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THE NEW INTERNATIONALGREEK TESTAMENT COMMENTARY

EditorsI. Howard Marshall

andW. Ward Gasque

THE EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS


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The New International Greek Testament ommentar!

THE EPISTLES TO THE

THE S S ALONIAN S

A Commentary on theGreek Text

"!

HA#LES A. WANAMA$E#

inenr.gt

v %L&%oiha* AOM!

WILLIAM ". EER#MANS $%"LISHING COM$ANY &&&&GRAN# RA$I#S' MICHIGAN

THE $ATERNOSTER $RESSE(ETER


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#E#ICATION

The letters o' Paul to the newl! 'ounded hristian %ommunit! atThessaloni%a hold a s(e%ial (la%e within the hristian tradition as the!are )er! (ossi"l! the earliest e*tant hristian writin+s. ,or hristiansli)in+ in o((ressi)e so%ieties su%h as %ontem(orar! South -'ri%a the! holdanother si+ni'i%an%e. Amon+ the %ommunities esta" lished "! Paul the

%hur%h at Thessaloni%a a((ears to ha)e "een the onl! one to ha)esu''ered serious e*ternai o((ression. As I ha)e ar+ued in the %ommentar!/'ollowin+ the lead o' se)eral other s%holars/ the initial o((ression o' thehristians at Thessaloni%a )er! (ro"a"l! resulted 'rom the %hallen+e thattheir new 'aith (osed to #oman im(erial ideolo+!0 in (rin%i(ie/ either theim(erial %laims o' #ome and its em(erors or the %laims o' hristiansre+ardin+ their Lord/ 1esus hrist/ who u as to %ome 'rom hea)en toassert his so)erei+nt!/ had to "e honored. The hristians at Thessaloni%a%hose 1esus as their Lord/ not aesar/ and so (aid the (ri%e 'or re2e%tin+

the ideolo+! o' the dominant %ulture.Man! hristians in a(artheid South -'ri%a ha)e re%o+ni3ed a

similar %hallen+e/ the more insidious "! )irtue o' the State s %laim to "e'ounded on hristian (rin%i(ies. The e*am(le o'the Thessalonianhristians/ who re'used to "ow to %oer%i)e o((ression o' the idolatrousdominant so%iet!/ has "een emulated not onl! "! su%h wellknownhristian o((onents o' a(artheid as Ar%h"isho( 4es mond Tutu/#e)erend Allan 5oesak/ and #e)erend . ,. 5e!ers Naud6/ "ut also "!hundreds and thousands o' unknown hristians who ha)e li)ed%oura+eousl!/ o'ten su''erin+/ sometimes e)en d!in+ 'or their "elie' that1esus7 Lordshi( means 'reedom and 2usti%e 'or all. In so doin+/ the! standin the tradition o' the hristians at Thessaloni%a/ o' Paul/ who was nostran+er to State o((ression 89 or. ::09;9:?=/ andultimatel! o' 1esus himsel' who died as an enem! o' #ome. This%ommentar! is dedi%ated to all those hristians who ha)e su''ered in the(ast/ are su''erin+ at (resent/ or who will "e %alled on to su''er in the

'uture to "rin+ a"out the 2usti%e and (ea%e o' God in South -'ri%a.


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CONTENTS

,oreword *

Pr e'a%e *ii

A""re)iations *i)

5i"lio+ra(h! *)iii

INTRODUCTION

$A%L AN# THE to8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in re9ent ear1' it i1 a 4ong ti/e 1in9e an atte/)t ha1 3een/a0e to 9ater )arti924ar4 to the nee01 o8 1t20ent1 o8 the Gree? te>t. It i1 tr2e that atthe )re1ent ti/e there i1 1o/ething o8 a 0e94ine in the 1t20 o8 Gree? in /antra0itiona4 theo4ogi9a4 in1tit2tion1' 32t there ha1 3een a @e49o/e gro@th in the1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in it1 origina4 4ang2age in the ne@ evange4i9a4 19hoo41'e1)e9ia44 in North A/eri9a an0 the Thir0 Wor40. It i1 ho)e0 that The NewInternational Greek Testament ommentar! @i44 0e/on1trate the va42e o8 1t20ingthe Gree? Ne@ Te1ta/ent an0 he4) to@ar0 the reviva4 o8 129h 1t20.

The )2r)o1e o8 the 1erie1 i1 to 9ater to the nee01 o8 1t20ent1 @ho @ant1o/ething 4e11 te9hni9a4 than a 824419a4e 9riti9ai 9o//entar. At the 1a/e ti/e'

the 9o//entarie1 are inten0e0 to intera9t @ith /o0e/ 19ho4ar1hi) an0 to /a?etheir o@n 19ho4ar4 9ontri32tion to the 1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent. There ha1 3eena @ea4th o8 0etai4e0 1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in arti94e1 an0 /onogra)h1 inre9ent ear1' an0 the 1erie1 i1 /eant to harve1t the re124t1 o8 thi1 re1ear9h in a /oreea1i4 a99e11i34e 8or/. The 9o//entarie1 @i44 th21 in9420e a0e2ate' 32t note>ha21tive' 3i34iogra)hie1. The @i44 atte/)t to treat a44 i/)ortant )ro34e/1 o8hi1tor' e>ege1i1' an0 inter)retation that /a ari1e.

One o8 the gain1 o8 re9ent 19ho4ar1hi) ha1 3een the re9ognition o8 the)ri/ari4 theo4ogi9a4 9hara9ter o8 the 3oo?1 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent. Thi1 1erie1 @i44'

there8ore' atte/)t to )rovi0e a theo4ogi9a4 2n0er1tan0ing o8 the te>t' 3a1e0 onhi1tori9a49riti9a44ing2i1ti9 e>ege1i1. It @i44 not' ho@ever' atte/)t to a))4 an0e>)o2n0 the te>t 8or /o0ern rea0er1' a4tho2gh it i1 ho)e0 that the e>ege1i1 @i44give 1o/e in0i9ation o8 the @a in @hi9h the te>t 1ho240 3e e>)o2n0e0.

Within the 4i/it1 1et 3 the 21e o8 the Eng4i1h 4ang2age' the 1erie1 ai/1 to 39internationa4 in 9hara9ter the 9ontri32tor1' ho@ever' have 3een 9ho1en not

)ri/ari4 in or0er to a9hieve a 1)rea0 3et@een 0i88erent 9o2ntrie1 32t a3ove a443e9a21e o8 their 1)e9ia4ie0 2a4i8i9ation1 8or their )arti924ar ta1?1. Thi1)234i9ation i1 a =oint vent2re o8 The $aterno1ter $re11' E>eter' Eng4an0' an0 W/.

". Eer0/an1 $234i1hing Co/)an' Gran0 Ra)i01' %SA.The 12)re/e ai/ o8 thi1 1erie1 i1 to 1erve tho1e @ho are engage0 in the

/ini1tr o8 the Wor0 o8 Go0 an0 th21 to g4ori8 hi1 na/e. O2r )raer i1 that it /a3e 8o2n0 he4)824 in thi1 ta1?.

I. Ho@ar0 Mar1ha44W. War0 Ga12e

95ar.: Eno%hGn. #a".1u".Mart. Is.Pss. Sol.Si". Or.

Ann.Ant.A(.#iog. Laert.El.E(.H0t.Hist.II.Le+. All.

Mor.S(e%. Le+.War

A(o%. Mos.5arn.#i0.E). #iog.$o4.Sm!.A"AG7%

An"i3AN#WASN%AS#AT#"AG#"#to8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in re9ent ear1' it i1 a 4ong ti/e 1in9e an atte/)t ha1 3een/a0e to 9ater )arti924ar4 to the nee01 o8 1t20ent1 o8 the Gree? te>t. It i1 tr2e that atthe )re1ent ti/e there i1 1o/ething o8 a 0e94ine in the 1t20 o8 Gree? in /antra0itiona4 theo4ogi9a4 in1tit2tion1' 32t there ha1 3een a @e49o/e gro@th in the1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in it1 origina4 4ang2age in the ne@ evange4i9a4 19hoo41'e1)e9ia44 in North A/eri9a an0 the Thir0 Wor40. It i1 ho)e0 that The NewInternational Greek Testament ommentar! @i44 0e/on1trate the va42e o8 1t20ingthe Gree? Ne@ Te1ta/ent an0 he4) to@ar0 the reviva4 o8 129h 1t20.

The )2r)o1e o8 the 1erie1 i1 to 9ater to the nee01 o8 1t20ent1 @ho @ant1o/ething 4e11 te9hni9a4 than a 824419a4e 9riti9ai 9o//entar. At the 1a/e ti/e'

the 9o//entarie1 are inten0e0 to intera9t @ith /o0e/ 19ho4ar1hi) an0 to /a?etheir o@n 19ho4ar4 9ontri32tion to the 1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent. There ha1 3eena @ea4th o8 0etai4e0 1t20 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent in arti94e1 an0 /onogra)h1 inre9ent ear1' an0 the 1erie1 i1 /eant to harve1t the re124t1 o8 thi1 re1ear9h in a /oreea1i4 a99e11i34e 8or/. The 9o//entarie1 @i44 th21 in9420e a0e2ate' 32t note>ha21tive' 3i34iogra)hie1. The @i44 atte/)t to treat a44 i/)ortant )ro34e/1 o8hi1tor' e>ege1i1' an0 inter)retation that /a ari1e.

One o8 the gain1 o8 re9ent 19ho4ar1hi) ha1 3een the re9ognition o8 the)ri/ari4 theo4ogi9a4 9hara9ter o8 the 3oo?1 o8 the Ne@ Te1ta/ent. Thi1 1erie1 @i44'

there8ore' atte/)t to )rovi0e a theo4ogi9a4 2n0er1tan0ing o8 the te>t' 3a1e0 onhi1tori9a49riti9a44ing2i1ti9 e>ege1i1. It @i44 not' ho@ever' atte/)t to a))4 an0e>)o2n0 the te>t 8or /o0ern rea0er1' a4tho2gh it i1 ho)e0 that the e>ege1i1 @i44give 1o/e in0i9ation o8 the @a in @hi9h the te>t 1ho240 3e e>)o2n0e0.

Within the 4i/it1 1et 3 the 21e o8 the Eng4i1h 4ang2age' the 1erie1 ai/1 to 39internationa4 in 9hara9ter the 9ontri32tor1' ho@ever' have 3een 9ho1en not

)ri/ari4 in or0er to a9hieve a 1)rea0 3et@een 0i88erent 9o2ntrie1 32t a3ove a443e9a21e o8 their 1)e9ia4ie0 2a4i8i9ation1 8or their )arti924ar ta1?1. Thi1)234i9ation i1 a =oint vent2re o8 The $aterno1ter $re11' E>eter' Eng4an0' an0 W/.

". Eer0/an1 $234i1hing Co/)an' Gran0 Ra)i01' %SA.The 12)re/e ai/ o8 thi1 1erie1 i1 to 1erve tho1e @ho are engage0 in the

/ini1tr o8 the Wor0 o8 Go0 an0 th21 to g4ori8 hi1 na/e. O2r )raer i1 that it /a3e 8o2n0 he4)824 in thi1 ta1?.

I. Ho@ar0 Mar1ha44W. War0 Ga12e

95ar.: Eno%hGn. #a".1u".Mart. Is.Pss. Sol.Si". Or.

Ann.Ant.A(.#iog. Laert.El.E(.H0t.Hist.II.Le+. All.

Mor.S(e%. Le+.War

A(o%. Mos.5arn.#i0.E). #iog.$o4.Sm!.A"AG7%

An"i3AN#WASN%AS#AT#"AG#"#

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