Most of the New Testament is made up of letters. Of its 27 books, 21 are letters — also called epistles, from the Greek word for a letter. They were written by apostles and church leaders to young churches and to individual Christians in the first century. Through them we learn what the first Christians believed and how they tried to live it out.
Why letters?
As the gospel spread across the Roman Empire, new churches were planted in cities such as Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi and Rome. The apostles could not be everywhere at once, so they wrote letters to:
- teach the truth about Jesus;
- correct false teaching and wrong behaviour;
- answer questions the churches had asked;
- encourage believers facing persecution;
- strengthen friendships and give practical instructions.
These letters were read aloud in church gatherings and copied to share with other churches (see Colossians 4:16).
Paul's letters
Thirteen letters begin with the name of Paul, the apostle who travelled widely planting churches. In our Bibles they are arranged roughly by length, longest first, in two groups.
Letters to churches:
| Letter | Main theme |
|---|---|
| Romans | The gospel explained: all have sinned, and all who believe are made right with God by grace |
| 1 Corinthians | Problems in a divided church; love; the resurrection |
| 2 Corinthians | Paul's ministry and God's strength in weakness |
| Galatians | Freedom in Christ; salvation by faith, not by keeping the law |
| Ephesians | God's great plan and the church as one body |
| Philippians | Joy in Christ, even in prison |
| Colossians | Christ is supreme over everything |
| 1 Thessalonians | Encouragement and hope in Christ's return |
| 2 Thessalonians | Standing firm and working faithfully until Christ returns |
Letters to individuals:
| Letter | Main theme |
|---|---|
| 1 Timothy | Guidance for leading a church |
| 2 Timothy | Paul's final letter: "preach the word" and stay faithful |
| Titus | Sound teaching and good works |
| Philemon | A plea for a runaway slave, Onesimus, now a brother in Christ |
1–2 Timothy and Titus are often called the Pastoral Letters, because they give guidance for church leaders.
The General Letters
The remaining eight letters are called General or Catholic (meaning "universal") letters, because most were written to a wider audience:
| Letter | Author | Main theme |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrews | Unknown | Jesus is greater than the angels, Moses and the old sacrifices |
| James | James | Real faith shows itself in action |
| 1 Peter | Peter | Hope and holiness in suffering |
| 2 Peter | Peter | Grow in grace; beware of false teachers |
| 1 John | John | God is light and love; assurance of eternal life |
| 2 John | John | Walk in truth and love |
| 3 John | John | Support faithful workers |
| Jude | Jude | Contend for the faith |
How ancient letters were written
First-century letters followed a pattern, and you can see it in the New Testament:
- Sender and recipients — "Paul… unto the church of God which is at Corinth".
- Greeting — usually "grace and peace".
- Thanksgiving or prayer for the readers.
- Main body — teaching, then often practical instructions.
- Closing greetings and a blessing.
How to read a letter well
- Read the whole letter at one sitting if you can. Short letters like Philippians take only 15–20 minutes. You'll follow the argument instead of reading verses in isolation.
- Learn the background. Acts often describes how the church began. For example, read Acts 16 before Philippians.
- Notice the "therefore". Many letters first explain what God has done (teaching) and then say how to live in response (application). Romans 12:1 and Ephesians 4:1 mark that turning point.
- Remember you are reading someone else's mail. Ask what it meant to the first readers, then what it means for us today.
Where to start
New readers often enjoy Philippians (joy), James (practical faith), 1 John (assurance) and Ephesians (God's big plan). Romans is wonderful but deeper — a good one to read with a study Bible or commentary.
Continue with the book of Acts or an introduction to Revelation.