Letters

Ablaza, GeraldineCastillo, Lian Sabella

Daella, Paula AngelicaDimayacyac, Kristina

Liao, Mara LaiseQuinto, Jarren James

Teng, GrizeldaTenorio, Ma. Clarissa Andrea

TREDTRI NO2

Epistle

• Twenty-one books of the New Testament– Pauline Epistles– General Epistles

Pauline Epistles

• Letters of St. Paul call after the group of peoples to whom they are addressed.

• Divided into two categories:– Nine epistles written to the church– Four pastoral and personal epistles

Romans

• To introduce Paul to the Romans and to give a sample of his message before he arrives Rome.

• 57 CE– Paul was preparing for

his visit to Jerusalem

• What to Believe– Sinfulness of humanity– Forgiveness of sin

through Christ– Freedom from sin’s grasp– Israel’s past, present and

future

• How to Believe– Personal responsibility– Personal Notes

1 Corinthians

• To identify the problems in the Corinthian church, to offer solutions, and to teach the believers how to live for Christ in a corrupt society.

• 55 CE– Near the end of Paul’s

three-year ministry in Ephesus.

• Paul addresses church problems– Divisions in the church– Disorder in the church

• Paul answers church questions– Instruction on Christian

Message– Instruction on Christian

freedom– Instruction on public worship– Instruction on ressurrection

2 Corinthians

• To affirm Paul’s ministry, defend his authority as an apostle, and refute the false teachers in Corinth.

• 55-57 CE– From Macedonia

• Paul explains his actions• Paul defends his

ministry• Paul defends the

collection• Paul defends his

authority

Galatians

• To refute the Judaizers and to call Christians to faith and freedom in Christ.

• Judaizers– Taught that Gentile

believers must obey the Jewishh law in order to be saved

• 49 CE– From Antioch

• Authenticity of the gospel

• Superiority of the gospel

• Freedom of the gospel

Ephesians

• To strengthen the believers in Ephesus in their Christian faith by explaining the nature and purpose of the church, the body of Christ

• 60 CE– From Rome during Paul’s

imprisonment

• Unity in Christ• Unify in the body of

Christ

Philippians

• To thank the Philippians for the gift they sent Pail and to strengthen these believers by showing them that true joy comes from Jesus Christ alone

• 61 CE– From Rome during Paul’s

imprisonement

• Joy in suffering• Joy in serving• Joy in believing• Joy in giving

Colossians

• To combat errors in the church and to show that believers have everything they need in Christ

• 60 CE– At Rome during Paul’s

imprisonment

• What Christ has do• What Christians should

do

1 Thessalonians

• To strengthen the Thessalonian Christians in their faith and give them the assurance of Christ’s return

• 51 CE– From Corinth, one of

Paul’s earliest letters

• Faithfulness to the Lord• Watchfulness for the

Lord

2 Thessalonians

• To clear up the confusion about the second coming of Christ

• Written a month after 1 Thessalonians was written

• The bright hope of Christ’s return

• Living in the light of Christ’s return

1 Timothy

• To give encouragement and instruction to Timothy, a young leader

• 64 CE– From Rome or

Macedonia, (possibly Philippi), probably just prior to Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome

• Instructions on right belief

• Instructions for the church

• Instructions for elders

2 Timothy

• To give final instructions and encouragement to Timothy, pastor of the church at Ephesus

• 66 or 67 CE– After a year or two of

freedom, Paul was arrested again and executed under Emperor Nero.

• Foundations of Christian service

• Difficult times for Christian service

Titus

• To advise Titus in his responsibility of supervising the churches on the island of Crete

• 64 CE– From Macedonia when

Paul traveled between his Roman imprisonments

• Leadership in the church

• Right living in the church

• Right living in the society

Philemon

• To convince Philemon to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus, and to accept him as a brother in the faith.

• 60 CE– Paul’s first imprisonment

in Rome

• Paul’s appreciation of Philemon

• Paul’s appeal for Onesimus

General Epistles

• Named after their respective authors, with the exception of Hebrews

Hebrews

• To present the sufficiency and superiority of Christ

• 70 CE– Probably before the

destruction of the temple in Jerusalem

• The Superiority of Christ– Christ is greater than the

angels– Christ is greater than

Moses– Christ is greater than the

Old Testament priesthood

– The new covenant is greater than the Old

• The Superiority of Faith

James

• To expose hypocritical practices and to teach right Christian behavior

• 49 CE– Probably prior the

Jerusalem council held in 50 CE

• Genuine religion• Genuine faith• Genuine wisdom

1 Peter

• To offer encouragement to suffering Christians

• Around 62-64 CE– Possibly from Rome

• God’s great blessings to his people

• The conduct of God’s people in the midst of suffering

• The shepherding of God’s people in the midst of suffering

2 Peter

• To warn Christians about false teachers and to exhort them to grow in their faith in and knowledge of Christ

• 67 CE– 3 years after 1 Peter was

written– Possibly from Rome

• Guidance for growing Christians

• Danger to growing Christians

• Hope for growing Christians

1 John

• To reassure Christians in their faith and to counter false teachings

• Between 85 and 90 CE– From Ephesus

• God is light• God is love• God is life

2 John

• To emphasize the basics of following Christ—truth and love—and to warn against false teachers

• Around 90 CE– About same time as 1

John– From Ephesus

• Watch out for false teachers

• John’s final words

3 John

• To commend Gaius for his hospitality and to encourage him in his Christian life

• Around 90 CE– From Ephesus

• God’s children live by the standards of the gospel

• John’s final words

Jude

• To remind the church of the need for constant vigilance—to keep strong in the faith and to oppose heresy

• Around 65 CE

• The danger of false teachers

• The duty to fight for God’s truth