peculiarities. He authenticated them, however, by adding a few words in
his own hand at the close. (See GALATIANS, EPISTLE TO.)
The epistles to Timothy and Titus are styled the Pastoral Epistles.
(2.) The Catholic or General Epistles, so called because they are not
addressed to any particular church or city or individual, but to Christians
in general, or to Christians in several countries. Of these, three are written
by John, two by Peter, and one each by James and Jude.
It is an interesting and instructive fact that a large portion of the New
Testament is taken up with epistles. The doctrines of Christianity are thus
not set forth in any formal treatise, but mainly in a collection of letters.
“Christianity was the first great missionary religion. It was the first to
break the bonds of race and aim at embracing all mankind. But this
necessarily involved a change in the mode in which it was presented. The
prophet of the Old Testament, if he had anything to communicate, either
appeared in person or sent messengers to speak for him by word of
mouth. The narrow limits of Palestine made direct personal communication
easy. But the case was different when the Christian Church came to
consist of a number of scattered parts, stretching from Mesopotamia in the
east to Rome or even Spain in the far west. It was only natural that the
apostle by whom the greater number of these communities had been
founded should seek to communicate with them by letter.”
- ERASTUS beloved. (1.) The “chamberlain” of the city of Corinth
(Romans 16:23), and one of Paul’s disciples. As treasurer of such a city he
was a public officer of great dignity, and his conversion to the gospel was
accordingly a proof of the wonderful success of the apostle’s labours.
(2.) A companion of Paul at Ephesus, who was sent by him along with
Timothy into Macedonia (Acts 19:22). Corinth was his usual place of
abode (2 Timothy 4:20); but probably he may have been the same as the
preceding.
- ERECH (LXX., “Orech”), length, or Moon-town, one of the cities of
Nimrod’s kingdom in the plain of Shinar (Genesis 10:10); the Orchoe of
the Greeks and Romans. It was probably the city of the Archevites, who
were transplanted to Samaria by Asnapper (Ezra 4:9). It lay on the left
bank of the Euphrates, about 120 miles south-east of Babylon, and is now
represented by the mounds and ruins of Warka. It appears to have been