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Thessalonians, Epistles to the
Thessalonians, Epistles to the. The First of these two NT Epistles was probably written by St Paul at Corinth, c.51. In it he assures his converts that at the Second Coming of Christ those who have died in the Lord will rise first and then, together with the living, be united with Him; he declines to pronounce on the time and circumstances of these events, except that the day of the Lord will come ‘like a thief in the night’ (5: 2). The Second Epistle reminds the Thessalonians, who, believing in the immediately impending Parousia, were neglecting their ordinary duties, that the apostasy and the ‘Son of Perdition’ must come first, but teaches that there is still something or someone ‘that restraineth’ (2:6–7). This may refer to the Roman Empire under Claudius; in the traditional view it refers to a supernatural power.
The authenticity of the First Epistle is generally accepted. That of the Second is rejected by many scholars, mainly because of the differences in the eschatological teaching of the two Epistles and because of their different tone. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thessalonians, Epistles to the." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thessalonians, Epistles to the." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ThessaloniansEpistlestoth.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thessalonians, Epistles to the." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ThessaloniansEpistlestoth.html |
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Thessalonians
Thessalonians , two letters of the New Testament. First Thessalonians was written by St. Paul from Corinth, c.AD 51, and addressed to the newly founded church at Thessalonica (Thessaloníki). It opens with a reminiscence of the founding of the church there. The second part deals with moral behavior and the need for loving relationships among believers. Paul assures the Thessalonians that believers who have died are not be lost; they will rise from the dead when Christ returns. He stresses the suddenness of that coming and the need to be prepared. An exhortation concludes the letter. Second Thessalonians, a shorter letter, deals with similar themes as in First Thessalonians, but is more strident in tone. In an apocalyptic passage, St. Paul gives the signs that will precede the Judgment. Scholars have questioned the authorship authenticity of this apocalyptic passage.
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"Thessalonians." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Thessalonians." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Thesslns.html "Thessalonians." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Thesslns.html |
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Thessalonians, Epistles to the
Thessalonians, Epistles to the Two of Saint Paul's earliest letters, forming the 13th and 14th books of the New Testament. The first letter was written in c.ad 50, and the second followed shortly afterwards. The letters contained encouragement and pastoral guidance for the Thessalonians and neighbouring Christian communities.
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"Thessalonians, Epistles to the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Thessalonians, Epistles to the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ThessaloniansEpistlestoth.html "Thessalonians, Epistles to the." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ThessaloniansEpistlestoth.html |
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Thessalonians, Epistle to the
Thessalonians, Epistle to the either of two books of the New Testament, the earliest letters of St Paul, written from Corinth to the new Church at Thessalonica.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Thessalonians, Epistle to the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Thessalonians, Epistle to the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-ThessaloniansEpistletothe.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Thessalonians, Epistle to the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-ThessaloniansEpistletothe.html |
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