Editor's Preface
Editor's Preface viii
Author's Preface to the First Edition x
Author's Preface to the Revised Edition xi
1. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA 1
II. OCCASION AND PURPOSE OF 1 THESSALONIANS 6
III. OCCASION AND PURPOSE OF 2 THESSALONIANS 11
IV. THE DATE OF THE EPISTLES 12
V. THE AUTHENTICITY OF 1 THESSALONIANS 15
VI. THE AUTHENTICITY OF 2 THESSALONIANS 17
VII. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO EPISTLES 23
COMMENTARY ON 1 THESSALONIANS 31
II. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (1:2-4) 39
III. REMINISCENCES (1:5-2:16) 44
A. Response of the Thessalonians to the Original Preaching (1:5-10) 44
B. The Preaching of the Gospel at Thessalonica (2:1-16) 57
1. The Preachers' Motives (2:1-6) 57
2. The Preachers' Maintenance (2:7-9) 68
3. The Preachers' Behavior (2:10-12) 74
4. The Preachers' Message (2:13-16) 78
IV. THE RELATIONSHIP OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS (2:17-3:13) 86
A. Paul's Desire to Return (2:17-18) 86
B. Paul's Joy in the Thessalonians (2:19-20) 89
C. Timothy's Mission (3:1-5) 92
D. Timothy's Report (3:6-8) 100
E. Paul's Satisfaction (3:9-10) 103
F. Paul's Prayer (3:11-13) 106
V. EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN LIVING (4:1-12) 113
A. General Exhortations (4:1-2) 113
C. Brotherly Love (4:9-10) 127
D. Earning One's Living (4:11-12) 130
VI. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PAROUSIA (4:13-5:11) 134
A. Believers Who Die before the Parousia (4:13-18) 134
B. The Time of the Parousia (5:1-3) 148
C. Children of the Day (5:4-11) 153
VII. LIFE IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY (5:12-22) 163
VIII. CONCLUSION (5:23-28) 180
COMMENTARY ON 2 THESSALONIANS 189
B. Divine Judgment (1:6-10) 198
C. The Content of Paul's Prayer (1:11-12) 208
III. THE PAROUSIA (2:1-12) 212
A. The Day of the Lord Not Yet Present (2:1-2) 212
B. The Great Rebellion (2:3-12) 217
1. The Man of Lawlessness (2:3-10a) 217
2. The Man of Lawlessness 'c Followers (2:10b-12) 233
IV. THANKSGIVING AND ENCOURAGEMENT (2:13-17) 237
B. Prayer for the Converts (2:16-17) 242
V. THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD (3:1-5) 245
A. Request for Prayer (3:1-2) 245
B. God's Faithfulness (3:3-5) 248
VI. GODLY DISCIPLINE (3:6-15) 252
A. The Disorderly (3:6-13) 252
B. The Disobedient (3:14-15) 259
INDEXES 265
1. SUBJECTS 265
II. AUTHORS 269
III. SCRIPTURE 272