Net2004

Greetings

Were these apocryphal books in existence prior to paul or post-paul?

Al Kafirun

Hmmm, I'd like to know that, too. He was definitely dependant on Jewish apocryphal like Enoch, etc. But then that wasn't the question.

Toto

The question is raised and discussed on this Islamic site:

'The Apocryphal Books of Elijah' & Paul

{also here, which discusses one of the Pastoral letters, which most scholars assume Paul did not write.)

The index to the Islamic expose of Paul is here: Exposing (St.) Paul.

There is an attempt to rebut their arguments on answering-islam:

Did Paul use 'The Apocryphal Books of Elijah'?

However, their first rebuttal is that the Apocryphal Books are dated to the fourth century - when their source only claims that the only extant manuscript dates to the fourth century. If the gospels were dated this way, Christians would cry foul (and rightly.)

I have not read through all these arguments, but I would point out that the passages may well be post-Pauline interpolations. Or not. But Paul or his later editor did not claim to be quoting from canonical scripture, if such existed, only that "it is written." Does this preclude a citation from a non-canonical source?

Al Kafirun

True or false, I don't (as a rule) read anything from Answering Islam. They host plenty of good stuff, though. But... let he who is without sin cast the first... etc, etc.