From Hope To Despair In Thessalonica

This ground breaking analysis cuts to the heart of the critical debate surrounding the two Thessalonian Epistles. Colin R. Nicholl examines the situations giving rise to each Letter with a view to determining how the two relate historically. His book presents an original and compelling hypothesis, arguing that reflected in the Letters are two stages of a single crisis plaguing a recently formed Greek Church, which spiralled from hope into despair on account of confusion about 'the end'. In addition to making a fresh case for the authenticity of 2 Thessalonians and resolving one of the most difficult problems in the Bible - the identity of 'the Restrainer' - this monograph is a comprehensive analysis of the Thessalonian Epistles. It will provide an indispensable resource for scholars and pastors interested in the Thessalonian correspondence.

The study of Paul's Thessalonian letters is enjoying fresh interest today. These texts are considered by many to be amongst the earliest extant Christian documents. They are included in conversations about early Jewish and Christian apocalypticism. New insights are coming from examination of the religious, socio-cultural, and political contexts of Roman Thessalonica. And, looking back, these letters have played an important role in the development of Christian eschatology. This volumes serves as an up-to-date guide to these academic discussions and debates and much more. This volume on 1 and 2 Thessalonians in the Zondervan Critical Introductions to the New Testament series offers a volume-length engagement with subjects that normally only receive short treatments in biblical commentaries or in New Testament Introductions. This volume addresses: Authorship Date Audience Socio-Historical Context Genre Purpose Integrity Textual History Greek Style Structure Argument Other Critical Issues Main Interpretive Issues Reception into the Canon Selected History of Interpretation Bibliography

This second volume of studies by members of the SBL Seminar on Ancient Myths and Modern Theories of Christian Origins reassesses the agenda of modern scholarship on Paul and the Corinthians. The contributors challenge the theory of religion assumed in most New Testament scholarship and adopt a different set of theoretical and historical terms for redescribing the beginnings of the Christian religion. They propose explanations of the relationship between Paul and the recipients of 1 Corinthians; the place of Paul's Christ-myth for his gospel; the reasons for a disinterest in and rejection of Paul's gospel and/or for the reception and attraction of it; and the disjunction between Paul's collective representation of the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians and the Corinthians' own engagement with Paul in mythmaking and social formation, including mutual (mis)translation and (mis)appropriation of the other's discourse and practices.

1 and 2 Thessalonians is another release in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series—the only commentary series with a graphical display, theology in application section and identification of the main idea for each section. Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament brings together commentary features rarely gathered in one volume. Written by notable evangelical scholars, each volume treats the literary context and structure of the passage in the original Greek and each author provides an original translation based on the literary structure. The series consistently provides a main point, exegetical outline, verse-by-verse commentary, and theology in application in each section of every commentary. Critical scholarship informs each step but does not dominate the commentary, allowing readers to concentrate on the biblical author’s message as it unfolds. While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek, all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will find these books beneficial.

This 1 and 2 Thessalonians commentary bundle features volumes from the NIV Application Commentary Series, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series, and Story of God Bible Commentary Series authored by Michael W. Holmes, Gary S. Shogren, and John Byron. The diverse features from each of the volumes gives you all the tools you need to master the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

David Luckensmeyer gelingt durch die Untersuchung der eschatologischen Motive ein hervorragender Zugang zum ersten Thessalonicherbrief. Er analysiert die grundlegenden Richtungen des enthaltenen Diskurses erstmalig, und verdeutlicht sowohl die Rhetorik wie auch die Briefstruktur des 1. Briefes an die Thessalonicher. Durch diese Zugangsweise lassen sich die verschiedenen eschatologischen Motive als Teil einer systematischen Aufforderung des Verfassers an eine Gemeinde verstehen, die einen Konflikt zu bestehen hat.Luckensmeyer verdeutlicht die Eschatologie als den besten hermeneutischen Schlüssel, um die systematischen Aspekte des Briefes zu interpretieren. Es besteht kein Zweifel: Eschatologische Motive sind im Überfluss vorhanden, etwa in 1,9–10; 2,13–16; 4,13–18 oder 5,1–11. Der Frage, auf welche Weise diese Motive die Absichten des Paulus in seinem Schreiben verdeutlichen, widmet sich Luckensmeyer ganz besonders. Paulus kann verständlich machen, warum die Thessalonicher im Konflikt leben und sie zugleich zu einem neuen Verständnis von Gemeinde ermutigen.Die ausführliche Bibliographie gibt einen guten Überblick über die neueste Sekundärliteratur und verschiedene Register erleichtern den Zugang.

The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible encourages readers to explore how the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition inform and shape faithfulness today. In this volume, one of today's leading theologians offers a theological reading of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. As with other series volumes, this commentary is designed to serve the church, providing a rich resource for preachers, teachers, students, and study groups.

Though often neglected among readers of Paul's letters, his two surviving letters to the church in Thessalonica are highly valuable sources for reconstructing the theology of Paul and the history of the earliest Christian churches. First and Second Thessalonians also stand out for their intensely personal nature and provide a rare glimpse into Paul's methods of pastoral care. This practical commentary interacts with the best scholarship on the Thessalonian letters while offering fresh new insights.