What Happened to the Early Christian Church in Thessalonica

Volume of the Bible

The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, ordinarily referred to as First Thessalonians or 1 Thessalonians, is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle, and is addressed to the church in Thessalonica, in modern-24-hour interval Hellenic republic. Information technology is likely the start of Paul's messages, probably written by the terminate of AD 52.^[1] However, some scholars believe the Epistle to Galatians may have been written past Advertizing 48.^[2]

Composition [edit]

Nearly New Testament scholars believe Paul the Apostle wrote this letter from Corinth, although information appended to this work in many early manuscripts (e.1000., Codices Alexandrinus, Mosquensis, and Angelicus) state that Paul wrote it in Athens^[iii] after Timothy had returned from Macedonia with news of the land of the church building in Thessalonica.^{[4] [5]} Paul was known to the Church building at Thessalonica, having preached there.^{[half dozen]}

For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with but the final ii capacity spent addressing issues of doctrine, near as an aside. Paul's chief purpose in writing is to encourage and reassure the Christians there. Paul urges them to go on working quietly while waiting in hope for the return of Christ.

Date [edit]

A majority of modern New Testament scholars date 1 Thessalonians to 49-51 Advertising,^[7] during Paul's 18-month stay in Corinth congruent with his 2d missionary journeying.^[8] A minority of scholars who do not recognize the historicity of Acts date it in the early 40s Advertising. The Delphi Inscription dates Gallio's proconsulship of Achaia to 51-52 Advertisement, and Acts 18:12-17 mentions Gallio, toward the end of Paul's stay in Corinth.

Different all subsequent Pauline epistles, 1 Thessalonians does non focus on justification by organized religion or questions of Jewish–Gentile relations, themes that are covered in all other letters. Because of this, some scholars see this as an indication that this letter was written before the Epistle to the Galatians, where Paul'south positions on these matters were formed and elucidated.^[1]

Authenticity [edit]

The first page of the epistle in Minuscule 699 gives its championship equally προς θεσσαλονικεις, "To the Thessalonians."

The majority of New Testament scholars concord one Thessalonians to exist authentic, although a number of scholars in the mid-19th century contested its actuality, well-nigh notably Clement Schrader and F.C. Baur.^[nine] one Thessalonians matches other accepted Pauline messages, both in mode and in content, and its authorship is besides affirmed past two Thessalonians.^[10]

Integrity [edit]

i Thessalonians two:13–16 has often been regarded equally a mail service-Pauline interpolation. The following arguments accept been based on the content:

• It is perceived to exist theologically incompatible with Paul's other epistles: elsewhere Paul attributed Jesus's death to the "rulers of this age"^[11] rather than to the Jews, and elsewhere Paul writes that the Jews take not been abandoned by God, for "all Israel volition be saved".^[12] According to 1 Thes 1:10, the wrath of God is still to come; it is non something that has already shown itself.^[13]
• There were no extensive historical persecutions of Christians by Jews in Palestine prior to the first Jewish war.^[xiv]
• The utilize of the concept of faux in 1 Thes. 2.14 is singular.
• The aorist eftasen ("has overtaken") refers to the destruction of Jerusalem.^[xv]
• The syntax of these verses deviates significantly from that of the surrounding context.^[xvi]

It is as well sometimes suggested that 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 is a post-Pauline insertion that has many features of Lukan language and theology that serves as an atoning correction to Paul'southward imminent expectation of the Second Coming in 1 Thessalonians iv:13–18.^[17]

Other scholars, such as Schmithals,^[18] Eckhart,^[19] Demke^[xx] and Munro,^[21] have adult complicated theories involving redaction and interpolation in 1 and ii Thessalonians.

Audience [edit]

Paul claimed the championship of the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and established gentile churches in several important cities in the Roman Empire.^[22]

According to Bart D. Ehrman, the Acts of the Apostles tells a different story of Paul's career,^[22] which reports that, while there were "some" Jews converted during Paul'southward initial preaching in Thessalonica, the gentiles who were converted were "a large number" and the Jews as a body fiercely opposed Paul's work there.^[23]

Contents [edit]

Outline [edit]

1. Salutation and thanksgiving^[24]
2. By interactions with the church^[25]
3. Regarding Timothy'south visit^[26]
4. Specific problems within the church^[27]
   1. Relationships among Christians^[28]
   2. Mourning those who have died^[29]
   3. Preparing for God's arrival^[30]
   4. How Christians should behave^[31]
5. Closing salutation^[32]

Text [edit]

Paul, speaking for himself, Silas, and Timothy, gives thanks for the news well-nigh their religion and love; he reminds them of the kind of life he had lived while he was with them. Paul stresses how honorably he conducted himself, reminding them that he had worked to earn his keep, taking great pains not to brunt anyone. He did this, he says, even though he could have used his status as an apostle to impose upon them.

Paul goes on to explicate that the expressionless will be resurrected prior to those even so living, and both groups will greet the Lord in the air.^[33]

Come across also [edit]

• Authorship of the Pauline epistles
• Imitation of Christ
• 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians

References [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b} Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Attestation, Anchor Bible, 1997. pp. 456–66.
2. ^ Powell, Mark Allan (2018). Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary and Theological Survey (2d ed.). Baker Academic. ISBN978-1-49341313-iii.
3. ^ Ernest Best 1972, The Beginning and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (New York: Harper & Row), p. 7
4. ^ Acts 18:v; 1 Thes. three:half dozen
5. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Easton, Matthew George (1897). Easton'due south Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
6. ^ Acts 17:1–10
7. ^ "Introduction to the Book of 1 Thessalonians". ESV Report Bible. Crossway. 2008. ISBN978-1433502415.
8. ^ Acts 18:1-18
9. ^ Best, Thessalonians, pp. 22–29.
10. ^ "The only possible reference to a previous missive is in two:15…" Raymond East. Dark-brown 1997, An Introduction to the New Attestation, Ballast Bible, p. 590.
11. ^ 1 Corinthians two:8
12. ^ Rom xi:26
13. ^ CollegeVille Bible Commentary, p. 1155
14. ^ Pearson, p. 88
15. ^ Birger A. Pearson 1971, "1 Thessalonians two:13–16 A Deutero Pauline Interpolation", Harvard Theological Review, 64, pp. 79–94
16. ^ Schmidt, D. 1983, "I Thess 2:13–16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation," JBL 102: 269–79.
17. ^ G. Friedrich, "ane. Thessalonicher 5,ane–11, der apologetische Einschub eines Spaeteren," ZTK 70 (1973) 289.
18. ^ Schmithals, W. 1972, Paul and the Gnostics Transl. by J. Steely (Nashville: Abingdon Press), 123–218
19. ^ 1000. G. Eckart 1961, "Der zweite echte Brief des Apostels Paulus an dice Thessalonicher," ZThK, 30–44
20. ^ Theologie und Literarkritik im 1. Thessalonicherbrief
21. ^ The Later Stratum in 1 and two Thessalonians, Authority in Paul and Peter: The Identification of a Pastoral Stratum in the Pauline Corpus and ane Peter.
22. ^ ^{a b} Ehrman, Bart 2006. Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. Oxford Academy Press, USA. ISBN 0-nineteen-530013-0.
23. ^ Acts 17:4–five
24. ^ ane Thes. 1:one–10
25. ^ 1 Thes. two:i–20
26. ^ 1 Thes. 3:ane–thirteen
27. ^ 1 Thes. 4:1–v:25
28. ^ 1 Thes. 4:one–12
29. ^ 1 Thes. 4:13–18
30. ^ 1 Thes. five:ane–11
31. ^ 1 Thes. five:12–25
32. ^ one Thes. v:26–28
33. ^ 1 Thessalonians 4:13–xviii

External links [edit]

• Epistles to the Thessalonians entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Online Bible at GospelHall.org
• Thessalonians public domain audiobook at LibriVox Various versions

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Epistle_to_the_Thessalonians

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