The purpose of this essay is to exegetically examine 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11. In this exercise I will seek to elucidate the intention of the author in writing as he has and to show how the specific subject matter of these verses interrelates with the major themes of the Epistle. That Paul is the author of 1st Thessalonians is almost undisputed. Green is in agreement with Wanamaker who comments, "No contemporary scholars of repute seem to doubt the Pauline character of the letter." The position taken in this paper, consistent with the majority of scholarly opinion, is that the letter was written around AD 50-51 from Corinth on the occasion of Paul hearing Timothy's report on the Thessalonian Church. Although Donfried comments that, "little consensus has been reached with regard to the purpose and intention" of 1st Thessalonians; clear themes and a distinct structure can be easily detected. At the most basic level the letter seems to have two distinct parts. The first part, chapters 1 through 3, has a focus on thanksgiving and encouragement while the second part, chapters 4 and 5, while continuing this theme, changes "tone" to concentrate on applied parenesis. As well as this general division this same dual purpose can be detected in varying degrees in most subsections. It is the opinion of not a few scholars that much of chapters four and five is written in response to questions posed to Paul by the Thessalonian believers, either in a letter or through Timothy. Though eschatology appears to be the overriding theme from 4:13- 5:11 it will be my contention that Paul is primarily concerned with very practical and `now' issues facing the Thessalonians. For Paul the issue is how faith in Christ's Parousia affects the C... ... middle of paper ... ...the midst of difficult circumstances. It has been further argued that, for the purposes of encouragement and exhortation, Paul is seeking to set the entirety of the Thessalonians experience in a theological and eschatological framework. Grief, social exclusion, life, death and persecution are all addressed in relation to Christ's Parousia. It is this Parousia which supplies the motivation for actively pursuing the Christian lifestyle and which stands as the focus and expectation of Christian hope. That such an approach is essentially correct seems to be supported by the apostle himself when he exhorts the believers to encourage and build up one another in verse 11. Having set the example of how to apply Christian doctrine in difficult circumstances Paul offers the Thessalonians and the modern reader a `practical apocalypse' in which to ground life and faith.
In this opening chapter, Paul begins with a formal introduction of himself. He asserts the source from whom he obtained his apostolic call and ministry from- the risen Christ and “God the Father” (v.1). He follows with a stern rebuke of the Galatian Christians who have allowed themselves to be duped into to embracing the heretical teachings promulgated by the Judaizers. A. Salutation 1:1-5
Scholars of the Pauline writings have divided them into the following categories: (1) those unquestionably by Paul: Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, I Thessalonians, and Philemon; (2) a letter that was probably written by Paul, but has had serious questions raised about its' authorship: II Thessalonians; (3) letters that were not actually written by Paul but were developed from his thought: Colossians and Ephesians; (4) letters that bear Paul's name but clearly come from another time and different set of circumstances in the church: I and II Timothy and Titus (the so-called Pastoral Letters); (5) a letter not bearing Paul's name and which evidences a wholly different thought and religious vocabulary from that of Paul: the Letter to the Hebrews (Kee, 5th Ed. 224).
In this passage of the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses several concerns. He is addressing the situation of a man who has sinned not only against himself, but against the Corinthian Church as well. He explains why he wrote a letter rather than bringing sorrow upon them. Paul is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, and in love, writes to the church encouraging them to discipline this man in love for the purpose of restoring him. He urges the Corinthians to be obedient and love the man through forgiving and encouraging him. Paul shares with them his trust in the Lord for the outcome of this matter and how burdened he was for restoration to take place. He warns them of the need to not allow Satan a foothold through this matter. Finally, Paul puts the focus on Christ; for it is in Him that we are adequate thereby becoming His fragrance to others.
Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians was both his way of showing gratitude and to give further instruction to his early Christian followers on how to maintain their faith in Jesus Christ, they now all possessed. The Thessalonians had not always been followers of Christ they were previously Gentiles who then converted to Christianity. Paul gave thanks and further instruction to the Thessalonians so that they could stay prepared for the Advent. I believe that Paul was aware that the followers of Christ what be subjected to temptation and suffering for spreading the Gospel. The Gentiles and Satan could have a great influence on followers of Christ if they are not prepared. Paul knows the struggle of being converted and in result prepared the Thessalonians through ministry and prayer.
Heckel, Dr.. "Notes on Themistocles." Humanities Class. N/A. Heritage Classical Christian Academy, St. Louis. 13 Nov. 2011. Class lecture.
At a bird’s eye view, the audience sees Paul’s letter as seemingly addressed to the Christians in Ephesus, where Paul “labored for well over two years.” Because the Ephesians as the addressee of the letters are absent from the early manuscripts, it suggests that “it is a letter generated not by the immediate circumstances of Paul or a specific community crisis, but by the desire to communicate the implications of his mission to a wider circle of Gentile churches.” Matera validates this by explaining that it was indeed “a circular letter to Gentile believers in Asia Minor” and that it “functions as a summary of Paul’s teaching for a new generation of Gentile believers.” Paul wanted to show his addressees how salvation is brought about by God’s divine
Silva, Moisés. Philippians. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.
...ty in the world that even remotely resembles it”. (p91) Going forward what is needed is for the Corinthians is to stop being self-centered and repent. The church is God’s sanctuary. Paul’s portrayal of the church expands upon the role of the “Father Son and Holy Spirit in relation to the church”(p91). Which minimizes the role of its leaders, the leaders are not to be put on a pedestal. Because all the glory goes to God the leaders are mere servants of their flock and servants of God. The growth in God’s field is caused by God not humans as for God’s building the only foundation is that of Jesus Christ, and God’s temple is where the Holy Spirit dwells. According to Romans 8:17 what is Jesus’s is ours 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Turner, G. “The Christian Life as Slavery: Paul’s Subversive Metaphor.” The Heythrop Journal (May 28, 2010): 1-12.
In II Thessalonians itself, and in secondary sources, there is evidence to support the theories that Paul wrote II Thessalonians as well as the first letter but also that someone wrote II Thessalonians in his name. First Thessalonians was written from Corinth in about 51 AD. If Paul actually wrote the second letter, it was written shortly after that. If he did not, then it is hard to decide when the book of II Thessalonians was written. Since it is agreed that Paul wrote I Thessalonians, the text and style of II Thessalonians can be compared to it. If things such as vocabulary and style differ between the two, it shows that Paul may not have written II Thessalonians. An example of this is found in II Thessalonians 1:3 and again 2:13. The verses have the phrase, "we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters…"
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
The core of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Faith and salvation, as well as to contrast Paul’s doctrine with Jesus’. Over the past years, a paradigm shift in the New Testament has led researchers to question whether the church understood accurately firs-century Judaism and the apostle Paul. These allegations cannot be easily put aside, for they strike directly at our understanding of salvation.
In these letters Paul provides the most complete statement of the doctrine in the New Testament. If want to know the ins and outs of Christianity, let people check out the writings of Paul to the Romans. So says a notable interpreter. Because of that this note on Romans should earnestly by every Christian, as very important and contains the full spiritual object.
When studying the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, many scholars regard the book of Romans as the most important of the apostle Paul’s letters. (Knight & Ray, 2005) This is perhaps because it contains the most in-depth exploration of Christian theology, namely justification through faith in Jesus Christ. (Hinson & Towns, 2013)The letter, especially chapters one through eight, contains a summary of what embodies a Christian worldview. Since Paul wrote to both the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome, he provided for them, as well as readers today, a biblical perspective that answers questions about the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture.
During this part of our seminar we will cover Paul's schooling under Gamaliel, the leading scholar in Israel during the first century A.D. This part of Paul's life will describe his eyewitness account of the stoning of Stephen, and his early persecution of the Christian churches.