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Exton Two Day Study20121 & 2 Thessalonianswww.diktuon.com/etdsWEP KEY: 18013B374AExton Two Day Study20121 & 2 ThessaloniansIntroductionStrabo, writing near the beginning of the 1st century, speaks of Thessalonica as a Macedonian city, which at the present time is more populous than any of the rest [7.7.4]

In so saying, Strabo seems not to include Philippi as part of Macedonia.Even so, it seems that Thessalonica was larger than Philippi.Thessalonica had a proper synagogue (Ac. 17:1)Philippi did not (Ac. 16:13)The Cityrulers of the citypolitarchsRamsay curious and rare titleBDAG a number of . (five or six in Thessalonica) formed the city council in Macedonian cities, and occasionally in othersMM the title was essentially Macedonianevidenced by 19 inscriptions & 1 papyrus5 inscr. from Thessalonica9 inscr. from elsewhere in Macedonia2 inscr. from Philippopolis in Thrace1 inscr. from Bithynia1 inscr. from Bosporus1 inscr. & 1 papyrus from Egypt70%10%The Cityrulers of the citypolitarchs

bring them forth to the peoplecommon word, but here, a technical term for town meeting?Macedonian Inscription, A.D. 143

The City

The City

Across the water from Mt. Olympus

Ac 17:2Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ThessalonicaEgnatian Way

Ac 1714 And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea:

Ac 1714 both Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as AthensAc 1715 and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.Ac 181 After these things he departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. Ac 185 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia

1 Thessalonians 217 But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God's minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you,1 Thessalonians 31 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; 1 Thessalonians 36 But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love

Alexandrinus

KJV has The first epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens.Some MSS have was written from AthensVaticanusTimothyPROSqessalonikeis a

Philippians 415 And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; 16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need. 2 Corinthians 118 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you; $$$Philippians 415 And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; 16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need. Giving & ReceivingSponsoring Church Activity?Church at Corinth doesnt yet existPhilippians 415 And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; 16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need. The only way that you can reconcile 2 Corinthians 11 with this passage is that the brethren determined to send to Philippi and they oversaw the sending of the money.- CW Lincoln, Dallas Meeting, 1990AuthorshipBoth letters are sent in the name of Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy.

Silas and Timothy had just come from Macedonia (Ac 18:5)

Only Timothy is said to have come from the Thessalonians (1 TH 3:6)

he had been sent back to Thessalonica (1 TH 3:2)Silas apparently stayed in Berea or elsewhere in MacedoniaAuthorshipAUTHENTICITY

1 ThessaloniansAlthough Pauline authorship of 1 Thessalonians was occasionally questioned in the nineteenth centuryno contemporary scholars of repute seem to doubt the authentic Pauline character of the letter Wanamaker

2 ThessaloniansAlleged to be a forgery because: 2 Thessalonians is too similar 1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians is too different from 1 ThessaloniansThe notion that the Day of the Lord had come was a gnostic ideaThere was no need to guard against forgeries (my own hand), and therefore 2 Thessalonians must have been a forgeryAuthorship2 Thess. 3:17-18I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

, . . AuthorshipGalatians 6:11See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.1 Corinthians 16:21The greeting of Paul, in my handColossians 4:18The greeting of Paul, in my handRomans 16:22I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. Philemon 19I, Paul, wrote in my hand, I will repayWhy not in every letter?2 Thess. 3:17 indicates it was

Paul doesnt say that he says he writes a greeting in his own hand in every letter,but that he writes in his own hand in every letter.For What Purpose?

To guard against forgery

A token of intimacyI salute you, Plangon. These things I have written to you in my hand. Goodbye, good Dionysius, and remember your Callirhoe. Other Specific reasonsDate

Date

Date5152Window for letterWindow for beginning of Gallios term as proconsulLatest possible date for beginning of Gallios termEarliest possible date for beginning of Gallios term50Acts 18

Pauls total time at Corinth: 18 months11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

after Gallio came to office18 Paul, having remained many days longerDate5152Window for Pauls arrival in CorinthWindow for beginning of Gallios term as proconsulPauls latest possible arrival datePauls earliest possible arrival date50Allowing a maximum of 17 months and a minimum of 9 months before Gallio comes to officeSome of the Jews

Of the devout Greeks a great many

Of the leading women, not a fewWho was persuaded? God-fearers, worshipers of God is a term applied to former polytheists who accepted the ethical monotheism of Israel and attended the synagogue, but who did not obligate themselves to keep the whole Mosaic law; in particular, the males did not submit to circumcisionBDAGThe whole phrase Lydia (Ac 16:14)Titus Justus (Ac 18:7)Without the objectwomen stirred up against Paul by Jews (Ac 13:50)some at Athens (Ac 17:17)With proselytessome at Antioch (Ac 13:43)Some of the Jews

Of the devout and of Greeks a great many

Of the leading women, not a fewWho was persuaded? Ramsay argues stronglyfor this readingSome of the Jews

Of the devout and of Greeks a great manyOf the leading women, not a fewWho was persuaded?Codex D unambiguously has wives of the leading men

Some of the Jews

Of the devout Greeks a great many

Of the leading women, not a fewWho was persuaded?Some of the Jews

Of the devout Greeks a great many

Of wives of the leading men, not a few 2 Thess. 2:13 Ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of GodMOSTLY GENTILESActs 17:4Some of the JewsActs 17:11Jews at Thessalonica not as receptive as those at Berea1 Th. 2:8turned unto God from idolsWho was persuaded?SecundusTraveled with Paul during his 3rd JourneyWent ahead of Paul and waited for him at Troas (Acts 20:4), along with Aristarchus and othersAristarchusTraveled with Paul during his 3rd JourneyWas seized during the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29)Went ahead of Paul and waited for him at Troas (Acts 20:4)Must have become acquainted with the church at Colossae during this trip (See below)Traveled to Rome with Paul (Acts 27:2)Was with Paul in Rome as a prisoner when Paul wrote Colossians (Colossians 4:10)and as a fellow worker (Philemon 24)People1 Thessaloniansa response to Timothys arrival with glad tidings from the Thessalonians (3:6).

Paul had hastily and unexpectedly left Macedonia (Ac. 17:14), whereas he had hoped to have further contact with the Thessalonians but had been hindered from doing so by Satan (1 Thess. 2:17f).

urges these brethren who had recently come out of a world of sexual immorality to recognize that their sanctification involves abstaining from fornication [1 Thess. 3:1-8].

Perhaps having been advised by Timothy of uncertainty among the Thessalonian brethren in regard to some who had died, Paul takes this opportunity to explain that those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will not be left out at the Lords coming (1 Thess. 4:13ff).Purpose2 Thessalonianswritten largely to reinforce or clarify what Paul had said in 1 Thessalonians

Needed perhaps because of adverse influence from others-OR-Needed due to the Thessalonians misunderstanding of what Paul wrote

Which it was depends on our understanding of by epistle as from us.

Does Paul mean purporting to be from us, with reference to some pseudo-pauline letter [cf. Diod. Sic. 33.5.5, Diog. L. 10.3]

Or does Paul mean, as for example, from us (i.e., 1 Thessalonians)

Purpose2 Thessalonians 2:22 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us , to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

neither through epistle as through us 2 Thessalonians

The nature of the misunderstanding:Some thought the day of the Lord had already come

2:2 should be translated has come as in the NAS, ESVPerfect tense used 6 times in the NT,always existing thing

When Paul wanted to use the wordwith reference to a future event,he used the future tense.PurposeHb. 9:9perfect participletime presentGa 1:4perfect participlepresent evil world1 Co 7:26perfect participlepresent distressRo 8:38perfect participlethings presentcontrasted with things to come1 Co 3:22perfect participlethings presentcontrasted with things to come2 Ti 3:1futuregrievous times shall come2 Thessalonians 2:22 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us , to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

neither through epistle as through usPaul connected conduct and anticipation of the Lords coming in 1 Thess. 3:13

CONDUCT Th. 4:1-12 Holiness, or sanctification, specifically with respect to sexual moralitylove of the brethrenpersonal responsibility. Note especially that personal responsibility (4:11-12) was part of having hearts unblameable in holiness, i.e., sanctification.

ANTICIPATION1 Th. 4:13-4:18 The coming of the Lord with all his saints.

Purpose1 Thess. 3:1313 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His [f]saints. When Paul addresses the mistaken idea that the Lord had already returned, he again connects these two ideas

ANTICIPATION2 Th. 2:1-12the Lords return is yet future

CONDUCT2 Th. 2:13-15 urges continued sanctification (already shown to include personal responsibility)Paul equates this with holding the traditions which they were taught (2 Thess. 2:15).

Purpose2 Thess. 2:16-3:5could well have been the conclusion

2 Thess. 3:6-15A sort of post scriptwhat the brethren should do about some who have not continued to walk in sanctification, or as Paul expresses it here, walk not after the tradition they received of us, but have become disorderly, neglecting personal responsibility

PurposePurpose1 TH 3:131 TH 4:1-182 TH 2:1-152 TH 3:6-15Hearts blameless in holiness4:1-12Sexual moralityLove of brethrenPersonal responsibility2:1-12Lords coming is yet futureWhat to do about some who walk not after the tradition (disorderly, neglecting personal responsibility)Coming of the Lord4:13-18Coming of the Lord2:13-15Chosen in sanctification, so then hold the traditions2 TH 2:16-3:5CLOSINGGiven that Paul connected sanctification, which is accomplished by walking in the tradition Paul taught, with the Lords future return, it is not unreasonable to suppose that those whom Paul identifies as not walking in that tradition were those who believed the Lord had already returned and who had therefore turned away from lives of sanctification and personal responsibility. AuthorshipPauls letters penned by an amanuensis, with closing remarks added by Paul in his own hand

Use of an amanuensis was typical in Greece & Rome, Deissmann p. 166 and plate, et al.

Was not always noted

In the case of Paul, he attaches special significance of this practice in at least 3 instancesGalatians, Philemon, as assurance that he would pay2 Thessalonians, perhaps in view of 2 Thess. 2:2THESSALONICAStrabo on Thessalonica, writing about the time of Jesus birth:Thessaloniceia, a Macedonian city, which at the present time is more populous than any of the rest 7.7.4

GENTILES

ACTS 17 PERSECUTION

OCCASION

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO LETTERS

own hand 2 Thess. 3:17Gal. 6:11, Romans 16:22, 1 Cor. 16:21, Col. 4:18DateFrom ISBE (Bromiley)

Claudius gave Achaia back to Senate, administered by a proconsul

Claudius edict expelling Jews

Claudius letter mentions Gallio

Felix becomes procurator of Judea

Festus succeeds Felix44

49

52

52

56Acts 18Arrival at Corinth2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.DateFrom ISBE (Bromiley)

Claudius gave Achaia back to Senate, administered by a proconsul

Claudius edict expelling Jews

Claudius letter mentions Gallio

Felix becomes procurator of Judea

Festus succeeds Felix44

49

52

52

56Acts 18Arrival at Corinth2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.Josephus identifies Festus as successor to Felix (BJ 2.14.1, Ant. 20.9), and puts Festus governorship during the reign of Nero (Ant. 20.9). Nero reigned from 54-68. Tacitus (History v) has Felix coming to power during the reign of Claudius, who reigned from 41 to 54, and has Felix serving as procurator during the years 48-54 (Annals xii.54). Authorship

The Textual History of the Letter to the Romans (Studies and Documents)Harry Gamble, Jr.

The book of Acts, FF BRUCE

Also see: See Gymnastics of the mind: Greek education in Hellenistic and Roman EgyptBy Raffaella Cribiore, pp. 88f

Authorship

Authorship