For hundreds, if not a few thousand years, or at least since pens and paper became commonplace, people who wanted to get in touch with other people separated by distance had only one way to do it: they wrote letters, the only means of long-distance communication. Think about that... in all the history of humanity, not until the early 20th century did other forms of communication come into use.
Where would the world be today if not for letters? For starters we wouldn't have most of the New Testament—it was letters! The Apostle Paul, with plenty of Divine inspiration from God, was a tireless letter writer. No internet... no email... no televised broadcasts... just pen and paper, a message to deliver, a story to tell, all making for inspirational letters to fellow believers.
So throughout human history people have been writing letters to one another. There is nothing quite as encouraging as receiving a letter from a good friend. Alas, it seems to be a lost art. When was the last time you actually sat down and wrote a letter? When did you last receive a good old fashioned paper letter from a friend? For most of us it’s probably been awhile. Letter writing has been eclipsed by new technologies, email mostly, social media, instant messaging, Twitter, etc., yet there is nothing quite so valuable or revealing as receiving a letter from someone you know. Letters get saved... for ages and ages, because they mean something to us.
That’s true for us, and it was true for the early church. Letters were a powerful form of communication to the new Christians. God used men to write letters, to communicate His will, His commands and His expectations for believers and all humanity. Some of the best advice for Christian living in the first century came to believers in the form of letters. The technical name for these letters is epistles. An epistle was a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal letter.
The Epistle genre of letter-writing was common in the ancient world, often taught as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The New Testament epistles came primarily from the apostle Paul, but Peter, John, James, and Jude also wrote them, as well as an unknown person in the case of Hebrews.
The epistles have a wealth of wisdom and counsel we need to regularly examine. Keeping in mind that they are letters will help us know how to study them. How do you read a letter from a loved one? You sit down and read the entire letter at one sitting. Most of the epistles can be read in their entirety in far less time than it takes to watch a television show or football game.
Once you have completed reading a “letter from a friend” what do you do next? If it’s from a loved one, often you will reread certain parts to get the full meaning or to savor some of the encouragements. We can do the same thing with an epistle, for it’s a deeply personal “letter from God.” For example, Paul wrote in one of his letters, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Phil. 1:9).
In studying the epistles, keep these suggestions in mind as you consider the wisdom and counsel presented: The body of the text begins with a brief statement introducing the main topic of the entire letter. In contrast to modern letters, epistles usually named the author at the very beginning, followed by the recipient.. (see Philippians 1:1 for an example of this). If a scribe was involved in the actual penning of an epistle, he may be named at the end of the letter (see Romans 16:22). In the absence of a postal system, the courier or person who delivered the letter on Paul’s behalf, may also be named (see Ephesians 6:21-22).
After the names of the author and recipient, Pauline epistles often open with the greeting, "Grace and peace to you." Grace was a common Hellenistic greeting, while "peace" (shalom) was the common Jewish greeting. This reflected Paul's dual identity in Jewish faith and Hellenistic culture. There may also be a word of thanks to the audience, a prayer or wish for good health.
To English readers, the epistles may appear more formalized than originally read in the first century, due to the process of translation. The writer, especially Paul, sought to establish an intimate connection similar to a face-to-face presence. In doing this, Paul hoped to revive dormant friendships, making his epistle a substitute for his actual presence. All the authors created similar intimacies with their intended audiences. Letters written to a group of people, which include most of the New Testament epistles, were not read individually, but read aloud to the entire assembled congregation. They would read the letters every time they assembled... over and over and over.
When you read one of the epistles, try pour yourself into the setting to grasp the tone of the letter. Some of the letters are encouraging. Some, like 1 and 2 Corinthians, are almost sarcastic in tone (see 2 Cor. 12:11–13 for an example). It is very important to sense the tone by reading the entire letter. The writers under “Divine inspiration” purposefully created a “tone” that would grab attention and prompt the hearer to respond with life changes.
Always consider what the writer himself does, is doing and says to do. Many times the writers of the epistles will begin by stating what they are doing. Think about these many examples: Paul... I thank God (Rom. 1:8); I mention you in my prayers (Rom. 1:9); I rejoice in suffering (Col. 1:24). Each epistle writer offers similar personal examples of their own experiences of Christian living as encouragement to their listeners.
Very important... what truths are those personal actions or feelings based on? If we read carefully, we find that the actions or feelings of the writers are based on solid truths not emotional experiences: Paul said... I am eager to preach, and I am not ashamed of the gospel. Why? It is the power of God (Rom. 1:15–16); He continues... I thank God, making prayer with joy. Why? Because I’m sure God will finish what he has started (Phil. 1:3–6); We comfort. Why? Because we’ve been comforted by God (2 Cor. 1:3–4); Paul counseled all believers to be holy. Why? Because God is holy (1 Pet. 1:15).
God provided excellent examples for all believers to imitate and emulate. Who better to mimic than any one of the New Testament writers? So always consider what the writer condemns, either directly or by implication. As we read any of the epistles, we ’ll hear either specific statements or implied rejections of certain behaviors. Some examples: Suppressing the truth (Rom. 1:18); Not honoring God as God or giving thanks (Rom. 1:21); Thinking futilely (Eph. 4:17); Grumbling or questioning (Phil. 2:14); Minds set on earthly things (Phil. 3:19); Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander (1 Pet. 2:1). We can never go wrong by closing imitating the life and character of the writers of the New Testament.
What does the writer desire for us? Remember... he’s writing a “love letter” to us from God, so think of what you hear and read in that context. God loves us and only wants the best for us, even though sometimes we don’t like the changes we must make to be in alignment with His will for our lives. Often these desires for believers will be expressed in the form of a prayer; other times it’s just in a statement: For example... Don’t seek only your good, but also your neighbor’s (1 Cor. 10:24); Know the hope to which he has called you (Eph. 1:18); Walk in the light as he is in the light (1 John 1:7).
When you read any part of the Bible, always look carefully for the truths about God that are revealed. For example: God is light (1 John 1:5); He is before all things (Col. 1:17); God is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4). These truths connect us to God. They build on our trust and faith in His promises. We gain strength and perseverance for our walk with Him in the light through the many travails of a dark world.
If we follow the admonitions and actions of any of the faithful writers of the Epistles they become our actions. What they based their hope and actions upon becomes our basis for an active vibrant living hope. What they condemned becomes what we must avoid in our lives. What the Epistle writers prayed for and desired to see in people is what we must look at as our life priorities.
What better way to adsorb into our lives the counsel and wisdom of the Epistles, than to read them over and over. They are personal letters from our GREATEST friend... God Himself.
