Thank you for visiting. This article is one installment in a series that explains the “original texts” of the world’s myths and religions — the seventh of eight articles dealing with the Christian Bible.
Last time (Article 6), I explained “Acts of the Apostles,” which depicts the birth of the Church and Paul’s mission. What this article covers is the “Epistles (letters),” which make up no fewer than 21 of the New Testament’s 27 books.
Behind the “events” that Acts depicted, the apostles wrote and sent letters to churches everywhere, working out the very teaching of Christianity — what the cross and resurrection of Jesus mean. The foundation of doctrine lies within these 21 letters.
For the explanation of Acts, please see this article.
First, let’s put the big picture of the 21 books this article covers into a diagram.
The World of the Bible Through 50 Masterpiece PaintingsView on Amazon →
Christianity from Age 14, Explained with DiagramsView on Amazon →
What Are the “Epistles” (21 Books)?
Making up no fewer than 21 of the New Testament’s 27 books are the “Epistles” — that is, the “letters” the apostles wrote to churches and individuals everywhere.
In these letters, building on the meaning of the events the Gospels depicted, the very teaching of Christianity is set out systematically — “what the cross and resurrection of Jesus mean for us,” and “how a believer should live.”
By author, the Epistles divide broadly into the “Pauline Epistles (13 books)” and the rest, the “General Epistles, etc. (8 books).”
The Pauline Epistles (13 Books)
Thirteen letters written by, or attributed to, the apostle Paul. A supremely important body of documents that laid the foundation of Christian doctrine.
| Book | Name | Central content |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Romans | The culmination of Paul’s theology. “Justified by faith” |
| 7 | 1 Corinthians | Exhortations on church division and ethical problems. The “hymn to love” |
| 8 | 2 Corinthians | Paul defends his own apostolic office |
| 9 | Galatians | Emphasizes being saved by faith, not the Law |
| 10 | Ephesians | Teaches that the Church is “the body of Christ” |
| 11 | Philippians | The “letter of joy” from prison |
| 12 | Colossians | Teaches the supremacy of Christ over all things |
| 13 | 1 Thessalonians | Teaches the second coming of Christ (the end) |
| 14 | 2 Thessalonians | Corrects misunderstandings about the second coming |
| 15 | 1 Timothy | Guidance on leading the church, to the disciple Timothy |
| 16 | 2 Timothy | Encouragement that is, so to speak, Paul’s testament |
| 17 | Titus | Instructions on church administration, to the disciple Titus |
| 18 | Philemon | A short private letter pleading for forgiveness for the runaway slave Onesimus |
Each letter holds the concrete problems the addressed church faced and the teaching Paul wanted to convey. Let’s look at them one at a time.
Book 6: Romans. A letter Paul addressed to the church in Rome, which he had not yet visited; it is the most systematic summary of his theology. Both Jews and Gentiles are without exception under sin, and no one is saved by works of the Law. Only by faith in Jesus Christ is one freely reckoned “righteous” by God (justification by faith). This teaching is the foundation of Christianity and had a decisive influence on the later Reformation.
Book 7: 1 Corinthians. A letter answering the many problems that arose in the church of the trading port of Corinth. To factional strife among believers, immorality, food offered to idols, disorder in worship, doubts about the resurrection, and more, it gives practical advice one by one. Chapter 13 in particular is the supremely famous “hymn to love,” beginning with “Love is patient, love is kind,” often read at weddings and elsewhere.
Book 8: 2 Corinthians. Because some had appeared who doubted Paul’s apostolic authority, this is the most personal and emotional letter, in which he frankly speaks of his suffering-filled work and defends his apostleship. It speaks the paradoxical faith, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Book 9: Galatians. A letter in which Paul fiercely refuted, to the Galatian church where people had appeared teaching “to be saved you must keep the Law, such as circumcision.” Strongly pleading that one is saved not by the Law but by faith alone, it is held, alongside Romans, to be a representative book on “justification by faith.”
Book 10: Ephesians. It teaches with great dignity what the Church is. Jews and Gentiles alike are joined into one “body of Christ (the Church)” with Christ as the head, and the latter half continues with practical exhortations on the ways of living for husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant.
Book 11: Philippians. Despite being written in prison, it is a “letter of joy” overflowing with joy. Along with thanks for support, it encourages, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Famous is the passage singing of “the humility of Christ” — that Christ gave up his divine status, became human, and died on the cross.
Book 12: Colossians. To the church of Colossae, where mistaken teaching had crept in, it teaches that Christ is the being supreme over all things, and all things hold together through Christ, emphasizing his preeminence.
Book 13: 1 Thessalonians. Held to be the oldest of Paul’s letters. Encouraging a young church under persecution, it teaches about the “second coming of Christ” (the Lord coming again at the end). It comforts that even believers who have already died will rise and meet the Lord.
Book 14: 2 Thessalonians. To a church shaken by the misunderstanding that “the day of the Lord has already come,” it explains the events that occur before the second coming and admonishes them to stay calm, undeceived, and to work diligently day by day.
Book 15: 1 Timothy. One of the so-called “Pastoral Epistles,” addressed to the disciple and young leader Timothy. It conveys concrete guidance for running a church: the qualifications required of church leaders (overseers and deacons), how to deal with false teaching, and the conduct of worship.
Book 16: 2 Timothy. A letter that is, so to speak, the testament Paul, sensing his martyrdom, addressed to his beloved disciple Timothy. With the words “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,” he encourages him to keep the faith to the end.
Book 17: Titus. A letter to the disciple Titus, entrusted with the church on the island of Crete. It instructs on keeping sound teaching, the proper way of living for believers of each generation, and the appointment of church leaders.
Book 18: Philemon. A single-chapter letter, the shortest and most private. The slave Onesimus, who had run away from his master, became a believer under Paul. So Paul asks the master, Philemon, to forgive and welcome Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother.”
The General Epistles, etc. (8 Books)
Eight books centered on letters written not to a particular church but to a wider readership (the Letter to the Hebrews, of unknown authorship, is included here too).
| Book | Name | Central content |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Hebrews | Teaches Jesus as the “perfect high priest” who completes the Old Testament rites |
| 20 | James | Emphasizes practice: “faith without works is dead” |
| 21 | 1 Peter | Encourages believers suffering under persecution |
| 22 | 2 Peter | Warns against false teachers spreading mistaken teaching |
| 23 | 1 John | Says “God is love” and teaches loving one another |
| 24 | 2 John | A short admonition not to be deceived by false teaching |
| 25 | 3 John | A short private letter about specific people in a church |
| 26 | Jude | A stern warning against false teachers slipping into the faith |
Let’s look at these one at a time too.
Book 19: Hebrews. A letter of unknown authorship, known for the weight of its content. To Jewish Christians whose faith was shaken by persecution, it teaches that Jesus is the “eternal high priest” who completes the Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices, and that by his once-and-for-all sacrifice all sins were atoned for. It deeply discusses the relationship between the Old and New, and chapter 11 is famous as a “roll call of the heroes of faith,” listing the Old Testament figures who lived by faith.
Book 20: James. A practical letter attributed to James, the brother of Jesus. It emphasizes that “faith without works, by itself, is dead,” that faith should appear as concrete good deeds. Teaching everyday ethics — controlling the tongue (words), not showing partiality toward the poor — it makes a good contrast with the Pauline Epistles, which emphasize faith.
Book 21: 1 Peter. A letter the apostle Peter wrote to encourage believers suffering persecution in many places. He teaches that hope lies precisely amid suffering: “Since Christ also suffered for you, follow his example.”
Book 22: 2 Peter. Centered on warnings against false teachers and mistaken teaching that creep into the church and lead people astray. It also teaches that even though the Lord’s second coming seems delayed, “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years,” and it will surely be realized.
Book 23: 1 John. A letter renowned for the words “God is love.” Saying “whoever claims to love God yet hates his brother is a liar,” it repeatedly teaches loving one another. It also contains warnings against the heresy denying that Jesus truly came as a human (in the flesh).
Book 24: 2 John. A short single-chapter letter, concisely admonishing not to welcome into one’s house those who teach false doctrine.
Book 25: 3 John. Also a single-chapter private letter. It praises a man named Gaius, cooperative with the church, while admonishing the tyrannical leader Diotrephes — a letter about concrete human relationships.
Book 26: Jude. A letter attributed to Jude, the brother of Jesus. Drawing examples from the Old Testament, it sternly condemns the false teachers who creep into the church and corrupt the faith, urging, “Build yourselves up on your most holy faith,” to hold to the faith to the end.
When a Letter Became “Scripture” — the Fascination of the Epistles
What you notice reading through the 21 books is that these are, after all, flesh-and-blood letters addressed to specific people.
A church troubled by factional strife, believers suffering under persecution, the disposition of a runaway slave — each letter was the apostles’ response to a real problem. Yet the words spoken in those responses — “justified by faith,” “God is love,” “love is patient” — came to be read on and on across times and places, and became the very foundation of Christian theology. A letter to a particular someone becomes scripture for all humankind — herein lies the greatest fascination of the Epistles as an original text.
To Learn More
Here are some related books. Reading them alongside this series lets you savor this world even more deeply.
Learn with Character Art! An Illustrated Guide to ChristianityView on Amazon →
What Exactly Is Christianity? (a beginner’s primer)View on Amazon →
Conclusion
In this article, I explained the New Testament’s “Epistles,” 21 books, divided into the 13 Pauline Epistles and the 8 General Epistles. How was it?
Romans’s “justification by faith,” Corinthians’ “hymn to love,” Philippians’ “joy,” James’s “faith with works,” John’s “God is love” — I hope you could feel the very scene of Christian teaching being formed, within flesh-and-blood letters addressed to churches everywhere.
In the next article (Article 8, the finale), I will explain the “Book of Revelation,” which closes out the whole Bible. The seven seals, Armageddon, and a new heaven and a new earth — the Bible’s grand conclusion.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
📚 Series: Christianity: The Bible (66 Books) Explained (8/9)
