Text:

1. Determine the genre of the passage.

F.F. Bruce (1 Thess Word Biblical Commentary, 45:24) labels 2:1-12 an "apostolic defense" on the basis of its contents:
• On what basis can the genre of  2:1-12 be called "apostolic defense"?
• What does the label "apostolic defense" signify?
• Where are other such pericopes found in Paul? In Acts? In the New Testament?
• How does 2:1-12 compare in similarities and differences to these?

 

 
 
 

F.F. Bruce (1 Thess Word Biblical Commentary, 45:42-43) labels 2:13-16 as "Thanksgiving":

• How does the language of 2:13-16 compare to 1:2-10?
• Respond to Walter Schmithals' (Paul and the Gnostics, 176-181) argument at 2:13 begins a new letter running through 4:1 that has been interpolated into our present text minus a praescriptio.

2:1-12 context:

Most scholars agree that 2:1 begins the Body of the letter, but differ over where it ends.

Evaluate the proposals of ending at 2:12, 3:8, 3:13, or 4:12.

 
2:13-16 context:
• Do these verses contstitute a second thanksgiving after the earlier and longer thanksgiving of 1:2-10, as James Sanders in "The Transition from Opening Epistolary Thanksgiving to Body in the Letters of the Pauline Corpus," Journal of Biblical Literature 81 (1962) 356, argues? Or, should they be regarded as a continuation of the earlier Thanksgiving with 2:1-12 considered as a digression, as Paul Schubert, in Form and Function of the Pauline Thanksgivings BZNW 20, [Berlin: Töpelmann, 1939] 17-18, argues?
• Or, should 2:13-16 be considered as a later interpolation added later by non-Pauline hands, as argued by B.A. Pearson, in "1 Thessalonians 2:13-16: A Deutero-Pauline Interpolation," Harvard Theological Review 64 (1971) 79-94, and by H. Boers, in "The Form-Critical Study of Paul's Letters: 1 Thessalonians as a Case Study," New Testament Studies 22 (1975-76) 149-152? They propose the elimination of these verses from consideration of the original document sent by Paul.
• What arguments can be made in response to the originality of 2:13-16? How can the text be reasonably explained in light of such a stance, especially 2:13a Kai; dia; tou'to kai;?

• Compare the references in 2:1-16 to Acts 17:1-9.

2:1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters [Gk brothers], that our coming to you was not in vain, 2:2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 2:3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 2:5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 2:6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 2:7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle [Other ancient authorities read infants] among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 2:8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.      2:9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters [Gk brothers]; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 2:10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 2:11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 2:12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.       2:13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. 2:14 For you, brothers and sisters [Gk brothers], became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets [Other ancient authorities read their own prophets], and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 2:16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last [completely or forever].

17.1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."  4 And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.  5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people.  6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."  8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this.  9 And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Quite clearly 2:1-16 falls into two natural pericopes: 2:1-12 and 2:13-16.

How does 2:1-12 subdivide itself into natural units of thought expression? Compare the paragraph divisions of several translations with the Greek texts (UBS and N-A: sentences [1] vv. 1-2; [2] vv. 3-4; [3] vv. 5-8; [4] v. 9; [5] vv. 10-12) and with commentary discussion at this point.

How can the three Greek sentences in 2:13-16 ([6] v. 13; [7] vv. 14-16a; [8] v. 16b) be broken down?

• Sentence 1 (vv. 1-2):
• What was Paul's "shameful" treatment in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and how did it contribute positively to his ministry in Thessalonica?
• Define Paul's "great opposition" (ejn pollw'/ ajgw'ni) in Thessalonica from Acts 17:1-9 and Phil. 1:30.
• Sentence 2 (vv. 3-4):
• How does the conjunction ga;r link sentence 2 back to sentence 1?
• What is the sense of hJ paravklhsi" hJmw'n here?
• How do the ancient customs of wandering philosophers contribute to the understanding of Paul's declaration of motives here?
• Summarize Paul's declaration of proper motives.
• Sentence 3 (vv. 5-8)
• What does the phrase qeo;" mavrtu" (God is our witness) consititute? And, how does this relate to Matt. 5:33-37?
• Discuss the textual variant issue in v. 7 over the use of either nhvpioi or hvpioi, and how this impacts the translation.
• Summarize Paul's assertion of proper methods in his preaching ministry, both the denial of the improper and claim of the proper.
• Compare this declaration of responsibility to Rom. 1:14; 1 Cor. 4:1-4; 9:16, 17; 15:9, 10; 2 Cor 2:17; 4:1-15; Gal. 1:15-17; 2:7-10; Eph 3:7-13; Col. 1:23-2:5.
• Sentence 4 (v. 9)
• Describe the pattern of Paul's bi-vocational approach to ministry not only in Thessalonia but throughout his ministry.
• Does Paul's pattern become an authoritative pattern for every Christian minister today? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Sentence 5 (vv. 10-12)
• How does the phrase uJmei'" mavrture" kai; oJ qeov" relate to verse 5?
• Summarize Paul's assertion of proper behavior toward the Thessalonians.
• Respond to the ancient observation of Chrysostom and Pelagius that while Paul compares himself to a nurse or mother when he speaks of cherishing his converts, he compares himself to a father when he speaks of instructing them. What cultural significance exists in this shift of metaphors?
• Elaborate on Paul's expression of the purpose of his ministry to the Thessalonians in the expression eij" to; peripatei'n uJma'" ajxivw" tou' qeou' tou' kalou'nto" uJma'" eij" th;n eJautou' basileivan kai; dovxan at the end of verse 12.
• Sentence 6 (v. 13)
• Address the issue of the antecedent of the demonstrative pronoun "this" in the phrase dia; tou'to. How does this impact the translation and interpretation of the verse?
• How can the preacher's words become God's word? What dangers lurk in the shadows here?
• Compare the description of the Thessalonians' reception of the Gospel to that in Acts 17:1-9.
• Sentence 7 (vv. 14-16a)
• How did Paul apply the concept of 'imitators' here?
• What did Paul allude to in the statement "for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 2:16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved"?
• Sentence 8 (v. 16b)
• If this verse refers to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD do Pearson and Boers have a legitimate point that it is a later interpolation into the letter?
• How does Romans 11 relate to this statement?
• Explore the possible translations and meanings of the preceding phrase eij" to; ajnaplhrw'sai aujtw'n ta;" aJmartiva" pavntote and how 16b is connected to it.
• Compare several translations of 16b:
• NRSV: "but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last"
• RSV: "But God's  wrath has come upon them at last!"
• NASB: "But wrath has come upon them to the utmost."
• New Living Translation: "But the anger of God has caught up with them at last."
• KJV: ""for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost."
• NIV: "The wrath of God has come upon them at last."
• TEV: "And now God's wrath has at last fallen upon them!"
• Living Bible: "But the anger of God has caught up with them at last."
Has God's wrath already overtaken the Jewish opponents of Paul? If so, then what is Paul talking about?

6. Determine a central theme of the passage

The two natural pericopes of vv. 1-12 and vv. 13-16 should be developed separately, then possible connecting links explored.

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