Wrong letters in the Bible!

 

Another question I have concerns many of the letters in the New Testament, especially Paul's letters. When you read them carefully, you find that some passages are simply personal correspondence. Paul talks about people he knows, sends greetings, asks others to greet certain individuals, and gives instructions that seem specific to his own circumstances.

 

For example, in 2 Timothy 4, Paul tells Timothy to greet Prisca (Priscilla), Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. A few verses later, he urges Timothy to come before winter and then mentions several people—Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and the other believers—who send their greetings.

 

When I read passages like these, I can't help but ask: What is their purpose for believers today? How does knowing that one person greeted another nearly two thousand years ago help me become a better person or strengthen my relationship with God? What spiritual lesson am I supposed to take from these verses?

 

If the Bible is meant to be God's timeless guidance for all of humanity, why would it include so many details that appear to be ordinary personal messages between individuals? These verses seem more like private letters than universal revelation. They were clearly meaningful to the people who originally received them, but it's difficult for me to understand how they directly benefit people living centuries later.

 

This raises a broader question for me: If every verse of Scripture is intended as divine guidance, why are so many passages devoted to personal greetings, travel plans, and everyday matters that seem to have little relevance to the spiritual lives of readers today? I would expect a book intended as guidance for all of humanity to focus consistently on teachings that provide timeless moral and spiritual benefit, rather than preserving what appear to be private exchanges between individuals.