New Testament Book Study: James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude

The epistles at the back of the New Testament are often neglected in deference to the Pauline corpus, but they are powerful witnesses to the shape of the very earliest Christianity. Written by two brothers of Jesus and one of the leading disciples, they come from the core group of people who surrounded Jesus himself during his life and ministry. While we will not survey all 7 of the General Epistles (leaving out the Johannine letters), we will closely interact with four related letters, examining them with an eye to discerning the heart of these leaders in the Jerusalem church as they express their concerns to their congregants.