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HANDOUT
GENERAL
EPISTLES
ADVANCED
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
200
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GENERAL
EPISTLES (NON PAULINE EPISTLES)
iNTRODUCTION:
These Epistles is
less than 10% of New Testament.
They supplement the Pauline Epistles,
and it was called “general” because they were not addressed to specific
churches or individual.
The book of Hebrew was not regarded as
general Epistle because of the problem about the authorship, therefore it was
only recognize as “Non Pauline” rather than general Epistle. There are seven epistles in the New Testament
which are grouped under the title “The catholic Epistle” These are sub-divided under three headings as
follows:
(1) Jacobean (2) Petrine (3)
Johannine
(1)
James (2) Jude (1) I Peter (2) II Peter (1) I John
(2) II John (3) III John
They are called Catholic Epistles
because they were addressed to Christians in general that is, to the Church
Universal rather than, as in the case of Paul’s epistles, to certain
individuals or to particular churches.
It need hardly be added that these epistles have nothing to do with that
branch of Christendom which has incorporated the name “CATHOLIC” in it’s
title. The word “CATHOLIC” means
“UNIVERSAL”. It will therefore, be seen
that to speak of the Roman Catholic Church is a contradiction of terms (to say
the least), an it’s very title declares its error.
THE
GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES
If ever there was a man who was
practical in his Christianity it must have been James the writer of this
epistle. Tradition tells us he was a man
of austere and holy character. He must
also have been intensely practical.
Salvation is the gift of God. It
comes from heaven, but it is also very much “down to earth” for three faith
always manifests itself in outward.
There is no contradiction between the teaching of the epistle of James
and that of Paul in Romans, or indeed to the truth found in chapters three and
four of the epistle to the Hebrews. The
man of faith is the man of action. This
is put so forcibly in the scripture quoted above and also in James 2:26 , “For as the body without the
spirit is dead, so faith without work is dead also. “For even as breathing is an evidence of life
in human body, so living faith in made known by the action which it produces.
THE PURPOSE OF GENERAL EPISTLE OF
JAMES
JAMES: James wrote this incisive and
practical catalogue of the Christian characteristics of three faith to exhort
his Hebrew. Christian reader’s to
examine the reality of their own faith if it does not produce a qualitative
change in character or control (1 – 3).
It’s genuineness must be questioned.
James also rebukes those who succumb to the pursuit of worldly pleasure
and wealth rather than God, and encourages a patient endurance in light of the
coming of the Lord.
You should read the epistle of five
chapters through without interruption and if possible also read it in a modern
translation. THE AUTHOR (It is necessary to be clear as
to which James wrote the epistle).
There are three James mentioned in the
New Testament.
1.
James,
the brother of John the son of Zebedee, who was one of the twelve disciples (Mk
3:17 )
2.
James,
the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve disciple (Mk 3:18 )
3.
James,
the brother of the Lord according to the flesh and the brother of Jude.
The epistle of James was written by
the last named of the above three. He
was one of our Lord’s brothers according to the flesh. He did not believe in Christ when the Lord
was engaged in his earthly ministry, but evident by believed in the Lord, at a
later date either at the death of Christ or at His Resurrection, for there is a
record of the Lord’s personal appearance to James (1 Cor 15:7). Later he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem
James is known as “James the Just”:
and he is reputed to have lived a very holy and austere life, and this is
reflected in the very practical epistle which he wrote. The language of this epistle is similar to
James speech in Acts 15 because he was unbeliever during Jesus Ministry
Although James was the brother of our
Lord according to the flesh, it is especially noteworthy to observe his
reference to the Lord Jesus in 1:1 and 2:1.
From these it will be seen that he recognizes the distinctive nature of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, and although he himself was brought
up with the Lord Jesus as a boy, yet he claims to be nothing other than a
servant of God and of Christ.
DATE:
The Jewish historian Josephus
indicates that James was stoned to death in the hear A.D. 62, so if he is the
author the letter was evidently written before that date. The contents of the book suggest that it may
have been written as early as a date shortly before the church council of Acts
15 which convened about A.D. 49. We
cannot be dogmatic, and can only conclude that the letter was likely written
between A.D. 48 and 62.
THE
KEYS TO THE EPISTLE OF JAMES
1. The
key verse - 2:26
2. The
key words - “Faith” – used 12 times
- “Works” – used 13 times
- “do” or “doer” used 5 times
3. The
Theme - “Faith without works is dead”
4. Number
of Chapters- 5
EXEGETICALY
STUDYING OF EPISTLE OF JAMES
A Faith
reveals itself in the following ways and different circumstances:
1. In
the time of trials and temptation it counts it all joy.
2. Hearing
the word of God leads to action
3. In corporate church life there is no
respect of persons: there is a recognition of the needs of others.
4. The tongue is controlled and is not used
as a weapon of offence.
5. The wise man will reveal his knowledge by
good conduct and character which is in accordance with 3:17
6. Friendship with God will mean separation
from the World and harmony with other believers.
7. In business and other details there will
be a recognition of dependence upon the Lord.
8. There will be the exercise of justice and
patience by both employer and employee.
9. There will be the exercise of faith in
times of sickness.
10. The prayer life will be fervent in every
situation of life
11. The final exhortation is to be a winner of
souls! (5:20 )
The following paragraphs deal
concisely with certain subject and, therefore, deserve special study:
1.
The
origin and outworking of Evil (1:13
– 15)
2.
Faith
Justified by works (2:14 –
26)
3.
The
Tongue (3:1 – 12)
4.
Heavenly
and Earthly wisdom (3:13 –
18)
5.
The
Reward of patience (5:7 – 11)
6.
The
Effectiveness of Prayer (5:13
– 18)
THE
FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF PETER
The first epistle of Peter is one of
the easiest of the epistles to read through without interruption. It is a particularly suitable one to
introduce to young Christians by reason of the simplicity of its style, the
practical exhortations, and yet, in the background, there is vital spiritual
teaching.
THE
AUTHOR
The author was Simon Peter, one of the
twelve apostles. The Peter of whom you
read in the gospels is a totally different Peter after Pentecost. The book of the acts and Peter’s own writings
reveal the mighty transformation that had been accomplished in him through the
grace of God and the indwelling and fullness of the Holy Spirit.
THE
DATE
The first epistle of Peter was written
toward the close of his life, probably between A.D 64 and 68. The persecution of Christians following the
great fire at Rome 5:12 )
as Paul would at this time have been in prison.
THE
PURPOSE
The principal purpose of this epistle
is to encourage the scattered and persecuted believers living in various parts
of Asia Minor who are suffering rejection
because of their obedience to Christ throughout the Roman
Empire . Peter was obeying
the two specific commands which Jesus had given him:
1.
To
encourage and strengthen the brethren Lk 22:32
2.
To
feed the flock of God. J 21:15
– 17
THE
KEYS TO THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER
1.
They
key verse 2:9
2.
The
keyword “Suffering” and it occurs over fifteen times
3.
The
Number of Chapters – 5
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE
1.
Opening
Greetings (1:1, 2)
2.
The
Christian is called to salvation (1:3 – 11)
3.
The
Christian is called to Holiness (1:13
– 2: 11 )
4.
The
Christian is called to Submission (2:12
– 3:12 )
5.
The
Christian is called to Suffering (3:13
– 5:11 )
6.
Concluding
Greetings (5:12 – 14)
THE
SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF PETER
It will not be a difficult task to
read this short epistle of three chapters through without interruption. Also re-read it in one or more of the recent
translations.
THE
AUTHOR
Whereas the first epistle of Peter has
always been recognized as having been written by Peter the apostle. The
second epistle of Peter has been the subject of much criticism and the Petrine
authorship has been denied.
THE
REASON
1.
To
be written in a different literary style.
2.
Part
of it is very similar to the epistle of Jude.
3.
Because
II Pet. Was evidently not widely known or quoted in the early church.
Although it was included in the New
Testament Canon by Origen (A.D 182 – 254).
It was declared to be canonical by the council of Laodicea
The epistle itself claims to have been
written by Peter (1:1). He specifically
declared himself to have been an Apostle of Christ in that verse and also in
3:2. He refers to the epistles written
by Paul (3:15 , 16). The fact that he refers to “all” Paul’s
letter does not mean that “all” were written, but is referring to “all” in the
sense of all that were then written.
Further more, it was written by an old
man who was expecting soon to pass form this earthly scene (1:13 – 15). From these reference it will be seen that
there is considerable evidence form within the epistle itself which bears out a
petrine authorship, so that one need have no hesitation in accepting as fact
that Peter the Apostle was the author of the two epistle that bear his name.
THE PURPOSE
This second epistle was written
shortly before Peter’s death (1:13 – 15) and, as is stated in 1:12, it was his
desire to put Christians whom he dearly loved in remembrance of the things that
he had taught then and of which they should be warned (1:12 – 15, 3:1 –
2). Notice the bond of love and
fellowship that is revealed by Peter’s use of the word “beloved” (3:1, 8, 14,
15, 17 and compare with 1:17 ),
it was also necessary in Christians against false teachers and false doctrine
and to remind them once again of the promise of the Lord’s return.
THE
KEYS TO THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER
1.
The
key verse 1:12
2.
They
key word “remember”
3.
Number
of chapters – 3
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE
1.
Greetings
(1:1)
2.
Grow
in carace (1:2 – 21)
3.
Beware
of false teachers and Doctrines (2:1 – 22)
4.
Look
forward to the coming of the Lord (3:1 – 16)
5.
Final
warning and Doxology (3:17 ,18)
THE
FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF JOHN
The five chapters of this first
epistle of John should be read without interruption and indeed, more than once
during your study of the epistle. It
will also be helpful to read the letter in a recent translation.
THE
AUTHOR
The writer was the Apostle John of
whom we read in the gospels and who also wrote the gospel according to John,
the other two epistles bearing His name and the last book in the New Testament,
viz, the revelation of Jesus Christ.
John was the brother of James, one of
the two sons of Zebedee and Salome (Mark 1:19
– 20, 10:35 , 15:40 . Matt 27:56).
He, like his father, was a fisherman
(Matt 4:21 ). It will also be remembered that according to
the flesh he as the cousin of the Lord Jesus for it is usually thought that the
two mother were sisters. Not only was he
one of the twelve Apostles, but also one of the three Apostles who was privileges
to be with Christ on certain special occasions (see Ml 5:37 and Matt. 17:1, 26:37). Also observe Mark 13:3 and the fact that John
was one of the two sent to prepare the Passover (Luke 22:8). John refers to himself in the closing
chapters of the gospel bearing his name under the pen name “the disciple whom
Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 19:26 ,
20:2: 21:7, 20).
In the book of the Acts he is referred
to in Acts 3:1; 4:13:8:14. He is usually
considered to have been the youngest of the Apostles, and it is significant
that he is one of the first to have been called by Christ (John 1:40 ). It is thought that John and Andrew were the
two who followed Jesus (Matt 4:21
– 22). He lived longer than any of the
others and died at the close of the first century.
THE
DATE
This epistle was written by the
Apostle John when an old man, nearing the end of his life, probably as late as
within the last 10 years of the first century, namely between A.D. 90 – 98.
THE
PURPOSE
The immediate purpose of the letter
was to refute error that was creeping into the early church. Those who had been converted from Judaism and
paganism sought to incorporate into Christianity ideas and theories connected
with their form of belief. This
inevitably led to false teaching developing into heresy and thus leading to
apostasy. The particular sect that John
seems to have had in mind were Gnostics, that is “the knowing once” – they
could be described as the “knowalls” their descendants are still with us!. They boasted of their knowledge, and their
main error concerned the deity of the Lord Jesus. They denied that He was truly God on the one
had and, on the other hand, denied His full humanity.
The letter is not addressed to any
particular person or local church. It
was evidently intended as a circular epistle to probably in the first instance,
the churches of Asia , but under the direction
of the Spirit to the whole church
of God
THE
PLACE
The weight of early and strong
Christian tradition that John spent his latter years at Ephesus Ephesus
THE
KEYS TO THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN
1. The
key verse 1:5
2. The
key words “Known” “Fellowship”
3. The
Number of Chapters – 5
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE
1.
Fellowship
Results in fullness of Joy (1:1 – 10)
2.
Fellowship
Demands purity of life (2:1 – 7)
3.
Fellowship
Leads to instruction by the Holy Spirit (2:18
– 29)
4.
Fellowship
leads to perfecting of Love (3:1 – 4:21)
5.
Fellowship
leads to full Assurance and spiritual
understanding (5:1 – 21).
THE
SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF JOHN
This short epistle of 13 verses should
be read every day for a week when you are studying the writing. It is so short and yet so delightful.
THE
AUTHOR
In verse 1 the writer refers to
himself as “the elder”. This reference
has led to some speculation as to who was the actual author. There are those who suggest that it was some
person other than John the Apostle.
There is no reason for believing that the writer was any other than John
the beloved disciple of the Lord. He was
writing at the end of his long life and he was an elder both in the church of God
THE
DATE
It is thought that this epistle, as in
the case of the previous one, was written when John was between 90 and 100
years of age, that is, in the closing years of the first century around A.D 90.
THE
PLACE
It is, therefore one of the latest
writing of the New Testament. In all
probability it was written from Ephesus
THE
PURPOSE
It is addressed to “The elect lady and
her children”. There are those who have
sought to name this particular lady, but the epistle gives no clue as to who
she was, other than the fact that her sister was married and had children (see
verse 13). The elect lady was probably
an individual occupying a good position in society, possibly well to do and so
having this title. There are those who
think that the letter was addressed to Martha of Bethany and the sister
referred to in verse 13 is Mary. While
this is an interesting supporting there is no sure ground for believing that it
is so, although it has been pointed out that the Greek work used for lady is
similar to the Hebrew word equivalent for Martha. Other have suggested that the letter was to a
particular church or to the universal church but this makes it difficult to
interpret verse 13.
This letter coupled with the third
epistle of John and Paul’s letter to Philemon, constitute the three examples of
private, correspondence between apostles and members of the early Christian
church, which are to be found in the New Testament.
THE
KEYS TO THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN
1.
The
key verse – 6
2.
The
key words (“Truth” “Love”)
3.
The
Number of verses 13
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE
1.
Opening
Greetings (1 – 3)
2.
Walk
in Truth and Love (4 – 6)
3.
Warning
of Deceivers and Heresy (7 – 9)
4.
Attitude
to be taken to such (10, 11)
5.
Concluding
Greetings (12, 13)
As you think over and follow the theme
of “love” which is to be found in this writing take note of these points:
1.
The
Courtesy of Love (1, 13)
2.
The
Ground of Love (1)
3.
The
scope of Love (1, 2)
4.
The
prayer of Lover (3)
5.
The
manifestation of Love Grounded in Truth 4)
6.
The
Command of Love (5, 6)
7.
The
Enemies and Disturbers of True Love (7 – 9)
8.
The
Refusal of Love
9.
The
Expectation of Love 12)
THE
THIRD GENERAL EPISTLE OF JOHN
This brief epistle of fourteen verses
should be read frequently and patiently studied to understand it fully. In first John the Apostle discusses
fellowship with God, in second John he forbids fellowship with false teachers;
and in third epistle John he encourages fellowship with Christian brothers,
following his expression of love for Gaius.
John assures him of his prayers for his health and voice his Joy over
Gaius persistent walk in truth.
THE
AUTHOR
There is no reason why w should not
accept the fact that this was written by John the beloved, the disciple to whom
reference has been make in the earlier chapters on John’s gospel and first
epistle.
THE
DATE
No doubt it was written very much
about the same time as the two other epistles, that is, within the last ten
years of the first century. A.D. 90.
THE
PURPOSE
The immediate occasion of this letter
is to bring greetings, commendation and encouragement to the well-beloved
Gaius. In the early church there were
itinerant ministers and missionaries, even as there are such today. The question of hospitality arose as these
men forth unbacked any equivalent to the modern missionary society. It was, therefore, desirable that they should
be offered hospitality. Gaius did this,
but there was one, Diotrephes, who usurped the place of leadership in the local
church and not only refused to receive visiting brethren but forbade others to
receive or to offer hospitality.
John uses this negative examples as an
opportunity to encourage Gaius. Godly
character and loyalty to the truth are never easy, but they bring God’s richest
commendation and John’s as well.
Dementrius has a good testimony and may even be one of these turned away
by Diotrephes.
THE
KEYS TO THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN
1.
The
key word – Hospitality
2.
The
key verse – 8
3.
Number
of verses – 14
GAIUS
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. Gaius
of Macedonia 19:29 )
2. Gaius
at Derbe (Acts 20:4)
3. Gaius
at Corinth 1:14 )
4. Gaius
who gave hospitality to Paul (Rom 16:23 )
5. Gaius
to whom John wrote (III
John 1)
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE
1. Salutation
verse – 1
2. Godliness
of Gaius “ 2 – 4
3. Generosity
of Gaius “ 5 – 8
4. Pride
of Diotrephes “ 9 – 11
5. Praise
for Demetrius “ - 12
6. Concluding
Greetings “ - 13 – 14
THE
GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE
The general epistle of Jude contains
25 verses and therefore can easily be read through without interruption.
As with the other short epistle in the
New Testament, you are recommended to read also in one or more of the recent
translations. Jude originally intended
to write on the theme of salvation, but because of pressing threats to his
readers he turns his attention instead to those who would seek to destroy the
gospel.
THE
AUTHOR
The author refers to himself in verse
1 as the brother of James. The name Jude
is another form of Judas. There are two
Judas mention in the gospel and Acts.
They both had brothers who were named James. One was an Apostle (Lk 6:16 ; Acts 1:13 ). The second
Judas is referred to as the brother (according to the flesh) of the Lord Jesus
(Matt 13:55 ; Mark 6:3).
So Jude was accepted as authentic and
quoted by early church fathers.
THE
DATE
It is there thought to have been
written just prior to A.D 70, probably about A.D. 68.
THE
PURPOSE
In verse 1 – 4 Jude addresses his
letter to believers who are “Sanctified, preserved, and called” and wishes for
them the threefold blessing of mercy, peace and love.
As you read verse 3 it gives the
impression that Jude intended to write originally of the common salvation, that
is, the salvation made available to all men.
Then, as he began to write under the leading of the Holy Spirit, he
found it more necessary and urgent that he should write to warn men of coming
apostasy, and to stand fast for the true faith.
The believers are warned of apostasy,
and Jude makes a quick but masterly survey of apostasy from before the
beginning of time on through the history of the Hebrews to the days in which he
lives. In doing so, he refers to the
angles that apostasized Cain, the sodomites, the rebellious Israelites going
out of Egypt
THE
KEYS TO EPISTLE OF JUDE
1. The
key words - contending for the faith
2. The
key verse - verse 3
3. Number
of verses - “ 25
OUTLINE
OF THE EPISTLE OF JUDE
1. Introductory
greeting (1, 2)
2. The
danger Exposed (3,
4)
3. The
warnings from History (5
– 16)
4. The
Exhortation of faithfulness (17
– 23)
5. The
Reminder of the keeping power of the Lord (24)
6. Concluding
Ascription of praise to the Lord.
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