Catholic Epistles

American  

plural noun

1. the New Testament Epistles of James, I and II Peter, I John, and sometimes II and III John and Jude, addressed to the entire church.

---

Catholic Epistles British  

plural noun

1. New Testament the epistles of James, I and II Peter, I John, and Jude, which were addressed to the universal Church rather than to an individual or a particular church

---

Example Sentences

The Epistles are in cursive letters of the twelfth century, indicated in the Catholic Epistles by h, in the Pauline by 179.

From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I. by Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose

There seem to be no Catholic Epistles, and amongst the Pauline Epistles, Galatians stands first; note also the curious order Hebrews, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians.

From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I. by Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose

In the fourth century the order which the books had commonly assumed in Greek MSS. and writers was; the Gospels, the Acts, the Catholic Epistles, the Pauline, and the Apocalypse.

From The Canon of the Bible by Davidson, Samuel

Pasinus notes that the Pauline precede the Catholic Epistles.

From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I. by Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose

A version of the Acts and the Catholic Epistles completes the number of the New Testament books translated in the northern parts of England.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various