
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is a
Pauline epistle of the
New Testament
The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
of the
Christian Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
. The epistle is attributed to
Paul the Apostle
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...
, and is addressed to the church in
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...
, in modern-day
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. It is likely among the first of
Paul's letters, probably written by the end of AD 52,
[ Raymond E. Brown, ''An Introduction to the New Testament'', Anchor Bible, 1997. pp. 456–66.] in the reign of
Claudius
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...
although some scholars believe the
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle to the Galatians is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia. Scholars have suggested that this is either the Galatia (Roman province), Roman pro ...
may have been written by AD 48. The original language is
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...
.
Background and audience
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...
is a city on the
Thermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf (, ), also called the Gulf of Thessaloniki and the Macedonian Gulf, is a Gulf (geography), gulf constituting the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. The city of Thessaloniki is at its northeastern tip, and it is bounded by Pie ...
, which at the time of Paul was within the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. Paul visited Thessalonica and preached to the local population, winning converts who became a Christian community.
There is debate as to whether or not Paul's converts were originally Jewish. The
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles (, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; ) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of The gospel, its message to the Roman Empire.
Acts and the Gospel of Luke make u ...
describes Paul preaching in a Jewish synagogue and persuading people who were already Jewish that Jesus was the Messiah, but in 1 Thessalonians itself Paul says that the converts had turned from idols, suggesting that they were not Jewish before Paul arrived.
Most New Testament scholars believe Paul wrote this letter from
Corinth
Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
only months after he left Thessalonica,
although information appended to this work in many early manuscripts (e.g.,
Codices Alexandrinus,
Mosquensis, and
Angelicus) state that Paul wrote it in Athens after
Timothy had returned from
Macedonia
Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
with news of the state of the church in
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...
.
Oldest surviving manuscripts
The original manuscript of this letter is lost, as are over a century of copies. The
text of the surviving manuscripts varies. The oldest surviving manuscripts that contain some or all of this book include:
*
Papyrus 46
Papyrus 46, also known as ''P. Chester Beatty II'', is an early Greek New Testament manuscript written on papyrus, and is one of the manuscripts comprising the Chester Beatty Papyri. It is designated by the siglum in the Gregory-Aland numberi ...
(c. AD 200)
*
Papyrus 65
Papyrus 65 (in the Biblical manuscript#Gregory-Aland, Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by 𝔓65, is a copy of the New Testament in Greek language, Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. The surviving text ...
(3rd century)
*
Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. It is designated by siglum B or 03 in the Gregory-Aland numb ...
(325–350)
*
Codex Sinaiticus
The Codex Sinaiticus (; Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), also called the Sinai Bible, is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonica ...
(330–360)
*
Codex Alexandrinus
The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...
(400–440)
*
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, written on parchment. It is designated by the siglum C or 04 in the Biblical manuscript#Gregory-Aland, Gregory-Aland numbering of New ...
(c. 450)
*
Codex Freerianus
Codex Freerianus, designated by I or 016 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 1041 ( von Soden), also called the ''Washington Manuscript of the Pauline Epistles'', is a 5th-century manuscript in an uncial hand on vellum in Greek.
It is named afte ...
(c. 450)
*
Codex Claromontanus
Codex Claromontanus, symbolized by Dp, D2 or 06 (in the Biblical manuscript#Gregory-Aland, Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1026 (Biblical manuscript#Von Soden, von Soden), is a Greek-Latin diglot uncial manuscript of the New Testament, written in an ...
(c. 550)
Composition
Date
It is widely agreed that 1 Thessalonians is one of the first books of the
New Testament
The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
to be written, and the earliest extant Christian text.
A majority of modern New Testament scholars date 1 Thessalonians to 49–51 AD, during Paul's 18-month stay in Corinth coinciding with his second missionary journey. The reference to
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military ...
Gallio in the inscription provides an important marker for developing a chronology of the life of
Apostle Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...
, since he presides over the trial of Paul in
Achaea
Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...
mentioned in
the Acts of the Apostles (
Acts 18:12-17).
[''The Cambridge Companion to St Paul'' by James D. G. Dunn (Nov 10, 2003) Cambridge Univ Press page 20]
1 Thessalonians does not focus on
justification by faith
(or simply ), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheranism, Lutheran and Reformed tradition, Reformed traditions of Protestantism, among others, from th ...
or questions of
Jewish–Gentile relations, themes that are covered in all other letters. Because of this, some scholars see this as an indication that this letter was written before the
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle to the Galatians is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia. Scholars have suggested that this is either the Galatia (Roman province), Roman pro ...
, where Paul's positions on these matters were formed and elucidated.
Authenticity
The majority of New Testament scholars hold 1 Thessalonians to be authentic, although a number of scholars in the mid-19th century contested its authenticity, most notably
Clement Schrader and
F.C. Baur. 1 Thessalonians matches other accepted Pauline letters, both in style and in content, and its authorship is also affirmed by
2 Thessalonians.
Integrity
The authenticity of 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 has been disputed by some. The following arguments are made against its authenticity based on its content:
* It is perceived to be theologically incompatible with Paul's other epistles: elsewhere Paul
attributed Jesus's death to the "rulers of this age" rather than to the Jews, and elsewhere Paul writes that the
Jews have not been abandoned by God, for "all Israel will be saved".
* There were no extensive historical persecutions of Christians by Jews in
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
prior to the
first Jewish war.
* The use of the concept of imitation in 1 Thes. 2.14 is singular.
* The
aorist
Aorist ( ; abbreviated ) verb forms usually express perfective aspect and refer to past events, similar to a preterite. Ancient Greek grammar had the aorist form, and the grammars of other Indo-European languages and languages influenced by the ...
ἔφθασε
�("has overtaken") in 1 Thes. 2.16 seems to refer to the
destruction of Jerusalem. According to 1 Thes 1:10, the
wrath of God is still to come; it is not something that has already shown itself.
* The
syntax
In linguistics, syntax ( ) is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences. Central concerns of syntax include word order, grammatical relations, hierarchical sentence structure (constituenc ...
of these verses deviates from that of the surrounding context.
Various scholars have since defended the authenticity of these passages.
It is also sometimes suggested that
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 is a post-Pauline insertion that has many features of
Lukan language and theology that serves as an apologetic correction to Paul's imminent expectation of the
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
in
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Some scholars, such as Schmithals, Eckhart, Demke and Munro, have developed complicated theories involving
redaction
Redaction or sanitization is the process of removing sensitive information from a document so that it may be distributed to a broader audience. It is intended to allow the selective disclosure of information. Typically, the result is a document ...
and interpolation in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Contents
Outline
# (1:1-10) Salutation and thanksgiving
# (2:1-20) Past interactions with the church
# (3:1-13) Regarding Timothy's visit
# (4:1-5:25) Specific issues within the church
## (4:1-12) Relationships among Christians
## (4:13-18) Mourning those who have died
## (5:1-11) Preparing for God's arrival
## (5:12-25) How Christians should behave
# (5:26-28) Closing salutation
Text
Paul, speaking for himself,
Silas
Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.
Name and ...
, and Timothy, gives thanks for the news about their faith and love; he reminds them of the kind of life he had lived while he was with them. Paul stresses how honorably he conducted himself, reminding them that he had worked to earn his keep, taking great pains not to burden anyone. He did this, he says, even though he could have used his status as an
apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...
to impose upon them.
Paul goes on to explain that the
dead will be resurrected prior to those still living, and both groups will greet the Lord in the air. Paul fully believed at the time of composition that he would be among the living who would experience the
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
, though he would go on to consider the possibility of death prior to Jesus’ return later in life.
See also
*
Authorship of the Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles are the thirteen books in the New Testament traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle.
There is strong consensus in modern New Testament scholarship on a core group of authentic Pauline epistles whose authorship is rare ...
*
Imitation of Christ
*
Second Epistle to the Thessalonians
The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, with Timothy as a co-author. The majority of biblical scholars came to conclude that 2 Thessa ...
Notes
References
External links
English Translation with Parallel Latin VulgateMultiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
entry in the
Catholic Encyclopedia
''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...
''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org* Various versions
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Epistle To The Thessalonians
1st-century Christian texts
Thessalonians 1
Pauline epistles
Thessalonians1
Christianity in Thessaloniki
Entering heaven alive