This unique commentary on Paul’s early letters by an outstanding New Testament specialist, provides a broad range of original perspectives of how people have interpreted, and been influenced by, Paul’s first two letters.
Addresses questions concerning the content, setting, and authenticity of the two Thessalonian letters, drawing on responses from leading scholars, poets, hymn writers, preachers, theologians, and biblical scholars throughout the ages Offers new insights into issues they raise concerning feminist biblical interpretation. Provides a history of two-way influences, as exemplified by Ulrich Luz, Hans Robert Jauss, and Hans-Georg Gadamer Written by Anthony Thiselton, a leading commentator on the Greek New Testament
Series Editors’ Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Abbreviations xv Introduction 1 The Aims of Reception History 1 The Situation and Substance of 1 Thessalonians 7 The City of Thessalonica 10 Traditional and Nineteenth-Century Arguments about the Authenticity of 2 Thessalonians and Their Criticism 11 The Situation and Substance of 2 Thessalonians 15 Some Key Interpreters in the Reception History of 1 and 2 Thessalonians 19 1 Thessalonians 21 Paul’s Address, Thanksgiving, Prayer, and Reflection on His Visit (1 Thessalonians 1:1–10) 23 Address, Thanksgiving, and Prayer (1 Thess. 1:1–6a) 23 Introduction and Overview 23 The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Era 25 The Medieval Period 27 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 29 The Eighteenth Century 33 The Nineteenth Century 35 Paul’s Reflection on His Visit: The Readers are an Example to Believers from Greece (1 Thess. 1:6b–10) 38 Introduction and Overview 38 The Subapostolic and Patristic Era 39 The Medieval Period 41 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 43 The Eighteenth Century 46 The Nineteenth Century 48 Paul’s Autobiographical Reflections and Defense (1 Thessalonians 2:1–8) 50 Introduction and Overview 51 The Patristic Era 52 The Medieval Period 55 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 58 The Eighteenth Century 61 The Nineteenth Century 62 How the Readers Received the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:9–16) 65 Introduction and Overview 65 The Patristic Era 68 The Medieval Period 70 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 72 The Eighteenth Century 75 The Nineteenth Century 76 Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians and Timothy’s Visit and News (1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13) 79 Introduction and Overview 79 The Patristic Era 81 The Medieval Period 85 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 88 The Eighteenth Century 90 The Nineteenth Century 92 The Call to Holiness, Especially to Holiness and Love in Personal Relationships (1 Thessalonians 4:1–12) 95 Introduction and Overview 95 The Patristic Era 98 The Medieval Period 101 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods 103 The Eighteenth Century 108 The Nineteenth Century 110 The Living and the Dead Share Together in the Parousia and in the Resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18) Introduction and Overview 115 The Patristic Era 120 The Medieval Period 129 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 132 The Eighteenth Century 137 The Nineteenth Century 140 Note on “the Rapture” in Dispensationalist Views of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 143 The Day of the Lord: Timing and Light (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11) 146 Introduction and Overview 146 The Patristic Era 148 The Medieval Era 151 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 154 The Eighteenth Century 156 The Nineteenth Century 158 Various Christian Duties and Closure (1 Thessalonians 5:12–28) 161 Introduction and Overview 161 The Patristic Era 162 The Medieval Era 167 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 168 The Eighteenth Century 173 The Nineteenth Century 174 2 Thessalonians 177 Address, Greetings, and Thanksgiving (2 Thessalonians 1:1–4) 179 Introduction and Overview 179 The Subapostolic and Patristic Eras 180 The Medieval Period 182 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 185 The Eighteenth Century 188 The Nineteenth Century 189 Encouragement and Prayer: The Judgment of God and the Revelation of Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5–12) 191 Introduction and Overview 191 The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Era 193 The Medieval Church 197 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 201 The Eighteenth Century 206 The Nineteenth Century 209 The Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12) 211 Introduction and Overview of 2 Thess. 2:1–12 211 The Advent of Christ and the “Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2:1–6a); Note on the Antichrist 213 Introduction and Overview 213 Note on the Antichrist 213 The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Period 217 The Medieval Period 223 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 226 Eighteenth Century Pietism 229 The Nineteenth Century 230 “He Who Now Restrains” and “The Lawless One” (2 Thess. 2:6b–12) 231 Introduction and Overview 231 The Patristic Era 233 The Medieval Period 236 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 239 The Eighteenth Century 242 The Nineteenth Century 242 Thanksgiving, Exhortation and Benediction (2 Thessalonians 2:13–17) 245 Introduction and Overview 245 The Subapostolic and Patristic Eras 246 The Medieval Era 248 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 249 The Eighteenth Century 251 The Nineteenth Century 253 Further Prayer and Exhortation, Largely New Issues (2 Thessalonians 3:1–18) 256 Further Prayer (2 Thess. 3:1–5) 256 Overview 256 The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Period 257 The Medieval Era 259 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 260 The Eighteenth Century 262 The Nineteenth Century 263 Exhortation and Admonition about “Idlers” or Undisciplined People (2 Thess. 3:6–13) 264 Introduction and Overview 264 The Subapostolic and Patristic Periods 265 The Medieval Period 268 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 270 The Eighteenth Century 272 The Nineteenth Century 273 Final Exhortations, Greetings, and Benediction (2 Thess. 3:14–18) 274 Introduction and Overview 274 The Subapostolic and Patristic Periods 274 The Medieval Period 275 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 277 The Eighteenth Century 278 The Nineteenth Century 279 Brief Biographies 281 Bibliography 288 Index of Biblical and Jewish Texts (Canonical and Deuterocanonical Order) 300 Index of Names 306 Index of Subjects 312
Anthony C. Thiselton is Emeritus Professor of Christian Theology, University of Nottingham, and Emeritus Professor of Christian Theology at the University of Chester. He is also a Fellow of King's College London, and a Fellow of the British Academy, and has served on the General Synod of the Church of England for 15 years and the Crown Nominations Commission for 10. He has taught in all parts of the world and is the author of 33 books, including The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (2000), and numerous other works including Interpreting God and the Postmodern Self (1995), A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion (2002), and The Hermeneutics of Doctrine (2007).
Reviews for 1 and 2 Thessalonians Through the Centuries
The book is valuable for its historical coverage - there are 89 'brief biographies' at the end of the book - and also for Thiselton's own brief but wise comments. (Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1 November 2012)
