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...even attributed to Paul himself, when he [Prätorius] writes in the preface to the Latin edition: "Besides other admirable virtues, it contains something of the vigor original Latin: "succi", literally "juice" or "sap," used here to describe the vitality of the writing style. of Demosthenes A famous ancient Greek orator known for his powerful and persuasive speech. that surpasses others, which is unpleasant to the rest." And further: "To me indeed, it smells of the spirit and grace of the most divine Paul; though it be brief, it is full of meaning, and affects me with singular pleasure, etc." original Latin: "Mihi profecto redolet spiritum & gratiam divinissimi Pauli, ut ut sit brevis, est sententiosa, atque me singulari voluptate afficit &c." And in the German edition, page 128 (of his works): "All the words are Pauline, and agree finely with other sayings, and provide a beautiful understanding."

3. Although no one at that time started a dispute with Prätorius Mattheus Prätorius (1635–1704), a theologian and historian who claimed this letter was genuine. over this—though nowadays such things happen over even lesser questions—other scholars do not agree with him on this matter. They do not consider it to be the work of the Apostle Paul at all, even if they recognize it as ancient. We also no longer possess the original Greek text as the Greek Fathers The early influential theologians and bishops of the Christian church. had it; instead, we essentially only have the Latin version—albeit a very old one—from which Elias Hutterus A 16th-century German scholar who published Bibles in many languages; he attempted to reconstruct the "lost" Greek version by translating the Latin back into Greek. first translated it back into Greek, as observed by Mr. Dr. Fabricius Johann Albert Fabricius (1668–1736), a renowned scholar who compiled "apocryphal" texts—writings related to the Bible but not included in it. in his Codex Apocryphus of the New Testament, page 864. He also modestly excuses Prätorius on page 868 as a pious and upright man.

4. Therefore, it was decided to include this Epistle in this collection of ancient letters, at least for the sake of its antiquity, especially since it is short and takes up little space. Furthermore, it may not be entirely without edification, even if one does not grant it divine authority Meaning it is not considered "canonical" or part of the officially inspired Bible.. For this reason, no one [should find fault with] this edition, which follows the example of others in