1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2 is the second chapter of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.[1] It is authored by Paul the Apostle, likely written in Corinth in about 50–51 CE for the church in Thessalonica.[2] This chapter includes a review of Paul's previous ministry in Thessalonica and records his desire to visit them again.[3]

1 Thessalonians 2
Fragments showing First Epistle to the Thessalonians 1:3–2:1 and 2:6–13 on Papyrus 65, from the third century.
BookFirst Epistle to the Thessalonians
CategoryPauline epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part13

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 20 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

The divine basis for Paul's initial visit (2:1–4)

Paul reminds the believers about the fruitful works he started in Thessalonica, despite the suffering (Greek: hubristhentes, "physically assaulted and dishonored") he and his co-workers (presumably Silvanus and Timothy) experienced in Philippi, that with the help of God (lit. 'in our God') the gospel was preached in the midst of opposition (Greek: agōn).[3] The persecution in Philippi may be the same as that noted in Acts 16:19–24, where Paul and Silas (same as 'Silvanus') were dragged "into the marketplace to the authorities", and "the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods", then after "they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison", "put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks".[3] In the account in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Silas reach Thessalonica at the start of chapter 17.[4]

Verse 1
For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.[5]

Theologian Philip Esler describes the reference to "brethren" ("brothers and sisters" in the New Revised Standard Version) as "fictive kinship".[3] The words "you yourselves know" are followed up three more times within the first few lines of this section (verses 2, 5 and 11).[6] Protestant theologian Heinrich Meyer thinks the words are "involuntarily added by Paul, by reason of the lively feeling with which he places himself, in thought, in the time whereof he speaks".[7]

The behavior and example of the people (2:5–12)

Verse 10
You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;[8]
  • "You are witnesses, and God also": the church is the witness for the more open part and God for the more secret part of all their actions.[9]
  • "How devoutly [NKJV; KJV: 'holily'], and justly, and blamelessly [NKJV; KJV: 'unblamably'] we behaved ourselves among you who believe": The Syriac version combines the verses to read, "ye are witnesses, and God also, how purely and justly we preached unto you the Gospel of God, and how unblamable we were among all that believed"; referring the former part to the purity and integrity in which they preached the Gospel, and the latter to their unblemished conduct among the believers; and it was likewise "just", that is, righteous in the sight of God through the justifying righteousness of Christ, and in consequence of this lived righteously before men; as well as "unblamable"; not without sin, but by the grace of God, there was nothing material to be alleged against them, or any just cause of blame to be laid either on their persons or their ministry.[9]

The response of the Thessalonians (2:13–16)

Paul gratefully recalls the acceptance of God's words by the Thessalonians, but condemns some Jews, classified as 'the Judeans' (Greek: Ioudaioi; specifically for a group of Jews who was oriented to Judea, to Jerusalem and the temple within it), who persecute Christians and were connected by Paul to the killing of Jesus and the prophets.[10]

Authenticity

The authenticity of 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 has been disputed by some.[11] The following arguments are made against its authenticity based on its content:

However, the authenticity of the passage has continued to find defenders over the last two centuries, and in the last thirty years the common opinion has swung decisively in favor of authenticity.[18]

Paul's desire to visit the Thessalonians (2:17–20)

In these verses, Paul expresses his eagerness to be physically with the Thessalonians again, even as he was hindered to do so on a number of occasions.[19]

See also

References
  1. 1 Thessalonians 2: NIV
  2. Esler 2007, p. 1199.
  3. Esler 2007, p. 1203.
  4. Acts 17:1
  5. 1 Thessalonians 2:1: NKJV
  6. 1 Thessalonians 2:1–10: NKJV
  7. Meyer, H. A. W., Meyer's NT Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2, accessed 21 March 2022
  8. 1 Thessalonians 2:10: NKJV
  9. Gill, J., Exposition of the Bible on 1 Thessalonians 2:10
  10. Esler 2007, p. 1204–1205; Jones 2019.
  11. Abraham J. Malherbe, “Hellenistic Moralists and the New Testament”, in; Aufstieg und Nieder- gang der Römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung, eds. H. Temporini y W. Haase (Berlin and New York: W. de Gruyter, 1992), 2:290.
  12. 1 Corinthians 2:8
  13. Rom 11:26
  14. CollegeVille Bible Commentary, p. 1155
  15. Pearson, p. 88
  16. Birger A. Pearson 1971, "1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 A Deutero Pauline Interpolation", Harvard Theological Review, 64, pp. 79–94
  17. Schmidt, D. 1983, "I Thess 2:13–16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation," JBL 102: 269–79.
  18. Brookins, Timothy A. (2021-11-16). First and Second Thessalonians (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament). Baker Academic. ISBN 978-1-4934-3215-8.
  19. Esler 2007, p. 1205.

Sources
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