The Theology of the General

Epistles
South Florida Bible College &
Seminary
© John Stevenson, 2009
 How are the General
Epistles similar to those
which are written by Paul?
 How to the General
Epistles differ from those
which are written by Paul?
The Epistle to the
Hebrews

Jesus is
Better
GOD,
after He spoke long ago
to the fathers
in the prophets
in many portions
and
in many ways,
in these last days
HAS SPOKEN TO US IN HIS SON,
whom He appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the world.
GOD…
HAS SPOKEN TO US IN HIS SON,
WHO He appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the world.
And He is
the radiance of His glory
and
the exact representation of His nature,
and
upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins,
He SAT DOWN
at the right hand of the Majesty on high;
 Hebrews
1-2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10 11-13
Jesus is Better…
Than
Than As a Providing Offering As a
Moses
the High a better a better way of
or
angels Priest Covenant sacrifice Living
Joshua
How to
Hold to Jesus… live as a
result of
holding
to Jesus
 Hebrews
1-2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10 11-13
Jesus is Better…
Than
Than As a Providing Offering As a
Moses
the High a better a better way of
or
angels Priest Covenant sacrifice Living
Joshua
Beware of…
Neglecting
soFalling
great aaway
Salvation
fromentering
Not the
Living
intoGod
his
Rest
 Hebrews
1-2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10 11-13
Jesus is Better…
Than
Than As a Providing Offering As a
Moses
the High a better a better way of
or
angels Priest Covenant sacrifice Living
Joshua
Beware of… Not going
Neglecting on to who fall
Those
soFalling
great aaway Maturity
away from Jesus
Salvation
fromentering
Not the cannot renew to
Living
intoGod
his repentance
Rest
 View Explanation Adherent
Saved and Person was saved, then Jacob
then Lost becomes lost Arminius

Non-Christian People were never John Calvin

saved in the first place

Hypothetically People do not really fall Thomas

Lost away as per verse 9 Hewitt

Falling away Impossibility of returning Arthur Pink,

is a return to to the Law to find John
the Law acceptance before God Stevenson
 Hebrews
1-2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10 11-13
Jesus is Better…
Than
Than As a Providing Offering As a
Moses
the High a better a better way of
or
angels Priest Covenant sacrifice Living
Joshua
Beware of… Not going There remains
Neglecting on to who fall noComing
Those more sacrifice
short of
soFalling
great aaway Maturity for sinsof God
away from Jesus the grace
Salvation
fromentering
Not the cannot renew to ─ that no root of
Living
intoGod
his repentance bitterness cause
Rest trouble
The Epistle of
James

Faith
Leading to
Works
 James (Iakwboj)
• James the brother of John and son of
Zebedee (Matthew 10:2).
• James the son of Alphaeus (Matthew
10:3).
• James the half-brother of Jesus
(Galatians 1:19).
• James the son of Mary (Matthew 27:56).
• James the father of Jude (Acts 1:13).
 And coming to His home town He began
teaching them in their synagogue, so that they
became astonished, and said, “Where did this
man get this wisdom, and these miraculous
powers? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is
not His mother called Mary, and His brothers,
James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56
And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where
then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew
13:54-56).

For not even His brothers were believing

in Him (John 7:5).
 For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received, that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4
and that He was buried, and that He was
raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas,
then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five
hundred brethren at one time, most of whom
remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the
apostles (1 Corinthians 15:3-7).
Other Characteristics of the Epistle
• A Lack of Personal Notes
• Little Mention is made of Christ
• Absence of a mention of Gentiles
in the Church
• Christianity is not presented in
contrast with Judaism
 Epistle of James
Asking God for Wisdom (1:1-18)
Hearing & doing the Word (1:19-27)
Problem with Partiality (2:1-13)
Faith & Works (2:14-21)
Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
Wisdom from above (3:13-18)
Warnings…
Over Quarrels & Conflicts (4:1-16)
Against Arrogant Boasts (4:11-17)
Against the Rich (5:1-11)
About the need for Prayer (5:12-20)
The First Epistle of
Peter

Submissive
Suffering
 Pontus
Bithynia

Cappadocia
Asia
Galatia

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to

those who reside as aliens, scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who
are chosen (1 Peter 1:1)
1 Peter 1:1 - 1 Peter 2:13 - 1 Peter 3:14 -
2:12 3:13 5:14

Call to
Call to Holy Call to
Submissive
Living Suffering
Living
 Since you have in obedience to
the truth purified your souls for 1 Peter
a sincere love of the brethren… 1:22-25
fervently love one
another from the heart
For you have
been born again
Not
…of seed which
is perishable Flesh is
But like grass
imperishable But
through the living and abiding The Word
word of God. abides
 Therefore, putting aside all malice 1 Peter
and all guile and hypocrisy and 2:1-2
envy and all slander…
Long for the pure milk
of the word
That
by it you may grow in
respect to salvation
And coming to Him 1 Peter
as to a living stone 2:4-5
rejected by men
but
choice and precious
in the sight of God
You also…
as living stones
are being built up To offer up…
as a spiritual house for spiritual sacrifices
a holy priesthood acceptable to God
through Jesus
Christ.
 1 Peter 2:6-8
For you who For those who
believe disbelieve
Behold I lay in Zion a The stone which the
choice stone, a precious builders rejected, This
corner stone became the very corner
stone
A stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense
You will not be To this doom they were
disappointed also appointed.
But you are…
1 Peter
a chosen race
2:9-10
a royal priesthood
a holy nation
a people for God's own possession
that…
you may proclaim the excellencies
of Him who has called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light
For
you once were now you are the
not a people
but
people of God
you had not now you have
but
received mercy received mercy.
But even if you should suffer for 1 Peter
the sake of righteousness… 3:14-16
you are blessed.
And
do not fear their intimidation
And
do not be troubled
But
sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always
being ready to make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for the hope that is
in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
And
keep a good conscience so that in the thing in
which you are slandered, those who revile your
good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
For Christ also died for sins once for
all, the just for the unjust, in order
that He might bring us to God, 1 Peter
having been put to death in the 3:18-20
flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
In which also…
He went and made proclamation
to the spirits now in prison,
Who…
once were disobedient, when the patience
of God kept waiting in the days of Noah,
during the construction of the ark,
in which a few, that is, eight persons, were
brought safely through the water.
 The Second
Epistle of Peter

Prophets
True & False
 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Past Present Future

First Second
Coming False Teachers Coming
Holy Holy
of the of the
Living Living
Lord Lord
 1st Peter 2nd Peter
External enemies Internal enemies

Persecution False Prophecy

This is now, beloved, the second
2 Peter
letter I am writing to you
3:1-2
in which
I am stirring up your sincere
mind by way of reminder
that
you should remember the
words spoken beforehand
by
the holy prophets
and
the commandment of the Lord and
Savior spoken by your apostles.
Know this first of all
2 Peter
that in the last days mockers 3:3-4
will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts,
4 and saying,

"Where is the promise of His coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
all continues just as it was from the
beginning of creation."
For when they maintain this
it escapes their notice that… 2 Peter
by the word of God the 3:5-7
heavens existed long ago
and
the earth was formed out
of water and by water,
through which the world at
that time was destroyed, being
flooded with water.
But
the present heavens and earth by His word are
being reserved for fire, kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not let this one fact
escape your notice, beloved, 2 Peter
that with the Lord one day is
3:8-9
as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.
The Lord is …
not slow about His promise,
as some count slowness
but
is patient toward you
not wishing for any to perish
but
for all to come to repentance.
 2 Peter
But the day of the Lord will 3:10
come like a thief
in which
the heavens will pass away
with a roar
and
the elements will be destroyed
with intense heat,
and
the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to
be destroyed in this way, 2 Peter
what sort of people 3:11-12
ought you to be
in
holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the
coming of the day of God
on account of which
the heavens will be destroyed
by burning
and
the elements will melt with
intense heat!
 2 Peter
But 3:13
according to His promise
we are looking for
new heavens
and
a new earth
in which
righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved
2 Peter
since you look for these things,
3:14-16
be diligent to be found by Him in
peace, spotless and blameless,
and
regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation
just as also our beloved brother Paul,
according to the wisdom given him,
wrote to you,
as also in all his letters, speaking in them of
these things, in which are some things hard to
understand, which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures, to their own destruction.