I was attending FBBC while he attended another well-known Christian college. The strong element of retributive divine punishment evident in 2 Thessalonians 1:69; 2:10 must be seen in light of Gods prior offer of love and reconciliation to his enemies (Rom. months[5]="May"; During the last quarter of the 20th century a majority of biblical scholars came to support the view that 2 Thessalonians is a pseudonymous composition. Which aspect of early Christian communities likely encouraged charges of perversion against them? Scholars question the authorship of Colossians because: a. 3. 3:17) and in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 warns believers against a "letter supposed to have come from us." Aresponseagainst pseudonymous authorship is that the letters were penned concurrently but intended for different groups in the church, thus accounting for their different emphases and tones (4). 2 Thessalonians is a pseudonymous True A teaching circulated among the Thessalonians that Christ had already come True Paul visited thessalonica on his second missionary journey True Thessalonica is part of the Roman province called Macedonia Apostasy Falling away from it abandoning the faith Thessalonica In 1980 Trilling wrote a commentary on 2 Thessalonians (based on his 1972 monograph) in which he consistently interprets the letter as a pseudonymous work. A careful reading of 2 ( as well as ) 1 Thessalonians shows that in the Thessalonians epistles the Holy Spirit through Paul is NOT discussion the departure OF THE FAITH referred to elsewhere by Paul ( 1 Timothy 4:1) but that rather in 2 Thessalonians Paul is encouraging and restating The Hope of The Believers that they ( we) will be meeting The Lord in the air upon Our Lords Return to earth to set up His Kingdom. All of the following were reasons for writing pseudonymously, One reason scholars doubt the authenticity of the authorship claim of 2 Thessalonians is, All of the following are true about the Pastoral Epistles, One of the central concerns in the Pastoral Epistles is, In the churches that Paul founded, all of the following were true, The author of the Pastorals writes against all of the following, a. it claims to have been written by Paul, c. it teaches the end will not come immediately, d. the author claims to have worked in Thessalonica, a. they claim to have been written by Paul, d. they are addressed to church communities, b. they believed everyone had received gifts from God's Spirit, d. when there was a problem they wrote to Paul for advice. var months=new Array(13); /* Leaderboard-bot */ This suggests that 2 Thessalonians, like the Pastorals, wasn't known as part of the Pauline corpus to the author of Ephesians. 2:6 -11) (10). . F. F. Bruce states, It is doubtful if any book would have found a place in the canon if it had been known to be pseudonymous.8 For example, Eusebius records Serapions explanation of why he rejected The Gospel of Peter ( ca. I will offer three basic lines of defense against canonical pseudonymity. On the other hand, if 2 Thessalonians was not written by Paul, it presents the irony of one pseudonymous letter warning against the danger of another. Another notably non-Pauline feature of the letter is the idea that the judgment of God will be a reward for the persecuted Christians and a persecution of the persecutors (1:5-10). Second Thessalonians is widely regarded as pseudonymous. ." Great, thanks for sharing these points. Although it is doubtful that Pauls statement refers to a specific letter, it certainly condemns the practice of writing letters in his name. Ephesians and Colossians use which term in a different manner from its usual meaning in Paul's undisputed letters? months[4]="Apr. The best understanding of 2 Thessalonians, therefore, is to see it as a deliberate imitation of 1 Thessalonians, updating the apostle's thought. Udo Schnelle, translated by M. Eugene Boring. 1 Thessalonians anticipates thesudden arrival of the day of the Lord like a thief in the night with no warning signs (3). . In one sense the commentary complements that of E. Best (1972) in Blacks New Testament Commentaries since the author focuses on more recent discussion of the epistles, describing Bests commentary as detailed and marked by a sobriety and wisdom of judgment from which I have generally been unwilling to differ (Preface). 2.5) real questions. 100, 211). Which of the following is pseudonymous? First, I will define pseudonymity and demonstrate why this is an important issue for believers today. . 2nd Thessalonians is referring to the 2nd coming of Jesus during end times, of which there is much warning, as the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ goes into great detail about. Second, significanttheological differencesexist between the two letters, especially concerning their eschatological views (2). 9. The eschatology of 2 Thessalonians, it is alleged, bears close resemblance to the eschatology of the Revelation, a late-first-century book. Apostasy literally means departure and CONTEXT must determine what type of departure, i.e. Kirby, Peter. Norman Perrin writes the following (The New Testament: An Introduction, pp. The nearly unanimous consensus of modern scholarship is that 2 Thess. The theology of 2 Thessalonians is not necessarily incompatible with the views found in the undisputed letters of Paul. Write the correct word in the space next to each definition. (1 Thess 3:11-13). other courses might the Americans was equally available to Jews and Gentiles. Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. Udo Schnelle argues (The History and Theology of the New Testament Writings, p. 317): Although the author of the second letter made use of 1 Thessalonians, there are still peculiarities in language and style. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul warns the Thessalonians not to be misled by letter as from us (di epistoles hos di hemon). 193200). . The canonical order also appears correct as Pauls careful rehearsal of his contact with the church in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:5 does not mention an earlier letter. Indeed, supporters of pseudonymity are ubiquitous. The author enlarges on the apocalyptic theme of the Antichrist, prehaps identified with Nero risen from the dead, whose manifestation was to cause the ruin of the Roman Empire. Obviously these critics hold a very low view of Scripture. 244, 258). Paul frequently refers to the "distinguishing mark" in all his letters (e.g. Amongst other things, a discussion of the standard introductory matters of historical and geographical setting, date, occasion and purpose, authorship and authenticity, structure and integrity; at points of ambiguity, an indication of the exegetical options with reasons given for the alternative preferred; interaction with recent literature on the book found not only in other commentaries but especially in articles and general works that may be inaccessible; and, more generally, an avoidance of the temptation to import foreign ideas into the text and a willingness to let the biblical text in all its potency speak for itself. Serious students of the Bible know that many popular commentaries are written by scholars who deny the traditional authorship of many NT epistles. Those who accept Pauline authorship say it fits his writing style and theology. The issue of authorship of the Pastoral Letters began to be debated in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. Jesus does not come back to earth here. States decide to drop the atomic However, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 seems to warn its readers against accepting teachings from a letter forged in Paul's name, indicating that either a pseudonymous author was attempting to disarm the letter's audience into accepting his forgery as authentically Pauline, or that Paul himself was writing to warn his readers that forged letters were . In the known Pauline epistles, Paul was adamant that the end of the age was at hand and was coming very quickly. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 the author urges the members of the . The New Testament. The author thinks that Christians already participate in Christ's resurrection. Which of the following is not one of the Deutero-Pauline epistles? In 1 Thessalonians 4:14 the word vessel (skeuos) refers to the mans own body in its sexual aspects and the whole verse to the need for sexual self-control (pp. The form given may be correct. p. 388. By inference, this text condemns the practice of pseudonymous writings since they presumably add inauthentic words to the Bible. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, "But we ought always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord . Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. In actuality, it was widely and strongly condemned, sometimes even within documents that are themselves patently forged. google_ad_height = 90; Most scholars believe that Paul's first letter was, Paul's primary reason for writing 1 Thessalonians was, Paul's missions were typically located in, Timothy reported to Paul that the Thessalonians, The most important issue Paul addresses in 1 Thessalonians is. //-->. One might expect as much from those who do not have a high view of the Scriptures and do not claim the name of Christ. , This is a very good post which I really enjoy reading. Three years later and no less consistently Marshall has interpreted the epistle as the work of Paul, thus doing for 2 Thessalonians what E. M. B. Believe it or not, today the majority of NT scholars argue that many of the epistles in the NT are pseudonymous. Christians will share Christ's glory. In 1 Corinthians he tells readers I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are (1 Cor 7:26). One of the key tests for canonicity that the early church used was apostolicity. 1 Thessalonians has many similar themes as 2 Thessalonians, so similar in fact that people have questioned why Paul would write almost the same letter twice. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. Which of the following views of Paul did Jesus share? 3:13) are angels (pp. Faith Baptist Bible College and ACA Agree to Preschool Rental Space, Wilkenings to Join Faculty and Staff at Faith Baptist Bible College, Goergen Ends Eagles Career as an All-Time Great On and Off the Court, 2023 Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, Federal Compliance | Institutional Goals and Effectiveness | Title IX Policy | Privacy Policy. However, it has more acceptance as authentic than Colossians, and substantially more than the pastorals. One of its striking occurrences is in the orthodox Apostolic Constitutions, a book of ecclesiastical instructions, ostensibly written in the name of Jesus' apostles, which warns its readers to avoid books falsely written in the name of Jesus' apostles (VI, 16). Faith-based comments, discussion of modern religion, and apologetics are prohibited. 2.2 refers to a letter either written or alleged to have been written by Paul, as captured in the most common rendering of the text, 'a letter allegedly from/by us'. You may also want to consider recent Congressional activity around this issue. (4) Many claim that pseudonymity is not wrong because the writer was in some way preserving the apostles teaching. After a thorough introduction of 45 pages there is a verse-by-verse exegesis in which no issue is dodged and adequate attention is given to matters of lexicography, syntax, and theology. By virtue of Paul's authentic letters usually being called the seven authentic letters, this naturally excludes 2 Thessalonians. An example of this is 2 Thessalonians, which is written by an author claiming to be Paul. 8. For instance, there is no indication that different groups are being addressed in these letters. . 4. Paul traveled to Thessalonica with Silas and, Paul lists two events that will precede the Christ's coming- the rebellion and, The proconsul blank ruled during Paul's stint at Corinth, The majority of Jews in thessalonica accepted Paul's message, A teaching circulated among the Thessalonians that Christ had already come, Paul visited thessalonica on his second missionary journey, Thessalonica is part of the Roman province called Macedonia, Falling away from it abandoning the faith, Macedonia city named after Alexander the greats sister, Paul's traveling companion, cofounder of churches and amanuensis, Paul's traveling cofounder of churches circumcised by paul. A.D. 190): For our part, brethren, we receive both Peter and the other apostles as Christ, but the writings which falsely bear their names (ta de onomati auton pseudepigrapha) we reject, as men of experience, knowing that such were not handed down to us.9 On another occasion, Tertullian explains that a man was deposed from the ministry for writing the pseudonymous 3 Corinthians, even though he wrote it out of love for Paul.10 Invariably the early church rejected works deemed to be inauthenitic. 1:12-20 is also notable in this regard. Not only has the apocalyptic imagery changed, but the whole tenor of the expectation is different. The writer, moreover, portrays too intimate an acquaintance with the Thessalonian situation (cf. The parousia has been delayed beyond anything Paul himself envisaged; the problem of persecution and the response to it is reaching the stage we know from the book of Revelation, itself a text from the end of the first Christian century; and the Christology is significantly advanced from, though clearly related to, that in 1 Thessalonians. Ibid. Themelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self, Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka, John Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen. most believed the gods would punish people and cities that refused to honor them, all of Jesus' followers, dead and alive, would ultimately be together with Christ as his coming, he and some of the Thessalonians would be alive when the end came, When Paul ministered to the Gentiles, he appears to have taught them all of the following except, that all male converts should be circumcised. 4. ", Alfred Loisy comments (The Birth of the Christian Religion, pp. In addition, many Christian colleges and universities and virtually all secular universities are filled with professors who accept the pseudonymity of NT epistles as a standard presupposition. Which of the following did Paul meet for the first time in Corinth? google_ad_width = 728; Why did Christian refusal to worship the state gods sometimes result in persecution? In light of these factors, neither position regarding the authenticity or pseudonymity of 2 Thessalonians has acquired a general consensus. 1 Thessalonians was almost certainly written by Paul (basic reason: it coheres in writing style, vocabulary, theological perspective, and presupposed historical situation with the other letters almost universally acknowledged as having been written by Paul). Who does Paul identify as the carrier of his letter to the Romans? Which of the following books is not pseudonymous. 8083). 1 Cor. The authors do not, however, believe that the truthfulness of scripture is necessarily undermined if some Pauline letters are pseudonymous (p. 81). Some are anonymous, and others are pseudonymous, meaning that they were written by someone pretending to be someone else. decision to drop the bomb Which of the following was not a central character in Acts? e-Catena: References to the New Testament in the Church Fathers, Edgar Goodspeed: The Second Letter to the Thessalonians, Catholic Encyclopedia: Epistles to the Thessalonians, The Lord Has Not Come Yet: An EasyEnglish Commentary, Who Wrote the New Testament? He is a graduate in Creative Brand Communication and Marketing (CBC), and in Theology (majoring in Psychology). All of the following were reasons for writing pseudonymously except. Pauls thoughts about the end times coming suddenly are evident in other letters as well. First, the NT itself argues against pseudonymity. Beverly Gaventa (Interpretation) [2 Thess = pseudonymous]. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7, "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. Explain the immigration quota laws passed in the 1920s. As J. I. Packer notes, Frauds are still fraudulent even when perpetuated from noble motives.13 Thus, one must conclude that the literary category of pseudonymity is simply incompatible with the Word of God.