Table of Contents
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
Bibliography xvi
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians
Introduction 3
I Authorship and Date 3
II The City and Its Christian Community 5
III The Occasion and Place of Writing 7
Text, Exposition, and Notes 9
I Thanksgiving, Narrative, and Prayer (1:1-3:13) 9
A Salutation (1:1) 12
B Thanksgiving (1:2-3) 18
C Narrative Part 1: The Thessalonians' Conversion and Following (1:4-10) 27
1 Paul Reminds the Thessalonians of Their Experience of Conversion (1:4-7) 28
2 The Thessalonians' Following Christ Had Become Well Known to Others (1:8-10) 41
D Narrative Part 2: Paul's Conduct in Thessalonica (2:1-12) 51
1 What Paul Was NOT like among the Thessalonians (2:1-7b) 54
2 What Paul WAS like among the Thessalonians (2:7c-12) 72
E The Thanksgiving Renewed (2:13) 85
F Narrative Part 3: The Thessalonians' (and Paul's) Ill Treatment (2:14-16) 89
G Narrative Part 4: In the Meantime (2:17-3:10) 103
1 Paul Had Been Thwarted from Returning (2:17-20) 104
2 The Sending of Timothy (3:1-5) 112
3 The Return of Timothy (3:6-10) 121
H The Prayer Report (3:11-13) 128
II Supplying What is Lacking (4:1-5:11) 136
A Introduction (4:1-2) 138
B Avoiding Sexual Immorality (4:3-8) 142
C Loving Others by Working with One's Own Hands (4:9-12) 155
D About Believers Who Have Died (4:13-18) 164
E About the Day of the Lord (5:1-11) 182
1 The Day of the Lord and Unbelievers (5:1-3) 184
2 The Day of the Lord and the Thessalonian Believers (5:4-11) 191
III Concluding Matters (5:12-28) 200
A Summary Exhortations(5:12-22) 201
1 Attitudes toward Their Leaders (5:12-13) 202
2 Imperatival Summation of the Letter (5:14-15) 208
3 Exhortation to Continue Basic Christian Piety (5:16-18) 213
4 About Christian Prophecy (5:19-22) 216
B Benediction (5:23-24) 225
C Closing Greetings and Final Grace (5:25-28) 231
Commentary on 2 Thessalonians
Introduction 237
I Authorship and Date 237
II Occasion for Writing 241
Text, Exposition, and Notes 243
I Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:1-12) 243
A Salutation (1:1-2) 244
B Thanksgiving, Including the First Issue (1:3-10) 246
1 Thanksgiving for Perseverance in Suffering (1:3-4) 247
2 Judgment of the Persecutors and Salvation for God's People (1:5-10) 251
C Prayer (1:11-12) 263
II The Second Issue: The "When" of the Day of the Lord (2:1-17) 268
A The Issue Presented (2:1-2) 271
B Paul's Response (2:3-12) 277
1 What Will Precede That Day (2:3-4) 278
2 What Holds Back That Day (2:5-7) 284
3 What Will Take Place on That Day (2:8-12) 289
C Conclusion (2:13-17) 297
1 Thanksgiving (2:13-14) 298
2 Concluding Exhortation (2:15) 304
3 Prayer (2:16-17) 306
III The Third Issue: About the Disruptive-Idle (3:1-15) 310
A A Captatio Benevolentiae (3:1-5) 311
1 A Request for Prayer (3:1-2a) 312
2 Affirmation and Prayer (3:2b-5) 316
B Exhortation regarding the Disruptive-Idle (3:6-12) 324
1 The Issue Presented (3:6) 325
2 First Word for the Disruptive-Idle: Imitate Paul (3:7-10) 328
3 The Issue and Exhortation Repeated (3:11-12) 332
C Exhortation to the Rest (3:13-15) 335
1 Always Do Good (3:13) 336
2 Shun the Disobedient (3:14-15) 337
IV Concluding Matters (3:16-18) 339
A Benediction (3:16) 340
B Paul's Personal Greeting (3:17) 341
C The Grace (3:18) 342
Indexes
Modern Authors 344
Subjects 349
Biblical and Other Ancient References 359
