Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Letters to an Entire Church

The Letter of James
The First Letter of Peter
The Letter of Jude and the Second Letter
of Peter
The First, Second, and Third Letters of
John
The Revelation to John

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters

Catholic Letters
1. The seven Catholic Letters: James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3
John, and Jude
2. They are called catholic because they:
contain general advice helpful to all churches
were accepted by all Eastern and Western churches
help us understand better how the catholic, that is,
universal or worldwide, Church developed
3. They were written by pseudonymous writers, presenting
what the named Apostle might well have said

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
The Letter of James
1. Though it bears the name of the brother of the Lord and pillar of the Jerusalem church, martyred in AD 62, it was
composed in the AD 80s or 90s by an unknown author
2. It resembles an epistle or sermon more than a letter
3. The focus of the letter is on the response of the believer
4. It gives much practical, Christinspired advice and encouragement on themes of Christian living

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
Themes in James
1. Gods preferential love for the poor and the need for rich people to care for the poor
2. The requirement of good works in addition to faith faith is the response critical to our acceptance of the Salvation that Jesus earned for
us
3. It is useless to wish warmth and food for the cold and hungry while doing nothing about it
4. The sick should request presbyters who will pray, lay hands on them in prayer, and anoint them with oil as the Twelve Apostles had done

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters

The First Letter of Peter

1. Scholars classify the letter as pseudonymous, written by
a disciples of Peter in Rome to some communities in
southern Asia Minor between AD 7090
2. A central theme is that Jesus is the Suffering
Servant, the model in whose footsteps the
suffering should walk joining our sufferings
with those of Christ for the sake of others
3. The author provides guidance for living in
the world while awaiting the Lords return:
do good works and behave well with the
hope that good behavior will save others

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
Jude and 2 Peter
1. Second Peter borrows heavily from Jude 1:416
2. Both Jude and 2 Peter are pseudonymous works which are concerned with Christians who were beginning to distort the true teaching
they received
3. Jude points out three examples of Gods severe punishment for false belief
4. Jude shows why remaining true to the faith of the Apostles is important so as to have an objective standard for Christian faith and
Christian living

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
Jude and 2 Peter
5. Second Peter encourages the faithful to remain true to the teaching of the Church and to live
the Christian life
6. Second Peter instructs those who were beginning to deny the Parousia, that the mercy of
God is at work in the delay, giving everyone a chance for repentance

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
First, Second, and Third John
1. All three letters written in the late 90s or around the year 100 come from the same tradition established by the authors of Johns
Gospel, repeating his important themes and ideas
2. First John was written with a sense of urgency to bolster communities threatened by false teachings, particularly a brand of Gnosticism
called Docetism
3. A common theme to 1 John is that the world is transitory as evidenced by the presence of antichrists
4. Second John emphasizes two themes: truth and love

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
First, Second, and Third John
5. The primary concern of 2 John is that while the community does not seem to have been influenced, yet, missionaries
representing the false teaching and practice of the Gnostics seem to be on their way
6. The point of 3 John is to encourage Gaius, a faithful convert, to remain helpful to the traveling missionaries
7. Third John offers a glimpse of the minute details of the early Church, especially how personalities and everyday
questions of doctrine and faith played a part in shaping doctrine and faith of the universal Church

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters
The Revelation to John
1. The dominant literary form of Revelation, written approximately AD 92-96, is apocalyptic writing
2. The author is a prophet named John (not
the Evangelist) who was exiled to Patmos
because he publically preached the Gospel
3. The prophet claims the Lord Jesus sent
him visions to unveil what is going to
take place in the future: the ultimate
victory of God

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2c The Catholic Letters

The Revelation to John

4. John wrote the book to wavering Christians of his day to
encourage them to remain faithful during times of
persecution, false teaching, and complacency
5. Revelations second theme for Christians
is to remain hopeful: the Lamb of God
has triumphed, victory is ours, persevere
6. One of the most important warnings was
for his readers not surrender to the
allure of wealth, epitomized by the
Roman Empire