A Commentary in Simple English on 1 Thessalonians

Notes

[1.1] (1:1) It is notable that here and in the opening of the second Epistle Paul is simply ‘Paul’ and not ‘the apostle’. Already in Galatians 1:1 he is ‘Paul, an apostle’.

It is usual to assume that although Paul associates other names with his own, the epistle is largely his. This does not really pay due regard to the words of scripture. Much New Testament writing mixes doctrine and practice and keeps coming back to the same topics. This is true in Hebrews, the epistles of Peter and James, and perhaps 1 John. It is also true in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, where no one else is associated with Paul, and perhaps in Galatians and 2 Corinthians . Was it Timothy who took Paul’s material and arranged it in the other epistles? Did he put doctrine first and practice after?

We will not suggest what Silas’ contribution to the Thessalonian epistles might have been!

[1.2] (1: 6) J. L. Sumney's article ‘Paul's weakness’ in JSNT. 52 at pages 71-91 (1993) gives useful background information about the life style of religious leaders and teachers in the New Testament period.

Religious teachers could support themselves by charging students, by entering a wealthy household, by begging or by working. In the philosophical schools of the day, these options were discussed. Working was the least popular, because professional people of the day despised manual work. However, it was often Paul's choice. Every Jew was expected to have a trade, and this included the ‘rabbis’ or teachers.

[2.1] (2:4) R C H Lenski in his ‘Interpretation of Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon‘, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis (1964) gives an explanation of the details of this passage. (verses 3 and 4).

Paul had used teaching first of all to move them to do freely and with pleasure what they ought to do. Then he had encouraged them to face up to affliction by moving them with godly fear. Then Paul had testified to God's will and Word. If we speak frankly to people face to face we gain the right to be frank and open when we speak in public.

[2.2] (2:12) In the Journal for the Study of the New Testament 42 (1991) at pages 79-98 there is a thorough and careful study of verses 13-16 by Jon A. Weatherly.

[2.3] (2:13) Paul's reference 2 v 14 to the persecution of Christian Jews by unbelieving Jews is important. The Jewish style teachers from Jerusalem wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised and become members of the Jewish community. No doubt they would say that they were trying to heal the rift between the Church and the synagogue which Paul had brought about. Paul tells us in Galatians 4 : 12 that their motive for this was to avoid persecution. As Jews, the converts would avoid persecution by the Romans, because they would belong to a legal religion. At a later stage, Christianity was exposed to persecution by the Romans because it became clear that it was a different religion from Judaism and therefore was not legal. On the other hand, if great numbers of Gentile Christians became Jews, then the Jerusalem church might expect to become popular within Judaism and so avoid persecution from that side. The situation changed somewhat as the years went by, but Paul is saying here: ‘It is no good becoming Jews. Unbelieving Jews persecute Christian Jews‘. If the church had become a sect of the Jewish religion, it would have disappeared in A.D. 70 like other Jewish sects. Paul is clear: the only way to triumph is by suffering.

[4.1] (4:13 )There is all too little teaching on such matters. The preface to John Owen's famous ‘Glory of Christ’ contains valuable teaching on preparation for death. Samuel Rutherford's Letters also contain many arguments to support ourselves when we lose loved ones. W.G. Blaikie (in ‘The Expositors Bible series‘) on II Samuel 18 contains some valuable material.

[5.1] (5:8) ‘Warriors of Rome’ by Michael Simpkins (Blandford London, 1992) contains many pictures of Roman helmets. ‘Breastplates’ were sometimes made of mail, sometimes scale armour, sometimes plates. Armour might last through several generations and some gladiators wore armour in the arena. This helped in development. A man joining the Roman army had to provide his own equipment. When the army was recruited from solid Latin peasants, this was possible. As the centuries passed, the quality of armour tended to decline as the legions had to be recruited outside Italy.

Bibliography

1. Versions

The English 'Authorised Version' "The Newberry Bible", Hodder and Stoughton, London

The 'Revised Version', Oxford University Press, 1887.

R A Knox, The New Testament, Burns Oates and Washbourne Ltd London 1951.

"The Moffatt Translation of The Bible", Hodder & Stoughton, London 1957.

Dr.R F Weymouth "The New Testament in Modern Speech", James Clarke & Co London, 1908

"The Amplified New Testament", Marshall Morgan & Scott, London 1968

"The New English Bible", Oxford University Press & Cambridge University Press, 1970

"The Bible in Today's English Version", United Bible Societies.

"The Zondervan Parallel New Testament in Greek and English", Zondervan, Grand Rapids, America, 1986

"The Revised English Bible", Oxford University Press & Cambridge University Press, 1989

"God's New Covenant", Heinz W Cassirer, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1989

"The Letters of St Paul", Arthur S Way, Marshall Morgan & Scott Ltd, London & Edinburgh. Reprinted 1951"

Works on I Thessalonians

Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians by John Calvin. Translation by T H L Parker. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London, 1965,

Interpretation of Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon by R C H Lenski. Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1964.

The Epistles to the Thessalonians (in The Expositor's Bible) by James Denney. Hodder and Stoughton, London 1892.

! & II Thessalonians: A Digest of Reformed Comment by G B Wilson. The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, 1975.

I & II Thessalonians in the Tyndale N.T. Commentaries by Rev. Canon Leon Morris. Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester and W B Eerdman Publishing Co. 1991.