Bible Dictionaries
Catholic Epistles

Holman Bible Dictionary

The New Testament letters not attributed to Paul and written to a more general or unidentifiable audience: James; 1,2Peters; 1,2, and 3John; Jude. The title is from tradition and cannot be defined by modern standards. Hebrews is also not from Paul, while 2,3John are addressed to specific individuals, while James and Peter certainly have limited audiences in mind. Their doctrine is no more catholic, general, or universal than other epistles. The church continues to use the designation, “catholic,” for the seven letters without a strong definition for the term.