Anyone who reads the New Testament attentively will notice that many letters, especially those of Paul, begin in strikingly similar ways, at times with verbatim overlap. But why is that, and is there something we can learn from it?
The New Testament consists in large part (21 of 27 books) of the genre "letter" (gr. epistolai), and this genre follows certain literary standards of antiquity. This is seen most clearly in the openings and closings of the Pauline letters[1]. In what follows I want to consider four elements of an ordinary letter opening (author, addressee, greeting and prayer), which both helps us understand the letters as a whole and shows how much theology is already packed into their first lines.
A letter in antiquity normally contained at least the author, the addressees and a greeting, though often also additional greetings and good wishes, e.g. for health[2]. In doing so, the New Testament letters combine conventional patterns with distinctly Christian innovations[3]. That is to say: although they partly follow the ordinary conventions of their time, they fill them with Christian theology[4]. This is remarkable, since the notion of how a letter was to be opened became increasingly fixed over time, so that by Paul's day it amounted to a settled protocol. All the more striking, then, that he departs from it at points, which surely signals clearly that there is much to learn from these greetings[5].
Author
Most New Testament letters begin with the author introducing himself. Often a title is attached to the name, such as apostle. This can serve, as Thiselton aptly notes on Paul's usage in 1 Corinthians, to indicate that he writes as someone specially commissioned by God to exercise an apostolic ministry[6]. Moo likewise comments on the use of the word apostle (gr. apostolos) in Romans that here the title carries greater weight, marking Paul out as part of that unique group called by Christ himself to take up the salvation-historical role of "foundation" of the church (Eph 2:20); for the risen Christ appeared to him (1 Cor 15:8) and chose him for his particular commission among the Gentiles (Rom 11:13; cf. 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11)[7]. Depending on which title is used, this can also carry theological significance. Towner observes concerning the use of the apostolic title and its absence in certain letters that reference to Paul's apostleship at the outset is typical of the letters attributed to him, and that the exceptions stand out precisely in those letters where the motif of friendship plays an important role[8]. Paul further calls himself, for instance, a slave at the beginning of letters (e.g. Rom 1:1), though considerably less often than apostle. How the author introduces himself is therefore, in summary, important, since it can sometimes tell us something about the letter in general and is also theologically relevant, for example for an understanding of the office of apostle.
Beyond this, several people can sometimes be named at the beginning of the letter as co-senders. This is noteworthy, since such a practice was not usual in Greek antiquity, and yet Paul makes it quite ordinary[9].
Köstenberger & Patterson comment here that such co-senders were not necessarily co-authors; they were named for various other reasons, for example to inform the congregation of the whereabouts of people known to them, or to reinforce the authority of the bearer of a particular letter[10].
Addressee
The second important component of a letter is the addressee. This can be either a congregation, such as the church in Corinth, or a person, such as Timothy. Furthermore, a letter can also be indirectly addressed to other congregations as well, as we can see in the case of Colossians (Col 4:16). How exactly the congregation is described can expand our theological knowledge of the church as God's people. The church in Corinth, for instance, is addressed as "sanctified" (1 Cor 1:2), and that in spite of all the sin in the congregation. This directs our eyes to the fact that the church is sanctified in its standing, that is, set apart to serve God, and is now to display this in its conduct as well[11].
With individuals too, their description can be revealing. Thus he calls Timothy his true child in the faith (1 Tim 1:2; cf. also Tit 1:4), on the basis that he was presumably converted through Paul's ministry. Towner comments here that when these elements are taken together, the resulting picture combines responsibility (like that of a child towards a father or a disciple towards a teacher) with a close filial relationship[12].
Greeting
In his greetings Paul alters the ordinary greeting formula χαίρειν [greetings] in a specifically Christian way. Accordingly his greeting formula, which normally contains grace and peace (in the Pastoral Epistles also mercy), was interpreted theologically quite early on. Thiselton notes that Tertullian (c. 210) observed that the conveying of grace presupposes a prior need for reconciliation, while peace presupposes a previous period of rebellion, and that he read both as aspects of an objective relationship to God[13]. His greeting formula is often explained as a combination of a slight modification of the Greek greeting (χαίρειν becomes χάρις) with the Jewish greeting (εἰρήνη, hebr. שׁלום, shalom). According to Köstenberger and Patterson, the use of both a Greek and a Hebrew greeting formula may indicate that Paul was writing to a mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles, suggesting that both groups held the same standing before God (cf. Gal 3:28–29)[14]. Fitzmyer adds the alternative that the greeting alludes to the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26[15]. This greeting therefore points us as Christians to a whole series of important theological concepts and should always be given attention.
Prayer
Whereas in antiquity the prayer section often dealt with the favour of the gods towards the addressee, Paul transforms this and gives thanks instead for salvation and blessing through the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, the prayer often takes up important themes that will be central in the letter. In 1 Corinthians, for example, Paul reminds the readers of spiritual gifts and blessings which they possessed as a result of God's generous grace, but which had also led to problems in the Corinthian congregation[16]. Beyond this, the thanksgivings sometimes serve to teach theological concepts afresh or to call them back to mind, and they can at times even carry an admonitory character (Col 1:9-11)[17]. It is generally remarkable that Paul gave thanks almost without exception despite at times adverse circumstances, and it also shows his relationship to the congregations and individuals.
Application
Paul's use of the letter conventions of his day in a Christian manner can be instructive for us today as well. That he by no means rejects wholesale the social and literary courtesies of his time shows that for Paul the gospel is not a form of counterculture that would have to smash even value-neutral traditions and rules of decorum[18]. For us today, too, there is no value in contradicting on principle the norms accepted in our culture which do not contradict the Word of God. Finally, the greetings of the letters, with all the depth we have just seen, teach us that every part of the Word of God matters, however repetitive and insignificant it may seem at first. We do well to pay the Word of God close attention.
