Did You Know?

The Apostle Peter is traditionally believed to have written two epistles found in the New Testament.

These letters, 1 and 2 Peter, address themes including suffering, perseverance, and warnings against false teachers. 1 Peter 5:13 includes a greeting from 'the church that is at Babylon,' generally understood by scholars as a coded reference to Rome.

[Apostles & Early Church]

The Apostle John is traditionally credited with writing three epistles in addition to his Gospel and the Book of Revelation.

These letters, 1, 2, and 3 John, emphasize themes of love, truth, and warnings against false teaching. 1 John notably contains the well-known declaration that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8).

[Apostles & Early Church]

The Epistle of James is traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, who became a significant leader in the Jerusalem church.

This letter emphasizes practical, active faith, famously stating that 'faith without works is dead' (James 2:26). James is also mentioned prominently presiding over the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:13-21.

[Apostles & Early Church]

The Epistle of Jude is traditionally attributed to another brother of Jesus, closely related in content to 2 Peter.

This short letter warns against false teachers infiltrating the Christian community, using vivid Old Testament imagery and examples throughout (Jude 1:5-7). Jude 1:24-25 contains a well-known concluding doxology frequently used in Christian worship.

[Apostles & Early Church]

The early church regularly met in private homes for worship, teaching, and fellowship.

References to these house churches appear throughout the New Testament, such as Paul's greeting to 'the church that is in their house' regarding Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:5). This practice reflects the early church's initial lack of dedicated public buildings for worship.

[Apostles & Early Church]

Paul, originally named Saul, was a zealous persecutor of Christians before his dramatic conversion.

His earlier persecution activities are described in Acts 8:3 and 9:1-2, prior to his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Paul later reflects on this dramatic transformation in several of his epistles, including Galatians 1:13-16.

[Paul & Epistles]

Paul undertook multiple extensive missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world.

These journeys, detailed throughout Acts 13-21, involved establishing and strengthening Christian communities across regions including modern-day Turkey, Greece, and eventually Rome. Paul's missionary efforts are widely credited with significantly expanding early Christianity beyond its original Jewish context.

[Paul & Epistles]

Paul described experiencing a mysterious 'thorn in the flesh' that he prayed repeatedly for God to remove.

This experience, mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, is not specifically identified, leading to considerable scholarly speculation regarding its exact nature. God's response to Paul, that 'my grace is sufficient for thee,' remains a frequently cited passage regarding perseverance through unresolved difficulty.

[Paul & Epistles]

Paul wrote his letter to the Romans as one of his most theologically comprehensive epistles.

Romans systematically addresses themes such as sin, salvation, grace, and the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers. It contains the frequently cited summary verse, 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23).

[Paul & Epistles]

Paul's letters to the Corinthians address significant issues and divisions within the early church in Corinth.

1 Corinthians addresses practical issues such as divisions, immorality, and proper conduct in worship, including the well-known passage on love in 1 Corinthians 13. 2 Corinthians is more personal, defending Paul's apostolic authority and addressing ongoing relational tensions.

[Paul & Epistles]