The General Epistles

These epistles are a collection of eight letters written by five authors, one of which is anonymous and has been greatly debated by theologians and bible scholars. They are termed 'general' because they were not written to specific churches or individuals but to the church at large, though two of John's short letters were addressed to 'the elect lady' and a person named Gaius, both of which had no clear references as to their real identities.

Formerly these epistles were placed before Paul's writings but were subsequently arranged in the order we see today based on their late dating and recognition, thus:

  1. Hebrews (Perfect works of Christ)
  2. James (Faith)
  3. 1 and 2 Peter (Hope)
  4. 1, 2 and 3 John (Love)

  5. Jude (Perseverance of the Saints)

The fact that this group of letters formed only one-tenth of the New Testament does not negate their importance or relevance; rather, they complemented Paul's epistles by addressing daily challenges and difficulties faced by Christians in the world. Just as the early believers felt out of place living and working in the Roman empire that was aristocratically hostile to their faith, Christians today experience similar tensions when putting into practice their beliefs in a largely atheistic society with many cultures that are steeped in superstitions and traditions.

Two major principles can be observed from these letters: God can be trusted to work in our lives, and in return we too should work towards meeting the felt needs of people around us. And just as God chose to enter human history in the time of Christ and the early disciples, He continues to work out His presence through the lives of His people in different ages.