St. Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica is the oldest part of the New Testament — written about 51 A.D., twenty or so years after the death of Jesus. Although we use the fancy term “epistle” to refer to Paul’s correspondence they are recognizable as letters, as communication to people that he knew about situations he was familiar with. St. Paul had no idea that he was writing the Bible, Sacred Scripture. He was dealing with very topical issues in a very personal way. God took his personal concern and gave it universal relevance. Our own acts of kindness can similarly be used by God to bring about some greater good. God uses even something as simple as writing a letter to bring grace.
