Letters Not by Paul

As mentioned last time, Paul is believed to have written the majority of the letters in the New Testament—letters written to first-generation Christians, who were congregants at the seven original churches.

But there are 8 other letters in the New Testament; letters which were written to a broader audience rather than to specific churches or individuals. They are:

Hebrews: Anonymous authorship; likely an early sermon. This letter appears to be intended for people familiar with Jewish scripture—Jews who converted to Christianity.

James: Traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus. Addressed to "the twelve tribes in the dispersion," it targets Jewish Christians living outside of Judea, encouraging them to persevere through persecution and trials. In particular, it states that faith must be shown through a person’s conduct, and that faith without action was meaningless.  

1 & 2 Peter: Two letters, traditionally attributed to Simon Peter (although acknowledged to have been written through a scribe, since Simon Peter was a fisherman and probably illiterate.)  The letters are written to Christians in Asia Minor who were facing persecution, and they speak of the importance of suffering for the sake of righteousness. 

1, 2, & 3 John: One longer letter and two very short ones, traditionally attributed to John the Apostle. The letters are addressed to the Christians in Ephesus, offering guidance and support.  John emphasizes that believers should love one another, and he also refers to “deceivers” who have left the church.

Jude: Traditionally attributed to Jude, the brother of Jesus. Jude urges followers to defend the faith and avoid false teachers. There are parts of Jude that are very similar to 2 Peter, implying that they were written using a common source.

Why these letters?   You may wonder why these particular letters were included in the New Testament. The decision about which materials should be included was made over many years and by several different Councils, coming to a final consensus in the 4th Century. The primary consideration was whether the letter was believed to have been written by an Apostle or a close associate; early church leaders regarded these letters as divinely inspired, rather than created on the writer’s own authority.

So, the short answer is this: Certain letters are considered scripture because the early church leaders considered them scripture, and they were in a better position to judge.

Next time: Revelation, the last Book of the Bible.

All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com