Catholic Epistles
Catholic Epistles
- Made up of seven NT Documents:
James
2 John
1 Peter
3 John
2 Peter
Jude
1 John
Catholic Epistles
- Catholic means universal
The letters are called Catholic because:
1.) They contain general advice that
is helpful to all churches
2.) They were accepted by all
Eastern and Western churches
better
Catholic Epistles
James
- Actual author is unknown
- Addressed to Jewish-Christians outside Holy
Land
-Gives much practical, Christ-inspired advice and
encouragement on themes of Christian living
How to handle temptation
Power of prayer
Key themes:
Gods preferential love for the poor
Need for rich people to care for the poor
Catholic Epistles
1 Peter
- Pseudonymous writer; written by a disciple of
Peter to communities in Asia Minor
- Purpose was to boost the spirit of GentileChristian converts to bear witness to Christ
in a largely pagan world
- Resembles more of a sermon
- Points to Jesus as the Suffering Servant
- Gives the clearest NT teaching on suffering
Tells Christians not to return evil with evil
Catholic Epistles
Jude and 2 Peter
- 2 Peter borrows heavily from Jude
- Letter of Jude denounces certain outsiders
who have come into the Church
Warns these outsiders that they will be
punished severely for engaging in acts of
immorality that were most likely sexual in
nature
Catholic Epistles
1 John
- Style and teachings reveal intimate connection to
Johns Gospel
-1st letter is most important
Written to bolster the Johannine church threatened
by a schism caused by false teachers
2 John
- Reminds Christians to love one another
- Warns against anyone who denies the doctrine of
the Incarnation, calling them Antichrists
Catholic Epistles
3 John
- Condemns Diotrephes who challenged the
teachings of John the Elder and
refused to receive his emissaries
- Second and third letters show the early
Church had its problems to work out,
just as our current Church does
Revelation to John
Revelation to John
- Last book of the Bible
- Also known as the Apocalypse
- Because of its symbolic and imaginative
language, it is the last read and
understood book in the New Testament
- Author is a prophet named John Patmos
- Revelation is unveiling of the risen Jesus
Christ
Revelation to John
John Patmos wrote the book to:
1.) Encourage Christians to remain
faithful during times of
persecution, false teachings, and
complacency
2.) For Christians to remain hopeful
Jesus already rescued us from sin and death by His death and
resurrection
Revelation to John
Apocalyptic Literature
- Contained visions given to a human
usually by a heavenly being who
takes him to a heavenly vantage point
Symbolic words, images, and numbers,
pessimism about a world in the grip of a
devil, but optimism about Gods final
triumph
Revelation to John
- Basic message of apocalyptic writing:
God controls history and the outcome of
events, not the present evil rulers or the
forces of evil
Revelation to John
Symbols
Revelation to John
Symbols
Revelation to John
Symbols
Black represents suffering
Purple stands for royalty
White symbolizes victory
Red means war, violence, killing
Pallor stands for death
Revelation to John
Symbols
- Babylon: An ancient city that persecuted
the Jews, stands for the modern
persecutor of the Christians, Rome
- Horn: Power
- Eyes: Knowledge
Revelation to John
Symbols
- Four horses
Revelation to John
-In Revelation, Jesus is:
The Pantokrator - majestic, powerful
ruler
God
The Alpha and the Omega (beginning
and the end)
The root of David
The Lion and the Lamb
The judge of the living and the
dead
The word of God
Savior of Humanity
Unique son of God
Good Shepherd
Bread of Life
Light of the World
Vocabulary
Apologist
Ecumenical Council
Fathers of the Church
Parousia
Theotokos
Vulgate