Jul 19, 2026 • Bible for Life
Paul's thirteen letters were written to specific churches and individuals facing specific situations — yet they address questions so fundamental that the church has never stopped reading them. This brief guide maps the major letters and what each one offers.
c. AD 57
Paul's most systematic letter — a sustained argument for the gospel as the power of God for salvation, for both Jew and Gentile. The richest theological territory in his correspondence, covering sin, justification, grace, and the future of Israel.
c. AD 53-56
Letters to a gifted but troubled church. Divisions, immorality, abuse of spiritual gifts, confusion about resurrection — Paul addresses them all with pastoral directness. 1 Corinthians 13, the great hymn to love, sits at the heart of it.
c. AD 48-55
Paul's most urgent letter — written in anger at a church being pulled back from grace into law-keeping as the basis for acceptance. "Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" The Reformation was sparked in part by Luther's rediscovery of this letter.
c. AD 60-62
The Prison Letters, written during Paul's Roman imprisonment. Ephesians explores the cosmic dimensions of the church; Philippians overflows with joy despite chains; Colossians centres everything on the supremacy of Christ.
c. AD 62-67
The Pastoral Letters — written to younger leaders in charge of specific churches. Practical guidance on church order, leadership character, false teaching, and faithful ministry. 2 Timothy reads as Paul's final letter, written shortly before his execution.
c. AD 60-62
The shortest letter — a personal appeal to a slave owner on behalf of his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian. A masterpiece of tact and theology, quietly subverting the institution of slavery from within.
