Ancient letter-writing practices.

Ancient Letter-Writing Practices and the Pauline Epistles

Introduction: Why letter-writing matters for understanding Paul

The Apostle Paul was, above all, a letter-writer. His surviving corpus consists of thirteen letters (seven undisputed, six debated), which together represent the earliest Christian documents we possess. Before the Gospels were composed, before Christian creeds were codified, Paul’s letters were circulating among churches, shaping theology, ethics, and community identity. Yet to grasp their full meaning, we must situate them in the world of ancient epistolography—the literary and social practice of writing letters in the Greco-Roman world.

Letters in antiquity were not private emails slipped into a digital inbox. They were social performances composed aloud, dictated to scribes, carried by trusted couriers, read publicly to gathered communities, and often copied or shared across networks. Understanding this world clarifies Paul’s strategies: why he wrote as he did, how his letters were received, and why they carried such enduring authority.

This article explores ancient letter-writing practices under five headings: (1) letter types and conventions, (2) the mechanics of composition and delivery, (3) rhetorical and theological adaptation in Paul, (4) examples from specific epistles, and (5) implications for interpretation.

1) Letter types and conventions in the ancient Mediterranean

1.1 Letters as a genre

The Greco-Roman world teemed with letters. Soldiers wrote to families, merchants to clients, officials to subordinates, philosophers to students, and friends to one another. Ancient theorists like Demetrius (On Style) and Pseudo-Libanios (Progymnasmata) categorized letters by type:

• Friendly letters (philia): affirming bonds of relationship.

• Advisory letters (parainesis): giving moral or practical instruction.

• Petitionary letters: seeking favors or redress.

• Official letters: from rulers, governors, or civic leaders.

• Philosophical letters: teaching or exhorting students (Stowers, 1986).

Paul’s letters often combine these functions. For instance, Philemon is friendly and petitionary, while Romans is part theological treatise, part fundraising letter, and part commendation of Phoebe the deacon (Rom 16:1–2).

1.2 Standard epistolary structure

Scholars identify a common pattern in Greco-Roman letters:

1. Prescript: sender, recipient, greeting (e.g., “Paul to the saints in Philippi, grace and peace”).

2. Thanksgiving or health wish: often expressing gratitude to the gods for the recipient’s well-being.

3. Body: the main content—exhortation, instruction, persuasion, or information.

4. Closing: greetings, travel plans, final admonitions, farewell wish.

Paul consistently uses these conventions but theologizes them. His greetings substitute “grace and peace” for the conventional “greetings” (chairein), merging Greek charis (grace) with Jewish shalom (peace). His thanksgivings often foreshadow themes of the letter (e.g., faith, hope, love in 1 Thess 1:2–3). Even mundane travel notes carry theological weight (e.g., the “collection for the saints” in 1 Cor 16).

2) The mechanics of ancient letter-writing

2.1 Materials and scribes

Writing was labor-intensive. Papyrus sheets, ink, and reed pens were used; wax tablets served for drafts. Most people dictated to a trained secretary (Greek: amanuensis). Paul names at least one scribe: Tertius, who identifies himself in Rom 16:22. Sometimes Paul added a final greeting “in his own hand” (1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11), both as authentication and pastoral signature. The large letters in Galatians may reflect either emphasis or Paul’s eyesight difficulties.

2.2 Cost and collaboration

Letter production was expensive: papyrus, professional scribes, and courier travel could cost as much as a laborer’s monthly wage (Richards, 1991). Paul’s letters were likely communal enterprises: composed in discussion with coworkers (e.g., Timothy, Silas, Sosthenes, mentioned as co-senders), dictated to a secretary, and refined with input from the mission team. The result is not solitary genius but team-shaped theology expressed through Paul’s apostolic authority.

2.3 Delivery and oral performance

Letters were hand-delivered by couriers—trusted coworkers such as Phoebe (Rom 16:1–2), Tychicus (Eph 6:21; Col 4:7), and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25). Couriers did more than carry letters; they were authorized interpreters who could explain context, answer questions, and embody the sender’s presence (Stowers, 1986). Letters were read aloud to gathered communities (1 Thess 5:27) and sometimes circulated between churches (Col 4:16). Thus, Paul’s letters functioned as oral events as much as written texts.

3) Paul’s adaptation of letter-writing practices

3.1 Apostolic prescripts

Paul consistently opens with his name and role (“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”), asserting divine commissioning. This was unusual: most private letters did not assert such authority. His formula marks the letter not as casual correspondence but as apostolic proclamation (Wright, 2013).

3.2 Thanksgivings as theological previews

Paul expands the thanksgiving into a mini-sermon. In 1 Thess 1:2–10, gratitude for faith, love, and hope flows into a rehearsal of the gospel’s power and the Thessalonians’ example to others. In Philippians 1:3–11, thanksgiving segues into prayer for love’s growth in knowledge and discernment. These openings both praise God and set the agenda for the letter.

3.3 Paraenesis and exhortation

Ancient letters often included moral exhortation (paraenesis). Paul adopts this but grounds it in the gospel: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercies, to present your bodies as living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1). The “therefore” ties moral imperatives to theological indicatives.

3.4 Household and travel details as theology

What might seem trivial—travel plans, commendations, greetings—function theologically. Commendations (e.g., Phoebe, Rom 16:1–2) highlight the role of women as leaders. Collections (1 Cor 16; 2 Cor 8–9) embody the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ. Greetings create a network map of house churches, reminding readers that they belong to a wider communion.

3.5 Circularity and letter circulation

Paul expected letters to circulate: Colossians 4:16 instructs the Colossians to exchange letters with Laodicea. Ephesians may itself be a circular letter. This explains why some letters address broad themes rather than narrow crises (Stowers, 1986).

4) Case studies: Paul’s letters as ancient epistles

4.1 1 Thessalonians: A friendly and paraenetic letter

Likely Paul’s earliest surviving letter, 1 Thessalonians reads like a friendly-advisory letter. Its prescript (1:1) and thanksgiving (1:2–10) conform to conventions, but its eschatological teaching (4:13–18) extends beyond ordinary epistolary form, blending comfort with catechesis.

4.2 Galatians: A letter of rebuke

Galatians notably omits the thanksgiving, signaling Paul’s urgency and anger. Ancient rhetorical handbooks recognize “rebuke letters” as a type. Paul adapts this to confront the Galatians’ defection from the gospel of grace.

4.3 Romans: A letter of commendation, theology, and appeal

Romans combines several letter functions: it commends Phoebe (Rom 16:1–2), provides a systematic exposition of Paul’s gospel (chs. 1–11), and appeals for support in mission to Spain (15:22–33). It exemplifies Paul’s ability to integrate theological argument with practical networking.

4.4 Philemon: A personal yet theologically charged note

Philemon resembles a petitionary letter, asking for Onesimus’ reception. Yet Paul frames the request in terms of koinonia (fellowship) and brotherhood in Christ, transforming a private favor into an ecclesial paradigm.

5) Implications for interpretation

1. Paul’s letters are occasional. They respond to real contexts (conflicts, questions, opportunities). Interpretation must reconstruct those situations as best we can.

2. They are communal, not private. Letters were read aloud and discussed. Application today must consider their corporate dimension.

3. They are theological performances. Greetings, thanksgivings, and closings are not filler; they are theology in miniature.

4. They are part of a living network. Paul expected circulation, interpretation by couriers, and integration with oral teaching. This cautions us against treating the letters as isolated treatises.

5. They exemplify gospel-shaped adaptation. Paul took the most common medium of his day—the letter—and turned it into a vehicle of Spirit-inspired proclamation.

Suggested Assignments (Week 2, Bullet 2)

1. Epistolary Analysis (1,500–2,000 words).
   Choose one Pauline letter. Identify prescript, thanksgiving, body, and closing. Compare with examples from non-Christian Greco-Roman letters (Stowers, 1986). Discuss how Paul adapts the form theologically.

2. Letter Performance Exercise.
   Read aloud Philippians in class as a single letter. Reflect in a 750-word essay: How does hearing it in one sitting differ from reading it in segments? How does this illuminate the letter’s structure and emotional tone?

3. Courier Report (creative + historical).
   Write a first-person narrative as Phoebe, delivering Romans. Describe the journey, the social risks, and how you would interpret Paul’s words to the church. Ground your reflection in Richards (1991).

4. Research Paper (2,000–2,500 words).
   Investigate the role of amanuenses in ancient letter-writing. How does recognizing secretarial roles shape our understanding of style, vocabulary, and “disputed” letters (e.g., Ephesians)? Engage Richards (1991) and Wright (2013).

5. Comparative Assignment.
   Compare Paul’s thanksgivings in 1 Thessalonians and Philippians with Cicero’s openings in selected letters. What theological innovations stand out?

6. Discussion Prompt.
   “Paul’s letters are sermons in disguise.” Debate whether Paul’s epistles function more like written correspondence or oral homilies adapted to the letter form.

References

Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). The theology of Paul the Apostle. Eerdmans.
Hays, R. B. (2002). The faith of Jesus Christ (2nd ed.). Eerdmans.
Meeks, W. A. (1983). The first urban Christians: The social world of the Apostle Paul. Yale University Press.
Richards, E. R. (1991). The secretary in the letters of Paul. Brill.
Stowers, S. K. (1986). Letter writing in Greco-Roman antiquity. Westminster John Knox.
Wright, N. T. (2013). Paul and the faithfulness of God. Fortress Press.