Such was the case with Paul in the middle of the 1st century. He visited a city long enough to make some converts and setup a church, but then it was off to the next town. But Paul would keep in touch by means of letters, encouraging the churches he founded, providing instruction or addressing their questions, and in some cases, chastising them for not living up their potential.
Thessalonica was one of the cities where Paul’s visit was abruptly cut short. According to Acts 17:1-15, Jews angered at Paul’s evangelization efforts caused him to be driven out of town. Paul wanted to return but was unable so he sent Timothy to check up on the church. Timothy caught up with Paul in Corinth and brought back a positive report. Overjoyed at the news, Paul wrote a letter of encouragement back to the Thessalonians.
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thess) is the earliest Christian document we possess. Because it was written during Paul’s 18 month stay in Corinth, we can date it to 51 CE. It is very short and can be easily read in 15 minutes. I encourage you to give it a quick read either before or after completing this article.
You Know, You Know
The letter can be roughly divided into two parts. 1 Thess 1-3 praises the Thessalonians and recounts Paul’s short-lived ministry there and his desire to return. Chapters 4 and 5 provide extended instruction on the second coming of Christ (4:13-5:11) surrounded by exhortations to live a life pleasing to God. Unlike other Pauline letters, there are no weighty theological topics such as justification by faith.
The problem with trying to understand Paul’s correspondence is that we only have one half of the conversation. We have to infer the situation Paul is addressing from clues in the letters. For example, why does Paul spend so much of the letter reminding the Thessalonians of things they already know?
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain…as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel...as you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery…you remember our labor and toil…as you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father. (2:1-11)These reminders from Paul suggest that Timothy returned with news that others – disciples or rival Christian teachers – were speaking ill of Paul. Maybe they were calling him a coward, someone who cut and run at the first sign of trouble with the authorities, leaving his converts behind to suffer the consequences. They not only questioned his dedication but also the authenticity of his teaching.
In his defense Paul reminds his readers of the suffering and shameful mistreatment he received in Philippi and the opposition he encountered in Thessalonica. If his readers had suffered mistreatment from their fellow Gentiles, they can rest assured they are in solidarity with the Christian churches in Judea under attack by the Jewish population. Indeed, they are imitators of the Lord Jesus himself.
Unlike the wandering peddlers of exotic religions who told people what they wanted to hear in order to live off donations, Paul worked for his upkeep so as not to beg for charity. He did not seek praise nor did he make unreasonable demands. His teachings were authorized by God and the fruit of God’s word at work in the believers was proof of that.
Caught Up in the Clouds
The one new teaching in 1 Thess is the section on the coming of the Lord (4:13-5:11). The Greek word for “coming” is parousia, and was used in reference to the solemn arrival of a king at a certain place. Parousia occurs four times in 1 Thess and has become the technical term used in theological writings to refer to the second coming of Christ.
Paul wants the Thessalonians to know that those who have died will rise again. They won’t miss out, for at his coming Christ will raise the dead along with those who are still alive and all will be “caught up in the clouds together…to meet the Lord in the air” (4:17). The Greek word used for “caught up” was translated into the Latin Vulgate as rapturo (“seized, carried off”). This passage inspired the term for the Christian teaching of “rapture,” but that’s a topic for another time.
Why does Paul find it necessary to address the problem of Christians who have died? Not many Christians in Thessalonica would typically have died in the months since he visited them, unless they were killed as a result of official executions or unauthorized lynch mobs. This would underscore why some Thessalonians may have denigrated Paul as someone who stirred up trouble only to leave when the going got tough. Paul needed to address the situation and assure those still alive that their dead will rise again.
This section also tells us that Paul believes Christ will come soon, most likely in his lifetime. Those who have recently died are exceptions to the rule. Paul expected that most Christians living at the time of his writing would still be alive at the Parousia. But as time dragged on with no Parousia, this teaching became an embarrassment.
The second letter of Peter shows a church leader trying to deal with the problem of the delayed Parousia (2 Pet 3:1-13). As the last members of the apostolic generation died off (“ever since our fathers fell asleep”), doubters began to ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” The author’s answer is that, for the Lord, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Any perceived delay is to allow more people time to repent.
In closing his epistle, Paul urges the recipient to read it to all members of the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:27). No doubt a personal letter from Paul was treasured by the community as would be a letter from the pope today. Copies were made and distributed to other churches in the vicinity. By the 2nd century, they were considered part of what we today call the NT canon.
I wonder what Paul would think if he had known that his letters would be read daily by millions of Christians worldwide two thousand years later.
Unlike the wandering peddlers of exotic religions who told people what they wanted to hear in order to live off donations, Paul worked for his upkeep so as not to beg for charity. He did not seek praise nor did he make unreasonable demands. His teachings were authorized by God and the fruit of God’s word at work in the believers was proof of that.
 |
| Contemporary Christian art of raptured Christians meeting the Lord in the clouds are usually a lot more literal than this. |
The one new teaching in 1 Thess is the section on the coming of the Lord (4:13-5:11). The Greek word for “coming” is parousia, and was used in reference to the solemn arrival of a king at a certain place. Parousia occurs four times in 1 Thess and has become the technical term used in theological writings to refer to the second coming of Christ.
Paul wants the Thessalonians to know that those who have died will rise again. They won’t miss out, for at his coming Christ will raise the dead along with those who are still alive and all will be “caught up in the clouds together…to meet the Lord in the air” (4:17). The Greek word used for “caught up” was translated into the Latin Vulgate as rapturo (“seized, carried off”). This passage inspired the term for the Christian teaching of “rapture,” but that’s a topic for another time.
Why does Paul find it necessary to address the problem of Christians who have died? Not many Christians in Thessalonica would typically have died in the months since he visited them, unless they were killed as a result of official executions or unauthorized lynch mobs. This would underscore why some Thessalonians may have denigrated Paul as someone who stirred up trouble only to leave when the going got tough. Paul needed to address the situation and assure those still alive that their dead will rise again.
This section also tells us that Paul believes Christ will come soon, most likely in his lifetime. Those who have recently died are exceptions to the rule. Paul expected that most Christians living at the time of his writing would still be alive at the Parousia. But as time dragged on with no Parousia, this teaching became an embarrassment.
The second letter of Peter shows a church leader trying to deal with the problem of the delayed Parousia (2 Pet 3:1-13). As the last members of the apostolic generation died off (“ever since our fathers fell asleep”), doubters began to ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” The author’s answer is that, for the Lord, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Any perceived delay is to allow more people time to repent.
In closing his epistle, Paul urges the recipient to read it to all members of the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:27). No doubt a personal letter from Paul was treasured by the community as would be a letter from the pope today. Copies were made and distributed to other churches in the vicinity. By the 2nd century, they were considered part of what we today call the NT canon.
I wonder what Paul would think if he had known that his letters would be read daily by millions of Christians worldwide two thousand years later.
No comments:
Post a Comment