{"id":10216,"date":"2023-11-17T02:30:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T02:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/?p=10216"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:13:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T09:13:42","slug":"epistles-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/epistles-in-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"The Epistles in the Bible: Definition, Authorship, &#038; Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\" style=\"\">The Epistles in the Bible: Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary<\/h2>\n<p>    <span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9575\" data-init-width=\"450\" data-init-height=\"600\" title=\"Joshua Schachterle\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Joshua-Schachterle-Bart-Ehrman-Author-1-1.png\" data-width=\"218\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 450 \/ 600;\" width=\"218\" height=\"290\" data-height=\"290\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\">Written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/author\/marko\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/author\/joshua-schachterle\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Author | &nbsp;Professor | Scholar<\/p>\n<p>Author | &nbsp;Professor | BE Contributor<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">Verified! &nbsp;See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/editorial-guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"\">Verified! &nbsp;See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/editorial-guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><em>Edited by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/laura-robinson\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Laura Robinson, Ph.D.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\nDate written: November 17th, 2023\n<p style=\"\">\nDate written: November 17th, 2023<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. &#8211; Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">There are twenty-one epistles in the Bible. But what is an epistle? <strong>The simplest definition of an epistle (from the Greek word epistol\u1e17) is a formal letter, often written to a large audience for the purpose of instruction<\/strong>. This was a common form of communication in the Greco-Roman world. In this article, I\u2019ll write a bit about the functions of epistles and then summarize all the New Testament epistles.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Epistles in the Bible - Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary\" data-id=\"10221\" width=\"697\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"290\" data-init-height=\"800\" title=\"The Epistles in the Bible - Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Epistles-in-the-Bible-Definition-Authorship-Summary.png\" data-width=\"697\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 1920 \/ 800;\" data-height=\"290\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As formal written texts, epistles had a sort of formula which began every letter. Stanley Stowers explains it:<\/p>\n<blockquote dir=\"ltr\"><p>Most extant Greek and Latin letters begin with a prescript or salutation that contains the name of the sender, the name of the addressee and a greeting. The formula is: \u2018Demetrius to Publius, greetings.\u2019 \u2026 Often the greeting was followed by a prayer for the recipient, sometimes by a wish for the recipient\u2019s health, and occasionally by a statement of thanksgiving to a god or gods.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>By definition, an epistle had to begin with these elements. You\u2019ll see this kind of opening, for example, in Paul\u2019s authentic letters:<\/p>\n<blockquote dir=\"ltr\"><p>Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:Grace to you and peace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Why were the epistles written? This type of formal letter always had an occasion and a purpose. For example, some of the New Testament epistles are written to Christians who are being persecuted. The purpose of these letters is to encourage them to remain strong in the faith despite their difficulties.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Below I\u2019ll categorize the epistles and give a short summary of each one. By the way, my main source of information here, besides the epistles themselves, is Bart Ehrman\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/New-Testament-Historical-Introduction-Christian-dp-0190909005\/dp\/0190909005\/ref=dp_ob_title_bk\" style=\"outline: none;\"> New Testament textbook.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\">The Seven Undisputed Letters of Paul<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Much of the New Testament is taken up by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/pauline-epistles\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">letters supposedly written by Paul<\/a>. Scholars have known for many years, however, that only seven of those letters, summarized below, can definitely be traced back to Paul.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Thessalonians:<\/strong> Written in 49 CE. This is the earliest of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/what-books-did-paul-write-in-the-bible-exploring-pauline-epistles\/\"> Paul\u2019s letters<\/a> to a Jesus community that he started in the city of Thessalonica in modern-day Greece. Of all Paul\u2019s epistles in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians is the friendliest. He praises the Thessalonians effusively for their faith and their kindness to him.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>As I said before, the definition of an epistle includes an occasion and a purpose<\/strong>. In fact, most of Paul\u2019s authentic letters are written to address problems or questions within communities he founded. The occasion in this letter was that some members of their community had died. Those who remained wondered if those who had died would still be included in the resurrection. Paul assures them that the dead believers will rise first to their heavenly reward, followed by those who are still alive.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Galatians:<\/strong> Written between the late 40s and early 50s CE. It was written to a group of churches in Galatia in modern-day Turkey.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In this epistle, Paul argues against other missionaries who came to Galatia and insisted that Gentile Jesus-followers had to be circumcised and obey the Torah. He starts by establishing that his own authority came straight from Jesus and\/or God, rather than any human being. He then argues that Gentiles can only attain salvation through faith in Jesus and not by following the rules of the Torah.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Corinthians:<\/strong> Written in 53-54 CE. This is a letter to Paul\u2019s community at Corinth in modern-day Greece. The community was made up of former worshippers of other gods. Paul has heard that some of them have been engaging in immoral behavior. He insists that since believers\u2019 bodies will be resurrected by God, it\u2019s important that they use those bodies now to act morally and remain pure.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/2-corinthians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>2 Corinthians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written in 55 or 56 CE. It is probably a combination of two letters later edited into one by someone else. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul went to Corinth again but someone in the community apparently mistreated him. He wrote a furious missive to the community about this in chapters 10-13. However, this angry letter seems to have made the Corinthians remorseful, and Paul reconciled with them.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/philippians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Philippians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written in the 50s or early 60s CE. Like 2 Corinthians, this is a compilation of (at least) three letter fragments written to a community at Philippi in modern-day Greece.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Paul starts by thanking the Philippian community for presents they\u2019d sent him. He then writes about rejecting worldly things for the sake of the gospel. Additionally, he cites an already-written Christ hymn about Jesus\u2019 self-denying humility which resulted in his exaltation by God.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/philemon\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Philemon<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written between 57\u201362 CE. A letter from Paul who is in prison to a wealthy Christian named Philemon. One of Philemon\u2019s slaves, Onesimus, has run away and visited Paul. Paul, who had converted Onesimus, urges Philemon not to punish him. This epistle may also be a subtle appeal to Philemon to let Onesimus serve Paul himself rather than forcing him to return.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Romans:<\/strong> Written between 55-57 CE. This is a letter to a community not founded by Paul. Its purpose was to confirm the Roman community\u2019s support, financial and otherwise, for Paul\u2019s coming mission to Spain. To do this, he corrects what he believes are the Romans\u2019 misunderstandings about his gospel. Accordingly, he explains his gospel using two metaphorical models &nbsp;for salvation.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The first is a legal model in which God is a judge and humans are criminals who have broken his laws. Jesus, therefore, takes the punishment that humans deserved. The second says that salvation is actually union with Christ, achieved through faith and baptism, which will allow humans to be resurrected with him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE of the Historical Jesus!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Think you know the Jesus of the Bible?&nbsp; Uncover the historical figure behind the texts!<\/p>\n<p>__CONFIG_colors_palette__{&#8220;active_palette&#8221;:0,&#8221;config&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;name&#8221;:&#8221;Main Accent&#8221;,&#8221;parent&#8221;:-1}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]},&#8221;palettes&#8221;:[{&#8220;name&#8221;:&#8221;Default&#8221;,&#8221;value&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;val&#8221;:&#8221;rgb(255, 133, 34)&#8221;}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]},&#8221;original&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;val&#8221;:&#8221;rgb(19, 114, 211)&#8221;,&#8221;hsl&#8221;:{&#8220;h&#8221;:210,&#8221;s&#8221;:0.83,&#8221;l&#8221;:0.45,&#8221;a&#8221;:1}}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ <a href=\"#cb23c204d6\" style=\"\"><span>    <\/span> <span><span style=\"\"><strong>sTART QUIZ<\/strong><\/span><\/span> <\/a> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>It&#8217;s free!<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\">Deutero-Pauline Epistles<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Deutero is a Greek word meaning \u201csecond\u201d. These are \u201csecondary\u201d because there is some debate about whether Paul wrote them or not. The authors of all three of these letters claim to be Paul. The vast majority of scholars, however, believe they are not.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/ephesians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ephesians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Both its writing style and its theology are very different from Paul\u2019s. It is addressed to a Jesus community in the city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. The main subject is relations between Jews and Gentiles in the community. The author says they should be one in Christ.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Colossians:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Like Ephesians, the style and theology are very different from Paul\u2019s. For example, the author writes about the resurrection of believers which he calls a past, inner event. For Paul, the resurrection was coming any day, but had not yet happened.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Thessalonians:<\/strong> Written between 80\u2013115 CE. The main difference between this letter and Paul\u2019s undisputed letters is the way it talks about the coming end of the world. Paul believed that the end would come any moment, while 2 Thessalonians says it\u2019s going to be a while, probably a reaction to the community\u2019s doubts since it had been decades since Jesus\u2019 death.<\/p>\n<h2>Pastoral Epistles<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">While these letters claim to be written by Paul, scholars agree that they definitely were not. They\u2019re called \u201cpastoral\u201d because they are addressed to young leaders of Jesus communities, recommending solutions to the communities\u2019 problems.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Timothy:<\/strong> Probably written in the late 1st century or the first half of the 2nd century CE. The author claims Paul was writing to Timothy, giving him advice as a young leader of communities. Problems addressed include false teachers and whether women should have authority.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Timothy:<\/strong> Probably written in the late 1st century or the first half of the 2nd century CE. Very similar to 1 Timothy, addressing similar issues.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Titus:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Similar to 1 and 2 Timothy, written to Titus, a young pastor of a community dealing with similar issues.<\/p>\n<h2>Hebrews: A Category All Its Own<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Hebrews:<\/strong> Written between 70-100 CE. It was traditionally attributed to Paul by some early Christians. However, the style and theology are entirely different from Paul\u2019s and the author never claims to be Paul.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Also, even though it\u2019s called an epistle, it\u2019s really a sermon. Its audience consists of Christians who have been persecuted. The purpose of the sermon is to convince the audience not to convert to Judaism by proving that Christian belief is superior.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Definition of epistles\" data-id=\"10220\" width=\"697\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"290\" data-init-height=\"800\" title=\"Definition of epistles\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Definition-of-epistles.png\" data-width=\"697\" data-height=\"290\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 1920 \/ 800;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"42px\">The Catholic Epistles<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The catholic epistles (catholic here means \u201cuniversal\u201d or \u201cgeneral\u201d). They are called this because they are not addressed to specific communities but to Christians in general.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>James:<\/strong> Written in the late 1st to mid-2nd century CE. Although this epistle was traditionally ascribed to James the brother of Jesus, it was almost certainly written by a different Jewish Christian.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Unlike Paul\u2019s letters, James absolutely encourages observance of the Jewish Law. While the author seems to argue with Paul\u2019s ideas about \u201cfaith\u201d vs. \u201cworks,\u201d he interprets \u201cworks\u201d differently from the authentic Paul. For Paul, works meant Torah prescriptions such as kosher eating and circumcision. For the author of James, \u201cworks\u201d means good deeds. It\u2019s a fundamental misunderstanding of Paul.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Peter:<\/strong> Probably written around 80 CE. The author claims to be Simon Peter the apostle, but his knowledge of Greek makes this highly unlikely. It is addressed to Christians in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who are being persecuted. It urges them to stay faithful to God.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Peter:<\/strong> Written between 80-150 CE. Again, the author claims to be Simon Peter but is almost certainly someone living much later (Peter died before 68 CE). It is addressed to Christians all over Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The author again calls for faithfulness in the face of persecution and confronts corrupt teachers who he says have twisted Jesus\u2019 message.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1, 2, and 3 John:<\/strong> All written between 95-110 CE. These were traditionally ascribed to John the Apostle, but most scholars don\u2019t accept this. It shares some themes with the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/who-wrote-the-gospel-of-john\/\" style=\"outline: none;\"> Gospel of John<\/a> although the author of that Gospel did not write these epistles. These themes include imagery of light and darkness, new and old commandments, being hated by the world, and Christ being sent by God out of love.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Jude:<\/strong> Probably written in the early 2nd century. This letter starts with an introduction: \u201cJude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.&#8221; Because of this, tradition has long ascribed this epistle to Jude, one of Jesus\u2019 brothers. However, most scholars don\u2019t accept this.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The author writes vehemently against heretics who deny God and Christ. He writes that immoral behavior is a common feature of such heresy and says the heretics will be punished if they don\u2019t repent. He encourages his addressees to stay faithful to correct doctrine in order to avoid divine punishment.<\/p>\n<h2 data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"42px\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Definition of epistles:<\/strong> Epistles were formal letters written in the ancient world. Their subject matter was usually based on a specific situation or problem and served the purpose of instructing the letter\u2019s recipients in how to deal with the situation or problem.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Who wrote the New Testament epistles?<\/strong> Seven letters were written by the Apostle Paul to Jesus communities in different cities. Several others were written in his name but were likely not authentic. Other epistles were written in the names of other apostles such as Peter and John but were also not authentic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE of the Historical Jesus!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Think you know the Jesus of the Bible?&nbsp; Uncover the historical figure behind the texts!<\/p>\n<p>__CONFIG_colors_palette__{&#8220;active_palette&#8221;:0,&#8221;config&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;name&#8221;:&#8221;Main Accent&#8221;,&#8221;parent&#8221;:-1}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]},&#8221;palettes&#8221;:[{&#8220;name&#8221;:&#8221;Default&#8221;,&#8221;value&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;val&#8221;:&#8221;rgb(255, 133, 34)&#8221;}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]},&#8221;original&#8221;:{&#8220;colors&#8221;:{&#8220;10c55&#8221;:{&#8220;val&#8221;:&#8221;rgb(19, 114, 211)&#8221;,&#8221;hsl&#8221;:{&#8220;h&#8221;:210,&#8221;s&#8221;:0.83,&#8221;l&#8221;:0.45,&#8221;a&#8221;:1}}},&#8221;gradients&#8221;:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ <a href=\"#cb23c204d6\" style=\"\"><span>    <\/span> <span><span style=\"\"><strong>sTART QUIZ<\/strong><\/span><\/span> <\/a> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>It&#8217;s free!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Epistles in the Bible: Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary Written by Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D Author | &nbsp;Professor | Scholar Author | &nbsp;Professor | BE Contributor Verified! &nbsp;See our editorial guidelines Verified! &nbsp;See our guidelines Edited by Laura Robinson, Ph.D. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":10221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"<div class=\"tcb-clear\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d558\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-button thrv-button-v2 tcb-local-vars-root\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d5c6\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"thrive-colors-palette-config\" style=\"display: none !important\">__CONFIG_colors_palette__{\"active_palette\":0,\"config\":{\"colors\":{\"62516\":{\"name\":\"Main Accent\",\"parent\":-1}},\"gradients\":[]},\"palettes\":[{\"name\":\"Default Palette\",\"value\":{\"colors\":{\"62516\":{\"val\":\"var(--tcb-skin-color-0)\"}},\"gradients\":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__<\/div>\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/category\/New-Testament\/\" class=\"tcb-button-link tcb-plain-text\" style=\"\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t<span class=\"tcb-button-texts\"><span class=\"tcb-button-text thrv-inline-text\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d5d4\">New Testament<\/span><\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\" id=\"article-title\"><h2 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d5e0\" style=\"\">The Epistles in the Bible: Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_symbol thrive-shortcode thrv_symbol_15449\" data-shortcode=\"thrive_symbol\" data-id=\"15449\" data-selector=\".thrv_symbol_15449\"><div class=\"thrive-shortcode-config\" style=\"display: none !important\">__CONFIG_post_symbol__{\"id\":\"15449\"}__CONFIG_post_symbol__<\/div><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\" data-css=\"tve-u-18bd509dab4\" style=\"\"><p style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d729\">Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\">There are twenty-one epistles in the Bible. But what is an epistle? <strong>The simplest definition of an epistle (from the Greek word epistol\u1e17) is a formal letter, often written to a large audience for the purpose of instruction<\/strong>. This was a common form of communication in the Greco-Roman world. In this article, I\u2019ll write a bit about the functions of epistles and then summarize all the New Testament epistles.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d731\" data-type=\"\" style=\"\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image tcb-moved-image wp-image-10221\" alt=\"The Epistles in the Bible - Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary\" data-id=\"10221\" width=\"697\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"290\" data-init-height=\"800\" title=\"The Epistles in the Bible - Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Epistles-in-the-Bible-Definition-Authorship-Summary.png\" data-width=\"697\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 1920 \/ 800;\" data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d745\" data-height=\"290\"><\/span><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\">As formal written texts, epistles had a sort of formula which began every letter. Stanley Stowers explains it:<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><blockquote class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">Most extant Greek and Latin letters begin with a prescript or salutation that contains the name of the sender, the name of the addressee and a greeting. The formula is: \u2018Demetrius to Publius, greetings.\u2019 \u2026 Often the greeting was followed by a prayer for the recipient, sometimes by a wish for the recipient\u2019s health, and occasionally by a statement of thanksgiving to a god or gods.<\/blockquote><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>By definition, an epistle had to begin with these elements. You\u2019ll see this kind of opening, for example, in Paul\u2019s authentic letters:<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><blockquote dir=\"ltr\" class=\"\">Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,<br>To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:<br>Grace to you and peace.<\/blockquote><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">Why were the epistles written? This type of formal letter always had an occasion and a purpose. For example, some of the New Testament epistles are written to Christians who are being persecuted. The purpose of these letters is to encourage them to remain strong in the faith despite their difficulties.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Below I\u2019ll categorize the epistles and give a short summary of each one. By the way, my main source of information here, besides the epistles themselves, is Bart Ehrman\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/New-Testament-Historical-Introduction-Christian-dp-0190909005\/dp\/0190909005\/ref=dp_ob_title_bk\" class=\"\" style=\"outline: none;\"> New Testament textbook.<\/a><\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\">The Seven Undisputed Letters of Paul<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\">Much of the New Testament is taken up by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/pauline-epistles\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\" style=\"outline: none;\">letters supposedly written by Paul<\/a>. Scholars have known for many years, however, that only seven of those letters, summarized below, can definitely be traced back to Paul.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Thessalonians:<\/strong> Written in 49 CE. This is the earliest of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/what-books-did-paul-write-in-the-bible-exploring-pauline-epistles\/\"> Paul\u2019s letters<\/a> to a Jesus community that he started in the city of Thessalonica in modern-day Greece. Of all Paul\u2019s epistles in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians is the friendliest. He praises the Thessalonians effusively for their faith and their kindness to him.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>As I said before, the definition of an epistle includes an occasion and a purpose<\/strong>. In fact, most of Paul\u2019s authentic letters are written to address problems or questions within communities he founded. The occasion in this letter was that some members of their community had died. Those who remained wondered if those who had died would still be included in the resurrection. Paul assures them that the dead believers will rise first to their heavenly reward, followed by those who are still alive.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Galatians:<\/strong> Written between the late 40s and early 50s CE. It was written to a group of churches in Galatia in modern-day Turkey.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">In this epistle, Paul argues against other missionaries who came to Galatia and insisted that Gentile Jesus-followers had to be circumcised and obey the Torah. He starts by establishing that his own authority came straight from Jesus and\/or God, rather than any human being. He then argues that Gentiles can only attain salvation through faith in Jesus and not by following the rules of the Torah.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Corinthians:<\/strong> Written in 53-54 CE. This is a letter to Paul\u2019s community at Corinth in modern-day Greece. The community was made up of former worshippers of other gods. Paul has heard that some of them have been engaging in immoral behavior. He insists that since believers\u2019 bodies will be resurrected by God, it\u2019s important that they use those bodies now to act morally and remain pure.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/2-corinthians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>2 Corinthians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written in 55 or 56 CE. It is probably a combination of two letters later edited into one by someone else. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul went to Corinth again but someone in the community apparently mistreated him. He wrote a furious missive to the community about this in chapters 10-13. However, this angry letter seems to have made the Corinthians remorseful, and Paul reconciled with them.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/philippians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Philippians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written in the 50s or early 60s CE. Like 2 Corinthians, this is a compilation of (at least) three letter fragments written to a community at Philippi in modern-day Greece.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Paul starts by thanking the Philippian community for presents they\u2019d sent him. He then writes about rejecting worldly things for the sake of the gospel. Additionally, he cites an already-written Christ hymn about Jesus\u2019 self-denying humility which resulted in his exaltation by God.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/philemon\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Philemon<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Written between 57\u201362 CE. A letter from Paul who is in prison to a wealthy Christian named Philemon. One of Philemon\u2019s slaves, Onesimus, has run away and visited Paul. Paul, who had converted Onesimus, urges Philemon not to punish him. This epistle may also be a subtle appeal to Philemon to let Onesimus serve Paul himself rather than forcing him to return.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Romans:<\/strong> Written between 55-57 CE. This is a letter to a community not founded by Paul. Its purpose was to confirm the Roman community\u2019s support, financial and otherwise, for Paul\u2019s coming mission to Spain. To do this, he corrects what he believes are the Romans\u2019 misunderstandings about his gospel. Accordingly, he explains his gospel using two metaphorical models &nbsp;for salvation.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">The first is a legal model in which God is a judge and humans are criminals who have broken his laws. Jesus, therefore, takes the punishment that humans deserved. The second says that salvation is actually union with Christ, achieved through faith and baptism, which will allow humans to be resurrected with him.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_symbol thrive-shortcode thrv_symbol_4835\" data-shortcode=\"thrive_symbol\" data-id=\"4835\" data-selector=\".thrv_symbol_4835\"><div class=\"thrive-shortcode-config\" style=\"display: none !important\">__CONFIG_post_symbol__{\"id\":\"4835\"}__CONFIG_post_symbol__<\/div><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"58.8px\">Deutero-Pauline Epistles<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\">Deutero is a Greek word meaning \u201csecond\u201d. These are \u201csecondary\u201d because there is some debate about whether Paul wrote them or not. The authors of all three of these letters claim to be Paul. The vast majority of scholars, however, believe they are not.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/ephesians\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ephesians<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Both its writing style and its theology are very different from Paul\u2019s. It is addressed to a Jesus community in the city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. The main subject is relations between Jews and Gentiles in the community. The author says they should be one in Christ.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Colossians:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Like Ephesians, the style and theology are very different from Paul\u2019s. For example, the author writes about the resurrection of believers which he calls a past, inner event. For Paul, the resurrection was coming any day, but had not yet happened.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Thessalonians:<\/strong> Written between 80\u2013115 CE. The main difference between this letter and Paul\u2019s undisputed letters is the way it talks about the coming end of the world. Paul believed that the end would come any moment, while 2 Thessalonians says it\u2019s going to be a while, probably a reaction to the community\u2019s doubts since it had been decades since Jesus\u2019 death.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"\">Pastoral Epistles<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">While these letters claim to be written by Paul, scholars agree that they definitely were not. They\u2019re called \u201cpastoral\u201d because they are addressed to young leaders of Jesus communities, recommending solutions to the communities\u2019 problems.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Timothy:<\/strong> Probably written in the late 1st century or the first half of the 2nd century CE. The author claims Paul was writing to Timothy, giving him advice as a young leader of communities. Problems addressed include false teachers and whether women should have authority.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Timothy:<\/strong> Probably written in the late 1st century or the first half of the 2nd century CE. Very similar to 1 Timothy, addressing similar issues.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Titus:<\/strong> Probably written between 80 and 100 CE. Similar to 1 and 2 Timothy, written to Titus, a young pastor of a community dealing with similar issues.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"\">Hebrews: A Category All Its Own<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Hebrews:<\/strong> Written between 70-100 CE. It was traditionally attributed to Paul by some early Christians. However, the style and theology are entirely different from Paul\u2019s and the author never claims to be Paul.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Also, even though it\u2019s called an epistle, it\u2019s really a sermon. Its audience consists of Christians who have been persecuted. The purpose of the sermon is to convince the audience not to convert to Judaism by proving that Christian belief is superior.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-18a771f50f4\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-10220\" alt=\"Definition of epistles\" data-id=\"10220\" width=\"697\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"290\" data-init-height=\"800\" title=\"Definition of epistles\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Definition-of-epistles.png\" data-width=\"697\" data-height=\"290\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 1920 \/ 800;\"><\/span><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"42px\">The Catholic Epistles<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\">The catholic epistles (catholic here means \u201cuniversal\u201d or \u201cgeneral\u201d). They are called this because they are not addressed to specific communities but to Christians in general.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>James:<\/strong> Written in the late 1st to mid-2nd century CE. Although this epistle was traditionally ascribed to James the brother of Jesus, it was almost certainly written by a different Jewish Christian.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Unlike Paul\u2019s letters, James absolutely encourages observance of the Jewish Law. While the author seems to argue with Paul\u2019s ideas about \u201cfaith\u201d vs. \u201cworks,\u201d he interprets \u201cworks\u201d differently from the authentic Paul. For Paul, works meant Torah prescriptions such as kosher eating and circumcision. For the author of James, \u201cworks\u201d means good deeds. It\u2019s a fundamental misunderstanding of Paul.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1 Peter:<\/strong> Probably written around 80 CE. The author claims to be Simon Peter the apostle, but his knowledge of Greek makes this highly unlikely. It is addressed to Christians in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who are being persecuted. It urges them to stay faithful to God.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2 Peter:<\/strong> Written between 80-150 CE. Again, the author claims to be Simon Peter but is almost certainly someone living much later (Peter died before 68 CE). It is addressed to Christians all over Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The author again calls for faithfulness in the face of persecution and confronts corrupt teachers who he says have twisted Jesus\u2019 message.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1, 2, and 3 John:<\/strong> All written between 95-110 CE. These were traditionally ascribed to John the Apostle, but most scholars don\u2019t accept this. It shares some themes with the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/who-wrote-the-gospel-of-john\/\" class=\"\" style=\"outline: none;\"> Gospel of John<\/a> although the author of that Gospel did not write these epistles. These themes include imagery of light and darkness, new and old commandments, being hated by the world, and Christ being sent by God out of love.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Jude:<\/strong> Probably written in the early 2nd century. This letter starts with an introduction: \u201cJude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.\" Because of this, tradition has long ascribed this epistle to Jude, one of Jesus\u2019 brothers. However, most scholars don\u2019t accept this.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">The author writes vehemently against heretics who deny God and Christ. He writes that immoral behavior is a common feature of such heresy and says the heretics will be punished if they don\u2019t repent. He encourages his addressees to stay faithful to correct doctrine in order to avoid divine punishment.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"30\" data-lineheight=\"42px\">Conclusion<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\">\t<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Definition of epistles:<\/strong> Epistles were formal letters written in the ancient world. Their subject matter was usually based on a specific situation or problem and served the purpose of instructing the letter\u2019s recipients in how to deal with the situation or problem.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Who wrote the New Testament epistles?<\/strong> Seven letters were written by the Apostle Paul to Jesus communities in different cities. Several others were written in his name but were likely not authentic. Other epistles were written in the names of other apostles such as Peter and John but were also not authentic.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_symbol thrive-shortcode thrv_symbol_4835\" data-shortcode=\"thrive_symbol\" data-id=\"4835\" data-selector=\".thrv_symbol_4835\"><div class=\"thrive-shortcode-config\" style=\"display: none !important\">__CONFIG_post_symbol__{\"id\":\"4835\"}__CONFIG_post_symbol__<\/div><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_social_custom thrv_social tve_style_10\" data-counts=\"\" data-min_shares=\"0\" data-device-config=\"{&quot;desktop&quot;:{},&quot;tablet&quot;:{},&quot;mobile&quot;:{&quot;button_type&quot;:&quot;tve_social_ib&quot;,&quot;showCount&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}}\">\n<div class=\"tve_social_items tve_social_custom tve-prevent-content-edit tve_style_10 tve_social_itb\">\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_item tve_s_fb_share tve_share_item\" data-s=\"fb_share\" data-href=\"{tcb_post_url}\" data-label=\"Share\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" class=\"tve_s_link\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 264 512\" data-id=\"icon-fb\" data-name=\"\">\n            <path d=\"M76.7 512V283H0v-91h76.7v-71.7C76.7 42.4 124.3 0 193.8 0c33.3 0 61.9 2.5 70.2 3.6V85h-48.2c-37.8 0-45.1 18-45.1 44.3V192H256l-11.7 91h-73.6v229\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_text\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_count\">0<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_item tve_s_t_share tve_share_item\" data-s=\"t_share\" data-href=\"{tcb_post_url}\" data-label=\"Tweet\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" class=\"tve_s_link\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" data-id=\"icon-t\" data-name=\"\">\n            <path d=\"M459.37 151.716c.325 4.548.325 9.097.325 13.645 0 138.72-105.583 298.558-298.558 298.558-59.452 0-114.68-17.219-161.137-47.106 8.447.974 16.568 1.299 25.34 1.299 49.055 0 94.213-16.568 130.274-44.832-46.132-.975-84.792-31.188-98.112-72.772 6.498.974 12.995 1.624 19.818 1.624 9.421 0 18.843-1.3 27.614-3.573-48.081-9.747-84.143-51.98-84.143-102.985v-1.299c13.969 7.797 30.214 12.67 47.431 13.319-28.264-18.843-46.781-51.005-46.781-87.391 0-19.492 5.197-37.36 14.294-52.954 51.655 63.675 129.3 105.258 216.365 109.807-1.624-7.797-2.599-15.918-2.599-24.04 0-57.828 46.782-104.934 104.934-104.934 30.213 0 57.502 12.67 76.67 33.137 23.715-4.548 46.456-13.32 66.599-25.34-7.798 24.366-24.366 44.833-46.132 57.827 21.117-2.273 41.584-8.122 60.426-16.243-14.292 20.791-32.161 39.308-52.628 54.253z\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_text\">Tweet<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_count\">0<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_item tve_s_pin_share tve_share_item\" data-s=\"pin_share\" data-href=\"{tcb_post_url}\" data-label=\"Pin\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" class=\"tve_s_link\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_s_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\" data-id=\"icon-pin\" data-name=\"\">\n            <path d=\"M204 6.5C101.4 6.5 0 74.9 0 185.6 0 256 39.6 296 63.6 296c9.9 0 15.6-27.6 15.6-35.4 0-9.3-23.7-29.1-23.7-67.8 0-80.4 61.2-137.4 140.4-137.4 68.1 0 118.5 38.7 118.5 109.8 0 53.1-21.3 152.7-90.3 152.7-24.9 0-46.2-18-46.2-43.8 0-37.8 26.4-74.4 26.4-113.4 0-66.2-93.9-54.2-93.9 25.8 0 16.8 2.1 35.4 9.6 50.7-13.8 59.4-42 147.9-42 209.1 0 18.9 2.7 37.5 4.5 56.4 3.4 3.8 1.7 3.4 6.9 1.5 50.4-69 48.6-82.5 71.4-172.8 12.3 23.4 44.1 36 69.3 36 106.2 0 153.9-103.5 153.9-196.8C384 71.3 298.2 6.5 204 6.5z\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_text\">Pin<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tve_s_count\">0<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","tve_custom_css":"@media (min-width: 300px){:not(#tve) [data-css=\"tve-u-64dcf0cff0d729\"] { font-size: 16px !important; 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Summary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Uncover the essence of biblical epistles in this insightful article, exploring their formal structure and functions. Delve into Paul&#039;s authentic letters, disputed Pauline epistles, pastoral letters, and the unique Hebrews, shedding light on authorship and purpose.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/epistles-in-the-bible\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Epistles in the Bible: Definition, Authorship, &amp; Summary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Uncover the essence of biblical epistles in this insightful article, exploring their formal structure and functions. 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