making of books was both laborious and expensive--unless a real need for
it was felt. If we go back, and live for a moment in imagination among
the band of followers which Jesus left behind at his death, we see
clearly that while the early Christian Church was limited to Palestine,
and a large company of disciples, who had often themselves seen and
heard the Christ, lived to tell by word of mouth the story of his life
and teachings, no one desired a written record. It is not surprising,
therefore, that the oldest books in the New Testament are not the
Gospels. The exigencies of time and space and the burning zeal of the
apostles for the churches of their planting apparently produced the
earliest Christian writings.

[Sidenote: _Origin of the earliest epistles_]

In his second missionary journey Paul preached for a time at
Thessalonica, winning to faith in the Christ a small mixed company of
Jews and proselyte Greeks. His success aroused the bitter opposition of
the narrower Jews, who raised a mob and drove him from the city before
his work was completed. But the seed which he had planted continued to
grow. Naturally he was eager to return to the infant church. Twice he
planned to visit it, but was prevented. In his intense desire to help
the brave Christians of Thessalonica, he sent Timothy to inquire
regarding their welfare and to encourage them. When about 50 A.D.
Timothy reported to Paul at Corinth, the apostle wrote at once to the
little church at Thessalonica a letter of commendation, encouragement,
and counsel, which we know to-day as First Thessalonians and which is
probably one of the oldest writings in our New Testament, Galatians
perhaps being the earliest.

[Sidenote: _Paul's later epistles_]