Worksheet for Exegeting a Text
Week Two: Praescriptio
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Last revised: 1/27/01
DSNT401O  |  Greek 495T  |  OFFICE HOURS  | EXEGETING A TEXT  |  BIBLIOGRAPHY  |  INTERNET RESOURCES
NAME:__________________________________________________________ DUE DATE:  LESSON #:  2
COURSE ENROLLMENT: ______ MDiv Student; ________ Undergraduate Student DATE TURNED IN: TEXT STUDIED: 
1 T 1:1
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Superscriptio Pau'lo" kai; Silouano;" kai; Timovqeo" Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
Adscriptio th'/ ejkklhsiva/ Qessalonikevwn ejn qew'/ patri; kai; kurivw/  jIhsou' Cristw'/, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Salutatio cavri" uJmi'n kai; eijrhvnh.  Grace to you and peace.

1. Determine the genre of the passage.

 
2. Determine the literary context of the passage.
 
3. Determine the time/place references in the passage.
  1. Summarize the location and background of the city of Thessalonica.
  2. Summarize the formation and background of the Christian community at Thessalonica.
  3. Identify the probably time of the composition of this letter.
4. Analyze the internal literary structure of the passage.
 
5. Determine the interpretative issues -- both theologically and exegetically -- present in the passage.
  1. Where was Paul when this letter was composed?
  2. Who were Silvanus and Timothy?
  3. What was the cultural background significance of the greetings 'grace' and 'peace'?
  4. Why was the expansion element "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:" added in the Adscriptio?
  5. Using the chart completed in Lesson 1, characterize this passage with the other praescriptia. How is it similar? How is it different?
6. Determine a central theme of the passage
 
7. Develop an exegetical outline of the passage.
 
8.  Develop a short, one page sermon brief from the passage.