Introduction to 1 Thessalonians
Introduction to 1 Thessalonians
Writing a commentary on Paul’s two letters to the believers in Thessalonica would in some ways seem to require three introductions: one regarding the city and its Christian community, matters that will be of concern to both letters; and a second and third one on the two letters themselves, since even though they have some obvious relationships with each other, each in fact is unique to itself; and especially because the authorship of the second letter is disputed by many, it requires a much larger section on this matter in that case. But I will here stay with the tradition and offer only two introductions. Where I will tend to part from the tradition is by offering separate introductions at the beginning of each commentary, rather than to offer them both at the beginning of the book as a whole. This is simply my own attempt to give 2 Thessalonians its proper due, rather than to have it “tag along” with a commentary on the first letter.1 In the present case I begin with the more “settled” matters (authorship and date) and then move on to the more substantive questions regarding the city of Thessalonica and the nature of the nascent Christian community in this bustling metropolis, and thus the occasion of the present letter.