The period from Pentecost to the death of John, the last of the twelve apostles (ca 100), when the Church was under the guidance of Paul (till his death) and the apostles, especially Peter and John.
EARLY CHRISTIANITY: The Apostolic Period
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans
The Epistle to the Romans or Letter to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. It was authored by Paul the Apostle to explain that salvation is offered through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the longest of the Pauline epistles.
The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, probably written about 55 C.E. at Ephesus, Asia Minor, deals with problems that arose in the early years after Paul's initial missionary visit (c. 47-48 C.E.) to Corinth and his establishment there of a Christian community.
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he again refers to himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and reassures the people of Corinth that they will not have another painful visit, but what he has to say is not to cause pain but to reassure them of the love he has for them.
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians
Letter of Paul to the Galatians, also called Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, abbreviation Galatians, ninth book of the New Testament, written by St. Paul the Apostle to Christian churches (exact location uncertain) that were disturbed by a Judaizing faction. Paul probably wrote the epistle from Ephesus about 50-52 C.E. to a church he had founded in the territory of Galatia, in Asia Minor.
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians
The Epistle to the Ephesians, also called the Letter to the Ephesians and often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. It was authored by the Apostle Paul about 60–61 C.E. in Rome. Unlike several of the other letters Paul wrote, Ephesians does not address any particular error or heresy. Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of God's eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate the high goals God has for the church.
The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians
Letter of Paul to the Philippians, also called Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, abbreviation Philippians, eleventh book of the New Testament, written by St. Paul the Apostle to the Christian congregation he had established in Philippi. It was penned while he was in prison, probably at Rome or Ephesus, about 60-61 C.E. Paul's primary purpose in writing this letter was to thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent him upon learning of his detention at Rome (1:5; 4:10-19). However, he makes use of this occasion to fulfill several other desires: (1) to report on his own circumstances (1:12-26; 4:10-19); (2) to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of circumstances (1:27-30; 4:4); (3) to exhort them to humility and unity (2:1-11; 4:2-5); (4) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19-30); and (5) to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers (legalists) and antinomians (libertines) among them (ch. 3).
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians (or simply Colossians) is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written (c. 60–61 C.E.), according to the text, by the Apostle Paul to the Church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Ephesus in Asia Minor. Paul's purpose is to refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this goal, he exalts Christ as the very image of God (1:15), the Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17), the head of the church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) and the reconciler (1:20-22). Thus Christ is completely adequate. We "have been given fullness in Christ" (2:10). On the other hand, the Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptive philosophy (2:8), lacking any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23). The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness of mere human philosophy.
The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians
Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, also called Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, abbreviation Thessalonians, two New Testament letters written by St. Paul the Apostle from Corinth, Achaea (now in southern Greece), about 50 C.E. and addressed to the Christian community he had founded in Thessalonica (now in northern Greece). The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians and the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians are the 13th and 14th books of the New Testament canon. Paul had left Thessalonica abruptly (see Ac 17:5-10) after a rather brief stay. Recent converts from paganism (1:9) were thus left with little external support in the midst of persecution. Paul's purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the new converts in their trials (3:3-5), to give instruction concerning godly living (4:1-12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns (4:13-18).
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians
Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, also called Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, abbreviation Thessalonians, two New Testament letters written by St. Paul the Apostle from Corinth, Achaea (now in southern Greece), about 50 C.E. and addressed to the Christian community he had founded in Thessalonica (now in northern Greece). The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians and the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians are the 13th and 14th books of the New Testament canon. Paul had left Thessalonica abruptly (see Ac 17:5-10) after a rather brief stay. Recent converts from paganism (1:9) were thus left with little external support in the midst of persecution. Paul's purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the new converts in their trials (3:3-5), to give instruction concerning godly living (4:1-12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns (4:13-18).