Epistles of Paul
Paul, the early disciple of Jesus, wrote epistles, a type of formal letter, to seven early Gentile Christian churches. These epistles were written to churches located in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica. The New Testament contains, in addition to Paul's epistles, letters that Paul wrote to individuals named Philemon, Timothy and Titus. The first of these individuals was a slave owner with whom Paul interceded on behalf of a runaway slave who had converted to Christianity. The latter two were church leaders.
The four letters to the Colossians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, and Philemon were written from prison.
Paul's epistles comprise roughly 25% of the New Testament. The chronological order of Paul's epistles is thought to be as follows:
- 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy.