“First Epistle to the Thessalonians”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, usually referred to simply as First Thessalonians (written 1 Thessalonians and abbreviated 1 Thess.^[1] or 1 Thes.), is the thirteenth book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The first letter to the Thessalonians was likely the first of Paul's letters, probably written by the end of AD 52.^[2]

Composition

Most New Testament scholars believe Paul the Apostle wrote this letter from Corinth, although information appended to this work in many early manuscripts (e.g., Codices Alexandrinus, Mosquensis, and Angelicus) state that Paul wrote it in Athens^[3] after Timothy had returned from Macedonia with news of the state of the church in Thessalonica ({{bibleverse||Acts|18:1–5|49}}; {{bibleverse|1|Thes.|3:6|49}}). For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with only the final two chapters spent addressing issues of doctrine, almost as an aside. Paul's main purpose in writing is to encourage and reassure the Christians there. Paul urges them to go on working quietly while waiting in hope for the return of Christ.

Date

Unlike all subsequent Pauline epistles, 1 Thessalonians does not focus on justification by faith or questions of Jewish–Gentile relations, themes that are covered in all other letters. Many scholars see this as an indication that this letter was written before the Epistle to the Galatians, where Paul's positions on these matters were formed and elucidated.^[2]

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.^[4] 1 Thessalonians matches other accepted Pauline letters, both in style and in content, and its authorship is also affirmed by 2 Thessalonians.^[5]

It is also sometimes suggested that 1 Thes. 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 in 1 Thes. 4:13–18.^[10]

Other scholars, such as Schmithals,^[11] Eckhart,^[12] Demke^[13] and Munro,^[14] have developed complicated theories involving redaction and interpolation in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Audience

Paul claimed the title of the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and established gentile churches in several important cities in the Roman Empire.^[15]

According to Bart D. Ehrman, the Acts of the Apostles tells a different story of Paul's career,^[15] but in this case it reports that, while there were "some" Jews converted during Paul's initial preaching in Thessalonica, the gentiles who were converted were "a large number" and the Jews as a body fiercely opposed Paul's work there.^[16]

Outline

Text

Paul, speaking for himself, Silas, 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 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.^[17]

See also

References

1. ^Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.
2. ^¹Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, Anchor Bible, 1997. pp. 456–466.
3. ^Ernest Best, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (New York: Harper and Row, 1972), p. 7
4. ^Best, Thessalonians, pp. 22–29.
5. ^"The only possible reference to a previous missive is in 2:15...." Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, Anchor Bible, 1997. p. 590.
6. ^CollegeVille Bible Commentary, p 1155
7. ^Pearson, p. 88
8. ^Birger A. Pearson, "[https://www.jstor.org/pss/1508972 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 A Deutero Pauline Interpolation]", Harvard Theological Review, 64 (1971), pp. 79–94
9. ^Schmidt, D., "I Thess 2:13–16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation," JBL 102 (1983): 269–279
10. ^G. Friedrich, "1. Thessalonicher 5,1–11, der apologetische Einschub eines Spaeteren," ZTK 70 (1973) 289
11. ^Schmithals, W., Paul and the Gnostics Transl. by J. Steely (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1972), 123–218
12. ^K. G. Eckart, "Der zweite echte Brief des Apostels Paulus an die Thessalonicher," ZThK (1961), 30–44
13. ^Theologie und Literarkritik im 1. Thessalonicherbrief
14. ^The Later Stratum in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Authority in Paul and Peter: The Identification of a Pastoral Stratum in the Pauline Corpus and 1 Peter
15. ^¹Ehrman, Bart. Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. Oxford University Press, USA. 2006. {{ISBN|0-19-530013-0}}
16. ^{{bibleverse||Acts|17:4–5|NIV}}
17. ^{{bibleref2|1 Thessalonians|4:13–18}}