An epistle (; ) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal Didacticism letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the Scribe writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Twelve apostles to Christians are usually referred to as epistles. Those traditionally attributed to Paul are known as Pauline epistles and the others as General epistles.
Ancient Egyptian epistles
The ancient Egyptians wrote epistles, most often for
pedagogy reasons.
Egyptologist Edward Wente (1990) speculates that the Fifth-dynasty Pharaoh
Djedkare Isesi—in his many letters sent to his viziers—was a pioneer in the epistolary genre.
Its existence is firmly attested during the Sixth Dynasty of the
Old Kingdom, and is prominently featured in the educational guide
The Book of Kemit written during the Eleventh Dynasty.
[ A standardized formulae for epistolary compositions existed by the time of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. The epistolary formulae used in the Ramesside Period found its roots in the letters composed during the Amarna Period of the Twentieth Dynasty. Wente describes the "Satirical Letter" found on the Papyrus Anastasi I of the Nineteenth Dynasty as an epistle which was commonly copied as a writing exercise by Egyptian schoolchildren on ceramic ostraca (over eighty examples of which have been found so far by archaeologists). Epistle letters were also written to the dead, and, by the Ramesside Period, to the gods; the latter became even more widespread during the eras of Persian and Greek domination.][
]
Ancient Greece and Rome
Epistles in prose and verse were a major genre of literature among the Ancient Greece and particularly the Ancient Rome. The letters of Cicero are one of the most important sources on the history of the late Roman Republic and preserve features of colloquial Latin not always in evidence in his speeches and treatises. The letters of Pliny the Younger likewise are studied as both examples of Latin prose with self-conscious literary qualities and sources for historical information. Ovid produced three collections of verse epistles, composed in : the Heroides, letters written in the person of legendary women to their absent lovers; and the Tristia and Ex Ponto, written in first person during the poet's exile. The epistles of Seneca, with their moral or philosophical ruminations, influenced later Church Fathers writers.
Form of Christian epistles
Christian epistles, both those in the New Testament and among the early Christian Fathers, were written in accordance with the formalized, Hellenistic tradition. This reflects the amount of Hellenistic influence upon the epistle writers, especially in the case of Paul. Classicist Steve Reece has compared thousands of Greek, Roman, and Jewish letters contemporary with Paul and observes that Paul follows many of the normal epistolary conventions.[Reece, Steve. Paul's Large Letters: Pauline Subscriptions in the Light of Ancient Epistolary Conventions. London: T&T Clark, 2016. Paul's Large Letters ]
Opening/greetings
In contrast to modern letters, epistles usually named the author at the very beginning, followed by the recipient (for example, see Philippians 1:1). The scribe (or more correctly, the amanuensis) who wrote down the letter may be named at the end of the epistle (e.g., Romans 16:22). In the absence of a postal system, the courier may also be named (e.g. Ephesians 6:21–22).
After the names of the author and recipient, Pauline epistles often open with the greeting, "Grace and peace to you." "Grace" was a common Hellenistic greeting, while "peace" (shalom) was the common Judaism greeting; this reflected Paul's dual identity in Jewish faith and Hellenistic culture. There may also be a word of thanks to the audience. In secular letters, a prayer or wish for health followed.
Content/body
The body begins with a brief statement introducing the main topic of the entire body.
New Testament epistles
The epistles of the New Testament canon are usually divided as follows:
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, also called Epistles of Paul or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen books of the New Testament attributed to Paul the Apostle, although the authorship of some is in dispute. Among these epistles are some of the earliest extant Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of early Christianity. As part of the Biblical canon of the New Testament, they are foundational texts for both Christian theology and Christian ethics. The Epistle to the Hebrews, although it does not bear his name, was traditionally considered Pauline (although Origen questioned its authorship in the 3rd century CE), but from the 16th century onwards opinion steadily moved against Pauline authorship and few scholars now ascribe it to Paul, mostly because it does not read like any of his other epistles in style and content.[ The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, publ. Geoffrey Chapman, 1989, chapter 60, at p. 920, col. 2 "That Paul is neither directly nor indirectly the author is now the view of scholars almost without exception. For details, see Kümmel, Introduction New Testament, 392–94, 401–03"] Most scholars agree that Paul actually wrote seven of the Pauline epistles, but many suggest that four of the epistles in Paul's name are pseudepigraphic (Ephesians, First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus[ New Testament Letter Structure, from Catholic Resources by Felix Just, S.J.]), perhaps being written or reconstructed by Paul's followers, and that two other epistles are even less likely to have been written by Paul (Second Thessalonians and Colossians).[Richards, E. Randolph. Paul and First-Century Letter Writing: Secretaries, Composition and Collection. Downers Grove, IL; Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press; Apollos, 2004. ] who would have influenced their style, if not their theological content.
The Pauline epistles are usually placed between the Acts of the Apostles and the Catholic epistles in modern editions. Most Greek manuscripts, however, place the General epistles first,
Catholic (i.e., "general") epistles
The catholic epistles (also called the general epistles[Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "katholieke brieven". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.]) are seven epistles of the New Testament. Listed in order of their appearance in the New Testament, the catholic epistles are:
Epistles of Revelation
The Book of Revelation contains seven brief epistles directed at seven specific churches in Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. According to Revelation 1, in a sudden vision Christ instructs John to write down what he is shown in a book and to send it to these seven churches with the specific cover letters.
Non canonical epistles
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Correspondence of Paul and Seneca, a set of 14 forgeries
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Third Epistle to the Corinthians (canonical for a time in the Armenian Orthodox), also a correspondence of two letters
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Epistle to the Laodiceans (Latin version found in Codex Fuldensis)
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Letter of Peter to Philip
Lost epistles
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The first Epistle to Corinth
[Also called "A Prior Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians" or "Paul’s previous Corinthian letter".[7], possibly Third Epistle to the Corinthians] referenced at
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The third Epistle to Corinth called Severe Letter referenced at and
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The Corinthian letter to Paul referenced at
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The Earlier Epistle to the Ephesians referenced at
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The Epistle to the Laodiceans referenced at
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The Earlier Epistle of Jude
[Also called 2 Jude.] referenced at
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The Earlier Epistle of John
[ Also called "The Epistle of John to the Church Ruled by Diotrephes" ] referenced at
Epistles of Apostolic Fathers
These are letters written by some very early Christian leaders, in the 1st or 2nd century, which are not part of the New Testament. They are generally considered to form part of the basis of Christian tradition. The ennobling word "epistle" is used partly because these were all written in Greek, in a time period close to when the epistles of the New Testament were written, and thus "epistle" lends additional weight of authority.
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Epistle of the Romans to the Corinthians (1 Clement)
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
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Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
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Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp
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Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians
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Epistle of Barnabas
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Epistle to Diognetus
Liturgical use
In the context of a liturgy, epistle may refer more specifically to a particular passage from a New Testament epistle (the Pauline epistles and the General epistles)—sometimes also from the Book of Acts or the Revelation of John, but not the Four Gospels—that is scheduled to be read on a certain day or at a certain occasion.
Western churches
In the Catholic Church Mass and Anglican Eucharist, epistles are read between the Collect and the Gospel reading. The corresponding have a special tone ( tonus epistolae). When the epistle is sung or chanted at Solemn Mass it is done so by the subdeacon. Epistles are also read by an Elder or Bishop in the Lutheranism Divine Service, between the gradual and the Gospel.
Eastern churches
In the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Rite Catholics the Epistle reading is called the Apostol (the same name is given to the lectionary from which it is read). The Apostol includes the Acts of the Apostles as well as the Epistles, but never the Apocalypse (Revelation of John). Unlike in the Latin liturgical rites, there are never readings from the Old Testament.
Medieval epistles
During the Middle Ages, the art of letter writing was taught in numerous manuals, and the ars dictaminis became an important genre of instructional discourse. The necessity for letter writing was in large part due to the general deterioration of civil life and the decay of the Roman roads system in the early Middle Ages, factors that obliged literate people with business to transact to send letters instead of travel themselves.
See also
Notes
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