10 Shocking Facts About the New Testament Epistles

10 Shocking Facts About the New Testament Epistles

The New Testament Epistles, or letters, are foundational texts for Christianity, offering theological insights and practical guidance for believers. While many Christians are familiar with these letters, there are numerous surprising facts about their composition, authorship, and history. Here are ten shocking facts that may change the way you view these ancient writings.

1. Some Epistles Are Debated in Authorship

While the Apostle Paul is traditionally credited with writing 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament, modern scholars debate whether he authored all of them. Letters such as Ephesians, Colossians, and the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) are often scrutinized for differences in language and style.

2. The Epistles Were Written Before the Gospels

Many people assume that the Gospels were written first because they recount the life of Jesus, but the Epistles, particularly those of Paul, were written earlier. For instance, 1 Thessalonians, commonly dated around 50 AD, predates the Gospels by at least a decade.

3. They Include One of the Oldest Christian Creeds

Embedded within the Epistles are some of the earliest Christian confessions of faith. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 is a creed recounting Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that dates back to a few years after these events occurred.

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." – 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

4. They're Addressed to Specific Communities with Universal Implications

While the Epistles were written to specific early Christian communities, their messages transcend these initial audiences. Books like Romans, Galatians, and Philippians address issues prevalent in their respective churches but continue to offer valuable lessons to believers today.

5. Some Epistles Are Exceptionally Personal

Unlike doctrinal letters, some epistles have a remarkably personal touch. Philemon, for example, is a personal letter from Paul pleading for the well-being of a runaway slave named Onesimus, showcasing Paul's human side and his deep relationships within the early Christian community.

6. They Were Written in Greek

The New Testament Epistles were composed in Koine Greek, the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean during that period. This allowed the letters to be widely distributed and understood across different regions of the Roman Empire.

7. James and Jude Are Allegedly Written by Jesus' Brothers

Two Epistles in the New Testament, namely James and Jude, are traditionally attributed to the brothers of Jesus. Their positions within the early Christian movement lend these letters a unique perspective, particularly in their emphasis on ethical living and perseverance.

8. Revelation is Technically an Epistle

While Revelation is primarily seen as an apocalyptic text, it's also a letter. Addressed to the "Seven Churches of Asia" (modern-day Turkey), it offers prophetic insights, warnings, and encouragements, blending elements of epistolary and prophetic literature.

9. The Didache Parallels Some Epistles

An early Christian treatise known as the Didache contains strong similarities to the New Testament Epistles in terms of ethical instructions and Church practices. This work, likely dating from the first century, provides a parallel context for understanding the instructions found in the Epistles.

10. Some Epistles Reference Each Other

Interestingly, some New Testament letters refer to one another. For example, in 2 Peter 3:15-16, Peter acknowledges Paul’s letters and highlights their importance, suggesting an early awareness of apostolic writings as authoritative and significant:

"Just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." – 2 Peter 3:15-16

These ten facts demonstrate the rich complexity and historical depth of the New Testament Epistles. Far from being simple or monolithic texts, these letters offer a diverse and multilayered insight into early Christian thought and practice.