Lecture

3. Letters: Instruction

In the city of Corinth, a group of people responded to Paul’s preaching, became Christians, and formed a church. But they were involved in immorality, division, and strife. In Philippi, a discouraged group of believers needed lifting up. In Rome, a loyal band of Christ’s followers needed to clarify their beliefs about righteousness, the Law, and sanctification. They had questions about the Christian’s everyday life. The believers at Thessalonica needed to know about Christ’s return and the last days. In Ephesus, the leaders needed instruction about their position in Christ. Elsewhere, Christians were suffering and didn’t understand why. False teachers were infiltrating churches and threatening to undermine the work. A pastor at Crete needed encouragement.

What was the best way to meet the needs of the growing church? The apostles couldn’t be everywhere at once. So they sent letters (also known as epistles) to explain Christian teaching, to inspire God’s people to holiness, and to tell them how to live.

The churches or individuals who received these letters were no doubt overjoyed when they arrived. They were read aloud to the congregation and passed around from church to church. Copies were made with meticulous care for other churches. Believers began to collect them. All in all, twenty-one such letters were judged to be inspired, and they became a major portion of the New Testament.

Although there is some history and some biography in these letters, they were primarily written to amplify the teaching of Jesus Christ. Most of them were written either to local bodies of believers (such as those at Corinth or Rome) or to pastors (Timothy and Titus). The age that began at Pentecost is known as the church age, and these letters talk about church life. Among other things, they give instruction regarding:

• The unity of the church (Ephesians 2:11–22).
• The worship of the church (1 Corinthians 14:26–40).
• The leaders of the church (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).
• The discipline of the church (1 Timothy 6:3–5).
• The ordinances of the church (1 Corinthians 11:23–30).
• The preaching of the church (2 Timothy 4:2).

Although the epistles were church-centered, they were also useful for individuals. A person with the opportunity to read them would learn the principles to govern his conduct with his fellow believers and before the world. Here’s a sample:

• We are to love one another (Romans 12:10).
• We are to submit to government (Romans 13:1).
• We are to imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1).
• We are to care for one another (1 Corinthians 16:1).
• We are not to speak evil of anyone (Titus 3:2).
• We are to confess our sins (1 John 1:9).

These twenty-one letters were also written to define and clarify the basic beliefs of Christianity. For example:

• Jesus Christ is God (Colossians 1:13–19).
• The Holy Spirit indwells every believer (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
• All are sinners (Romans 3:23).
• Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Believers are to forsake sin (Romans 6:1–14).
• Righteousness comes through Christ (Romans 3:21–22).
• The Bible is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16).
• All will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15).

Seeing God. The epistles help us to know God in the following representative ways. As you read these letters, you will see many other elements of God’s character.

• In the autobiographical writings of Paul, we see how able God is to supply the deepest needs of those who are willing to serve Him (2 Corinthians 4).
• In the doctrinal portions, we see how careful God has been to provide a rescue that is as right as it is needed (Romans 3:21–26).
• In the comforting passages, we see a God who is able to enter into our pain and care about our struggles (2 Corinthians 1:3–6).
• In the corrective sections, we see a God who not only loves us enough to accept us just the way we are, but loves us so much that He is not willing to leave us the way He found us (Hebrews 12:7–13).
• In the prophetic passages, we see a God who has promised to prepare for us an eternal kingdom where all evil and sin have been removed (2 Peter 3:10–13).

4. Revelation: Prophecy

As we have worked through the New Testament, we have seen the story of God’s salvation in Christ revealed like the gradual unrolling of a scroll. We have read of great events: the miraculous birth of Christ, His three years of public ministry, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection. Rising out of the disappointment of Calvary came the transformed disciples who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, established the church, and extended it throughout the world. And the church still lives today, perhaps stronger now than it has been for generations. But how will it all turn out? What will happen next?

The book of Revelation is a vision given to the apostle John while on the Island of Patmos depicting the culmination of the grand story of the Bible. It speaks of the restoration and consummation of all things and the end of redemptive history, bringing a final closure to all the conflicts and tensions found throughout Scripture.

Revelation is written in a highly figurative and apocalyptic style of literature that includes many symbols and references to various Old Testament verses. Some see the descriptive events of Revelation as having already occurred in history while other see them as yet to be fulfilled. The book of Revelation can be divided into three main parts: In Revelation 1–3, John sees Jesus, the Head of the Church, walking among seven golden lampstands that represent seven churches in Asia Minor.₁ Following are seven letters to these churches with warnings, commendations, and promises as to how they were living out the Christian faith. Warnings, commendations, and promises that believers today can learn from. In Revelation 4–5, John finds himself before the throne of God itself, shimmering in glory and surrounded by worshipers who exalted God for His wonderful creation.₂ When no one was found worthy to open a large scroll, John wept.₃ After he was told to stop weeping, he was given the vision of a slain Lamb (representing Jesus Christ) standing in the center of the throne in heaven.₄ A chorus of praise rings out for the Lamb, who is worthy to open the scroll because He had purchased people with His own blood.₅ Finally, in Revelation 6–22, John sees various events that speak to the reality of suffering for the faith within the context of the battle between good and evil. This section concludes with a grand vision of a new heaven and new earth.

Seeing God. The magnificent yet terrifying visions of Revelation help us to know God better. As you read this book, you will see many truths about God. For example:

• In Christ’s messages to the seven churches, we see God’s deep concern for the spiritual welfare of His people (Rev. 2–3).
• In the vision of the throne in heaven, we see the majestic, lofty, unlimited glory of God (Rev. 4).
• In the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, we see God’s anger over a sinful and rebellious world (Rev. 6–18).
• In the defeat and banishment of Satan, we see that God has the power to conquer sin and evil (Rev. 19–20).
• In the description of heaven, we see the goodness of God eternally displayed (Rev. 21–22).

Can we trust the Bible?

As we conclude this course, we may be tempted to ask if what we read in the Bible is in fact truth. How do we know that what we read today is correct and reflects what was written almost two thousand years ago. To answer these types of questions we suggest you enroll in our apologetics courses where you will learn about the textual transmission of the Bible through history, the archaeological support that shows the Bible to be true, and answers to other questions related to the Bible and the Christian faith.

Reference Key:

Revelation

1. Revelation 2–3 | 2. Revelation 4:11 | 3. Revelation 5:2–4 | 4. Revelation 5:5–6 | 5. Revelation 5:9