General epistles

General epistles

General epistles (also called Catholic Epistles) are books in the New Testament in the form of letters. They are termed "general" because for the most part their intended audience seems to be Christians in general rather than individual persons or congregations as is the case with the Pauline epistles. However, 2 John and 3 John are included in this group despite their addresses respectively to the "elect lady", speculated by many to be the church itself, and to "Gaius", about whom there has been much speculation but little in the way of conclusive proof as to his identity.

There has been considerable speculation as to the authorship of these works. Some scholars believe 2 Peter to be a pseudepigraphal work.

The epistles of James and Jude are traditionally attributed to Jesus' brothers James and Jude (See the article on James for a discussion of the relationship).

Listed in order of their appearance in the New Testament, the General Epistles are:

*Epistle to the Hebrews
*Epistle of James
*First Epistle of Peter
*Second Epistle of Peter
*First Epistle of John
*Second Epistle of John
*Third Epistle of John
*Epistle of Jude
*Revelation of John (also an Apocalypse)

It was traditionally thought that Paul wrote Hebrews, but its style of writing and theological emphases have led scholars to conclude that it is not Pauline.

ee also

*Epistles

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03453a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Catholic Epistles]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • general epistles — catholic epistles or general epistles plural noun Certain epistles in the canon addressed to the Church universal or to a large and indefinite circle of readers • • • Main Entry: ↑catholic general epistles see under ↑catholic • • • Main Entry:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Epistles — The word epistle is from the Greek word epistolos which means a written letter addressed to a recipient or recipients, perhaps part of exchanged correspondence. Nowadays this term is usually used in connection with a specific group of books in… …   Wikipedia

  • Epistles —    The apostolic letters. The New Testament contains twenty one in all. They are divided into two classes.    1) Paul s Epistles, fourteen in number, including Hebrews. These are not arranged in the New Testament in the order of time as to their… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Epistles to Timothy and Titus —     Epistles to Timothy and Titus     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Epistles to Timothy and Titus     (THE PASTORALS)     STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS     Saints Timothy and Titus were two of the most beloved and trusted disciples of St. Paul, whom they… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Epistles of Saint Peter —     Epistles of Saint Peter     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Epistles of Saint Peter     These two epistles will be treated under the following heads: I. Authenticity; II. Recipients, occasion, and object; III. Date and place of composition; IV.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Epistles to the Corinthians —     Epistles to the Corinthians     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Epistles to the Corinthians     INTRODUCTORY     St. Paul Founds the Church at Corinth     St. Paul s first visit to Europe is graphically described by St. Luke (Acts, xvi xviii). When …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Epistles to the Thessalonians —     Epistles to the Thessalonians     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Epistles to the Thessalonians     Two of the canonical Epistles of St. Paul. This article will treat the Church of Thessalonica, the authenticity, canonicity, time and place of… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • General Resurrection —     General Resurrection     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► General Resurrection     Resurrection is the rising again from the dead, the resumption of life. The Fourth Lateran Council teaches that all men, whether elect or reprobate, will rise again… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • General Epistle — General Epistle, (in the Bible) one of the Epistles of James, Peter, John, or Jude, dealing with the church as a whole; Catholic Epistle …   Useful english dictionary

  • Epistles (Plato) — The Epistles of Plato are a series of thirteen letters traditionally included in the Platonic corpus. Their authenticity has been the subject of some dispute, and scholarly consensus has shifted back and forth over time. By the close of the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”