ἐπιστολή
a letter, dispatch, epistle
Definition
ἐπιστολή refers to a written letter or dispatch, a formal written communication. In the New Testament, it most commonly denotes the apostolic letters that became Scripture, such as Paul's letters to churches (e.g., Romans, 1 Corinthians). It can also refer to official, secular letters of authority, as seen in Acts 9:2 and Acts 22:5, where Paul carries letters from the high priest to persecute Christians. In Acts 15:30 and 23:33, it describes a formal, delivered message, whether from the Jerusalem council or a military commander.
Biblical Usage
The word is used 23 times in the New Testament, primarily in Acts and the Pauline epistles. In Acts, it often refers to official, authoritative documents (Acts 9:2; 22:5; 23:25). In the epistles, it refers to the apostles' own writings, such as Paul's previous letter mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:9 or the letter of recommendation in 1 Corinthians 16:3. Romans 16:22 uniquely mentions the scribe Tertius writing the 'letter.'
Etymology
Derived from ἐπί (epi, 'upon') and the root related to στέλλω (stellō, 'to send'), hence something 'sent upon' or dispatched. It shares a root with words like ἀποστέλλω (apostellō, 'to send away'), emphasizing the concept of a sent message.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it designates the genre of the New Testament epistles—inspired, authoritative teachings sent to guide the early church. Understanding it as a formal, dispatched communication underscores the apostolic authority behind these writings and their intent as enduring doctrinal and pastoral instruction for believers, not merely personal notes.
In the first-century Greco-Roman world, an ἐπιστολή was a common medium for official business, personal communication, and philosophical teaching. Unlike modern informal letters, these were often composed with care, sometimes intended for public reading, as seen with Paul's letters to entire congregations. Official letters, like those in Acts, carried the full authority of the sender.
γράμμα (gramma, G1121) — emphasizes the written characters or a document, sometimes a legalistic 'letter' as opposed to spirit; ἀγγελία (angelia, G31) — a message or announcement, more general, not necessarily written.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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