"We made you 95 episodes. We podcasted for you every week for almost two years. This week, we continue our series focused on the Bible, specifically the New Testament Epistles. Join us as we delve into what an Epistle meant in the ancient world. We assure you, it’s much more than just a letter. Enjoy! #Anglican #KatyTexas #ChurchinKaty #Protestant #Theology #TheologyPodcast
What Is an Epistle? Understanding the New Testament Letters
What is an epistle? In the simplest terms, an epistle is a letter, but the New Testament letters written by Paul and the other apostles carry a weight and structure that goes far beyond a quick note. On a recent episode of Graceful Curiosity, Henry Covert and Michael Popp, hosts of the podcast produced through Grace Anglican Community, continued their Bible series on these New Testament letters by asking exactly what is an epistle and why the word matters at all.
If you have ever opened your Bible to Romans or Ephesians and felt like you had stumbled into the middle of someone else's mail, you are not alone. These letters were written to specific churches, in a specific century, using a specific literary tradition that most of us never learned in school. Understanding what is an epistle changes the way these ancient words land in your ordinary week.
What Are General Epistles and Why Does the Word Matter?
The word epistle comes from a Greco-Roman tradition of letter writing that was far more formal and structured than anything we send today. Michael Popp explained that in the ancient world, epistolary literature grew out of scribal schools, where the educated class communicated through carefully constructed letters rather than the quick, disposable notes we associate with email or text messages. That tradition shaped both Paul's personal letters and what scholars call the general epistles, the letters written by Peter, James, John, and Jude to a wider audience rather than one single church.
When people ask what are the general epistles, the answer is that they cover everything outside of Paul's thirteen letters, including Hebrews, whose author remains unknown. These general epistles do not always follow the same Greco-Roman conventions found in Paul's writing, yet Henry Covert and Michael Popp noted that they still carry patterns and theological weight of their own. Even the general epistles were written in Koine Greek, the common language of the Roman world, so that Jewish and Gentile believers alike could understand them without translation.
A small, honest step this week is simply to read the opening lines of one epistle, Pauline or general, and notice how differently it is built compared to a modern letter.
How Did Paul Structure His Letters to the Churches?
Paul's letters to churches were not casual correspondence. Michael Popp walked through a four-part introduction that Paul used again and again: naming himself as the sender, naming the recipients, offering a salutation of grace and peace, and closing the opening with a prayer of thanksgiving. Reading Romans 1:1 through 7 out loud, Henry Covert showed how Paul packed all four of these elements into just seven dense verses.
This structure mattered because Paul's letters to churches were written to real communities working through real tension. In Romans, Paul addressed friction between Jewish and Gentile believers learning to worship together. In Galatians, he confronted false teaching that had crept in from outside the community.
Every one of Paul's letters to churches followed a familiar shape while still speaking directly into a specific, local mess, whether that mess was confusion, conflict, or plain moral drift.
One small step you can take today is to reread a familiar passage, like the opening of Romans, and ask who Paul was actually writing to and why.
What Do New Testament Letters Teach Us About Hope and Correction?
Across nearly every New Testament letter, three themes surface again and again: Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel, new life available to anyone who follows him, and hope for believers living through hardship. Michael Popp pointed out that many of these New Testament letters were written to churches just beginning to face real persecution, whether from local religious authorities or from Rome itself.
That is part of why the New Testament letters read the way they do. They are not detached theology written from a safe distance. First Peter, for example, speaks directly into a community facing growing hostility, offering consolation instead of easy answers.
Henry Covert and Michael Popp described these New Testament letters as occasional literature, meaning each one was written for a specific place, a specific moment, and a specific need, even while carrying truth that still holds today.
That distinction between occasional circumstance and lasting truth is part of what makes the New Testament letters worth returning to more than once. A letter written to correct one church's confusion about false teaching can still speak honestly into a very different kind of confusion today.
A simple, honest step this week is to read one New Testament letter slowly, asking what specific struggle the original church might have been facing, before asking what it means for you.
What Is an Epistle, and Why Were These Letters Written?
Understanding what epistles are and why they were written starts with recognizing the pattern Paul used to open almost every one of his letters. Whether he was writing to Rome, Corinth, or a small church in Philippi, Paul consistently included:
- His own name and role as an apostle, so the recipients knew exactly who was writing
- The name of the church or community he was addressing directly
- A salutation of grace and peace, a phrase readers still recognize today
- A prayer of thanksgiving for the people receiving the letter
That consistency is part of what makes these letters feel both ancient and strangely personal at the same time, and it is part of the answer to what is an epistle in the first place.
Where Can You Keep Exploring These Questions Together?
Wrestling with an unfamiliar ancient text while trying to live an ordinary week is not a comfortable feeling, and it is one many spiritually curious readers know well, whether the struggle is confusion, doubt, or simply not knowing where to start. That feeling deserves company, not just answers.
Whether you call Katy home, live nearby in Fulshear, or drive in from across the greater Houston area, there is a community at Grace Anglican Community used to sitting with exactly these kinds of questions. No one here expects you to have it figured out before you show up.
A Journey Still Worth Taking
Paul and the other apostles wrote these letters into real hardship, real confusion, and real hope, and that is exactly why they still speak today. Asking what is an epistle does not resolve every question, but it does invite you to read these ancient words as they were meant to be read: personal, purposeful, and unfinished until they meet your own life.
When you are ready to see what a Sunday looks like, you can plan your visit here and find out what worship at Grace Anglican Community actually feels like.
Did this raise questions you would rather talk through first? You can connect here before you ever walk through the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is an epistle in the Bible?
A: An epistle is a formal letter, and in the Bible it refers specifically to the New Testament letters written by Paul and other apostles to churches and individuals. These letters follow the structured conventions of Greco-Roman letter writing rather than the casual style of a modern note.
Q: Why are New Testament letters called epistles?
A: The term comes from a Greek word that simply means letter, but it points to a specific literary tradition with formal conventions used across the ancient world. New Testament writers adopted this same tradition to teach, correct, and encourage the early churches.
Q: What is the structure of Paul's epistles?
A: Paul typically opened his letters with a four-part introduction: naming himself as sender, naming the recipients, offering a salutation of grace and peace, and adding a prayer of thanksgiving. Romans 1:1 through 7 shows this pattern in unusually rich detail.
Q: What is the difference between an epistle and a gospel?
A: The Gospels are narrative accounts of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The epistles, by contrast, offer theological reflection on the meaning of those events and practical instruction for how believers should live in light of them.
Q: Who wrote the epistles in the New Testament?
A: Paul wrote thirteen of the New Testament epistles, while John, Peter, James, and Jude wrote the remaining letters known as the general epistles, along with the anonymously authored Epistle to the Hebrews. Several of these authors, including Paul and James, were not among Jesus' original disciples during his earthly ministry.