Plural of epistle; formal letters or written messages, often of a serious or official nature.
From Old French epistre, from Latin epistola, from Greek epistolē meaning 'letter, message.' The word originally meant any letter but came to refer especially to formal or literary letters.
The Epistles in the New Testament (like Romans and Corinthians) are essentially ancient letters that became so influential they were canonized as scripture—talk about your emails having staying power!
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