Epistle

(e-pis'sl.) [From Gr. epistolē, a mi ive or me age.] A letter written from one person to another.(Script.) The epistles of the New Testament form a part of that sacred book, which may be termed the doctrinal part. They contain the record of apostolic teaching. They are 21; 14 of which are generally ascribed to St. Paul, all these bearing his name, except that to the Hebrews, respecting the authorship of which there is a question. The other 7 are from the pens of James, Peter, John, and Jude. These are called catholic or general E.; either because they were not (the most of them) directed to particular churches or persons, or because, while the authority of some of them was at first questioned, the first of Peter and the first of John were at once acknowledged, and the rest obtained afterwards the same general sanction. [s. 335]