Articles
Word Of The Week: Epistle
The books of the Bible fall into various literary categories. Some are history, some are poetry, some are gospels. And some take the form of a personal letter. These are known as epistles.
Some epistles are to a particular church (Colossians), some to churches in a region (Galatians), and some to an individual (Philemon). Some epistles are heavy on doctrine (Romans). Some gravely warn against unfaithfulness (Hebrews). Others express warm affection and encouragement (Philippians).
But something important is true of all of them: They were written by inspiration and are, therefore, scripture. Some theologians try to undermine the epistles by saying things like, “The authors were just writing personal correspondence; they were not aware that they were writing scripture.” Such sentiments are an attempt to blunt the teaching of the epistles.
But the literary form of God’s revelation does not undermine its authority. Jesus Himself spoke in various ways (parables, prophecies, etc.), but all His words were divine truth. The epistles ultimately were addressed to all, and their messages are just as pertinent today as they were in the 1st century.
