The Bible is a unified book which contains a diversity of literary forms. In the ancient world, as well as today, various literary forms are used for various purposes. One of the forms used in the New Testament is known as the epistle. This paper will (1.) explain what an epistle is (2.) give illustrations of epistolary forms from the New Testament, and (3.) offer some insight into the practical importance of understanding the nature of an epistle.
In his book How to Read the Bible as Literature, Dr. Leland Ryken describes the importance of reading the Bible as literature. When talking about literature in general, he states, “the subject of literature is human experience - not abstract ideas or propositions”. His description of literature is contrasted with explanatory writing. According to Ryken, explanatory writing seeks to give us “facts and information about a subject”. In contrast, literature appeals to our mind and our imagination. Surely this description of literature resonates with anyone who has read the great stories of Genesis or the exalted poetry of the Psalms. These books draw the reader in with their vivid descriptions of past events and personal struggles. One cannot help but connect, on an experiential level, with these books. However, is the same true of the New Testament epistles? Should these books be understood as a kind of literature whose subject matter is human experience?
Upon first glance the epistles appear to be dry explanations of first century Christian doctrine. The authors of the epistles are often concerned with battling heretical teachings and immoral actions. For example, Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians is a corrective to numerous problems in that church. Paul’s letter to the Romans looks more like a theological treatise than an adventurous tale of danger and heroism. With this seeming lack of emphasis on human experience, it would seem that the epistles should not be considered to be a kind of literature. However, upon closer inspection, the personal nature of epistolary literature is revealed.
While the New Testament epistles contain small narratives and sections of poetry, they are primarily letters that deal with issues brought up by individuals in the church. Dr. Gordon Fee and Dr. Douglas Stuart point out that this is the distinctive of the epistolary form. In the book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Fee writes “there is one thing that all of the epistles have in common, and this is the crucial thing to note in reading and interpreting them: They are all what are technically called occasional documents (i.e., arising out of and intended for a specific occasion)”. Many other forms of literature address the needs of people in general. The epistle, on the other hand, deals with the specific issues of a particular person or group of people.
The epistles may not be adventurous tales with the archetypes usually found in other forms of literature, but they are personal. They are intensely focused on human experience with the aim of changing the reader as a whole. Dr. Edmond Hiebert notes that epistles “were called forth by actual life situations and were intended to meet real needs and answer vital questions in the lives of the believers to whom they were addressed.” In some ways, this form of literature is more capable of addressing human experience than other forms of literature. This may be seen by contrasting the epistle with explanatory writings and with historical narratives.
The non-literary style of writing, called explanatory writing, is for the purpose of explaining something. A type of book which exemplifies this form of writing is a textbook. A science textbook, for example, may help a reader understand Newton’s Laws or Darwin’s theory of evolution, but it is impersonal. These kinds of books are not written for the purpose of holistic edification, rather they are written so that a reader may understand a subject matter. They attempt to address the intellect and in doing so they address man as a thinking thing.
Epistles also explain, but they do so for some further purpose. They do not leave out the intellect, but they touch the intellect to stir the soul. Unlike writings that explain for the sake of understanding alone, the New Testament epistles enhance the readers understanding of some subject to bring about some further end. The epistolary form, in general, and the New Testament epistles, in particular, take into consideration the fact that man is more than an intellect. The epistle addresses man as a personal being whose person includes the mind, will, and emotions.
In addition to the epistles, the New Testament contains historical narratives. The four gospels and Acts are examples of historical narratives. They are called historical narratives for a rather obvious reason: They narrate historical events. The benefit of this form of literature is that one is given a window into some historical event or situation. Additionally the events are arranged or told so as to provide a lesson to the reader. Hence, this form gives the reader a lesson from history. This kind of literature makes use of archetypes and concrete examples to achieve it’s end.
One drawback to historical narrative is that it sometimes leaves it open to the reader to determine what the moral of the story is. Historical narratives do not always give the reader an explicit statement of approval or disapproval of a given event. In this regard, the epistle appears to be more helpful than historical narrative. The New Testament epistles offer theological truths and explicitly connect certain moral and administrative commands to those truths. Additionally, as mentioned above, the epistle is written to address specific concerns. This had the advantage of helping the formation of the newly established church. This goal would have been more difficult to achieve had all of the New Testament writers written in the historical narrative form.
Like other forms of literature, epistles address human experience. What is unique to this form of literature is that it addresses the needs of a particular person or group. It allows for abstractions, but that allowance is made for the sake of meeting some real, concrete need of the people to which was written. It addresses people as persons rather than mere intellects, and yet it explicitly connects abstractions with practical exhortations. In sum, the epistle is one of the most flexible forms of literature.
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia the epistle is “among the oldest and most abundantly preserved types of texts from antiquity.” In fact, the ISBE points out that epistles were used as early as 2275 B.C. by Babylonian royalty and officials. Epistles conformed to a basic structure that dates back to early antiquity. That general structure looks something like the following:
1. Name of the writer
2. Name of the recipient
3. Greeting
4. Prayer wish or thanksgiving - sometimes omitted
5. Body of the epistle
6. Final greeting and farewell
This form was not always followed exactly, but generally speaking, it was the distinctive form of an epistle. E. Randolf Richards notes that all sorts of people used letters to communicate in the ancient world. Even slaves sent letters in this form when they wrote to their masters. Perhaps the universality and the flexibility of this style, not to mention the occasional nature, is why many of the New Testament authors chose to write in the form of an epistle.
Simply writing about the nature of an epistle is interesting, but giving examples of epistolary literature is even more interesting and illuminating. To begin, an example of a short, non-canonical epistle will be given. An epistle from Abgarus, king of Edessa was allegedly written to Jesus. In that letter, Abgarus writes the following:
Abgarus, king of Edessa, to Jesus the good Saviour, who appears at Jerusalem, greeting. I have been informed concerning you and your cures, which are performed without the use of medicines and herbs. For it is reported, that you cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, do both cleanse lepers, and cast out unclean spirits and devils, and restore them to health who have been long diseased, and raised up the dead; All which when I heard, I was persuaded of one of these two, viz: either that you are God himself descended from heaven, who do these things, or the son of God. On this account therefore I have wrote to you, earnestly to desire you would take the trouble of a journey hither, and cure a disease which I am under. For I hear the Jews ridicule you, and intend you mischief. My city is indeed small, but neat, and large enough for us both.
It is clear that this letter has several features of an epistle. The author gives his name and title. He then gives the name of the recipient and offers a very short greeting. There are, however, two features of this letter which are missing. First, this letter lacks a prayer wish or thanksgiving portion. The author simply jumps into the body of the letter. In that letter the author, Abgarus requests that Jesus come to him and heal him of some disease. Finally, rather than ending the letter with a farewell, he ends it with an enigmatic description of the size of his city followed by an indirect invitation to come.
A canonical example of a short letter which contains all of the formal elements of an epistle is the book of Jude. This short book, in contrast to the previous epistle, is a more refined and sophisticated example of epistolary literature. When placed side by side, one may discern various similarities and differences.
| Abgarus, king of Edessa |
Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James |
| To Jesus the good Saviour, who appears at Jerusalem |
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ |
| Greeting |
Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you |
| N/A |
Same as above |
| Request for healing |
Warning against false teachers and exhortation to persevere |
| N/A |
Doxology |
When comparing two or more epistles, it is important to note both the similarities and the differences. The similarities help in the categorization of a specific letter. For example, there are different kinds of epistles. Arriving at similarities among the letters will help the scholar correctly place the form of a given letter. The differences may also contribute to the ones understanding of the form of a letter. What is more, the differences among various letters often reveal key insights into the purpose and nature of a particular epistle.
For example, by looking at some of the differences in how a writer greets the recipient, one may gain insight into nature of the relationship between the author and his or her intended audience. For example, Paul’s introduction to the book of first Corinthians is more formal and less intimate than his introduction to the church at Philippi. This gives the reader some clues as to how Paul felt toward his intended readers. In the book of Philippians, Paul places the thanksgiving section after his initial greeting. This thanksgiving section is one of Paul’s most intimate displays of affection for a church. When that section is contrasted with the thanksgiving sections in other books, one starts to appreciate Paul’s relationship with the Philippian church.
The introduction to a book may also give you some key ideas to carry along with you as you read through a that book. For example, the book of Romans is as close as one may get to a theological treatise. Paul begins that epistle with an introduction full of theological content concerning who he is and who it is that called him to be an apostle. This information may be setting the stage for the remainder of the book.
It is commonly stated in churches throughout America that the Bible is God’s love letter to us. God did not have to give mankind His written Word. He could have left the human race in the dark concerning His plan of redemption. Additionally, He could have chosen not to reveal His moral will to the world by means of the Bible. However, because He is a loving God, not wanting the world to be completely in the dark, He revealed His will and plan in the form of the Bible. This is nothing less than an act of love on God’s part.
The fact that God chose to fill most of the New Testament with epistolary literature may suggest something about His relationship to the church. Dr. Hiebert notes that “Letters are the result of fellowship and separation” What he means here is that epistles arise due to the formation of a relationship followed by a separation. The epistle is an intimate form of communication between two or more individuals who know each other from previous contact. In the New Testament, this form was utilized so that the apostles could communicate directly to the needs of a particular community of believers.
Perhaps God and the New Testament authors chose to use the epistle because of its intimate form and function. The epistle speaks directly to a group of people, and addresses specific needs. Maybe this intimate and dynamic form of communication is representative of God’s work in the church. This would make sense in light of the fact that in the new covenant, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. This new relationship between the Holy Spirit and the people of God seems to be reflected in the very form of the New Testament.
