Epistles & Revelation

The early Church was far from perfect.

They certainly had zeal, but, the more who joined their ranks, the harder it was to make sure everyone understood the Gospel.

As a result, misconceptions and false teachings crept in.

Knowing that the Church desperately needed some authoritative direction, the Holy Spirit came upon a few key writers who penned epistles that gave important shape to the faith we have inherited nearly two thousand years later.

The Epistles

The Epistles (meaning “letters”) were written by some important figures in the early Church.

You had disciples like Peter and John and Jesus’ own brothers such James and Jude.

But the most prolific of them all was a man who never even met Jesus face to face - the Apostle Paul.

(There is the epistle to the Hebrews, too, but we don’t know who wrote that one.)

The Epistles vary in terms of recipients and content, but their purpose is the same - to instruct the early Church in the Way of Jesus.

Paul writes to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, but also to individuals like Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

His letters address everything from the theology of salvation to spiritual warfare to qualifications for church leaders and even hot-button issues like slavery.

The epistles of Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Jude similarly address a wide audience but all with the goal of directing them to God’s truth. 

These books are helpful in giving us a glimpse into the life of the early Church and how Christian teaching developed.

In short, they flesh out the teachings and work of Jesus as seen in the Gospels, showing how they’re applied in a plethora of situations. 

It’s worth noting, too, that these Epistles are written with the expectation that Jesus is going to come again.

Which leads us to the final book of both the New Testament and the Bible…

Revelation

Revelation is famously one of the most puzzling books in the Bible.

Filled with surreal visions, violent imagery, and warnings about the way the world is heading, it continues to be one of the most hotly debated books in the Church.

I view Revelation as a book of hope. 

A book written during a period of intense persecution that reminds the Church that even amid the height of human evil, God reigns supreme. That victory comes not by military might but by the blood of the lamb.

Revelation reminds us that even when things reach their absolute worst, we’re not without hope. And this hope comes from a God who conquers by sacrifice and redeems through goodness and love.

Revelation flips the script - showing how the wicked ways of empire crumble under the one who sits enthroned in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The book concludes with a moving portrait that brings together the entire Biblical narrative, stretching all the way back to the book of Genesis.

We’ll check that out tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter