1 and 2 Thessalonians Through the Centuries

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).

• Series Editors’ Preface xiAcknowledgments xiiiAbbreviations xvIntroduction 1The Aims of Reception History 1The Situation and Substance of 1 Thessalonians 7The City of Thessalonica 10Traditional and Nineteenth-Century Arguments about the Authenticity of 2 Thessalonians and Their Criticism 11The Situation and Substance of 2 Thessalonians 15Some Key Interpreters in the Reception History of 1 and 2 Thessalonians 191 Thessalonians 21Paul’s Address, Thanksgiving, Prayer, and Reflection on His Visit (1 Thessalonians 1:1–10) 23Address, Thanksgiving, and Prayer (1 Thess. 1:1–6a) 23Introduction and Overview 23The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Era 25The Medieval Period 27The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 29The Eighteenth Century 33The Nineteenth Century 35Paul’s Reflection on His Visit: The Readers are an Example to Believers from Greece (1 Thess. 1:6b–10) 38Introduction and Overview 38The Subapostolic and Patristic Era 39The Medieval Period 41The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 43The Eighteenth Century 46The Nineteenth Century 48Paul’s Autobiographical Reflections and Defense (1 Thessalonians 2:1–8) 50Introduction and Overview 51The Patristic Era 52The Medieval Period 55The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 58The Eighteenth Century 61The Nineteenth Century 62How the Readers Received the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:9–16) 65Introduction and Overview 65The Patristic Era 68The Medieval Period 70The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 72The Eighteenth Century 75The Nineteenth Century 76Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians and Timothy’s Visit and News (1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13) 79Introduction and Overview 79The Patristic Era 81The Medieval Period 85The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 88The Eighteenth Century 90The Nineteenth Century 92The Call to Holiness, Especially to Holiness and Love in Personal Relationships (1 Thessalonians 4:1–12) 95Introduction and Overview 95The Patristic Era 98The Medieval Period 101The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods 103The Eighteenth Century 108The Nineteenth Century 110The Living and the Dead Share Together in the Parousia and in the Resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)Introduction and Overview 115The Patristic Era 120The Medieval Period 129The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 132The Eighteenth Century 137The Nineteenth Century 140Note on “the Rapture” in Dispensationalist Views of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 143The Day of the Lord: Timing and Light (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11) 146Introduction and Overview 146The Patristic Era 148The Medieval Era 151The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 154The Eighteenth Century 156The Nineteenth Century 158Various Christian Duties and Closure (1 Thessalonians 5:12–28) 161Introduction and Overview 161The Patristic Era 162The Medieval Era 167The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 168The Eighteenth Century 173The Nineteenth Century 1742 Thessalonians 177Address, Greetings, and Thanksgiving (2 Thessalonians 1:1–4) 179Introduction and Overview 179The Subapostolic and Patristic Eras 180The Medieval Period 182The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 185The Eighteenth Century 188The Nineteenth Century 189Encouragement and Prayer: The Judgment of God and the Revelation of Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5–12) 191Introduction and Overview 191The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Era 193The Medieval Church 197The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 201The Eighteenth Century 206The Nineteenth Century 209The Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12) 211Introduction and Overview of 2 Thess. 2:1–12 211The Advent of Christ and the “Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2:1–6a); Note on the Antichrist 213Introduction and Overview 213Note on the Antichrist 213The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Period 217The Medieval Period 223The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 226Eighteenth Century Pietism 229The Nineteenth Century 230“He Who Now Restrains” and “The Lawless One” (2 Thess. 2:6b–12) 231Introduction and Overview 231The Patristic Era 233The Medieval Period 236The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 239The Eighteenth Century 242The Nineteenth Century 242Thanksgiving, Exhortation and Benediction (2 Thessalonians 2:13–17) 245Introduction and Overview 245The Subapostolic and Patristic Eras 246The Medieval Era 248The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 249The Eighteenth Century 251The Nineteenth Century 253Further Prayer and Exhortation, Largely New Issues (2 Thessalonians 3:1–18) 256Further Prayer (2 Thess. 3:1–5) 256Overview 256The Apostolic Fathers and the Patristic Period 257The Medieval Era 259The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 260The Eighteenth Century 262The Nineteenth Century 263Exhortation and Admonition about “Idlers” or Undisciplined People (2 Thess. 3:6–13) 264Introduction and Overview 264The Subapostolic and Patristic Periods 265The Medieval Period 268The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 270The Eighteenth Century 272The Nineteenth Century 273Final Exhortations, Greetings, and Benediction (2 Thess. 3:14–18) 274Introduction and Overview 274The Subapostolic and Patristic Periods 274The Medieval Period 275The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras 277The Eighteenth Century 278The Nineteenth Century 279Brief Biographies 281Bibliography 288Index of Biblical and Jewish Texts (Canonical and Deuterocanonical Order) 300Index of Names 306Index of Subjects 312