Catholic Epistles

The Catholic (or General) Epistles are a group of seven New Testament letters — James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude — named catholic (universal) because they are addressed to the church at large rather than to specific congregations or individuals, as Paul's letters typically are. The designation appears in Eusebius and other early church writers. These letters cover a broad range of concerns: practical ethics and the relationship between faith and works (James); Christian conduct under persecution and Peter's apostolic testimony (1 Peter); warnings against false teaching (2 Peter; Jude); love, fellowship, and the incarnation (1–3 John). Their canonical acceptance varied in the early church — some were disputed before eventual universal recognition — and they continue to hold a significant place in both Eastern and Western Christian traditions.