Research Paper On First Thessalonians

1066 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Contribution of Paul to Christianity

Scholars believe that First Thessalonians was one of the first Christian writings of any kind. Paul originally visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey where he persuaded many God-fearing Greeks to follow the Gospel (New Testament in Antiquity, p. 281). The leaders accused Paul of disturbing the city and proclaiming false teachings. The suffering and persecution became so terrible that Paul and his companions were forced to flee to another town. Paul was worried about the discrimination against the new Christians in this area, though, so he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage the people and learn about their progress in faith. First Thessalonians is a letter written by Paul to the early Christians after Timothy …show more content…

First Thessalonians and the Gospels both provide a sense of hope for believers. Paul gives the early Christians hope in Thessalonica because the leaders are persecuting them for their beliefs. Similarly, Jesus provides his disciples encouragement after Jesus tells them that he must suffer and be killed. Additionally, Paul and Jesus are both talking to people who have little knowledge of what comes after death as a Christian. Paul is primarily speaking to Gentiles who had little understanding of the afterlife, and Jesus is discussing with his disciples, who have yet to fully understand that Jesus is the Son of God and has come to save all …show more content…

Jesus may mention this because he already knows that people will forsake him and may be foreshadowing his persecution or some of the disciples turning away from him. Conversely, Paul simply discusses the life of believers because he writes his letter directly for these people and does not desire to cause additional suffering than already endured. Another difference is that Paul describes the coming of the Lord in greater detail. Since these people already understood that Jesus was going to come back again one day, unlike the disciples, Paul was able to expand on this knowledge. For example, he describes “a cry of commands, with the archangels’ call and with the sound of God’s trumpet” when Jesus descends from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Also, the Gospel writing does not appear as clear as Paul’s. Jesus states, “But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). At first, this passage seems to anticipate Jesus’ coming back again soon, which may explain why the Thessalonians had this false view of Jesus returning in their lifetime, which Paul had to explain in his letters. A closer reading, though, indicates that those “who will not taste death” are people who have eternal

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Paul's First Letter To The Corinthians

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    After his conversion to Christianity, Paul traveled throughout the Roman Empire and preached the Gospel, similar to Jesus’ own ministry across Galilee. Paul’s teachings were more focused on the community and the relationships of its members with each other and with non-Christians, whereas Jesus’ teachings were geared towards the individual and his/her personal relationship to God. Despite this discrepancy in their doctrines, Paul’s teachings remain consistent with those of Jesus. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul’s teachings, such as unity in the community and love for others, echo the teachings of Jesus as depicted in the Gospel of Mark and Matthew. Paul essentially reiterates the teachings of Jesus, and applies them to the lives of the people he preaches to, so that they may understand Jesus’ teachings and embrace Christianity.

    Read More

  • Paul's letter to the Galatians

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Differences: Similarities Between Mark And Galatians

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paul and Jesus both have similar topics they teach. Not only that, but Paul and Jesus have very similar teaching styles, with the key difference being how they react to mistakes made by their pupils. Paul and Jesus both lose their temper at points and get very angry, but Jesus transforms his anger into forgiveness, where Paul does not. These similarities and differences presented allow us to better understand what Jesus taught by referencing Galatians as a guide. Overall, we see that Mark and Paul’s letter to the Galatians show the similar beliefs Paul and Jesus had, but also show how they react when those beliefs are

    Read More

  • Roman Empire Dbq Essay

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the passage 1st, I observed that the people in power were the Romans who were polytheistic. They completely rejected the idea on only one God or Christianity. The people who didn’t follow the beliefs of the Romans were usually poor and had no use for when they lived in the middle east according to the passage. Paul would preach to the poor about the savior Jesus Christ (according to the passage) .

    Read More

  • The Physical Reality And Assurance Of Resurrection In Paul's 1 Corinthians 15

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1 Corinthians 15, this is the most important chapter in the bible, when resurrection is the main topic talked about. This section of 1-26, talks about the physical reality and assurance of resurrection. Even though Paul is basically trying to prove that resurrection exists, he is mainly trying to say that Christians will be resurrected. In this passage Paul tries to solve the issues that the Corinthian were dealing with based on the resurrection of the deceased. Paul used vital information and personal experiences in this passage to prove that resurrection occurs not only in Christ but in man as well. He first uses sections 3-11 to try and explain how much the gospel is vital to understanding resurrection and it’s historical importance. Paul shows all confidence in the gospel because of the facts of Jesus’s resurrection. The second section is Paul trying to explain the repercussions if resurrection didn’t exist. He explains that all apostles would be false witnessed and they would still be living in their sins. However, he ends the passage by combining Christ and man’s resurrection and says that Christ is the first of many men to be resurrected.

    Read More

  • Romans 14

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    "For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the lord of both the dead and the living." (Ro 14:9). The first distinction I want to make about this passage is the wording Paul used to describe Christ. He states that Christ died and than lived. His resurrection is what gives Him grounds to rule over the living and the dead. His power is as mighty in the living world as it is in the afterlife. We are never going to be on our own for he is there to reign over us for all of eternity.

    Read More

  • Greek Culture Essay

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion is very important aspect for the Greek culture. Early Christian ritual was one of the first Greek religions that were accompanied by reading from a growing body of scripture written in Greek. The New Testament consisted in diverse materials. (Bishop 105) The Early Christianity Literature created by Christians roughly in the first centuries of a Common Era, which was during the period of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The literature came after Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Jewish, and preached the Christian faith. He had many followers that were poor and uneducated; who were preparing themselves for the apocalypse. He

    Read More

  • Understanding Philippians 2: 5-11

    1540 Words  | 4 Pages

    In trying to understand Philippians 2:5-11 it is equally important to understand what is going on both before this passage occurs and what happens after. Paul is writing a letter to the church in Philippi and unlike some of his other letters he is filled with joy when writing to them. Immediately his letter begins with praise and thanksgiving directed towards the Philippians due to their kindness and provisions that they had consistently provided for Paul while he was in Prison. Paul then goes on to write about the fact that his imprisonment has advanced the Gospel of Christ. Paul then continues on to talk about the way in which the Philippians need to compose themselves and tells them to “stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). He says this because at the time the Philippians had a lot of forces that opposed them, just as Christ did when he was here on earth. Rather then becoming boastful or prideful Paul urges the Philippians to be like a servant who gives all the glory to God and not upon oneself. This then leads him into 2:5-11.

    Read More

  • The Book of Thessalonians

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    In approximately 50 A.D. Paul had traveled to Philippi and then to Greece for the first time. During this time, he and two traveling companions, Timothy and Silas, they spread the word about Jesus to the Thessalonians. They formed a community of believers there and Paul was the founder of this new Christian community. He, Timothy, and Silas exercised authority over the Thessalonians according to 1 Thessalonians 4:7. “we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ”. The three stayed with the newly founded community for quite a while and it was not specifically stated as to how long they stayed all the book said was that “they stayed for a time to be”.

    Read More

  • The Resurrection of the Dead

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Veres 12-28 of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians illustrates the influence Paul had on the formation of early Christianity. To Corinth, Paul rationalizes that if Corinth believes that there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ himself could not have been risen and if Christ has not been risen then their faith is in vain. Paul uses their own faith against them in a since as with his argument he forces Corinth to either reconcile with Paul’s views of resurrection or seemingly disband with Christianity altogether. As Paul himself claims in 1 Corinthians 3:6 to have founded the church in Corinth it seems most unde...

    Read More

  • The Apostle Paul and His Role in the Development of Christianity

    401 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Apostle Paul is known as the greatest missionary of the early church. Paul, who once vowed to wipe out belief in Jesus Christ, was later converted to do the work of Christ. He would author almost half of the 27 books in the New Testament. He endured sickness, rejection, and repeated attacks on his life to bring the message of God's grace and forgiveness to Gentiles. Paul was the apostle largely responsible for the solid inception and growth of Christianity. He spoke before Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles. He defended God's Word before kings and emperors of this world. By the end of his life, much of the Mediterranean world had been reached with the gospel.

    Read More

  • Ancient Greece Research Paper

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    The older of the two, Ancient Greece was a civilization for three centuries, from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. Ancient Greece advanced in art, poetry, and technology. More importantly, Ancient Greece was the age where the polis, or city-state, was invented. The polis was a defining feature in Greek political life for a few hundred years (Ancient Greece).

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Jesus Resurrection From The Dead

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    Paul’s confession is, it is necessary to examine the four parts of the confession which are: Jesus’ death, the empty tomb, the third day, and the witnesses. The first part of St. Paul’s confession focuses on Jesus’ death which is best explained by the two expressions that are found within it: “for our sins” and “in accordance with the Scriptures.” St. Paul’s reference to the “Scriptures” is important because Jesus used them on the road to Emmaus to teach the disciples about himself after his Resurrection. The Scriptures became the means by which the disciples were able to grasp the various things that had happened to Jesus because they were a fulfillment of the Scriptures. Through their new understanding of the Scriptures, the disciples were able to comprehend that Jesus’ death on the cross was not a coincidence but rather that it was part of God’s plan and ongoing relationship with Israel (and through them with the rest of humanity). The reference to Jesus’ dying “for our sins” is understood by many Scripture scholars as a scriptural allusion to the fourth Suffering Servant Song in the fifty-third chapter of the Book of Isaiah which is interpreted as a sign too of God’s gratuitous love for humanity. The reason for Jesus’ death is very different from that of each human being’s because their death is the result of original sin. Jesus’ death, on the other hand, is not due to any sin that he committed—because he is sinless, instead

    Read More

  • Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    The known world was impacted by the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was done by the first century church with great passion. These early followers of Christ set the world on fire, by relaying the Good news of Jesus Christ, first to the nation of Israel then to the gentile world. The Bible tells us that the Apostle Peter was commissioned to bring the announcement of Christ’s death and resurrection to his Jewish brethren, whereas, the Apostle Paul was chosen by Christ to bring the Gospel message of salvation to the gentile world. The early works of the church are recorded in a series of letters that have become known as the scriptures of the New Testament.

    Read More

  • The Three Synoptic Gospels

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word "gospel" is a translation of the Greek word "euangelion" which means "good news. The first three books in the New Testament (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels (from Greek synoptikos, "seen together") They bear greater similarity to each other than any of the other gospels in the New Testament. Along with these similarities come some differences among the gospels, suggesting that each gospel was written for a specific audience and for a specific purpose. This paper will examine the resurrection of Jesus, while identifying the significant differences between Mark, Matthew and Luke. This paper will also analyze the differences to suggest the prominent theological perspective each gospel author might be trying to convey about the resurrection of Jesus.

    Read More

More about Research Paper On First Thessalonians

Open Document