1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians: Abingdon New Testament Commentaries

by Vernon Robbins (Other), D Moody Smith (Other), Jouette M Bassler (Other), John H Elliott (Other), Pheme Perkins (Other)

Overview

Accepting the widespread view that 1 Thessalonians is the earliest surviving Pauline letter, Furnish commends reading it as fully as possible on its own terms, without presupposing or imposing themes or positions that are explicit only in letters of a later date. While he agrees with commentators who note this letter's pastoral aims and character, he is more convinced than some that it also exhibits a rich and coherent theological point of view. Furnish interprets 2 Thessalonians as the work of an anonymous Paulinist writing several decades after the apostle's death. He regards this letter, too, as historically and theologically valuable, although less for what it discloses about Paul's ministry and thought than for what it shows about the reception and interpretation of Paul in the late first-century church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780687057436
Publisher:	Abingdon Press
Publication date:	08/01/2007
Series:	Abingdon New Testament Commentaries Series
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.33(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Emory University

Moody Smith, a George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament at The Divinity School, Duke University.

Pheme Perkins is a professor in the Theology Department at Boston College, specializing Johannine materials, Paulline Epistles and Gnosticism. She is a member of and leader in several professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Bible Association, the Society of New Testament Studies, and the Association of Theological Schools. Recent publications include: Gnosticism and the New Testament (Fortress Press), Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church (Fortress Press), Ephesians: Abingdon New Testament Commentary (Abingdon Press), Abraham's Divided Children: Galatians and the Politics of Faith (Trinity Press International).

VICTOR PAUL FURNISH is University Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, of New Testament at Southern Methodist University. Some of his other books from Abingdon Press include 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians in the Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series, of which he is the General Editor.

Read an Excerpt

Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians

---

By Victor Paul Furnish

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2007 Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-05743-6

---

CHAPTER 1

Commentary: 1 Thessalonians

Prescript (1:1)

In accord with the epistolary conventions of his day, Paul begins all of his letters with a prescript that includes the names of the sender(s) (superscription), those of the addressee(s) (adscription), and a greeting (salutation). The prescript here is the most conventional of any in the Pauline Corpus.

* * *

That Paul's name stands first marks this letter as principally from him, but he does not identify himself as an apostle, as he does in every subsequent letter except for Philippians (and 2 Thessalonians, should it be authentic). Silvanus and Timothy, who had participated in the founding of the Thessalonian congregation, may be regarded as co-senders but hardly as "co-authors" (see Introduction and comments on v. 2). The mention of them here marks this letter as part of the apostle's continuing mission to his Thessalonian converts, and suggests that they endorse what he now writes (one function of the co-senders named in some Hellenistic letters; Stirewalt 2003, 37-42).

Silvanus is doubtless the same person whom the author of Acts knew as Silas and identified as a prominent member of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:22, 27, 32). Timothy was one of Paul's most trusted associates, whom Paul variously describes as a "co-worker" (3:2; Rom 16:21), "brother" (3:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Phlm 1), "beloved and faithful child in the Lord" (1 Cor 4:17), and "like a son" (Phil 2:22). The only other mention of Silvanus in a certainly Pauline letter is in 2 Cor 1:19, where Paul indicates that both Silvanus and Timothy had participated in the mission to Corinth (cf. Acts 18:5), the city from which Paul now writes (see Introduction).

In all of the other Pauline letters the adscription identifies the community being addressed by referring to its location (e.g., Rom 1:7: "in Rome"), but here, "To the church composed of Thessalonians" (AT) identifies the community with reference to its members. The Greek term ekklesia, often translated "church," was used both of formal political assemblies (e.g., Acts 19:39) and of informal public gatherings (e.g., Acts 19:32). Its application to communities of Christians, as in the phrase "church(es) of God" (e.g., 2:14; 1 Cor 1:2; 11:22), may reflect a usage of sectarian Judaism, which described the eschatological community as "[God's] assembly" (1QM IV, 10; 1Q28a II, 4; EDNT, 1.411 [J. Roloff]). By identifying the Thessalonian converts as constituting an ekklesia "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1:1), Paul effectively distinguishes their assembly from all others in the city, formal or informal.

Paul rarely uses the phrase "in God" (elsewhere, only in 2:2; Rom 2:17; 5:11). If the present instance is interpreted spatially, he means that the church lives by remaining in communion with God and Christ (e.g., Holtz 1998, 38 n. 34). If it is interpreted instrumentally, he means that the Thessalonian congregation has been brought into being by God's action through Christ (e.g., Best 1972, 62). Either way, the identification of God as "Father" and of Jesus Christ as "Lord" may well echo confessional formulations already current in the church (cf. 3:11, 13; 1 Cor 8:6).

This is the only Pauline letter in which the salutation, "grace ... and peace," is not elaborated with the phrase, "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." However, following the almost identical wording in the adscription, the use of the full formula would have been redundant (but see 2 Thess 1:1-2). The greeting itself is probably an adaptation of the Jewish formula, "mercy and peace" (Tobit 7:12 [Sinaiticus]; 2 Bar. 78:2).

* * *

In this prescript the emphasis does not fall on the identity of the senders but of those addressed. They are to understand themselves as an assembly of persons whose identity derives from their relationship to God and Christ. Similarly, the salutation presupposes that it is the "grace ... and peace" they have known in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 5:23, 28) by which their faith is constantly nurtured.

Thanksgivings, Reminders, and Assurances (1:2-3:13)

In this first half of the letter Paul seeks to encourage the Thessalonian believers in their faith by reminding them about the circumstances of his mission and their acceptance of the gospel, and by emphasizing that he remains devoted to their spiritual well-being. This section is distinguished rhetorically by the presence of three expressions of thanksgiving. The first (1:2-5) is expanded by remarks about the Thessalonians' faith (1:6-10), which lead, in turn, to reminders and assurances in narrative form about Paul's mission (2:1-12). The second (2:13-16) is followed by further assurances, conveyed as a narrative of what has transpired for Paul since he was in Thessalonica (2:17-3:10). This, in turn, prompts a spontaneous expression of thanks (3:9-10). The whole section is concluded with a benedictory prayer (3:11-13) that also points ahead to the second part of the letter.

First Thanksgiving (1:2-10)

The Greek text of this paragraph divides into just two sentences, vv. 2-5 and 6-10. In the first, Paul follows his statement that he continually thanks God for the Thessalonian congregation (v. 2) with two reasons his thanksgiving is warranted (vv. 3, 4-5). In the second, which complements the first, he notes how the gospel had been received in Thessalonica (v. 6) and indicates the wider consequences of its reception (v. 7). He documents the latter with reference to what others have come to know and report about the Thessalonians' faith (vv. 810).

Thanksgiving Proper (1:2-5)

The first person plural, "We ... give thanks" (v. 2) is probably authorial, standing primarily for "I," and only secondarily inclusive of those named as co-senders in v. 1 (see Introduction). Here, as elsewhere, Paul indicates that he is thankful for what God has accomplished for and among the letter's recipients. The fulsome style is characteristic of Pauline thanksgivings: the apostle is "always" thankful for "all" of them, and "constantly" mentions them in his prayers (v. 2). Contrary to the NRSV, "constantly" almost certainly refers not to his remembering (v. 3) but to his prayers, as it clearly does in 2:13; 5:17; Rom 1:9 (for examples from non-Christian sources, Spicq 1994, 1.32-34).

Most immediately, Paul's thanksgiving has been prompted by his remembering the manifestations of faith, love, and hope with which God has graced the Thessalonian congregation (v. 3). This triadic formulation is also evident near the close of the letter when he calls on the congregation to put on faith, love, and hope like armor (5:8), and it may well be reflected in 3:10-13 (v. 10, faith; v. 12, love; v. 13, where hope is perhaps implied). Several of his subsequent letters offer further instances of the triad (1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:5-6; Rom 5:2-5; cf. 1 Cor 13: 7), and it also appears in a variety of contexts in other early Christian literature (Col 1:4-5; Heb 6:10-12; 10:2224; Barn. 1:4; 11:8; Pol. Phil. 3:2-3; cf. Eph 4:2-5; 1 Pet 1:38; 1:21-22). The formulation was likely Paul's own creation and a staple of his missionary preaching (Wischmeyer 1981, 147-58; Söding 1992, 38-64; Weiß 1993, 211-15). As such, it would have been familiar to the Thessalonian believers as their apostle's summary of what constitutes the new life to which they had been called.

Here the triad is combined with three further terms ("work," "labor," and "steadfastness"; cf. Rev 2:2; Wis 3:11) in order to highlight the vital, active character of the Thessalonians' commitment to the gospel. Grammatically, the result is a long string of genitive forms. The context makes it clear that the second noun in each pair is to be understood as a genitive of origin. Paul writes of work, labor, and steadfastness that derive from and are expressions of faith, love, and hope. The pronoun "your" (plural) appears only at the beginning of this series, doing service for all three pairs of terms and binding them closely together.

Interpreters differ on what to do with the last two phrases in v. 3, which NRSV translates, respectively (but in reverse order), "in our Lord Jesus Christ," and "before our God and Father." Some connect the latter with "remembering" at the beginning of the verse (which is difficult but not impossible) and take the former only with the immediately preceding phrase, yielding "steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (thus, NRSV). However, it is better to understand both of these phrases, like the pronoun, as applying to the triad as a whole (e.g., Rigaux 1956, 367-68; Weiß 1993, 199), whereby "in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father" (the Greek order) would point toward the defining event of the community's life. Paul understands the vitality of the Thessalonians' faith, love, and hope to be the result of their relationship to Christ (cf. 5:8-10) and their sense of being ultimately accountable to God (allowing emprosthen [NRSV: "before"] the forensic meaning it clearly has in 2:19; 3:13; cf. 3:9; 2 Cor 5:10).

There is no reason to suppose that Paul's use of the phrase "work of faith" would have sounded odd to the Thessalonians, because there is no trace in our letter of the contrast he draws in Galatians and Romans between faith and "works of the law." Indeed, the singular, "work," ordinarily has a good sense in Paul's letters, as when it refers to his own missionary activity (e.g., 1 Cor 9:1) or the ministry of others on behalf of or within his congregations (e.g., 1 Thess 5:13). In the immediate context, "faith" refers to the affirmation of God, hence, the trust in God with which the Thessalonians responded to Paul's preaching (vv. 8-10). If the apostle now has any specific "work of faith" in mind, it would likely be the congregation's continuing trust in God even in the face of hardships (1:6). In 3:6, as here, faith is closely associated with love, while in 4:14, to "believe" means to acknowledge and trust the saving reality of Jesus' death and resurrection (cf. 5:9-10).

In the phrase "labor of love," the meaning of the word "labor" largely overlaps that of "work" (the two are used synonymously in 5:12-13; 1 Cor 15:58). Used together, these terms reinforce the general point that faith and love are not only present but demonstrably active in the congregation. But here, as elsewhere, the word "labor" may have the additional nuance of strenuous exertion or arduous toil, even to the point of exhaustion (cf. 2:9, where Paul refers to his laboring for an income; also 2 Cor 6:5; 11:23, 27). Clearly, for Paul love (agape) is not simply an inner feeling or kindly attitude that manifests itself spontaneously, but a total disposition of one's life that involves deliberate choices and determined effort. In this letter, he commends the love that is active within the believing community as mutual respect and caring for one another (3:12; 4:9; 5:13). But also, his prayer that the Thessalonians may "increase and abound in love for one another and for all" (3:12) shows that he envisions love's reach as extending beyond the Christian assembly itself (cf. 4:9-12; 5:15).

It is possible that Paul associates the Thessalonians' "steadfastness of hope" with their persevering in devotion to the gospel despite the affliction (thlipsis; NRSV: "persecution") they have experienced for having accepted it (1:6; cf. Rom 5:3; 12:12; 2 Cor 1:6; 6:4). There are echoes here of the Jewish theology of suffering as seen in 4 Macc 17:2-4, where the mother of seven martyred sons is memorialized for having displayed "the courage of [her] faith" (v. 2) and "an enduring hope in God" (v. 4). Yet for Paul, steadfastness is not just a matter of passively enduring. Especially here, where it follows the mention of "work" and "labor," it refers to persevering in one's commitments and responsibilities (see also, e.g., Rom 2:7 [cf. Sir 2:14]; 2 Cor 12:12), which includes but is by no means limited to constancy even when under trial.

Such perseverance is an expression of hope, which is an important theme in this letter (see also 2:19; 4:13; 5:8). The object of hope is, particularly, Jesus' return (2:19; 4:13-18; cf. 3:13; 5:23), which will mean deliverance "from the wrath that is coming" (1:10) and remaining "with the Lord forever" (4:17). In this thanksgiving there is no hint that the Thessalonians' hope is waning in any particular, although Paul will subsequently offer some instruction in order to strengthen it (4:14-18).

In Greek, the sentence begun in v. 2 continues with a participle (eidotes, v. 4; the form suggests "knowing with certainty") that introduces the ultimate ground for the apostle's thanksgiving: God has chosen the Thessalonians to receive and believe in the gospel. Paul is expressing himself in language and concepts that derive from the Jewish scriptures, according to which Israel is the elect people of God, uniquely favored with God's love (esp. Deut 7:6-11; Isa 44:2). Thus, instead of referring to the members of his congregation as merely "my beloved brothers and sisters" (as in 1 Cor 15:58 [NRSV shortens this to "my beloved"]), he identifies them as "brothers and sisters beloved by God." In employing the perfect passive participle (egapemenoi), he is following the precedent of the LXX, where it is frequently used with reference to God's electing love (e.g., Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26; Jer 11:15; 12:7; Hos 2:23, quoted in Rom 9:25; Bar 3:37[36]). Because the perfect tense suggests (as the adjectival form, egapetoi, cannot) that this love is experienced as both a past and ongoing reality (cf. Spicq 1965, 1516; Best 1972, 71), one may paraphrase: "having once and always been loved by God."

It is a radical departure from the Jewish view of divine election, according to which Israel alone constitutes God's people, when Paul identifies this Gentile congregation as beloved and chosen of God (ten eklogen hymon, v. 4; lit. "your election"). Indeed, the appearance of the term ekloge with reference to Gentiles is striking even in a Pauline letter. Otherwise, the apostle uses it exclusively of Israel's election (Rom 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28)—although he does employ the related verb (eklegeomai) to describe God's choosing of the believers in Corinth, who, like those in Thessalonica, were mostly Gentiles (1 Cor 1:27-28). This theme of election underlies the thought of the letter as a whole (see Introduction). It surfaces again in references to the Thessalonians as called by God (2:12; 4:7; 5:24), and when the apostle declares that they have been destined for salvation (5:9).

Adelphoi (lit. "brothers") is the expression Paul usually employs when addressing his congregations, and he does so frequently in this letter (only in 1 Corinthians, a much longer letter, does it occur more often). The NRSV's paraphrase (here and usually), "brothers and sisters," reckons with the fact that the Pauline congregations included women as well as men (see Introduction). The figurative use of the term as a designation for fellow believers was widespread in the church, perhaps from the very beginning (there are analogues in Jewish [Wanamaker 1990, 77] and other non-Christian sources [MM, s.v.]; see also Harland 2005). Such usage was consistent with the community's sense of being "children" of one God (the "Father," e.g., 1 Thess 1:1, 3). Paul's converts may have found it especially appropriate, given that they assembled in private houses. (For the significance of the kinship language and images of this letter, see Introduction.)

As evidence of the Thessalonians' election, Paul notes that the gospel came to them not only through the missionaries' proclamation ("in word"), but also with the power of the Holy Spirit and "full conviction" (v. 5a). He specifies "our gospel" (see also 2 Cor 2:4; cf. "my gospel," Rom 2:16), not in order to distinguish it from other "gospels" or because he claims to have originated it (note Gal 1:11), but to identify it as the gospel that God has "entrusted" him to proclaim (2:4). Elsewhere he refers to "the gospel of God" (2:2, 8, 9; cf. "the word of God," 2:13) and "the gospel of Christ" (3:2; cf. "the word of the Lord," 1:8).

The NRSV paraphrases to euangelion hemon (lit. "our gospel") as "our message of the gospel," but this obscures the very point that Paul wishes to emphasize: the gospel did not come to the Thessalonians only as a message (logos) but also with power. He attributes this power to the working of the Holy Spirit (see also v. 6; 4:8; 5:19; 1 Cor 2:4-5; cf. 1QH* XV, 6-7), which he further characterizes as involving plerophoria polle (NRSV: "full conviction"), a phrase best rendered as "great fullness of divine working" (TDNT, 6.311 [G. Delling]). All three expressions describe the manner of the gospel's coming to Thessalonica, not how it was received there (which is first indicated in v. 6). Paul does not identify his gospel primarily with the particular message that he conveys, but with the saving power of God to which his Spirit-enabled ministry bears witness (cf. 2:13; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18).

(Continues...)

---

Excerpted from Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians by Victor Paul Furnish. Copyright © 2007 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword,
Preface,
List of Abbreviations,
Introduction: 1 Thessalonians,
Commentary: 1 Thessalonians,
Introduction: 2 Thessalonians,
Commentary: 2 Thessalonians,
Select Bibliography,
Index,