JUN 11

Jude 1-25
Memorise Hebrews 13:22
“…the epistles are a treasure cove of God’s truths...”

HOW DO WE INTERPRET EPISTLES?

Epistles are letters written by the apostles during the New Testament time to specific churches and believers to address certain issues or problems they faced. They are not historical accounts like Genesis or the Gospels but instead contain doctrinal teachings by the apostles as they wrote about the issues and problems faced by different churches.

The structure of an epistle is like a letter with the writer identifying himself and greeting the recipients, followed by the main body of the letter and finally the blessing and farewell. The title and the beginning of the epistles usually reveal who the writer or the recipient is. It is important to identify who the writer and the recipient(s) are and interpret the epistle in the context of that particular church and the problems it was facing. This would involve researching more into the church and the culture it was in, such as understanding the sinful environment surrounding the church of Corinth. Also, as the apostles do not always explain the details of the problems the church is facing, it is important to read the whole epistle through and piece together what the problem is. You may need a Bible survey, atlas or encyclopedia to help you for this.

You may wonder how reading about the problems historical churches faced may help you. You will come to realise that a lot of problems faced by the New Testament churches and believers are problems encountered by believers of all generations. The doctrinal truths taught by the apostles in their epistles stand true now as guidelines for our Christian walk just as they did centuries ago. The epistles are a treasure trove of God’s truths from which we can draw rich applications for our daily lives.

In summary, it is important to think through these questions as you interpret an epistle: Who wrote the letter and to whom? Why he wrote the letter and what issues does he address in this letter? What was the historical context of the church and where was it located? What are the themes and doctrinal truths that the writer elaborates on? What applications can you draw for your own Christian walk? Finally, as always, before you delve into any interpretation of the Bible, it is crucial to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and illumination.

Thought: Can you name some problems faced by NT churches that we also face now?
Prayer: Lord, may Thy Spirit guide me as I study the epistles.