Paul wrote letters during his travels to give counsel or comfort when he was unable to visit the churches he had organized. Some of these were composed principally of practical admonitions and reminders of his presence with them. Others contained discussions of religious convictions and cautions against false ideas. The earliest of Paul’s epistles was very likely the letter to the Galatians. He had made his first missionary journey here after he had been commissioned at Antioch. He was disturbed by the report that Judaizers had been at work trying to make the Gentile Christians believe that they must obey Jewish laws, and he reminded them forcibly that he had given them a gospel of liberty and showed the grounds of their freedom. Perhaps his greatest letter was sent in anticipation of a visit to Rome. In Romans, he explains the great doctrines of Christianity including justification, sanctification, and the freedom of the Gospel. Paul’s letters reveal that he was an affectionate pastor, a great and confident leader, and a man fully inspired by God.
Impact: Paul’s letters established much of the framework upon which Christian doctrine is built.