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Does it matter who wrote the letters? As time goes on, and scholarship continues to develop, we continue to learn more about the Bible. Historical and literary analysis add new depth to our understanding of the texts, and help us to recognize signs of authorship, which in turn can help us understand Paul’s teaching more deeply. The issue of authorship does not change the canonical status of each of these letters—they are still part of the Bible. Written by Paul or inspired by Paul’s teaching, these letters are the inspired word of God.
Structure
We usually begin a letter with the name of the addressee: “Dear John,” “Dear Susan.” In the ancient world, letters customarily began with the name of the writer in a formal address called the “greeting,” which was followed with a “thanksgiving.” Most of Paul’s letters follow this format: greeting the Christian community and giving thanks for what God has done in them, before moving into the body of the letter, which often has to do with challenges the community is facing as the Christians live their new faith. As is typical of letters in the ancient world, Paul usually concludes with closing greetings to others and a final farewell.
Themes
Across these rich, varied letters of Paul, some key themes emerge. First and most important is the centrality of Christ. Christ is everything for Paul: saving us, redeeming us, calling us into relationship with him. Paul identifies with Christ, so much so that he can say, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). All Christians are invited into this profound relationship with Jesus Christ.
Another key theme in Paul’s letters is grace, the freely-given love of God. We are no longer saved through our careful adherence to the Law revealed to Moses, but through the grace of God, given to us in Christ. It is not that what we do no longer matters—it matters immensely! But we cannot “earn” or deserve salvation. We can only accept it as the free gift of God’s grace, given to sinners.
A third theme that emerges again and again in these letters is community. Many of the letters are written to communities that are experiencing difficulties of various kinds, and they are full of advice for living together, dealing with conflict, growing in faith, knowing the false from the true. Through Paul’s letters, we come to see that the Christian community is a graced place of God’s presence. To live this Christian faith fully, we need each other.