NEW TESTAMENT LETTER FORMAT

 

Today when we write a letter, or more likely an email, we really don't think about putting it into any sort of acceptable, formal format. That was not true in New Testament times, however. There was a more or less standard model utilized in Greek and Roman letters, even the most commonplace ones.

William Barclay quotes one such early letter in his commentary on Romans, and it is given in full below with the separate elements indicated by the Roman numerals.

I. “Apion sends heartiest greetings to this father and lord Epimachus. II. I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother. III. I thank my Lord Serapis [a god] that he kept me safe when I was in peril on the sea. IV. As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey money from Caesar – three gold pieces. And things are going fine with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let me know how you are, and then about my brothers, and thirdly, that I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up well, and because of that, I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted. V. Give Capito my heartiest greetings and my brothers and Serenilla and my friends. I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon. My military name is Antonius Maximus. I pray for your good health. Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimon's boy and Turbo, Gallenius' son.”

I = opening greeting; II = Prayer; III = thanksgiving; IV = special contents; V = conclusion containing special greetings and/or a prayer or benediction.

Note that even in the example above there is a little fluidity in how the above author arranged his material. Thus, the final portion contains not only the special greetings but also an item that could have been included in the special contents and a short prayer as well.

The chart below pictures where these elements occur in the NT epistles, leaving out Item #IV for the sake of convenience:

letter                     opening greeting         prayer         thanksgiving                      conclusion

Romans                 1:1-7                          1:9-10            1:8                                    15:33-16:21

I Corinthians         1:1-2                          1:3                 1:4-9                                 16:19-24

II Corinthians        1:1                             1:2                 1:3-7                                 13:11-14

Galatians               1:1-2                         1:3-5                                                         6:18

Ephesians              1:1                            1:2-14             1:15-23                              6:21-23

Philippians             1:1                           1:2                  1:3-11                                 4:19-23

Colossians             1:1-2a                      1:2b-11           1:12-14                               4:7-18

I Thessalonians     1:1a                          1:1b                2:9,13-15                            5:23-28

                                                               3:10-13;5:17  3:9; 5:18

II Thessalonians    1:1                           1:2,11-12         1:3-10; 2:13-15                  2:16-17

                                                                                                                                  3:16-17

I Timothy             1:1-2a                        1:2b                 1:12-17                               6:21b

II Timothy           1:1-2a                        1:2b                 1:3-5                                    4:18-22

Titus                     1:1-4a                       1:4b                                                              3:15

Philemon             1:1-2                         1:3                     1:4-7                                   1:23-25

Hebrews                                                13:18-19                                                      13:20-25

James                  1:1a                           1:1b

I Peter                 1:1-2a                        1:3-9                  4:11b                                   5:11-14

II Peter                1:1                             1:2                                                                 3:18

I John

II John                 1:1-2                          1:3                    1:4                                        1:13

III John               1:1                              1:2                    1:3                                        1:15

Jude                     1:1                             1:2                                                                  1:24

From this chart, you can see a few items that stand out. Among Paul's epistles to the churches, note that he really didn't have any thanks to give for the Galatians. Next is the fact that only I & II Thessalonians and I Peter have a doubling up of one or more letter elements. I don't feel that it is coincidental that these three epistles were written with the aid of Silvanus. So his possible involvement in the authorship of these letters is discussed in more detail in my post titled “I Peter: Introduction to the Literary Structure.” The fact that there is really no opening salutation at all in Hebrews and I John cause some scholars to feel that one or both of these compositions may have started their lives as something other than letters to particular audiences.

Two additional notes are in order concerning Paul's letters especially. He elevated the genre of letter to a new high as great literature by expanding on most of the elements present in standard Greek and Roman correspondence of the time. Also, when it came to the special contents section of his letters, he generally begins with a theological discussion to set the stage for a following application unit and a concluding note of a more or less logistical nature regarding travel plans for himself and/or colleagues.