The difference in writing style, use of language and introduction of new words causes many scholars to dispute whether Paul was the genuine author of these books.

However, some suggest these are weak arguments and suggest that these books might have been written on behalf of Paul by his disciples.

• Ephesians
• Colossians
• 2 Thessalonians

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:8

Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

This verse does not fit into the context of the surrounding verses as pointed out by the German scholar named Ferdinand Christian Baur.

Psalm 68:18 refers to the "mountain of God, mountain of Bashan, many-peaked mountain and the mountain of Bashan" (Psalm 68:15), while in Paul supposedly refers to Christ.

Psalm 68:18 is actually:

You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. -- Psalm 68:18 (ESV)

While the version in Psalm "received" gifts, Paul's version supposedly "gave".

However, because all the earliest manuscripts do contain this verse, it is generally accepted this verse was accurately translated.

Ephesians 5:14

The author of Ephesians possibly quotes Isaiah 60:1

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

-- Ephesians 5:13-14 (ESV)

But Isaiah has written:

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD (YHVH) has risen upon you.

There are no mention of "rising from the dead" or any mention of "Christ" in this scripture.

Either the author

• is quoting from a source that is lost to us, or
• some bible translator added an incorrect cross-reference on behalf of the author slightly twisted the words of Isaiah by replacing "the glory of YHVH" with "Christ".

One may argue that Christ claimed to be the light and that Christ glorifies God and God the Father glorifies the Son (John 17), but the "glory of YHVH" is not synonyms with "Christ". God's glory is much bigger than Christ. In fact when Moses asked to see God's glory, God told him that it would kill him Exodus 33:15-20. Nobody died when they saw Jesus.

In the context of Ephesians, the audience must "arise from the dead", but in the context of Isaiah, the YHVH must arise like the daylight of the sun over the dark earth so that all can see the glory of the LORD (YHVH):

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.

-- Isaiah 60:2 (NKJV)