Paul’s writings to Thessalonica

Discuss the occasion and purpose for the writing of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Who were the opponents of Paul in Thessalonica? What was the nature of the opponents’ teaching, and how did Paul respond to it?

D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo provide potential date ranges for Paul’s writing of the first letter to the Thessalonians – from AD 40 to approximately AD 55.[1] However, the evidence regarding Paul’s chronology in Acts appears to support a more likely date of approximately AD 50 during Paul’s stay in Corinth.[2] Furthermore, the usual sequence of the letters to the Thessalonians appears correct suggesting a date for his second letter soon after Paul’s first letter, such as late AD 50 or early 51, while Paul was still in Corinth.[3]

Paul’s opponents forcibly removed him from his missionary efforts in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10-15 [NASB]). Accordingly, Ernest Best explains that Paul felt significant concern for the church and sent Timothy to help the Thessalonians.[4] Timothy returned to Paul with a positive report from the Thessalonians, which provided the impetus and occasion for Paul’s first letter.[5] Probably soon after Timothy’s report, an individual or group of people informed Paul of some good news regarding the Thessalonians growth and some bad news regarding false teaching that had infiltrated the church.[6] In light of these reports, Paul felt compelled to write the second letter to the Thessalonians.

Carson and Douglas identify three primary purposes of 1 Thessalonians. First, Paul desired to clarify any misunderstanding regarding his motives for quickly leaving Thessalonica.[7] Second, Paul hoped to highlight the importance of holding steadfast to the ethical standards of the Christian faith.[8] Finally, Paul hoped to provide solace to those within the church at Thessalonica whose friends and relatives had passed away.[9] The purpose of 2 Thessalonians is comparable to 1 Thessalonians, but with a special emphasis on suffering and placing the topic of persecution within a proper eschatological context.[10]

Best summarizes the four primary views of theologians who attempt to identify Paul’s opponents in Thessalonica. First, F. C. Baur suggests Paul’s opponents were Judaizers; second, Jewett claims Paul’s adversaries were spiritual enthusiasts; third, Schmithals asserts the challengers were proponents of Gnosticism; and fourth, Frame and Milligan allege the opposition consisted of Jews.[11] Jeffrey Weima offers two additional secondary views of Paul’s Thessalonican opponents. First, Weima notes that Ernst von Dobschütz believes an opponent did not actually exist, but instead, Paul’s defense was in response to an unfounded fear that the Thessalonians thought poorly of him.[12] Second, Weima also references Martin Dibelius who, similar to Dobschütz, asserts the absence of a real opponent and, instead, asserts that Paul was simply disassociating himself from the first century false preachers.[13] However, Best suggests that limiting the opponents to one specific group inhibits a proper understanding of Paul’s polemic.[14] Instead, the most appropriate conclusion is that Paul’s arguments were addressing a real opponent with “a number of ideas from the Hellenistic atmosphere which were foreign to Christianity’s Jewish cradle and which Paul had to refute.”[15]

Best acknowledges that even Paul likely did not know the exact nature of his opponents’ teaching.[16] However, the persecution was significant and, in general, the opposition attempted to undermine Paul’s credibility by placing him in the category of other unscrupulous teachers and hoped to hinder Paul’s message from hampering their own influence.[17] D. Michael Martin explains that Paul’s own persecution led him to respond to the Thessalonians by placing suffering within its proper context.[18] Martin provides three ways that Paul responded to the Thessalonians to help them properly understand both suffering and persecution. Specifically, Paul encouraged his readers to reflect upon previous persecution and recognize it was not in vain, to remember their suffering was evidence of genuine faith, and to look forward to a life of peace with an eternal perspective.[19] Furthermore, Paul reminded the Thessalonians that they would never be alone, would always find support from other Christians and God, and would eventually experience vindication.[20] Without question, Paul’s message is highly relevant to modern day Christians by providing hope and encouragement to believers who suffer.