The New Testament splits quite nicely into two sections: the stories and the letters. Or as the scholars would say, the narratives (the Gospels and Acts) and the epistles (Romans to the end, although some would class Revelation into its own group). As you’d expect, the epistles read quite differently from the narratives. The Gospels and Acts are carefully crafted historical accounts, presenting series of events, while the epistles are, well, personal correspondences. The majority of the epistles were written by the apostle Paul (ex big-time Pharisee Saul, see Acts 9), namely Romans to Philemon, while the remaining letters were written by a variety of other early Christians, often named after the author.

As a whole, the epistles presuppose the story of Jesus as told in the Gospels, and are concerned primarily with instructing, encouraging and exhorting God’s people. As such, the epistles share lots of characteristics which are helpful for us to keep in mind as we read through them. Together, they paint a clear picture of what it meant for the early Christians to live this side of the cross, which still applies completely to us today.

Firstly, you don’t have to look far to see that the death and resurrection of Jesus is absolutely central throughout the epistles. It wasn’t just a stand-alone historical event that changed a few things politically and socially; it was the basis of our very salvation, and impacts all of life! At the same time, the epistles explore what it means for the Spirit to be at work in the church and in the believer, just as God and Christ are present with them.

Secondly, keep in mind the fact that the epistles were written to first-generation converts and so do not set out to extensively recount history or Christian doctrine per se. They were ad-hoc letters written to address specific situations that specific churches were going through, hence their variety and apparent randomness. Sometimes the writers would praise the believers for what they did; often they would correct false teaching or sinful attitudes. It’s not too hard to guess what problems the churches had when you read their letters – if the writer of the letter emphasised the importance of unity in the body of Christ, it can be assumed that the church was struggling with disunity.

Thirdly, you may notice that all the epistle writers wrote with an eschatological perspective, that is, with the perspective that these were the final days. With the coming of Jesus and the Spirit, the time of the end had begun, and they (as we also are) were living in eager anticipation of Jesus’ coming again to bring God’s rule to full summation. Thus the writers understood the believer’s new life in Christ to be a reality now, but not yet what it will be at the end (1 John 3:2).

Fourthly, the do’s and don’ts that the epistle writers spell out should not be seen as a new form of the law. They were not written as ethical imperatives but rather as expressions of the way God’s people should now live, in the light of God’s love as shown through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Because of the cross, believers were now free from the shackles of the law, and could now use their freedom to obey the law and serve God! It’s through God’s grace that we are saved, not our adherence to the law, yet our salvation has freed us to obey God’s law willingly. Every epistle writer speaks of this.

Reading the epistles is exciting because this is where God writes us into his story! We who are living in these final days, the “now” but “not yet”, need to heed the words of the epistle writers who explain to us what it means to live on this side of the cross. Take your time to read through these letters and meditate on them thoughtfully. And let’s live in eager expectation of the return of our Lord, in whom all promises find their climax.