basilides an si i Paul a thih hnu ah a hung chuakmi an si taktak. Asinain, Gnostic zumhnak le khuaruahnak (idea) cu khrihfabu hramthawk ka tein a um cangmi a si. Judah mi nih “Nag Hammadi scriptures” timi hlan lio Gnostic le khrihfa hmasa hna caṭial 50 hrawng an khawmhmi ah Gnostic cawnpiaknak cu khrihfa hramthawk ka tein a rak um cang, ti a lang i cu nihcun Paul chan ah a rak um cang ko, ti a fianter (Towner, 42).

3. Biakam Thar cauk chung vialte ah Pastor Cakuat lawng ah a ummi biafang 175 a um ti a si. Asinain, biafang hmanmi aa dan ruang ah caṭialtu an i dang lai, tiah biachah khawh a si lo. Zeicahtiah, cakuat ṭial tikah a kuatu le kuatmi an i pehtlaihnak nih siseh, cakuat chung i ṭialmi konglam nih siseh biafang hmanmi cu lai a rel ngaingai. Paul nih ca a kuatmi vialte hna lak ah Timote le Titus lawnglawng hi kum saupi rian a ṭuanṭi mi le palefa bantuk in aa daw i lungthin aa hngalmi an si. Cucaah, ca a kuat hna tikah mising (khual) sin i ṭialmi bantuk in fianternak tampi he ṭial a haumi a si lo. Khrihfabu chungtel sin ah kuatmi siloin kum 20 leeng Pathian rian ah hmuhtonnak a ngei cangmi pastor te sin ah kuatmi a si. Cun, a no lio i ṭialmi si loin kumkhua a upat hnu, a nicaan a dihdongh lai i hmailei khrihfabu kong ah lungre theih bu tein ṭialmi a si.

   Cun, vailam, vailam tahnak, luatnak, fa canternak (adoption) tibantuk biafang a hman lonak ruang zong cakuat a ṭial hnawhchannak he aa pehtlaih lo ca ah a si kho. Cu kong cu a luancia kum tampi chung an rak i chim-ruah cangmi a si lai i atu cu an sin ah thazaang pek (encourage), zuamcawh (challenge), lunglawmh (cheer), leem (cajole), le cawnpiak (exhort) tu aa timh deuhmi a si. Cucaah, a caṭial ning zong voi dang tawn he aa dannak a si kho. Zumhnak lei cawnpiaknak (doctrine) aa dang, tiah ruah a sinak zong cu ruang ahcun a si kho. Dibelius le Conzelmann nih, “Paul Cakuat dang hna zong hi pakhat le pakhat an hmanmi biafang an i dang cio ko. Cucaah, biafang hmanmi i dan ruang ah caṭialtu an i dang lai, ti ruah cu a chambaumi ruahnak a si,” tiah an ti (Oden, p.14). Caṭial minthang Plato le Shakespeare zong ca an rak ṭial ka i an hmanmi biafang tampi cu kum tampi hnu i an ṭialmi he aa dangmi a tampi ve ko (ibid.). A tawinak in, Pastor Cakuat le Paul cakuat dang chung biafang le biatlang hmanmi aa dannak bik cu: a kuatmi minung le cakuat ṭial hnawhchan kong an i dan caah le, Paul nih a upat hnu a nicaan a naih hnu ah thuk ngai khua a ruah i chanthar holh telh chih in (idioms) a hman caah a si, tiah an zumh.

4. Biakam Thar scholars cheukhat nih, khrihfabu hmasa hna chung ah hruaitu an hung chuahnak cu Thlarau laksawng a tingcomi minung an ṭumchuk hnu in aa thawkmi a si, tiah an ti. Asinain, Ridderbos nihcun, “Thlarau hruainak (charismatic) le bu ṭhithruainak (institutional) ti phun i cuaichun cu khrihfabu chung ah Thlarau hruaimi rian le Thlarau hruai lomi rian ti i cuaichun tluk in a hman lomi a si,” tiah a ti (Knight, p.30). Zeicahtiah, khrihfabu a ṭhatnak ding caah Pathian nih Thlarau laksawng a phunphun a kan pek i cu chung ah cawnpiak thiamnak, mibawmh khawhnak, le mihruai thiamnak zong aa telmi a si, ti hi Paul nih a chim lengmang mi a si (Efe. 4:11; 1 Kor 12:28). Paul nih khrihfabu cu ningcang tein sersiam le hruai a herhnak kong i a sia herhnak zong a cakuat kip ah hlan tein a rak langter lengmang (1 Thes. 5:12,13; Gal.6:6; Rom. 12:7,8; 1 Kor. 12:28; 16:15,16; Efe.4:11; Fil. 1:1, Kolose cakuat ah dah ti lo cu). Khrihfabu hruaitu hna upat ding (1 Thes. 5:12,13) le an nawl ngaih ding (1 Kor. 16:15.16) kong zong a cawnpiak hna. Khrihfabu chung i ṭuanvo ngeitu hna an rian min – Cawnpiaktu hna (1 Kor.12:28), Pastors le Cawnpiaktu hna (Efe. 4:11), Bishops le Deacons (Fil. 1:1) – zong a cakuat dang ah an lang ko.

   Cucaah, Pastor Cakuat chung khrihfabu hruainak kong hi a advance ngai ca ah Paul nun lio i ṭialmi a si lo, ti khawh a si lo. Khrihfabu hruainak kong cu a cakuat dang ah Pastor Cakuat chung tluk in a rak ṭial lo bia a si kho. A tawi deuhnak in a chimmi tu cu a um ve. Tahchunhnak ah, Lamkaltu 6:3 chung ah “Thiang Thlarau le fimnak in a khat tiah nan hngalhmi pasarih in thim hna ulaw, cu hna cu hi thil a tawlreltu ah kan thiah hna lai,” tiah kan hmuh. A hmurka in cun a rak cawnpiak ko hna lai, tiah zumh a si (Night, p.30). Cun, Paul nih 1 Timote 5:3-16 chung ah khrihfabu nih zeitindah nuhmei nan zohkhenh lai, tiah dikthlir in a ṭialmi a um. Hi kong bantuk hi a cakuat dang ah a um taktak lo. Asinain, Bawipa Zanriah kong zong Paul cakuat vialte lak ah 1 Korin cakuat chung lawng ah a um i cu ruang ah “1 Korin cakuat cu Paul ṭialmi a si lai lo,” tiah ti khawh a si hlei lo.

5. Pastor Cakuat chung ah ṭialmi doctrine (zumhnak lei cawnpiaknak) hi Paul nih a dang cakuat chung ah a hmanmi doctrine he aa lo lo, tiah a timi hna bialaaknak cu hitihin a si. “Pastor Cakuat ṭialtu ca ahcun khrihfa zumhnak (Christian doctrine) cu paratheke, “Ken awk ah kaan fialmi cu him tein na ken hna lai” (1 Tim 6:20) ti a si; Khrihfa zumhnak cu Paul sin in Timote sin ah, cun Timote sin in midang sin ah a chanh in i chanh phun a si (2 Tim. 1:13-14; 2:2; 3:14). Mah cucu Paul nih a cawnpiak tawnmi Christian Doctrine a si lo,” an ti (Night, p.35). Asinain, a taktak ahcun Paul nih a cakuat hmasa chung ah hibantuk biafang hi a rak hman pah lengmang ko. Rom 16:17 ah “nannih nih nan hmuh ciami cawnpiaknak…” timi biafang a hman. 1 Korin 15:1-3 chung zong ah thawngṭha cu amah Paul zong nih a rak “hmuhmi” a si i midang sin ah a “pek chin” hna le an rak “cohlan” mi kha “fek tein an i tlaih” nak hnga a  “hngalhter’ ṭhan hna nak kan hmuh. 1 Korin 11:2 chung zong ah “Keimah kha philh lo tein nan ka um i kan pek chinmi hna cawnpiaknak kha nan zulh caah kan thangṭhat hna,” a ti. Cucaah, ṭha tein dohlat ahcun doctrine aa dang lo, ti hun hngalh khawh a si.

6. Pastor Cakuat chung ah midang ṭial awk ah a har ngai dingmi bia cheukhat an um. Tahchunhnak ah, “Keimah cu an lakah a sual bik ka si ko” (1 Tim. 1:15), timi khi Paul siloin midang (Paul a upat ngaimi le a zultu pakhatkhat) nih ṭial awk ah a si kho dingmi a si lo. Paul zeirel lo a lo hnga. “Cun, na rat tik ah Troah khua i Karpas inn i ka chiahtaakmi ka angkileng kha rak phor te, cun cauk zong kha rak phor hna law saphaw cauk ko kha rak philh sual hna hlah” (2 Tim. 4:13), timi zong khi midang nih phan chom, ṭawn chommi a si, ti cu zumh awk ah a har ngaingai mi a si. “Ti lawng kha ding ti loin, na paw a fak lengmangmi kha an bawmh nakhnga, zu kha tlawmpal in rak ding” (1 Tim.5:23), ti zong a um rih. Cucaah, Paul le Timote pumpaak cakuat bak a si ko, ti hi zumh tlak bik cu a si. Cu nihcun kan zumhnak zong a ngan a damter deuh lai. A ngaingai ti ahcun, Pastor Cakuat le Paul cakuat  dang chung ah biafang le caṭial ning aa dangmi tampi a um zong hi Paul cakuat bakte a sinak a langhtertu pakhat a si lehlam. Zeicahtiah, midang pakhatkhat nih Paul min in a ṭialmi a si ahcun, a si khawh chung in Paul hman tawnmi biafang le caṭial ning zulh khawh aa zuam hnga. Asi khawh chung in, Paul nawlcawn aa zuam hnga. Biafang le caṭial ning aa dannak tu nih hin caṭialtu cu Paul a sinak a dirkamh leilei.

 3. Midang nih Paul cakuat tawi tete (notes) a fonh hna i a ṭialmi a si, tiah a ruatmi hna le an ruahnak a ruang:

A cunglei ah langhtermi, aa lo lomi ruahnak pahnih laifang (middle ground) i a ruatmi zong an rak um ve. Cu ti i a ruatmi hna lak ah New Testament scholar minthang I. Howard Marshall zong aa tel. Marshall nih Pastor Cakuat chung i hmanmi biafang le caṭial ning a dothlak tikah Paul nih a ṭialmi a si ko, ti cohlan ding ah aa harh. Asinain, Pastor cakuat sullam le thil sining a ruah tikah Paul thih lai hrawng i ṭialmi a si, tiah a zumh fawn. Cucaah, Pastor Cakuat cu “Pseudonymity” siloin “Allonymity” a si tiah a ti. “Allonymity” timi cu caṭialtu le cakuat ṭialtu ah min bunhmi karlak i theihthiamnak le pehtlaihnak a ummi khi chim duhmi a si. Caṭialtu nih min bunhmi hnatlaknak in a ṭial, asiloah caṭialtu nih amah duhnak siloin a thi cangmi pa i a zumhnak le a thinlung khuaruahnak a ṭialmi phun khi a si. Pastor Cakuat kong ah Marshall nih a fianter ning ahcun, Paul zultu asiloah a siangngakchia pakhatkhat nih Paul nih a rak ṭial taakmi (notes) pawl a remh i a ṭial ṭhan; asiloah a thi cangmi Paul dirhmun ah i dirter in Paul nih a rak cawnpiakmi vialte kha upatnak le midang zawnruahnak thinlung he a ṭialmi a si kho, a ti (Marshall, p.83-84). Cu ning in a si ahcun, Paul nih a rak ṭial taakmi cakuat bultan pawl cu a siangngakchia pakhatkhat nih a pehtonh i 1 Timote, Titus, le 2 Timote tiah ṭhen thum ah a ṭhen ti nak a si hnga. Hi ruahnak hi a si kho ngaimi le cohlan awk ṭha ngai a si ve.

Biadonghnak:

 Hi cathluan ṭial hnawhchannak a ruang cu midang hmurka in Timote le Titus cauk cu “Disputed Letters” an si, “Paul ṭialmi a si hnga maw, tiah lunghrinhmi an si,” tiah kan theih tik ah an chimmi sullam zeidah a si ti kan hngalh i Pathian bia kan zumhnak ah lungawṭawmnak kan ngeih lo nak hnga bawmtu si hram seh, ti duh ah a si. Baibal hrilhfiah ṭialtu Thomas Oden nih cun, “Hlan chan Khrihfa caṭialtu hna (Athanasius, Augustine, Jerome, Luther, Calvin, Henry, le Wesley te hna) i Baibal an hrilhfiahmi a ṭhat khunnak le hmual a ngeih khunnak cu, annih cu Baibal hi Pathian bia a si ti zumh bu tein a sullam an hlathlai,” tiah a ti. Mah cucu keimah pumpaak ca zong ah ka duh ngaimi le ka pommi a si. Cuaah, Timote le Titus cauk kan rel tik ah, a cunglei i ruahnak pathum hna nakin a biapi deuhmi cu; hi Pastor Cakuat cu Pathian nih a Thlarau in caṭialtu thinlung ah ṭial ding in a fialmi le thaw a chuah hnawhmi a si, ti zumh bu tein rel le hlathlai ahcun pumpaak le khrihfabu caah thlarau nun cawmtu a si ko lai.

Bibliography:

1.   Barclay, William. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Louisville: Westminster, John Knox Press, 2017

2.  Oden, Thomas. First and Second Timothy and Titus: Interpretation. Louisville: Westminster, John Knox Press, 1989

3. Towener, Philip H. The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Letters to Timothy and Titus. Grand Rapids: Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2006

4. Knight III, George W. The New Internation al Greek Testament Commentary: The Pastoral Epistles. Grand Rapids: Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1992

5. Marshall, L.H. International Critical Commentary: The Pastoral Epistles. New York: T&T Clark LTD, 2006 reprinted

6. NIB. Volume XI. 2000 Abingdon Press