Christian Correspondence
When reading the Bible, you’ve likely noticed a number of differences between the Old and New Testaments. One in particular might have stood out to you. The Old Testament books are largely narrative in nature. Most of them tell stories or series of stories about God, the trials of the Israelites, great prophets, and several other topics. The New Testament starts off similarly as the Gospels tell the story of Jesus and the Book of Acts recounts the events following the death of Jesus. However, immediately after that the nature of the books changes. Instead, of narratives, we get letters from several prominent figures from the era when Christianity first came to be.
Paul is one of the most notable characters in the New Testament. While his story is told in the Book of Acts, his real prominence in the New Testament comes from the inclusion of so many of his letters. Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians were all letters that Paul wrote to churches in the corresponding cities, while 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon were letters he wrote to friends that he had brought into the Faith. Paul did much through his letters including: teaching about who Jesus was, explaining how Believers should conduct themselves, and advising the churches on how they should handle internal conflict among other things. Much of what Christians believe to be true for life in the Faith comes from what Paul laid out in his letters. Though the letters all had different purposes and touched on the different issues that concerned the specific churches being addressed, Paul was always sure to express thanks, love, and encouragement for his fellow Christians. For example:
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way - with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge - God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. - 1 Corinthians 1:1-7Peter is another well known figure from the New Testament. We see him go from a weak faithed and impulsive student of Jesus in the Gospels to being one of the primary leaders of the Faith. The end result of his transition is made clear through his letters. Whereas Paul wrote to specific churches and people he knew. Peter’s letters were directed at Believers throughout the known world at the time. As a result, his letters weren’t so much geared at addressing particular problems or concerns of any group in particular. His letters were instead concerned with providing a fundamental understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. As the saying goes “the student became the master.” He made his purpose for writing most clear in his second letter.
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. - 2 Peter 3:1-2Notice that he considers the letters to be correspondence with friends, and he is using the letters to encourage those friends. John’s letters take this even further. Whereas Peter wrote to those for which he had affection due to their common status as Believers. John wrote to people with whom he had true friendly relationships. His second letter is particularly interesting because he writes to a woman that he considers to be great in the Faith. Sometimes Christianity seems to be centered on the ways and actions of men, but John’s letter is good proof that even back then, women played an important role in the Faith. We see exactly how he feels about her and her role from how he first addresses her:
To the lady chosen by God and her children, who I love in the truth - and not I only, but also all who know the truth - because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever. - 2 John 1:1-2It may seem strange that a Holy Text like the Bible gives such prominence to letters of this kind, and one might wonder what we can truly take from them. It is true that each letter contains important instruction on living according to God’s will. So they are certainly useful for gaining knowledge about God, what he wants from us, and what he expects of us. However, something else we should see is the importance of correspondence between Christians. If the Bible is our guide and it puts such importance on Believers reaching out to their brothers and sisters in Christ, we must conclude that such correspondence is supposed to be an important part of the Christian experience.
In today’s world, we are more capable of communication within the Body of Christ than ever before. We’re not limited to mailed letters. We have email, text messages, and social media among other things. We should be using all of these things to spread word about Jesus and encourage each other in the Faith. In a world where we can speak to anyone in the world instantly using phones, some might say that writing is an all but archaic form of communication. What good does it do to write to someone when you can just call them to offer instant encouragement?
Consider this. Messages over phones are gone as soon as the call is over. Written messages stick around. You may have a set intention for your words, but you never know what God intends for them. After all, Paul, Peter, and John were just writing to their fellow Believers, they didn’t know that those letters would eventually become books in the Bible that would be used to instruct Believers for centuries after they were written. God knew and that all went according to His will. He can use us in ways we’d never expect. So, whether your words are meant for a friend, some people you helped into the Faith, or the world at large, if God moves you to reach out for whatever reason, make sure you do. You never know what kind of impact your words might have.
Chris Lawyer
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