The open letters to the churches are valuable as source materials for reconstructing the history of the early church. They tell us about the theological and practical problems with which the church contended. Some of these letters — especially 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, and Jude — have little value apart from this history. But something more can be said for the other three. 1 Peter sets forth a conception of the Christian life that is attractive and ennobling. It tells how the hardships and trials of human life may become a means toward the development of Christian character, and it sets before Christians a glorious hope that may serve as a guide and inspiration. James' letter will always be remembered for its ethical conception of religion at its best. It serves, too, to correct the faulty notion that Christian faith is merely a matter of intellectual belief, and it shows that true faith in the Christian gospel will be expressed both in actions and in what one thinks. 1 John, which presents a conception of Christianity that has much in common with the Gospel of John, makes love the central element in the Christian life.
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