Letters of Saint Paul
The apostle Paul's letters to communities and co-workers.
13 books🎯 Learning objective
Get to know Saint Paul's letters, to whom and why he wrote them, and his great teachings on Christ, grace and the Church.
📜 Introduction
Saint Paul's letters are the oldest writings of the New Testament. Paul, the persecutor turned apostle to the Gentiles, wrote to the communities he founded to encourage, correct and teach them.
🏛️ Historical context
Written between about AD 50 and 67, during and after his missionary journeys. Some were written from prison (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) and others are "pastoral", addressed to his co-workers Timothy and Titus.
🕰️ Timeline
- Around AD 34Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus
- Around AD 50-511 Thessalonians, the oldest NT writing
- Around AD 54-55Galatians and 1 Corinthians
- Around AD 55-572 Corinthians
- Around AD 57-58Romans
- Around AD 60-62The captivity letters
- Around AD 65-67Pastoral letters; Paul's martyrdom in Rome
🧭 Comparison chart
| Book | Author | Date | Central theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romans | Saint Paul | Around AD 57-58, from Corinth | Grace · Faith |
| 1 Corinthians | Saint Paul | Around AD 54-55, from Ephesus | Unity of the Church · Wisdom of the cross |
| 2 Corinthians | Saint Paul | Around AD 55-57, from Macedonia | Ministry · Weakness and grace |
| Galatians | Saint Paul | Around AD 54-55 | Christian freedom · Grace and faith |
| Ephesians | Saint Paul (or a disciple in his name) | Around AD 60-62 | Plan of salvation · The Church, body of Christ |
| Philippians | Saint Paul | Around AD 56-62, from prison | Joy · Christ's humility |
| Colossians | Saint Paul (or a disciple in his name) | Around AD 60-62 | Christ's primacy · New life |
| 1 Thessalonians | Saint Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy | Around AD 50-51, from Corinth | Hope · The Lord's coming |
| 2 Thessalonians | Saint Paul (or a disciple in his name) | Around AD 51-52 or somewhat later | The Lord's coming · Perseverance |
| 1 Timothy | Saint Paul (or a disciple in his name) | Around AD 65 or later | Sound doctrine · Ministries |
| 2 Timothy | Saint Paul | Around AD 66-67, from Rome | Perseverance · Inspiration of Scripture |
| Titus | Saint Paul (or a disciple in his name) | Around AD 65 or later | Church organization · Grace |
| Philemon | Saint Paul | Around AD 56-62, from prison | Christian brotherhood · Human dignity |
💡 Why it matters
Paul explains the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection: salvation by grace, new life in the Spirit, the Church as the body of Christ and love as the more excellent way.
📖 How to read these books
Before reading a letter, find the community in Acts and ask what problem it had. Distinguish the doctrinal part (what God has done) from the practical part (how to live). Use this section's comparison chart.
🔎 Who Saint Paul was
Saul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, to a Jewish family with Roman citizenship. A Pharisee trained in Jerusalem, he persecuted Christians until the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (around AD 34). From then on he was the "apostle to the Gentiles", founded communities throughout the Mediterranean and died a martyr in Rome around 67.
🔎 How his letters are grouped
The thirteen letters bearing Paul's name are ordered in the Bible by length, not by date. By content they are grouped like this:
| Group | Letters | Main feature |
|---|---|---|
| Early letters | 1 and 2 Thessalonians | Hope in the Lord's coming |
| Great letters | Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians | Justification by faith, the cross, the Church |
| Captivity letters | Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon | Written from prison: Christ head of all |
| Pastoral letters | 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus | The Church's organization and pastors |
🔎 How an ancient letter was written
Paul's letters follow the model of his time: greeting (sender, recipient and a wish for "grace and peace"), thanksgiving, body of the letter (first doctrine, then practical exhortation) and farewell with personal greetings. Paul usually dictated them to a secretary and signed them in his own hand (Gal 6:11).
🔎 Paul's great teachings
Some ideas that run through all his letters:
- Salvation is God's free gift received through faith (Eph 2:8)
- Through baptism we die and rise with Christ (Rom 6)
- The Church is the body of Christ (1 Cor 12)
- Life according to the Spirit bears the fruit of love (Gal 5:22)
- Love is the more excellent way (1 Cor 13)
- We await the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15)
Romans
The letter to the Romans is the fullest exposition of the Gospel according to Saint Paul: all have sinned and are saved freely through faith in…Read →1 Corinthians
First Corinthians answers the concrete problems of a young, divided community: factions, scandals, marriage, the Eucharist, charisms and…Read →2 Corinthians
Second Corinthians is Paul's most personal letter. He defends his ministry against critics and reveals his apostle's heart: God's power is shown in…Read →Galatians
Galatians is the letter of Christian freedom. Passionately, Paul defends that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by keeping the law of…Read →Ephesians
Ephesians contemplates God's great plan: to unite all things in Christ. The Church is his body and bride, where Jews and Gentiles form one…Read →Philippians
Philippians is the letter of joy. From prison Paul thanks his favourite community for its affection and presents Christ, who humbles himself to the…Read →Colossians
Colossians proclaims Christ's absolute primacy over all creation against doctrines that relativized him, and draws consequences for Christian…Read →1 Thessalonians
First Thessalonians is probably the oldest writing in the New Testament. Paul encourages a young, persecuted community and answers its questions…Read →2 Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians corrects those who believed the day of the Lord had already come and so had stopped…Read →1 Timothy
First Timothy is a pastoral letter: it instructs a young pastor on sound doctrine, prayer, the Church's ministers and community…Read →2 Timothy
Second Timothy is Paul's spiritual testament. Imprisoned in Rome and near martyrdom, he urges his disciple not to be ashamed of the Gospel and to…Read →Titus
The letter to Titus, another pastoral letter, guides Titus in organizing the Church in Crete, appointing presbyters and teaching people to live…Read →Philemon
Philemon is Paul's shortest letter: he asks a wealthy Christian to welcome back his runaway slave Onesimus, now baptized, "no longer as a slave but…Read →📖 Ask Bible AI
Type your question and get the exact Bible passages.