EPISTLES

AN EPISTLE A formal letter intended for a wide

public audience rather than for a specific group or individual.

SEVEN EPISTLES James 1 and 2 Peter 1, 2, and 3 John Jude All are attributed to prominent leaders

of the original Jerusalem church. Six are attributed to the “pillars” James, John, and Peter

FORM Epistles take the form of a letter, a

sermon, or warning They are written pseudononymously

HEBREWS Anonymous Reads like a treatise or a sermon The work does not contain the word

“Hebrews” so scholars are not certain who the intended recipient was

It dates somewhere between 65 to 100 CE

DUALISM IN HEBREWS Earthly events and human institutions

are seen as reflections of invisible heavenly realities

The writer presumes two parallel worlds

The writer has a sophisticated interpretation of Hebrew scripture

PRINCIPAL THEME OF HEBREWS The supremacy and absolute finality of

the divine revelation through Jesus Christ

CHRIST AS KING-PRIEST In the author’s view, Christ’s high priesthood

supersedes that of the Levites Allegorical interpretation of the Day of

Atonement When the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies

to make a sin offering for the people, it must be renewed every year

With the sacrifice of his life, Christ once and for all time, cancels the need for more sacrifice

THE TRUE RELIGION The author says that Christianity is the

only true religion, and is the fulfillment of Judaism

Christ’s sacrifice is ratified by blood, like of old, but in a more perfect way

FAITH The authors asks for faith in unseen

realities Chapter 11 elaborates on faith, and

goes through Biblical characters who lived in faith

This author’s version of faith is different from Paul’s—it is faith in unseen realities. Paul’s faith is always related to Christ

JAMES Sometimes attributed to James, “the

Lord’s brother,” but the writer reveals no personal knowledge of Jesus nor Nazareth

Anonymous authorship 80-100 CE One of the last books in the New

Testament to be accepted into the canon

NO CENTRAL THEME Focused on ‘good works’ ‘The World’ represents a society that

repudiates God Thoroughly Jewish in its emphasis on

merciful deeds He quotes from the Torah, not Jesus

IN CONFLICT WITH PAUL’S DOCTRINE 2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if

someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Paul asserted that people are saved through a trusting acceptance of God’s grace

ATTACK ON THE RICH The New Testament’s most severe

criticism of the rich He denounces Christian merchants and

land owners who use their wealth and power to exploit their economic inferiors

1 PETER Some similarities to James

Both addressed to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor

Both say ‘love cancels innumerable sins’ Both urge believers to submit peacefully to

trials and suffering from persecution

ANONYMOUS The historical Peter would not likely

have been able to write in such exceptionally fine Greek

Some say Peter’s companion, Silvanus (Silas), could have translated Peter’s Aramaic dictation into sophisticated Greek

The author does not reveal personal knowledge of Jesus

PAROUSIA Author emphasizes Christ’s coming Submit yourself to every human

institution because the end is coming soon This is similar to Paul’s thinking

DATE? After 70 CE at least Christians of Asia Minor were

persecuted under Domitian (95 CE) and Trajan (112 CE) who wrote to Pliny the Younger

Conditions that Pliny wrote about match this letter

This epistle was likely written in Rome, or code name “Babylon”

JUDE Pseudonymous, dated about 125 CE Jude (or Judas) was the brother of

James, and presumably a kinsman of Jesus

WARNING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS Not so much a letter as an invective or

argument using insult and verbal abuse He does not specify his issues with the

teachers, but calls them names

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

LAST EPISTLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENTJude is considered the least creative book in the New Testament because of its use of insult rather than specifying the problem.

Very brief at only 25 verses

2 PETER Scholars believe this was the last

written of the books accepted into the New Testament because 1. it incorporates much of Jude 2. it names Paul’s letters as “scripture”

This epistle dates to 140-150 CE It was written in Rome

PETER’S IDENTITY The author takes on Peter’s identity to

emphasize that this is true apostolic doctrine

The author mentions his presence at the Transfiguration

GOAL OF 2 PETER To reinstate the early Christian

apostolic hope of the Parousia He predicts the world will be destroyed

by fire, something like the world had been destroyed by flood in Noah’s time

The author predicts a new world will emerge from the fire

DELAYED PAROUSIA According to the author, God has

delayed the Parousia to allow more people to repent and be saved

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN Scholars believe the same author wrote

the three epistles Do not confuse this author with either

the apostle John, nor the author of the Gospel of John

This community follows the Gospel of John

The letters date to about 100-110 CE (about ten years after the Gospel of John

THE ‘ELDER’ The author identifies himself as the

Elder (or presbyteros) The author is evidently a leader of the

Johannine community or ‘brotherhood’

1 JOHN IS A SERMON It addresses secessionists, or some who

have withdrawn from the community and are spreading bad stories about it

ECHOES PAUL This is the first author to put forward

standards to distinguish the ‘spirit of error’ from the ‘spirit of truth’

The author echoes Paul who asks believers to ‘test the spirits’ critically to evaluate the truth of the message

GNOSTICS OR DOCETISTS The secessionists may have been

either Gnostics or Docetists who were promulgating that the Christ was a ‘revealer’ from heaven who temporarily occupied the body of Jesus

The Johannine community insists that Jesus and the Christ are the same being and that he suffered and died

2 JOHN Only 13 verses It is a letter to another Johannine

church Calls the secessionists ‘anti-Christ’

3 JOHN Private note to Gaius asking him to

extend hospitality to some Johannine missionaries

A rival leader had not extended such hospitality, and in fact had acted with undo authority (scholars note as some monarchical bishops in subsequent centuries).