General Epistles
The General Epistles are a collection of seven letters that were intended to be circulated among all the early churches. They were not sent to any one specific church and, with the exception of 2 and 3 John, do not address individuals by name. Their subject matter is important enough that the authors wanted all the churches to be informed on these matters. JAMES: One of the earliest books of the New Testament was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. James deals with the problems faced by Christians everywhere in their daily walk. For example, he discusses the religion that pleases God, faith which saves because it works, the power of the tongue, coping with suffering and warning against favoritism to the rich and famous. His advice is practical and written in a style that is reminiscent of the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. 1 JOHN: Written by the disciple who was dearly beloved by Jesus, this epistle confronts the gnostic errors that were pummeling the early church. John wrote to clarify the heart of the Gospel which reflects the heart of Jesus. He exalted Jesus, promoted love to one another and urged believers to avoid sin and entanglement with the world. 2 JOHN: This epistle was written to encourage the churches in a time when deception was rampant and many believers were straying from the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He uses two key words in this letter to instruct them how to walk: truth and love. 3 JOHN: John urges the churches to support the itinerant workers who, in turn, support the house church network of that day. He provides us with a study in contrast as he condemns the domineering demands of Diotrephes and endorses the demonstrated diligence of Demetrius. 1 PETER: In this epistle, Peter writes to churches struggling with persecution and suffering. He urges them to depend upon the enduring Word of God, to live holy lives and not to be entangled in the affairs of this life. Their attitudes and actions should all be defined and delivered in the light of eternity. 2 PETER: This epistle was written very near to the end of Peter’s life and he writes to warn his readers about the false teachers infecting the churches. He provides the basic steps to increase the fruitfulness of their lives and encourages them to pay attention to God’s sure Word of prophecy, to be true to Christ, and to be ready for His expected return. JUDE: Like Peter’s second epistle, Jude wrote to warn the churches of the influx of false prophets and teachers. These two epistles have several passages that are remarkably similar, a situation which indicates the seriousness of their words. Their letters had an immediate application to the destruction of Jerusalem, but the situation he describes and the advice he gives are directly applicable to the anticipated return of Christ in our lifetimes.
Teacher:
Dr. Greg Harris is the teaching pastor at Lake Hills Community Church in Castaic, CA. While pursuing his graduate and post-graduate education, Dr. Harris was actively involved in pastoring various churches in California and Texas. In 1989, following the completion of his doctoral studies, he joined the faculty of Washington Bible College, a position he held for seven years. Then for ten years, Dr. Harris taught at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, teaching Bible and Greek. He continues to serve as an international faculty member of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in Amman, and maintains an ongoing conference and pulpit ministry. Dr. Harris has also completed short-term graduate study at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Cup and the Glory , The Darkness and the Glory, and The Stone and the Glory and numerous journal articles, and is an active participant in scholarly societies. He joined the TMS family in 2006 and also teaches as an adjunct professor at The Master's University.
Course Description:
A 12-video lecture series
To access the course, click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=576RatInvOY&list=PL4sbg6ng23C7aiLQcjZzXhNSdQvANEGTi
