Page 4 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

of one of their four newly created districts,” namely; Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, and
Thessalonica .
3

With the population of about 100, 000
people, it kept growing both numerically
and in prosperity due to two factors:
possession of the best natural harbor in
the entire Aegean Sea and its location “on
the juncture of the Via Egnatia which was
the major east-west highway that
extended from Asia Minor all the way to
Rome.” As a result, Thessalonica was
“situated in the path of both commercial
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and military enterprises.”

Religiously, it had a plethora gods. The
prominent god was known as “Cabirus,” “a
martyred hero, murdered by his two
brothers . . . expected to return” in order
“to help the oppressed poor in general and
the citizens of Thessalonica in particular.”
“The imperial cult with its worship of
Rome and the emperor also played a key
role in the religious life of Thessalonica.” It also served “to ensure the ongoing favor of the current
Roman emperor by visibly” demanding “the city’s allegiance to his leadership.” It is no wonder that
Paul’s proclamation of “another king. . .Jesus” would lead to accusation that he was violating
“Caesar’s decrees” (Acts 17:7). The church at Thessalonica believed and “turned to God from idols”
(1 Thess. 1:9; cf. 2:14).
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Paul (with Silas and Timothy) came to Thessalonica from Philippi on his second missionary journey,
stopping in Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving there (Acts 17). He preached in the city’s
synagogue, the chief synagogue of the region, for at least three weeks. His ministry was strong, and
he established a Jewish-Gentile church, although it was more heavily Gentile (1 Thess. 1:9).

The Author of the book
Grounded on internal evidence, it is fair to conjecture that Paul, Silas or Timothy were the authors.
Most orthodoxy scholars ascribe the primary authorship to Paul. Apparently, the mentioning of Silas
and Timothy in the opening of both canonical books (1 Thess.. 1:1; 2 Thess.. 1:1), as Carson and Moo
argued, suggests “close associations with the Thessalonians.” However, it is Paul’s voice which is
heard in the letter. Some from “Tübingen and Dutch schools” disputed Pauline authorship because
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st
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1 Thessalonians appears to be “un-theological in content” and does not attack “legalism.” Paul’s
emphasis in the book is to discuss in detail the doctrine of eschatology (1 Thess.. 4:13—5:11; cf. 2
Thess.. 2:1-17).

3 Barry J. Beitzel, The New Moody Atlas of the Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 259.

3 Jeffrey A. D. Weima, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Romans to Philemon, Vol.
3. ed., Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 405-07.
nd
6 D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2 ed. (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2005), 535.
7 Merrill C. Tenney, ed., The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5: Q-Z (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 1976), 722-23.

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