近代通信方式变化很大，我们看到有书信、电报、电话、BP机、手机、电子邮件、社交媒体中彼此发信息。现代人越来越少通过传统的方式邮寄信件，那么还有必要学习写信吗？有本说教“Why learning to write letters is important?”, 当中提到不少原因：

从社交层面， 其实还有许多朋友喜欢收信，也有人喜欢通过写信来表达自己的感情，建立关系，保持联系。若干年后，那些手写的信成为宝贵的记忆。

从专业角度，写信是我们的一个基本技能。尽管有了电邮和发短信，写信对周围的个人显得更特别，对于职场或学习生涯则是使我们显得更专业。书中写了好些需要用到信的地方：

1. College, trade school, scholarship application letters

2. Employment letter: cover letter, application letter, thank you letter, a letter requesting a promotion etc.

3. Business letters or letters to authorities

4. Informational letter

5. Circular letters: a change of address, change in management personnel, resignation, or retirement etc.

   一般的信件有些基本的元素：

   1 Your address, telephone, fax, email. Put your address, telephone, fax and/or email at the top in the centre or on the right. ...写信人的地址

   2 Date. ...写信日期

   3 Destination name and address. ...收件人名字和地址

   4 References. ...编号

   5 Salutation (Dear...) ...称呼

   6 Subject. ...主题

   7 Body. ...正文

   8 Ending (Yours...) 结束

   求职封页信体现了上面的许多元素：

书信是那个时代社会通讯的主要工具，那圣经中的书信和现代的信件有什么不一样。圣经中的书信使用epistle, 一般认为他们的区别如下：

• A letter is written to a particular individual or small group and can be on any topic. ... 一封信是写给特定个人或小组的，可以针对任何主题。 ..

• An epistle technically is a literary work in the form of a letter, but aimed at a broad audience从技术上讲，书信是一种信件形式的文学作品，但针对的是广泛的读者

第一世纪书信的格式：作者、收信人、问候、主要内容、结语祝福。理解圣经中的书信的挑战：教会当时仍在发展阶段；现在和当时的文化思想有差距，保罗的讨论应环境而发，直接应用困难。所以我们要多了解当时的背景，在现代生活上看原则，而不只看字义。我们来看一下保罗书信中的《罗马书》，保罗写给在罗马的教会的一封信， 信件是口述，并通过人亲自递送，所以没有标注详细的收发地址。 从当中的一些要素看：

1. 引言：自我介绍和/为什么写这封信 【强调神的呼召和差遣】

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

1 我是基督耶稣的奴仆保罗，蒙召做使徒，奉命传上帝的福音。 2 这福音是上帝从前借着众先知在圣经中应许的， 3 讲的是上帝的儿子——我们的主耶稣基督的事。从肉身来说，祂是大卫的后裔； 4 从圣洁的灵来看，祂从死里复活，用大能显明自己是上帝的儿子。 5 我们从祂领受了恩典并成为使徒，要带领万民信从祂，使祂的名得荣耀。 6 你们也是其中蒙召信从耶稣基督的人。

2. 写信的对象

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:致所有住在罗马、上帝所爱、蒙召做圣徒的人。

2. 问安：含有信仰立场

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 愿我们的父上帝和主耶稣基督赐给你们恩典和平安！

3. 正文：犹太人或非犹太人对福音的一些误解，讲述自己的见解。前面是信仰教义，后面生活教导。

4. 推荐朋友

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. 1.现在我给你们推荐我们的姊妹菲比，她是坚革哩教会的女执事。 2 请你们因为在主里的关系，照着做圣徒的本分接待她。无论她有什么需要，请你们帮助她，因为她帮助过许多人，也帮助过我。（罗16：1-2）

5. 问候朋友

•Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.

•Greet also the church that meets at their house.

•Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

•Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

•Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

•Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

•Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

•Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.

•Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

•Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.

•Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

•Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

•Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

•Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

•Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

•Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.

•Greet one another with a holy kiss.

•All the churches of Christ send greetings.

6. 最后勉励 ：情词迫切的叮咛

16：17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 17 弟兄姊妹，我劝你们要留意那些制造分裂、设置障碍、背离你们所学之道的人，你们要避开他们。 18 他们并不是在事奉我们的主基督，只是为了满足自己的欲望，用花言巧语欺骗单纯善良的人。 19 你们对主的顺服已人人皆知，我为你们高兴，我希望你们在好事上聪明，在坏事上无知。 20 赐平安的上帝快要把撒旦践踏在你们脚下了。愿我们主耶稣的恩典常与你们同在！（罗16：17-20）

7. 代表同伴的问候：–显示有人代笔

16： 22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 22 我这为保罗代笔写信的德特在主里问候你们。

8. 颂赞

16：25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. 感谢上帝！祂能使你们刚强，正如我所传讲的福音和耶稣基督的教导。这福音是自古隐藏、从未显明的奥秘， 26 如今按着永恒上帝的命令，借着先知们所写的经书公诸于世，让世人都信从耶稣基督。 27 愿荣耀借着耶稣基督归于独一全智的上帝，直到永远。阿们！（罗16：25-27）

参考：

求职有关文件的信件：https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6eHr6crvMn7STZkU1NweFkwc1U?usp=sharing

An introduction to letter writing:https://www.readingrockets.org/article/introduction-letter-writing#:~:text=Letter%20writing%20is%20an%20essential%20skill.&text=Encouraging%20children%20to%20write%20letters,about%20writing%20and%20structuring%20letters.

认识保罗书信: 同心坚信 主讲：区应琉