Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Thessalonians 1-5. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
1 Thessalonians 1 - The fellowship of the believers with one another, looking to the Lord in faith, serves as a witness to the world that God has granted life and salvation through faith in Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 2 - See the love that Paul, Silas and Timothy, the apostles, have for the people in Thessalonica. This mutual love and respect is based on the bringing and reception of the Gospel as God’s true word. What respect do we have for the Word of God and for those who bring it to us, as well as those who receive it with us or from us?
1 Thessalonians 3 - How do we react when someone is critically ill? We are concerned, we check on the person, we send others to check on the person, we notify all our friends to pray. How do we react when someone is shaken or weak in the Christian faith? Do we, like Paul, see that this is a very serious condition, worthy of all our care?
1 Thessalonians 4 - The resurrection of the dead is a great encouragement. I have had several opportunities in recent months to encourage people who have just been bereaved. In the most recent situation we were looking together at Jesus’ promises of resurrection. Sharing communion in the hospital room we observed that the gentleman who had died in Christ was himself in perfect communion with the Lord and was looking now to the resurrection of the body. Do we see our earthly death as the end? Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
1 Thessalonians 5 - The end of the world is a hot topic just now. Recall that the last day is a day of comfort and hope to the Christian. It is the day when our Lord will gather his people to himself and rescue them from all danger.
Showing posts with label 1 Thessalonians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Thessalonians. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
1 and 2 Thessalonians
“1 and 2 Thessalonians” Carson & Moo pp. 532-553
At the time the letters to the Thessalonians were written this Macedonian church was newly founded. Paul visited Thessalonica probably in 48 or 49, staying briefly before being sent away after a riot and a brief imprisonment. The letters purport to come from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, but are traditionally ascribed only to Paul. Paul’s voice is clear in the letters. Even if Silas and Timothy were contributors, it seems Paul’s thoughts were predominant. Some scholars argue that there are various interpolations in 1 Thessalonians, particularly 2:13-16. However, we do not find any texts which do not include these verses so it is impossible to demonstrate such a view. 2 Thessalonians is more difficult, with some modern scholars suggesting that it is too similar to 1 Thessalonians to be Pauline and some suggesting that it is too different from 1 Thessalonians. Arguments of similarity and dissimilarity are tenuous at best. Carson and Moo then consider that both letters are genuinely Pauline, with contribution of Silas and Timothy.
The fact that Paul had founded the church at Thessalonica no earlier than 48 or 49 indicates that the letters would not be dated before at least 50, probably a bit later. Some have suggested that 2 Thessalonians would have been written before 1 Thessalonians, a situation which is possible. Yet Carson and Moo consider the order to be correct and think the letters were both written late in 50 or early in 51.
Paul’s purposes in writing seem to be to clarify his hasty departure, to remind the Thessalonians of the implications of faith in Christ, and to comfort them in the loss of some Christians. He brings the comfort of the knowledge of the resurrection to bear. Jesus who rose from the dead is able to raise the dead himself and will do so in the last day. Even as we look to this hope we are to be busy about the affairs of life, knowing that Jesus is working through us.
Recent scholarship has a heavy emphasis on the social and cultural setting of the letters, possibly trying to find modern parallels. Because of the early date of the Thessalonian letters some scholars also use them to consider developments in Paul’s theology during his years of missionary work. The letters to the Thessalonians push us to consider the implications of Christ’s resurrection and the promise of his return. They urge us to be busy about the work of the Gospel in our communities as we eagerly await our Lord’s return.
At the time the letters to the Thessalonians were written this Macedonian church was newly founded. Paul visited Thessalonica probably in 48 or 49, staying briefly before being sent away after a riot and a brief imprisonment. The letters purport to come from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, but are traditionally ascribed only to Paul. Paul’s voice is clear in the letters. Even if Silas and Timothy were contributors, it seems Paul’s thoughts were predominant. Some scholars argue that there are various interpolations in 1 Thessalonians, particularly 2:13-16. However, we do not find any texts which do not include these verses so it is impossible to demonstrate such a view. 2 Thessalonians is more difficult, with some modern scholars suggesting that it is too similar to 1 Thessalonians to be Pauline and some suggesting that it is too different from 1 Thessalonians. Arguments of similarity and dissimilarity are tenuous at best. Carson and Moo then consider that both letters are genuinely Pauline, with contribution of Silas and Timothy.
The fact that Paul had founded the church at Thessalonica no earlier than 48 or 49 indicates that the letters would not be dated before at least 50, probably a bit later. Some have suggested that 2 Thessalonians would have been written before 1 Thessalonians, a situation which is possible. Yet Carson and Moo consider the order to be correct and think the letters were both written late in 50 or early in 51.
Paul’s purposes in writing seem to be to clarify his hasty departure, to remind the Thessalonians of the implications of faith in Christ, and to comfort them in the loss of some Christians. He brings the comfort of the knowledge of the resurrection to bear. Jesus who rose from the dead is able to raise the dead himself and will do so in the last day. Even as we look to this hope we are to be busy about the affairs of life, knowing that Jesus is working through us.
Recent scholarship has a heavy emphasis on the social and cultural setting of the letters, possibly trying to find modern parallels. Because of the early date of the Thessalonian letters some scholars also use them to consider developments in Paul’s theology during his years of missionary work. The letters to the Thessalonians push us to consider the implications of Christ’s resurrection and the promise of his return. They urge us to be busy about the work of the Gospel in our communities as we eagerly await our Lord’s return.
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