EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:27-28

Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Norwood, Massachusetts 2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

Exegesis and Exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:27-28

First Thessalonians 5:27

1 Thessalonians 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. (NET) This verse is composed of the following: (1) first person singular present active indicative conjugation of the verb enorkiz ō (ἐνορκίζω ), “I call on solemnly ” (2) accusative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ ), “ you ” (3) articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun kurios (κύριος ), “ in the Lord ” (4) aorist passive infinitive conjugation of the verb anagin ōsk ō (ἀναγινώσκω ), “ to have read ” (5) articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun epistol ē (ἐπιστολή ), “ this letter ” (6) dative masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “ to all ” (7) articular dative masculine plural form of the noun adelphos (ἀδελφός ), “ the brothers and sisters .” Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the solemn nature and importance of the command contained in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 to have the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community read to each member of their congregations the contents of First Thessalonians. The accusative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su which means “each one of you” since the word refers to the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community as a corporate unit. It is also used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions expressing the idea that “each and every” pastor-teacher in the Thessalonica must read the contents of First Thessalonians to every member of their congregation. The first person singular present active indicative conjugation of the verb enorkiz ō (ἐνορκίζω ) means “to adjure, to command or implore as if under oath, to command to put under oath, to insist that one take an oath, to require that one swear.” The word pertains to demanding that a person take an oath as to the truth of what is said or as to the certainty that one will carry out the request or command. 1 The referent of the first person singular form of this verb is the apostle Paul. The second person plural form of the personal pronoun su is functioning as the object of an object-complement double accusative construction. This indicates means that it is receiving the action of the first person singular present active indicative conjugation of the verb enorkiz ō (ἐνορκίζω ), “I call on solemnly .” This is indicating that each pastor-teacher in the Thessalonian Christian community

1 Louw and Nida 33.467

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 received the action of being solemnly commanded by Paul to have the contents of First Thessalonians read to each and every member of their congregation. Therefore, enorkiz ō is expressing the idea that Paul is solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each and every member of their congregation. The noun kurios means “the Lord” and refers the Father’s one and only Son, Jesus of Nazareth, which is indicated by the fact that this word is ascribed to Jesus of Nazareth throughout First Thessalonians. In fact, the last time the word appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the term was ascribed to Jesus Christ. This word functions as the complement of an object-complement double accusative construction. This indicates that the noun kurios is complementing the object of this object-complement double accusative construction which is the personal pronoun su in that it predicates or affirms something about. Therefore, kurios is making an assertion about the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community who we noted are the referent of the personal pronoun su. Now, Paul is expressing his apostolic authority by solemnly commanding the pastors in Thessalonica to communicate the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. Also, the noun kurios , “Lord” expresses the sovereignty of Jesus Christ over the church. Therefore, this is making the assertion that each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community were to read the contents of First Thessalonians read to each member of their congregation “by the authority of the Lord.” The articular construction of the noun kurios emphasizes that the Lord Jesus Christ is in a class by Himself. In Revelation 19:16, Jesus Christ is called the “King of kings and Lord of lords .” It emphasizes that there are many lords in the world, but that Jesus Christ is in a class by Himself in that He is sovereign over these other human or angelic lords. The present tense of the verb enorkiz ō is a descriptive or progressive present which is used to describe a scene in progress. It is expressing the idea that by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul was solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community “at this particular time” to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. The active voice of this verb is a simple active which means that the subject performs the action indicated by the verb. This is therefore indicating that by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul performs the action of solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. The indicative mood of this verb enorkiz ō is declarative presenting this assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 The verb anagin ōsk ō means “to read, to read aloud, to read publicly” since the word pertains to having a particular piece of literature read publicly or aloud to people and thus involves verbalization. Therefore, this verb in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 refers to the contents of First Thessalonians being read publicly to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community by their pastor-teachers. The second person plural form of the personal pronoun su is also functioning as the subject of the aorist passive infinitive conjugation of the verb anagin ōsk ō (ἀναγινώσκω ), “ to have read .” This means that the personal pronoun functions semantically as the subject of this infinitive. Normally the subject of the infinitive is the same as the subject of the main verb and is thus in the nominative case. However, when the infinitive requires a different agent, it is almost always put in the accusative case by the writer. Therefore, the personal pronoun su is functioning as the accusative subject of the infinitive form of the verb anagin ōsk ō (ἀναγινώσκω ), “ to have read .” This would indicate that each of the pastor- teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community was to perform the action of reading the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. The noun epistol ē means “epistle, letter” since the word pertains to an object containing writing addressed to one or more persons. 2 It occurs 24 times in the Greek New Testament and means “a letter” or “epistle.” It originally meant in classical Greek a message of any kind, either written or verbal. Where the verb epistello meant the act of writing a message, the noun epistole meant “that which is transmitted or written,” the message or letter itself. The noun epistol ē in classical Greek referred to a wide range of written communication. Gunter Finkenrath of Burscheid-Hilgen University commenting on the classical usage of the noun epistol ē, writes, “With the spread of the Hellenic culture a whole range of letters was developed, from private letters of an intimate nature, open letters (e.g. the didactic letters of the Epicurean philosophers) to artistic epistles, which were aesthetic treatises in letter form. Traveling philosophers and their pupils were accustomed to carry letters of recommendation.” 3 By the Septuagint and the New Testament periods, epistol ē had lost its oral meaning and meant only the written message, hence, a letter, or epistle. It was not only used in an informal sense in the New Testament as in secular writings, but more importantly it was employed in an authoritative and official sense. The apostolic epistles in the New Testament were authoritative in nature. They were authoritative because they originated from the throne room of God. The apostolic epistles are unique from secular epistles in that sense alone. The Christian epistle claimed divine authorship. They claimed to be the very words of God.

2 Louw and Nida, 6.63 3 Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume 1, page 246

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 Karl Heinrich Rengstorf of Munster University writes, “It is a generally acknowledged fact today that the apostolic letters collected in the NT are marked by an authoritative and official nature. Connected herewith is the point that for all their formal similarity to the epistles of antiquity the NT epistles constitute a special genre. As has long since been recognized, their distinctiveness is to be seen not merely in the way in which the authors introduce themselves as deputies of Christ but also in the prefaces, even though these differ and Paul’s letters occupy a special place of their own. At any rate the NT epistles, like oral proclamation and the Gospels, seek to say a last and definitive word about the historical situation of the individual, humanity and the world in the light of the Christ event as God’s eschatological act.” 4 Here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, epistol ē refers to the first epistle the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christian community. The articular construction of this word is monadic indicating that First Thessalonians is a unique object since there is only one First Thessalonians. The word functions as an accusative direct object which means that it is receiving the action of the aorist passive infinitive conjugation of the verb anagin ōsk ō (ἀναγινώσκω ), “ to have read .” This indicates that the contents of First Thessalonians were to receive the action of being read to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community by each of their pastor-teachers. The aorist tense of the verb anagin ōsk ō is a culminative or consummative aorist tense, which is used to emphasize the cessation of an act or state. Therefore, the aorist tense of this verb emphasizes the completion of the act of the contents of First Thessalonians being read publicly to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community by their pastor-teachers. The passive voice of this verb anagin ōsk ō means that the subject receives the action of the verb from either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Therefore, the passive voice means that the contents of First Thessalonians as the subject is to receive the action of being read publicly to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community by their pastor-teachers. The infinitive form of this verb is functioning as a complementary infinitive indicating that it is completing the thought of the verb enorkiz ō. It is identifying for the reader exactly what Paul by the authority of the Lord is solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to do. The noun adelphos means “brothers and sisters” and is used to describe the members of the Thessalonian Christian community. The articular construction of this word is employed with the accusative masculine plural form of the adjective pas means “each and every, everyone” since

4 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 7, page 594

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4 the word not only pertains to the totality of a collective group but is also used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions. The referent of this word is of course the members of the Thessalonian Christian community. The article is also functioning as a possessive personal pronoun and referring to the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community. The noun adelphos is functioning as a dative indirect object which means that it is receiving the direct object which means that it receives the subject of the verb anagin ōsk ō since this verb is in the passive voice. Therefore, this would indicate that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community receives the contents of First Thessalonians by each of their pastor-teachers reading it to them. At this point we must address a textual problem because some manuscripts read ,c, A, K, Pא ) ”tois hagiois adelphois (τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς), “to all the holy brothers Ψ 33 81 614 1739; Byz Lect it 61 vg syr p, h, pal cop bo goth arm eth pp al ). However, B, D, F, G 431 1311 1835 1907 ,א) other manuscripts do not have this expression 2004 it d, g, mon cop sa eth ro ). The adjective hagiois (ἁγίοις ), “holy” could have been added by a scribe because the word appears in 1 Thessalonians 5:26 in relation to the kiss. However, it is also possible that adjective hagiois (ἁγίοις ), “holy” was original and was accidentally omitted because the end of this word is identical to the end of the definite article tois (τοῖς), “the” preceding it. However, this author believes the shorter reading is the original for a couple of reasons. First, Paul does not employ this expression tois hagiois adelphois (τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς), “to all the holy brothers” anywhere else in his epistles. Secondly, the external testimony is slightly better. The NET Bible has the following note, they write “Most witnesses, including A Ψ [33] 1739 1881
ar vg sy bo), read ‘holy’ before 2א ) some important ones ‘brothers [and sisters]’ (ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς, hagiois adelphois ). It is possible that ἁγίοις dropped out by way of homoioteleuton (in uncial script the words would be written ΑΓΙΟΙΣΑΔΕΛΦΟΙΣ ), but it is equally possible that the adjective was added because of the influence of ἁγίῳ (hagi ō) in v. 26. Another internal consideration is that the expression ἅγιοι ἀδελφοί (hagioi adelphoi , “holy brothers”) is not found elsewhere in the corpus Paulinum , though Col 1:2 comes close. But this fact could be argued either way: It may suggest that such an expression is not Pauline; on the other hand, the unusualness of the expression could have resulted in an alteration by some scribes. At the same time, since 1 Thessalonians is one of the earliest of Paul’s letters, and written well before he addresses Christians as saints (ἅγιοι ) in 1 Corinthians for the first time, one might argue that Paul’s own forms of expression were going through something of a metamorphosis. Scribes insensitive to this fact could well impute later Pauline collocations onto his earlier letters. The internal evidence seems to support, albeit slightly, the omission of ἁγίοις here. Externally, most of the better witnesses of the

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5 B D F G 0278 it sa) combine in having the *א ) Alexandrian and Western texts shorter reading. Although the rating of ‘A’ in UBS 4 for the omission seems too generous, this reading is still to be preferred.”5

Translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:27

1 Thessalonians 5:27 I adjure each and every one of you at this particular time by the authority of the one and only Lord to have this letter read to each and every one of your brothers and sisters. (Author’s translation)

Expanded translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:27

1 Thessalonians 5:27 I adjure each and every one of you at this particular time by the authority of the one and only Lord to have this letter read to each and every one of your brothers and sisters. (Author’s translation)

Exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:27

The apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 solemnly puts under oath each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. The implication is that these pastor-teachers did not perform this task, then they would be discipline by the Lord (Heb. 12:1-13) through church discipline (Matt. 18:15-17). Paul is using strong language which some have interpreted as indicated that there was a problem among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community and that tensions existed among them. D. E. Hiebert writes “This charge concerning the reading of this letter is unique among the New Testament epistles. That Paul should be anxious to have this letter read to all the members at Thessalonica is not surprising, but the solemn earnestness of his statement is indeed arresting. Various reasons for this have been suggested: (1) this was his first letter to them and inaugurated a new practice in his churches; he worded it so strongly to assure that the letter would be publicly read. (2) He felt so strongly about the importance of this letter that he felt compelled to assure that it would be read to all. (3) Since the letter was a substitute for his personal presence, Paul was afraid that a feeling of disappointment at his absence might cause the church to neglect the letter. (4) He thus sought to guard against

UBS Aland, B., K. Aland, J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, and B. M. Metzger, eds. The Greek New Testament . 4th e.d., corrected. Stuttgart: United Bible Societies, 1994. 4 Aland, B., K. Aland, J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, and B. M. Metzger, eds. The Greek New Testament . 4th e.d., corrected. Stuttgart: United Bible Societies, 1994. 5 Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (1 Th 5:27). Biblical Studies Press.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6 garbled reports of its contents being circulated under the claim that they were his true teachings. (5) A primary intention of the letter was to comfort those who had lost loved ones, and this objective would be lost if these did not themselves hear the message the letter contained. (6) Timothy had reported that certain troublemakers had indicated they would not pay heed to any such epistolary admonitions and would refuse personally to read the letter. (7) Paul was suspicious that the elders might suppress parts of what the letter contained. (8) There were two congregations in Thessalonica, a Gentile section and a Jewish section, and Paul thus sought to assure that the letter would reach both groups. This last suggestion is entirely devoid of support from the letter itself.”6 This author believers that there is nothing in the contents of First Thessalonians which would indicate that there were tensions among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community. In fact, quite to the contrary since Paul affirms that the Thessalonians were making it their habit of obeying the Lord’s command in John 13:34 to love one another as He loves them (cf. 1 Thess. 1:3; 4:9-12). Therefore, the reason for the strong language here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 is that Paul simply wanted the contents of First Thessalonians to be read to each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community because it revealed the will of God for their lives. Consequently, the application of the contents of this epistle would result in greater spiritual growth among the members of this community. Thus, it was imperative that the contents of First Thessalonians were read to everyone in the Thessalonian Christian community because it was the Word of God. D. G. Dunbar writes “Although New Testament authors made no explicit claims to be writing Scripture, they did expect at least some of their writings to be circulated among the churches and read in the presence of the congregation (1 Th 5:27; Col 4:16; 1 Co 14:37; Rev 1:3, 11), a practice paralleling the reading of the Old Testament in the synagogue. The Pauline correspondence was so highly esteemed it was placed on an equal footing with the Old Testament—“the other Scriptures” (2 Pe 3:16).”7 Furthermore, the publicly reading of the contents of this epistle to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community took place of the personal presence of Paul and expressed his apostolic authority over this community. Since Paul could not be present with the Thessalonians, the contents of First Thessalonians would to certain extent take the place of his personal presence among the Thessalonians. Lastly, Paul was adamant about the contents of First Thessalonians being read publicly to the entire Christian community in Thessalonica because it also

6 Hiebert, D. E. (1996). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Revised Edition, p. 279). Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books. 7 Dunbar, D. G. (2005). The Biblical Canon . In D. A. Carson & J. D. Woodbridge (Eds.), Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon (p. 321). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7 answered their questions and concerns about the dead in Christ in relation to the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Michael Holmes writes “At first glance the command in 5:27 about reading the letter to everyone seems so tied to its first-century setting that it may appear to be of no relevance today in a culture where literacy is more widespread. But the result of Paul’s command—that the entire church be instructed in what he had to say—is no less relevant now. Christian discipleship is not a matter of developing our own individual spiritual intuitions, but of following after Jesus, in accordance with what he modeled and taught, both in person and through the writings of the New Testament. Thus instruction —learning (and remembering) the good news about what God through Jesus has done on our behalf, and about its implications for how we live—is a central element of discipleship for everyone. The definition of instruction given in the previous sentence is shaped in light of what Paul has done in this letter. In the first three chapters, Paul basically tells the story of (i.e., he “remembers”) not only how God brought the gospel to the Thessalonians, but also all that God has done in their midst since then. Moreover, he does not present this as ‘new’ material, but basically asks them to remember and think about what they already know (cf. “you know,” 1:5; 2:1, 2, 5, 11; 3:3, 4; 4:2; 5:2; “you remember,” 2:9; “you are witnesses,” 2:10; see also 4:9). Then in the last two chapters, when he finally deals with their specific issues and questions about the present and future, he consistently does so in light of what God has already done in the past (see 4:1, 7, 9, 14; 5:9, 10, 24; also 4:2; 5:2). Thus, by insisting that the letter be read to everyone in the congregation, Paul ensures not only that they will hear the answers he gives to their questions and problems, but also that they will hear and recall the narrative of what God has done among them that provides the basis for those answers. Whatever their current difficulties, he does not want them to forget what God has already done in their midst.”8 Notice, the switch from the first person plural to the first person singular indicating that Paul alone and not himself, Timothy and Silvanus is putting the pastors in Thessalonica under oath. Now, as we noted in our introduction and in our exegesis and exposition of 1 Thessalonians 1:1, many expositors and scholars have surmised that Silvanus and Timothy took part in the writing of this epistle and were thus co-senders since Silvanus and Timothy are listed with Paul in the greeting of the epistle in 1 Thessalonians 1:1. However, others dissent asserting that Paul is the sole author of this epistle and that the plurals in this epistle should be interpreted as being used “literarily” rather than “literally.” This raises two questions: (1) What role, if any,

8 Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 203–204). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8 did Silvanus and Timothy play in the writing of this letter? (2) If Paul is the true author of the letter, why did he present Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders? It is the view of this author that Silvanus and Timothy are not co-senders and that Paul is the true author of this epistle, which is indicated by the fact that three times in 1 Thessalonians, the text shifts significantly to the first-person singular. This would strongly suggest that the first-person plurals in the letter ought to be taken not literally but literarily . This is also called an “editorial we” or a “epistolary plural.” Thus, it would not be an “exclusive we” which would include Paul with his associates as distinct from the audience. The first instance where there is a shift to the first-person singular is 1 Thessalonians 2:18. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. (ESV) The second instance in which Paul shifts to the first-person singular is found in 1 Thessalonians 3:5. 1 Thessalonians 3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. (ESV) The time there is a shift to the first-person singular is here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27. 1 Thessalonians 5:27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. (ESV) These three verses strongly suggest that Paul is the true author of the epistle indicating that the plurals used throughout the correspondence ought to be taken as “editorial” or “epistolary plurals” despite the fact that he lists Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders. This leads us to the second question; namely why did Paul include Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders even though he is the real author of the epistle? It is the view of this author that these two men are included by Paul in the greeting as cosenders because they played a significant role in ministering to the Thessalonian Christian community. Acts 17:1-9 reveals that Silvanus played a key role in establishing this community with Paul.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9 Acts 17:1 After they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 17:4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly. 17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, 17:7 and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!” 17:8 They caused confusion among the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. 17:9 After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them. (NET) Timothy is identified as a cosender here in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 because 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 reveals that he was instrumental in strengthening the Thessalonian Christian community. 1 Thessalonians 3:1 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone. 3:2 We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3:3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 3:4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know. 3:5 So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless. (NET) Gordon Fee writes “At this point Paul himself has most likely taken pen in hand and authenticated the letter by this final personal word. It is also further evidence that Paul is the actual ‘writer’ of the letter, even though it began as from Silas and Timothy as well (1:1), which plural ‘authorship’ was basically maintained throughout by the first person plural ‘we.’ As pointed out on 1:1, the letter is to be understood as from all three of them, but Paul is the one responsible for its wording by way of dictation.”9

9 Fee, G. D. (2009). The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians (p. 232). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10 R. C. H. Lenski writes “Paul uses the first person singular even as he is the one who is most responsible for the whole work in Thessalonica as also for the contents of this epistle. So it is he who is deeply concerned that the whole congregation with all its members shall get to hear these admonitions, instructions, and evidences of his love. If a special and peculiar reason existed in Thessalonica for an adjuration such as this, the epistle nowhere betrays that fact, and no one has yet successfully stated what it could have been.”10 Interestingly, notice in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and here in 1 Thessalonians 5;27 that Paul does not employ the nominative masculine singular form of the noun apostolos (ἀπόστολος ), “ an apostle ” to describe himself as he does in several of his epistles (cf. Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1). However, it does not appear in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philippians and Philemon. Paul uses the word to establish that his authority is from the Lord Himself (Romans 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1) He uses it when his authority or teaching is being questioned or rejected by those to whom he is writing (1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians). The Thessalonians and Philippians were faithful to Paul’s teaching and had a great friendship with Paul. Philemon was a personal note, thus there was no need of Paul to establish his authority with these churches and Philemon. Now, as we noted, in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Paul solemnly put each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community under oath to read publicly the contents of First Thessalonian to each member of their congregation. This exhortation is solemn for two reasons. First, Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton to emphasize the solemn nature and importance of the contents of 1 Thessalonians 5:27. Secondly, as we noted in our exegesis, the verb enorkiz ō (ἐνορκίζω ) means “to adjure” since the word pertains to commanding solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse. The contents of First Thessalonians were extremely important for the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian Christian community since it communicated the will of the Father for them. This solemn command is also an impassioned plea or request from these three men. This is indicated by the fact that in this verse, the noun adelphos , “ brothers and sisters ” is functioning as a vocative of emphatic emotional address. This noun adelphos describes each member of the Thessalonian Christian community as being spiritual brothers and sisters since they have all been declared justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and thus regenerated by the Spirit. It denotes that Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the recipients of First Thessalonians are related to each other and the Lord Jesus Christ through regeneration. Therefore, this term

10 Lenski, R. C. H. (1937). The interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon (pp. 369–370). Columbus, OH: Lutheran Book Concern.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11 emphasizes the equality of those sinners declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior (cf. Gal. 3:26-28; Col. 3:11). As we also noted in our exegesis of 1 Thessalonians 5:27, the referent of the accusative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su in this verse is the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community. This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul asserted in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 that the pastor- teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community exercised authority over each member of this community which was in agreement with the will of God. Also, he then defines what he means by this by asserting that they make it their habit of providing instruction for each member of this community. He also asserts in this verse that they worked hard when doing this. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 Now, each one of us at this particular time is requesting each and every one of you brothers and sisters to honor those who make it their habit of working hard among all of you. Yes, specifically, those who exercise authority over each one of you in agreement with the will of the Lord. Namely, by making it their habit of providing instruction for each one of you. 13 In other words, each one of us at this particular time is requesting each and every one of you brothers and sisters to hold them in the highest regard by means of the practice of divine-love because of their work. Each and every one of you continue to make it your habit of living in peace with yourselves. (Author’s translation) Therefore, the referent of the personal pronoun su in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 refers to the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community since Paul asserts that they exercised authority over of each member of the Thessalonian community by providing them instruction and the contents of First Thessalonians provided them with instruction. We also noted in our exegesis of this verse that the noun kurios , “by the authority of the one and only Lord ” is ascribed to Jesus Christ throughout First Thessalonians and in fact, the last time the word appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the term was ascribed to Him. We also noted that the word functions as the complement of an object-complement double accusative construction. This means that it is making an assertion about the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community who we noted are the referent of the personal pronoun su. Therefore, this construction is expressing the idea that Paul is solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community “by the authority of the one and only Lord ” to have the contents of First Thessalonians read to each member of their congregation. This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul is expressing his apostolic authority by solemnly commanding the pastors in Thessalonica to communicate the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. Secondly, it is indicated by

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12 the fact that the noun kurios , “Lord” expresses the sovereignty of Jesus Christ over the church. Charles Wanamaker writes “The forcefulness of this statement is highly unusual, and in fact it is the only instance in Paul’s letters where such a charge is laid on the recipients of one of his letters. Why he should employ such forceful language regarding the reading of this letter and none of the others is not altogether certain. To state the obvious, he wanted to make sure that everyone heard the letter because he felt its contents were of particular importance to the whole community. In the context no evidence is available to enable us to specify the part or parts he was especially concerned should be read to everyone. In the light of 2 Thes. 2:2 Paul’s intention may have been to ensure that every member of the community was made aware of what he had said so that no further confusion would arise. ἀναγνωσθῆναι almost certainly means that the letter was to be read aloud to the assembled community. This would prevent it from being controlled by a small section of the community and used selectively.”11 So therefore, here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Paul directs the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to publicly read the contents of First Thessalonian. Then, the Thessalonians were to make a copy of this epistle and then send to other Christian communities in their geographical area like Philippi which was close by. This is indicated by Paul’s statement in Colossians 4:16. Colossians 4:16 Now, after this epistle has been read in the presence of each one of you, I solemnly charge all of you to have it read in the Laodicean assembly. Likewise, I solemnly charge all of you to have the one from Laodicea read publicly by each one of you. (Author’s translation) After requesting that the Colossians pass along his greetings to the Laodicean Christian community and to a woman named Nympha and the believers who met in her private home, the apostle Paul in Colossians 4:16 provides the Colossians instructions regarding the epistle he is writing directly to them. He solemnly commands them to have this epistle read publicly in the Laodicean public assembly after it was read in the presence of each one of them. He then issues another solemn command in which he orders them to read the letter he wrote directly to the Laodicean Christian community. Thus, we can see that he wanted them to exchange letters. So notice, Paul directs the Colossian Christian community to read Colossians publicly and then they were to make copies and pass it along to the next Christian community in the Roman province of Asia. After being read publicly several times in Colossae and then copied, the letter was sent to the Laodicean churches to be read publicly there. Eventually the letter would be read by each of the churches

11 Wanamaker, C. A. (1990). The Epistles to the Thessalonians: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 209). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13 throughout the rest of the Roman Empire. And of course, this same letter has reached us today impeccably intact in its original language, indestructible! This same process would also take place with First Thessalonians. Notice that in both 1 Thessalonians 5:27 and Colossians 4:16, Paul wants these epistles to be publicly read in both the Thessalonian and Colossian Christian communities, respectively. This corresponds to what Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 since he ordered Timothy to be occupied with the public reading of Scripture. 1 Timothy 4:13 Until I do arrive, continue making it your habit of being occupied with the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. (Author’s translation) “The public reading of Scripture ” is the noun anagnosis , which refers to “reading aloud” or “the public reading” of the Old Testament and Paul’s epistles in the local assemblies that met in various homes or school rooms or other public settings in Ephesus. It refers to the public reading of the Old Testament and Paul’s epistles in the corporate worship setting. When Paul wrote, First Timothy, that which would be publicly read aloud in Ephesus would be the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew bible since the Ephesian church was Gentile and not Jewish. They would also have read Paul’s epistles. This is indicated by the fact that in Colossians 4:16, Paul commanded that his letters to the Colossians be read to the Laodiceans. Also, Paul commanded the Thessalonians to have First Thessalonians read to every Christian (1 Thessalonians 5:27). Therefore, he considered his epistles to be essential for the life of the churches he planted and ministered to throughout the Roman Empire. The gospel of John would not have been read in Paul’s churches since it was not composed until the last decade of the first century. Mark was not composed until the late fifties or sometime during the sixties. Thus, it probably was not known and read in the Pauline churches. Some scholars such as D.A. Carson and G.J. Wenham argue for Matthew to be written in the eighties and some like Walvoord and Zuck believe that it was written in the fifties. Thus, it could have possibly been read by the Pauline church according to the latter but would not have been according to the former. Luke was written in the sixties and since he was a companion of Paul, would have been read in the Pauline churches and maybe by the church in Ephesus by 63-65 A.D when First Timothy was written. However, with this being said, even if the gospels were not written by the time Paul wrote First Timothy in approximately 63-65 A.D., the stories and traditions of Jesus that found their way into the four gospels would have been communicated to the church in the public worship service. The reading of Scripture in the public worship setting would provide the foundation for pastor-teachers communicating to the church their application. Also,

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14 these pastors would teach the church from that which was read publicly from this public reading of the Scriptures. This would provide the individual members of the church with an understanding of who they are in Christ. It would in other words it would define their identity in Christ as individuals but also as a corporate unit. Therefore, the public reading of Scripture and communicating their application to the church and teaching the church from them would not only answer the believer’s question as to who they were but also answer their question as to how they should live in light of this identity in Christ. It would also resolve disputes, especially between Jewish believers and Gentile believers with regards to such things as the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law and circumcision. Now, not only does Paul want Timothy to be occupied with the public reading of Scripture but also the pastors in Ephesus. Those who were faithful, to encourage them to continue and those who were unfaithful to get them back on track. G. L. Green writes “As the Law was read publicly for the Jewish people gathering in the synagogue (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:15, 27; 15:21; 2 Cor. 3:14–15; Josephus, Contra Apionem 2:175 (2.19); Philo, De Vita Mosis 2:215–16), so now the Christians gather to hear not only Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13) but also the apostolic letters (Col. 4:16). The practice of reading letters out loud to their recipients was a known custom (Diodorus Siculus 15.10.2), as was the public reading of discourses of philosophers (Epictetus 3.23.6), so the recitation of this letter in the gathering of the church would not be out of the ordinary. No doubt the church read this letter on more than one occasion.”12 Philip Comfort has the following excellent comment, he writes “The first step in the publishing process was to get the book written; the second, to get it distributed and circulated; the third, to get it out to the members of congregations by oral reading. This brings us back to the very beginning of this chapter, where we saw that publication via oral proclamation was the prime form of publication in the early days of the church. The written word served to augment this mode of publication and to keep it consistent and therefore authoritative. According to the custom of the day, the amanuensis or secretary of official documents was often the same person who carried the document to its destination and read it aloud to its intended audience. Since this person had been present at the time of writing, he could explain to the hearers anything that needed explaining. Since most people were not literate (on average, only 10 percent of the population in hellenistic times could read), they depended on oral reading for communication. Thus, for example, some of the epistles written by Paul could have been delivered by his amanuensis, who would then read the letter to the church and explain anything that needed explaining. In this light, it is possible that Tychicus was

12 Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (p. 272). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15 Paul’s amanuensis for Ephesians (see Eph. 6:21–22) and Colossians (see Col. 4:7– 8). He wrote down the epistles for Paul, as Paul dictated, and then delivered them to the Ephesians and Colossians. Most likely, the letter to the Ephesians is the encyclical epistle that traveled with Tychicus to Ephesus, Laodicea (see Col. 4:16), and other churches in the Roman province of Asia Minor. (See commentary on Eph. 1:1 in chap. 7.) We must also realize that during the era of the early church, few individuals had their own copies of New Testament books. Separate copies of New Testament books were generally not distributed to church members. In church meetings, the usual practice was that one reader (or lector) would read the Scriptures aloud to the rest of the congregation. According to Burtchaell, Christians adopted many of the Jewish synagogal practices in their church meetings. 13 This was only natural because many of the early Christians were Jews. In the early Christian meetings, Christians read the Septuagint, as well as various books of the New Testament. In the church meetings, the Scriptures were read aloud to the congregation by the lector or reader. ‘Public recitation of scripture which was part of Temple worship became the essential feature of synagogal worship in pre-Christian times and appears in the New Testament as a well-established custom.’ 14 Jesus himself was a model for this pattern. The Gospel of Luke tells us that it was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue in Nazareth (his hometown) on the sabbath and read from the Scriptures. On a particular sabbath just after his baptism, Jesus stood up to read; the attendants handed to him the scroll of Isaiah. He unrolled it and read from Isaiah 61:1–2, and then proclaimed that this Scripture had just been fulfilled—meaning, he was the One anointed by the Lord with the Spirit to proclaim the gospel, release the captives, give sight to the blind, liberate the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. If Jesus were reading from the Hebrew text (and it is likely that he was), it would have been customary for him to substitute the name Adonai (LORD) in place of YHWH, which appears in both verses. As a practiced reader, he would have known how to decipher the Tetragrammaton. 15 In church meetings, Christians were encouraged to recite the Scriptures to one another and sing the psalms (1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 5:18–19; Col. 3:16). Church leaders were exhorted to read the Scriptures aloud to their congregation (see 1 Tim. 4:13). Whereas the Jews would read the Law and then the Prophets, the Christians

13 Burtchaell, From Synagogue to Church , 272–338. 14 Vermes, “Bible and Midrash: Early Old Testament Exegesis,” 201. 15 As an interesting aside, it is worth exploring if Jesus, who was a lector, could have been a scribe for his local synagogue in Nazareth. This means that he would been responsible for making new copies of Scriptures for his synagogue. The ease with which he found the exact text— Isaiah 61:1–2—in a very large scroll having no versification (as in modern Bibles) shows how comfortable he was with the written text. Furthermore, he made many allusions throughout his ministry to the effect that he was one who had studied the Scriptures intensely. How often do we hear Jesus ask his audience, “Have you never read?” (Matt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25; 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3; 10:26)—the clear implication being that he had read it and understood its intent. And how often did Jesus utter a radical interpretation of Scriptures in the presence of those who prided themselves in their knowledge of Scriptures?

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16 would read the Prophets (with special emphasis on messianic fulfillment) and the Gospels. After the first century, the written Gospels were regularly read in church meetings. Writing around AD 155, Justin Martyr indicated that when all the believers would assemble on the Lord’s Day for worship and communion, ‘the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the Prophets are read as long as time permits’ ( Apology 1.67). Gamble reasoned that the practice of the liturgical reading of Scripture began in the first century and was an established custom of the churches by the early second century. 16 As such, each church community would have had a collection of Old Testament and New Testament books with a number of readers. These readers would have kept various books in their possession because public reading would have required study of the texts in advance. As in the synagogue, so in the church: one person was usually assigned to be the reader. There are allusions and clear references to this “reader” in the New Testament itself. This ‘reader’ may be alluded to in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 by way of a parenthetical expression: ‘let the reader understand.’ (The use of the singular in Greek points to one reader—the one who read the Gospel to the congregation.) Other passages clearly point to the one who reads the Scriptures aloud to an assembly of believers. In 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul urged Timothy to ‘give attention to the reading.’ Significantly, Paul did not even need to provide a direct object to the expression ‘give attention to the reading,’ for the expression seems to have become an idiom for the public oral reading of Scripture. Revelation 1:3 promises a blessing ‘to the one who reads the prophecy of this book’—speaking specifically of each of the readers who would read aloud the book of Revelation to each of the seven churches addressed in the book. It is very likely that each reader for each of the seven churches was also a scribe who made a copy of the entire book of Revelation before it was sent on to the next church. This is a far more likely scenario than that John made seven copies at Patmos. Furthermore, it concurs with the way official encyclicals were distributed throughout the Roman world. As with the synagogues, so in the churches, it is possible that the readers were also the scribes. If not, the readers relied upon the work of the scribes to produce the manuscripts for oral reading. These Christian scribes would often have the same training as the Jewish sopherim—in reading, copying, translating, and interpreting, or they could have been former sopherim who converted to

16 As an interesting aside, it is worth exploring if Jesus, who was a lector, could have been a scribe for his local synagogue in Nazareth. This means that he would been responsible for making new copies of Scriptures for his synagogue. The ease with which he found the exact text— Isaiah 61:1–2—in a very large scroll having no versification (as in modern Bibles) shows how comfortable he was with the written text. Furthermore, he made many allusions throughout his ministry to the effect that he was one who had studied the Scriptures intensely. How often do we hear Jesus ask his audience, “Have you never read?” (Matt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25; 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3; 10:26)—the clear implication being that he had read it and understood its intent. And how often did Jesus utter a radical interpretation of Scriptures in the presence of those who prided themselves in their knowledge of Scriptures?

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17 Christianity. Or, if these scribes did not have a Jewish background, they would have been trained in Alexandrian scriptorial practices or, at least, educated enough to produce documents. Either way, they would have been among the most educated in the Christian congregations and therefore the most qualified not only to produce written copies of Scripture but also to read them and interpret them. Even if they were not the lectors, they had significant input in shaping or reshaping a text according to their reception of it. The congregation, for the most part, would depend on them for the oral dissemination (publication) of Scripture. An interesting insight concerning the relationship between scribes and readers is found in the subscription to 1 Peter and to 2 Peter in P 72 , where in both places it says, ‘Peace to the one having written [i.e., the scribe] and to the one having read [i.e., the lector].’ As such, the scribe of P 72 was asking for a blessing of God’s peace on the scribe [presumably himself] and on the lector. As such, the scribe knew that the publication of 1 Peter and 2 Peter was dependent on the twofold process—the copying of the text and the oral reading of it. The lectors were trained to read the texts in Greek and to perhaps provide interpretations. In the early days of the church, the reader was simply a member of the church who knew Greek well enough to read it (as well as to write it). In the third century, lectors were appointed to this function but not ordained. The Apostolic Tradition (1.12) says, ‘The reader is appointed by the bishop’s handing to him the book, for he does not have hands laid upon him.’ One such reader was Procopius (martyred in AD 303 during Diocletian’s persecution). Eusebius said he had rendered a great service to the church both as reader and as translator from Greek into Aramaic ( Martyrs of Palestine 1.1). Other lectors were Pachomius and his companion Theodore, who both read the Scriptures to their fellow monks. After the fourth century, the lector was generally a minor church office. According to the Apostolic Church Order , the reader must also be able to instruct and to narrate. And according to Basil, in the fourth century, lectors read from the Law, the Prophets, the Epistles, Acts, and the Gospels ( Apostolic Constitutions 8.5.5).” 17 What Paul wants the Thessalonians to do is make copies of First Thessalonians letter written directly to them and then have them send these copies to other Christian communities nearby like Philippi. These communities would in turn make copies of these copies and pass them along to the next Christian community in the Roman province of Macedonia. The Thessalonians would keep the original First Thessalonians. Paul wanted this exchange of letters because he believed the contents of First Thessalonians would benefit other Christian communities like Philippi.

17 Comfort, P. (2005). Encountering the manuscripts: an introduction to New Testament paleography & textual criticism (pp. 50–52). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18 First Thessalonians was written according to the pattern of letter writing found in the ancient world during the first century called the “epistle.’ The epistle is among the oldest forms of communication. In fact, the epistle is among the oldest and most abundantly preserved types of texts that we have today from the ancient world. These extant documents are extremely important to us today for historical, literary and biblical research. The Babylonian royalty employed epistolary communication as far back as 2275 B.C. The Egyptians used this form of written communication extensively as evidenced by remains from the second Millennium B.C. Akkadian letters have been found on potsherds and clay tablets. The greatest epistolary activity occurs during the Greco-Roman period. The Greek language was diversified into various dialects such as Aeolic, Doric, Ionic, Attic, but yet mutually intelligible. Eventually, all of these dialects were joined into one “common” language, the Koine Greek, which Alexander the Great spread throughout the rest of the world which he had conquered. The Romans spoke Latin but very much influenced by the Greeks and their culture. In fact, the Roman Empire at its height spoke primarily Koine Greek. The Romans wrote their Law in Latin but their literary prose was in Greek. Latin was not used by Roman historians until Cato in 160 B.C. Latin is practical and economical like the Romans themselves, whereas, the Greeks were much more colorful in their speech and thought and therefore, produced a more complicated language. There are over 14,000 extant epistles from the Greco-Roman period. This was the result of the increase in scribal learning and influence as well as the growing demands for careful documentation in the areas of: (1) Commerce & travel (2) Official propaganda (3) The administrative concerns in government (4) Military (5) Law (6) Apologetic considerations (7) Philosophical speculations (8) Rhetorical practice (forensic, didactic, and epideictic). The needs in these various areas produced various responses, which can be categorized as such: (1) Business letters (2) Official communiqués (3) Letters for public consumption (4) Letter essays (5) Letters of introduction and commendation (6) Poetic letters (7) Epistles of consolation (8) Encyclical documents (9) Rhetorical paradigms (10) Legal pleas. Letters can also be classified according to the form of preservation and the writing materials employed. There were various materials used for writing during the Greco-Roman period. The historian Will Durant in his work The Life of Greece sheds some light on what the Greeks employed for writing materials, he writes, “The materials used to receive writing were various: at first, if we may believe Pliny, leaves or the barks of trees; for inscriptions, stone, bronze, or lead; for ordinary writing, clay tablets

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19 as in Mesopotamia; then wooden tablets covered with wax, which were popular, in retrospect, with schoolboys; for more important purposes papyrus, which the Phoenicians brought from Egypt, and (in the Hellenistic and Roman periods) parchment, made from the skins or membranes of goats or sheep. A metal stylus was used on wax tablets; on papyrus or parchment a reed dipped in ink. Wax writing was erased with the flat butt of the stylus, ink with a sponge.” 18 In his work, Caesar and Christ, Durant comments on what the Roman’s used for writing materials, “The Romans wrote in ink with a slit metal reed ( calamus , stilus ), at first upon leaves ( folia ), whence our words folio and leaf (two pages); then upon strips of inners bark ( liber ; often upon white (album) tablets of waxed wood; later upon leather, linen paper, and parchment.” 19 Leland Ryken writes “The word ‘epistle’ implies a letter that is different from the letters and emails that we ordinarily write. An epistle is more formal in vocabulary and style than an ordinary letter. The term also implies a letter that is public rather than purely personal. Additionally, an epistle is assumed to be more literary (however defined) than the letters we ourselves write, and the content resembles that of a teaching (“didactic”) document more than a letter that conveys only personal news and feelings. All of these traits are characteristic of the epistles, as we will see. The epistles were largely intended for public audiences (even when the original recipient was a single person like Timothy). The authors show an awareness that they were writing for posterity, and not only for the immediate recipients of their letters. The New Testament epistles are rhetorically embellished and sophisticated in technique. The style is often elevated far above the idiom of the dormitory and bus stop. But there are other aspects of the New Testament epistles that make them better labeled as letters than epistles. The style is not uniformly embellished and formal; many passages read exactly like what we might write in a letter or say in a telephone conversation. Similarly with the content of the epistles: many passages in these letters resemble what we ourselves would say in a letter, such as the parting travel information or requests to pass on greetings to mutual acquaintances that we find at the close of the New Testament epistles. This informal side often gets ignored and misrepresented (with results that will be noted below), and perhaps the term “epistle” aids and abets this misrepresentation. I will use the terms “epistle” and “letter” interchangeably as a way of keeping both the formal and informal aspects of the letters in view. The epistles were written in the second half of the first century. Some scholars place the epistles under the heading of ‘early Christian literature,’ or ‘the literature of the early Christian movement.’ These are appropriate and helpful labels. The

18 Will Durant, The Life of Greece, chapter 9, page 206 19 Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, Chapter 4, page 73

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20 epistles, along with the rest of the New Testament, were the first writings of the early Christian church. We can accurately think of these writings as ‘founding documents’ of the Christian movement. The authors of the epistles were the apostles designated by Christ to be his spokesmen and the official guardians of what he taught. They were ordinary people divinely set apart for the task of recording the facts about Christ’s earthly life (chiefly in the Gospels) and the theological meaning of that life. The latter is the domain of the epistles. An apostle speaks with a unique authority, and we are continuously aware of this as we read the epistles. In particular, Paul, who was not a disciple of Jesus but was called to be an apostle nonetheless, regularly appeals to his apostolic authority in his letters. Why did the apostles write the epistles? The answers are multiple. Certainly, they wrote to impart theological information about the Christian faith. But they had other goals in additional to informing the minds of readers. Many of the passages are slanted toward exhorting readers to live in accordance with what they know. In fact, many of the epistles have a doctrinal first half, followed by a practical second half that tells readers how to live based on the doctrine that has been presented. In addition to the exhortations (a hortatory purpose), we find passages that are persuasive and emotional in nature, urging and moving readers to live in a certain way (a persuasive purpose and not only hortatory). Finally, there is a prevailing doxological (“having the intention to praise”) purpose in the epistles. We do not need the foregoing information about the authors of the epistles and their intentions to know that the epistles are uniquely powerful. I will speak personally in this regard. I have been pained to see the propensity of preachers to gravitate so automatically to the epistles to the neglect of the rest of the Bible. Furthermore, in theory the epistles are less literary (and more expository) than the rest of the literary parts of the Bible. To my surprise, therefore, I find that I know the epistles better than other parts of the Bible, and the aphorisms (memorable sayings) that stick in my memory come to a disproportionate degree from the epistles. This is a tribute to the hidden literary brilliance of the epistles, and this guided study is an attempt to explain that literary quality. In my early writings on the Bible as literature (e.g., my 1974 book How to Read the Bible as Literature ), I included chapters or units on the New Testament epistles only for the sake of being complete and not omitting a genre that my readers were expecting me to include. I viewed the epistles as more expository than literary in form. They did not strongly awaken my literary interest. But the closer I look at the epistles and take stock of their impact on me, the more literary they seem. What features make up this literary dimension? I will start with the observation that prose is capable of being literary. Courses in English and American literature usually include prose works (and not only in the

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21 form of novels and plays). The chosen works and passages are subjected to literary analysis for their style and technique, and these are regarded as artistically self- rewarding. Much of the prose that we find in the epistles corresponds to that, and in saying that the aesthetic beauty of the writing is self-rewarding I do not intend to exclude the other dimensions (including the theological and moral content) that we value in the epistles. Although exposition of theology and exhortation to godly living are the purposes that moved the writers of the epistles, they wrote with such an amazing grasp of literary technique that to ignore this aspect of the epistles is to distort them. In fact, any in-depth analysis of what the epistles communicate leads naturally to an awareness of how they communicate that content. This guided study will explore the “how” of communication in the epistles. I would prefer not to write this section of the chapter, but I do not believe this to be an option. One misrepresentation of the epistles has been the impression that many ministers convey that the epistles are the most important section of the Bible and virtually the only essential part of the Bible for Christians. There has been an overemphasis on the epistles in many evangelical circles, to the neglect of other biblical genres. That is the beginning of woes. To add to the problem, the epistles are typically approached in a manner that is not in keeping with the kind of writing they are. I remember how shocked I was when a minister said as a kind of aside, ‘The epistles are really sermons.’ As with a camera click, the picture came into focus for me. ‘Oh,’ I said to myself, ‘that is why ministers mishandle the epistles, and in the specific ways that they do.’ The epistles are rightly named: they are epistles or letters. They do not closely resemble any sermon that is preached from the pulpit. Nor are the epistles essays or treatises in the familiar sense. I have grown discontent with the approach that imposes a melodic line on the epistles because it is reductionistic and enforces an ideational unity on the epistles that they do not in fact possess. Even more objectionable is biblical scholars’ practice of imposing a strictness of coherence on the epistles that exceeds anything that they themselves have ever written (including their dissertations). The epistles are as disjointed in structure and wide-ranging in topics as the letters that we ourselves write. They are not a seamless flow of thought from one paragraph to the next. Instead they have the flow of a letter. The epistles are a literary paradox. They are so theological and moral in subject matter that they lull us into thinking that they are purely expository and informational in nature. But along with this obvious feature we find an abundance of literary technique. These literary forms are what embody the theological and moral meanings, and they contribute to the forcefulness of utterance that we

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22 experience with the epistles. The literary flair of the authors can also add a dimension of enjoyment to our reading of the epistles.”20 The apostolic epistles in the New Testament were authoritative in nature. They were authoritative because they originated from the throne room of God. The apostolic epistles are unique from secular epistles in that sense alone. The Christian epistle claimed divine authorship. They claimed to be the very words of God. The Christian epistle is unique simply by the fact that they claim divine authorship. Pasa graphe theopneustos , “All Scripture, God-breathed!” The general form of a first century letter contained the following elements: (1) The author identifies himself (2) The author identifies the recipient (3) The greeting (4) Main body of the epistle (5) Closing greeting (usually a simple word wishing the recipient good health) (6) Final signature of endorsement by the writer of the letter. The final signature of endorsement authenticated the letter’s contents and served as protection against fraudulent correspondence. The final signature was also important because frequently an amanuensis was employed to write the letter. First Thessalonians follows the correct chronological order of a first century letter’s introduction: (1) The author identifies himself first (2) Then he identifies the recipient of the letter (3) Body of the letter (4) Final greetings. Leland Ryken writes “The game plan for this book is to begin with two chapters that provide a broad picture of letter writing in the New Testament. Then the focus will narrow to more specific components of the epistles. The first two chapters should be viewed as providing a framework within which later chapters will be placed. A preliminary consideration for this chapter is that the epistles belong to a broader category that is common in the Bible. Literary scholars call it the ‘mixed- genre format,’ and they also speak of ‘encyclopedic form.’ This means that a passage or book of the Bible does not display the traits of just one genre but of multiple ones. We can accurately think of the New Testament epistles as hybrids that combine multiple genres, literary forms, and styles. Sometimes it is helpful to think of these genres as overlapping (such as a personal letter that is simultaneously an autobiography), but in other instances it is more helpful to think of them as existing side by side (such as an opening section of theological exposition followed by a unit of moral exhortation). All of the epistles fall into the genre of the letter, with the result that a preliminary set of considerations automatically kicks in for all of the epistles. But there are more letter types than simply the generic one, and one or more of these is always capable of entering a New Testament epistle. Sometimes the general

20 Ryken, L. (2016). Letters of Grace & Beauty: A Guided Literary Study of New Testament Epistles (pp. 14–18). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 23 category ‘letter’ with its five standard elements suffices as a description of a given epistle, but usually something more is needed. The current chapter aims to provide a menu of types of letters that we find in the New Testament epistles. A final preliminary point is very important: in almost no instance does a New Testament epistle fall completely into a given category. It would therefore be wrong to think of a letter as being only a personal letter, for example, or only a letter of friendship. The operative principle is that the New Testament epistles do not always fall completely into this or that genre but instead show affinities with or resemblances to the epistolary genres that I cover in this chapter. The explanatory value of having this menu of genres at our disposal is immense, but we need to avoid looking for a single rubric and then forcing the entire letter into that mold. I will note in passing that the reason I do not use the categories of classical rhetoric such as deliberative rhetoric and judicial rhetoric or epideictic rhetoric is that the rhetorical approach has been extremely guilty of forcing individual epistles into just one category and confusing readers as a result. One reason the New Testament epistles have been misrepresented is that people do not take time to consider the genre of the letter as they themselves know and practice it. Everyone has some experience with letters. It is true that the electronic age has made the letter a somewhat neglected and forgotten form, but this is counteracted if we include emails as a form of letter writing. What things characterize our own letters? They are a form of communication, first of all, designed to convey information of many potential types from the writer to the recipient. Sometimes the information is the whole point of the letter, but on other occasions there is an element of persuasion as well. Or there may be an emotional component, as the writer aims to convey not only information but feelings such as love or anger. Sometimes the information focuses on conditions or ideas that exist objectively, quite apart from the writer of the letter, but on other occasions a letter conveys personal information about the writer, or personal responses to a situation. In all these ways, the content of letters is varied and multiple, and already we can see that the common practice of reducing New Testament epistles to a single topic or purpose is misleading. What about the form and organization of the letters we write and receive? Well, how many times have we sat down to write a letter by formulating a thesis and an outline of topic sentences under it? Probably never. That paradigm is the format of an essay, and letters are not essays. In how many of our letters do we carefully compose a topic sentence for every paragraph? Rarely. How often do we stop while composing a letter and say, ‘Wait a minute—that unit does not fit the melodic line of my letter?’ How often do we compose a transition paragraph between two paragraphs that deal with sharply different subject matter, or make sure that there is a seamless flow of logic from one paragraph to the next?

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 24 A lot of harm has been done by overlooking the obvious and by imposing criteria on the New Testament epistles that belong to essays rather than letters. The Roman author Seneca, who lived at approximately the same time as the New Testament writers, said regarding his letters that they ‘should be just what my conversation would be if you and I were sitting in one another’s company or taking walks together.’ That is not the whole truth about letter writing, but it is an important part of the truth. We can summarize what characterizes letter writing in general as follows, realizing that a given letter might be a partial exception: • Most letters cover multiple topics, not just one. • Letters are not organized like an essay with a thesis sentence, subordinate generalizations under that thesis, and topic sentences for every paragraph. • The main principle of organization is a series of self-contained paragraphs (we tend to “think paragraph” as we compose a letter). • The linear organization of a letter is free-flowing and informal; we take up topics as they occur to us. • As a result, the flow from one paragraph to the next is often disjointed. The foregoing list is descriptive of letters generally and is not offered as prescriptive or something that is always followed. The New Testament epistles resemble (but are not identical with) letter-writing conventions in the ancient world (and scholars often use the formulas Greco- Roman and classical for my adjective ancient ). Letters in the ancient world followed a basic three-part paradigm: introduction or salutation, body, and closing. The New Testament epistles have those parts, too, but two ingredients were added to complete the format and make the New Testament epistles distinctive. The resulting template is as follows: • salutation (sender, recipient, greeting) • thanksgiving • body • paraenesis (section of commands) • closing A few qualifications need to be made. Some epistles omit one or more of these elements. Although the order noted above is the norm, the order might be slightly rearranged, or a given element might appear more than once in a letter. Additionally, even though the body is nearly always the dominant ingredient, with the thanksgiving and paraenesis taking up only limited space, sometimes one of those elements assumes a major role in a given letter. The constancy of the

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 25 paradigm shows that the New Testament writers composed their epistles within an accepted understanding of their genre. Anyone who wishes to see what this five-part format looks like with a specific epistle can take time now to read or browse the book of Ephesians. Here is an outline that applies the grid: • salutation: sender, recipient, greeting (1:1–2) • thanksgiving: the spiritual riches that the recipients possess and prayer for their spiritual welfare (1:3–23) • body of the letter (2:1–4:16) • paraenesis, or list of exhortations (4:17–6:20) • closing: information on how the letter will be delivered and concluding benediction (6:21–24) A circular letter is a letter intended for circulation among a group of people. Often the salutation or close in such a letter signals the group that is envisioned, but this is not a requirement. Because the easiest way to circulate a letter is to read it orally to an assembled group, this is frequently how circular letters are disseminated. We should note that both the Old and New Testaments belong to what are called oral cultures, meaning that documents were more likely to be read aloud and heard than read silently and privately. Certain features of letters fall into place when we picture them as circular letters. For example, a kind of universality descends on them, both for the first recipients and for us as we read them hundreds of years later. We sense that what we are reading applies to all Christians in all times. Balancing this universality, we can exercise our historical imagination and picture ourselves as being present at a reading of an epistle in a church service. We realize that the writer is not addressing us personally but a whole group. In a circular letter, the issues discussed are likely to be of public concern. Certain qualities of the genre of the circular letter are automatically present as we read the New Testament epistles, while other features emerge with more clarity if we become self-consciously aware of the communal aspect. We sense intuitively that there is a foundational and normative quality to the New Testament epistles, and that the writers are laying down guidelines for the future of the church to the end of time. But we have an even firmer reason to regard them in this light when we are consciously aware that these letters are more than individual messages addressed only to original recipients or to us. They are church documents addressed to whole congregations and ultimately to the church worldwide. The more widely a circular letter is disseminated, the better, whereas we read personal letters addressed to someone else with at least a slight sense that we are intruding on something private.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 26 The first tip-off that the New Testament epistles were intended as circular letters is their titles: Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. These titles name groups residing in a specified city or region. This, in turn, implies an oral culture in which even the epistles that are addressed to individuals (Timothy, Titus, Philemon) convey the impression that these letters are intended for the church universal and not simply for the solitary addressee. For example, the letter to Philemon is a letter of request addressed to a specific person and situation, and yet the opening salutation addresses not only Philemon but also ‘the church in your house’ (v. 2). The following salutations from selected New Testament epistles confirm what has been said: • ‘To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints’ (Rom. 1:7). • ‘To the church of God that is in Corinth, … together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Cor. 1:2). • ‘To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the overseers and deacons’ (Phil. 1:1). As applied to the New Testament epistles, the designation ‘personal letter’ denotes multiple things. Sometimes it identifies letters that are addressed to individuals rather than groups. The epistles that fit this definition are those addressed to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. We cannot get much mileage out of the designation personal for these letters, though, because even these epistles have served a normative purpose in the church and in the case of 1 Timothy and Titus have been used as church manuals. A second definition of a personal letter is a letter in which the writer shares a lot of personal information about himself or herself. Of course every New Testament epistle was written by an individual person, but the epistles vary widely in the amount of personal information they contain. The more such information that we find, the more natural it becomes to think of an epistle as a personal letter, as contrasted to a public letter dealing with issues external to the writer. None of the New Testament epistles is only a personal letter, but in some of them the writer shares a large amount of personal information and personal feelings. In these cases the concept introduced above of overlapping genres is helpful, as the concept of a personal letter merges with other genres. Two genres that often overlap with the personal letter are the family letter and the letter of friendship. In fact, only under special circumstances would we write a personal letter to someone other than a family member or friend. Family letters and letters of friendship were well-established epistolary genres in the ancient world.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 27 Family letters are addressed to members of a family. The content of such a letter touches upon family relationships and information pertaining to family life. The tone is familial, emotional, and affectionate. There are no pure examples of family letters in the New Testament, but some of the epistles have affinities with family letters. For example, several of the epistles speak of the church under the metaphor of a family. As an extension of that, the writers often refer to individual fellow Christians as their brother, sister, or child. Here are two random examples: ‘To Timothy, my true child in the faith’ (1 Tim. 1:2); ‘to Apphia our sister’ (Philem. 2). Most conclusively of all, the stock address to ‘brothers’ or ‘brothers and sisters’ occurs approximately 125 times in the combined epistles. The overtones of the family letter are simply part of what we bring to a reading of the epistles. The letter of friendship is only slightly less prominent. For starters, whenever Paul shares personal information or feelings, we naturally assimilate these references as a friend speaking to friends. But certain conventional ingredients of the letter of friendship make the case even stronger. Here is a brief list of traits in a letter of friendship, whether in antiquity or today: (1) naming the recipients either as individuals or a group; (2) references to shared experiences, either past or present; (3) friendship offered as the basis for a request; (4) expression of feelings that are part of friendship; (5) statements of longing to be present with the recipients. All of these are common in the epistles. The use of the word ‘essay’ here should not be construed to mean that I have abandoned my earlier disclaimer that the New Testament epistles are not essays. Two New Testament epistles (Romans and Hebrews) fall decisively into the category of letter-essay, and neither of them strongly resembles essays such as we ourselves write and read. Nonetheless, they contain a preponderance of theological exposition and thereby possess some of the qualities of an essay more than a typical letter. The label didactic letter (“teaching letter”) is a helpful related category, though virtually all of the New Testament epistles have a teaching element without falling into the genre of letter-essay. In a letter-essay, the usual epistolary conventions take a back seat to the essay element. For example, the book of Romans follows the conventions of letter writing only at the beginning and end. The opening fifteen verses are a thoroughly familiar salutation and thanksgiving, and the last chapter reads just like the closing of other New Testament epistles. But between this opening and close, the book shows virtually no connection with the letter format, being theological exposition. Similarly, the book of Hebrews does not spring epistolary conventions on us until the final eight verses (13:18–25)! Nonetheless, throughout the book we find numerous interspersed direct addresses and appeals to the recipients, and these

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 28 appeals resemble those other New Testament epistles rather than a theological essay. What is the usefulness of the designation letter-essay? The first use is that it gives us the best possible label for the books of Romans and Hebrews. They contain letter-writing conventions at the bookends, while most of what appears in the rest of the books is not simply teaching material but teaching that is extensive and systematic. An essay sticks with a topic and uses sophisticated and detailed logic, and this is true of Romans and Hebrews. Additionally, if we use the related category of didactic letter , we have a framework for assimilating the larger than normal space devoted to theological and moral instruction in numerous New Testament epistles. We would not call this teaching material an essay, since it is too loosely organized to merit that label, but certainly these didactic letters have affinities to what we call an essay, with the implications of detailed theological reasoning. The original missionary letters were not the ones that we receive or that are circulated in our churches today but instead some of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. A missionary letter bears the signs of having been written by a missionary, but more is implied than that. At least part of the letter is a report of missionary activity to recipients who are in some sense involved in the missionary’s life and work. A regular feature of missionary letters is the report of the missionary’s travels or travel plans. Commentary on the epistles has long used the category of travelogue as an ingredient in some of Paul’s letters. While the foregoing considerations apply to numerous New Testament epistles, a few are more thoroughly missionary letters than this. Philippians can be read as a missionary update letter, written by a missionary nearing the end of his missionary life. Several of Paul’s epistles are strongly autobiographical, and as Paul reconstructs and defends his life we are aware that we are reading about the life of a missionary (see, e.g., 2 Cor. 1–2; Gal. 2–3; and 1 Thess. 2–3). The Roman world of New Testament times was a far-flung world empire. Additionally, the Romans placed a high premium on political organization. The central government was located at Rome, and a network of subordinate rulers radiated outward from this focal point. Throughout the New Testament we read about this network of rulers. It is no surprise that this milieu created an epistolary genre that we can call the administrative letter, which fell into two general categories. One was written by a political officer to a subordinate ruler in an outlying region, giving instructions and encouragement to the subordinate. A synonym for the label ‘administrative letter’ is ‘official letter’ (written by an official to a subordinate). The other type has been present throughout history and is known as the governor’s report, giving an update of conditions in an outlying region or

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 29 asking for advice. The Old Testament book of Nehemiah is partly a governor’s report. These categories are useful for some of the passages that we find in the New Testament epistles. No claim is made here that we find political letters in their pure form, but rather two other things. First, we find passages in the epistles that have affinities to the administrative letters of the Roman world, so that things fall into place more clearly if we are aware of the genre of the administrative or official letter. Second, we can see something that we find throughout the Bible, namely, the adaptation of literary forms of the surrounding pagan culture to the religious purposes of the writers of the Bible. Under the general umbrella of the official letter we find several subtypes. One is the letter of succession in which a ‘higher up’ officer gives instructions to a junior person about how to name successors for positions under his watch. Another is the letter of advice in which the senior person passes on recommended action to his subordinate. The letter of advice often merges with the letter of encouragement, as the senior person voices support and commendation. To apply this to the New Testament epistles, we can start at the broad level and observe that all of the New Testament epistles were written by apostles who were God’s delegated witnesses to the gospel. They are spiritual officials in the church. We accordingly read the epistles in the spirit that what the authors of the letters wrote carries an absolute spiritual authority. It is not our prerogative to decide what parts we wish to accept. The epistles are official letters. In addition to this general adherence of the epistles to the genre of the official letter, three epistles belong to the genre even more strongly. They are the ‘pastoral epistles’ written by Paul to the young pastors Timothy and Titus. From start to finish, these three epistles read like an instruction manual to subordinates ‘in the field.’ In all instances, including both the general tenor of all of the epistles (written by apostles on the authority of God) and the three Pastoral Epistles, the content of these letters resembles that of administrative letters in the classical world. The ‘elder statesman’ encourages his recipients, instructs them, offers advice, commands, exhorts, and rebukes. Anyone who heard or read these letters would know how to proceed with the task of living the Christian life.”21 There was a constant exchange of letters in the early first century churches and this is reflected by the commands Paul issues the Colossians in Colossians 4:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:27. The letter to the Colossians and First Thessalonians were meant not only to be read by the believers in Colossae and Thessalonica but meant to be read by all Christians throughout the Roman Empire.

21 Ryken, L. (2016). Letters of Grace & Beauty: A Guided Literary Study of New Testament Epistles (pp. 19–30). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 30 Again, we turn to Philip Comfort who has the following excellent comment, he writes “As Paul’s epistles circulated to various churches, neighboring churches began to collect copies of epistles he had written to a neighboring church. This is implicit in Colossians 4:16, wherein Paul asked the church in Colossae to exchange epistles with the neighboring Laodicean church. Most likely, the epistle ‘from Laodicea’ mentioned in Colossians 4:16 is the epistle we call Ephesians, which was an encyclical intended for all the churches in that area, including Laodicea, Colossae, Ephesus. Paul’s language indicates that this epistle would be coming from Laodicea to Colossae—and then probably on to Ephesus, its final destination. In any event, this exchange implies that each church made a copy of their own epistle before sending it on. Paul’s epistles were originally sent to the various churches under his ministry: Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippi, churches in Galatia, and churches in Asia Minor (including Ephesus and Colossae). These churches would have kept the original manuscript, from which copies would be made for other nearby churches. Paul himself probably kept copies of his own epistles. This was usual practice in those days. Having done a study of letter collections published in antiquity, Trobisch was able ‘to uncover typical patterns of how letter collections grow.’ He ‘found that almost all of them originate from the author, who would often publish more than one collection of selected letters.’ 22 As previously mentioned, Paul’s statement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:13 suggests that when Paul asked Timothy to bring him his books, most especially, his parchment notebooks (which were codices), Paul was asking for copies of his epistles, not Old Testament scrolls. While in prison prior to his execution, Paul could have spent his time putting together a collection of his epistles. Paul had always had a publishing plan. He kept track of the letters he had written to various churches (see 1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 7:8); he urged the churches to accept his writings as apostolic truth by the way he appealed to his apostolic position at the beginning of each letter (see the opening verses of all the major epistles); and he signed off his letters with his own hand to give them his personal signatorial authority (see Gal. 6:11; 2 Thess. 3:17). His epistles were his way of disseminating the revelations Christ had given him. He urged his readers to pay attention to what he wrote (Eph. 3:1–6), to accept it as the word of God (1 Thess 2:13), and to not accept anyone who taught differently (Gal 1:6–9). He also urged his younger coworkers, such as Timothy, to guard the deposit he had entrusted to them—both his life and words (2 Tim. 1:12–14). How else could these words be guarded if they were not written, published, and circulated to all the churches? Thus, it stands to reason that Paul took care to complete his collection prior to his death. However, it is also possible that someone in Paul’s circle, after Paul’s death, collected his epistles into one corpus, which

22 David Trobisch, First Edition , 61; also note his book, Paul’s Letter Collection: Tracing the Origins (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994).

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 31 would include Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and perhaps Hebrews (thought by many to be Pauline)—but not the Pastoral Epistles, which were intended for private use, not public. The collector or compiler could have been Luke or Timothy. Moule argued for Luke, saying ‘It is entirely in keeping with his historian’s temperament to collect them.’23 But it is far more likely that it was Timothy. After all, he is the stated coauthor of several of the epistles: 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. This would have put him in an excellent position to be the collector of Paul’s writings. Timothy was also the recipient of two epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Timothy was the one whom Paul directed to get ‘his books, most especially the parchment codices’ and bring them to Paul while he was in prison (2 Tim. 4:13). It is quite possible that Timothy did not get to Paul before his execution. This would mean that Timothy would be the keeper of Paul’s books and writings. Even if he did reach Paul in time, Timothy would have been the one to keep the collection. As was just mentioned, Paul had charged Timothy ‘to guard the deposit’ that Paul had given to him—to pass on to the next generation of teachers the sacred trust. This ‘deposit’ included Paul’s apostolic life and words (see 2 Tim. 1:12–14). One primary way to ‘guard’ Paul’s words was to preserve his writings. Thus, Timothy may have felt obligated to collect Paul’s writings so that his teaching could be passed on from generation to generation. Furthermore, Timothy had been charged by Paul to make public readings of the Scripture in the church meetings. This would have meant that Timothy was a lector for the church, and as a lector he would have naturally kept copies of Paul’s writings. Timothy would not have included the two epistles addressed to him personally when he made the Pauline corpus because these were private letters and not intended for the general church audience. It is for this same reason that the Epistle to Titus was not included. It is quite possible, even likely, that Timothy did not even know about this private epistle. In later years it surfaced and then became part of the Pauline collection. The earliest physical evidence of Paul’s Epistle to Titus is found in P 32 (dated mid to late second century). The Epistle to Philemon was included in the original Pauline corpus because it was not a private letter. This document was not just a personal note from Paul to Philemon, his friend; it was addressed to Philemon, to Apphia (presumably Philemon’s wife), to Archippus, and to the congregation of believers that met in Philemon’s house (vv. 1–2). Whoever the collector of Paul’s epistles was (Luke or Timothy), he also may have taken on the role of a compiling editor who arranged all of Paul’s writings into one corpus. For example, this compiler could have connected Paul’s third epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 10–

23 David Trobisch, First Edition , 61; also note his book, Paul’s Letter Collection: Tracing the Origins (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994).

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 32 13) to the fourth (2 Cor. 1–9). But it is very unlikely that the compiler would have changed Paul’s original wording because the original, individual manuscripts (or early copies thereof) still would have been in existence in various local churches; therefore, any individual who had read Paul’s original work could have exposed the redacted work as fraudulent.” 24

First Thessalonians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (NET) This verse is composed of the following: (1) articular nominative feminine singular form of the noun charis (χάρις ), “ the grace” (2) articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun kurios (κύριος ), “ Lord ” (3) genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun eg ō (ἐγώ ), “ our ” (4) genitive masculine singular form of the noun Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), “ Jesus ” (5) genitive masculine singular form of the noun Christos (Χριστός ), “ Christ ” (6) preposition meta (μετά ), “ with ” (3) genitive second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ ), “ you .” Once again Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton but this time he uses it to emphasize the solemn nature of this last Spirit inspired desire for the Thessalonian Christian community, which concludes his closing salutation of this letter. The articular nominative feminine singular form of the noun charis means “the grace” and refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God. It refers to the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community through Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who communicates in this epistle the will of the Father’s will for their lives. The noun charis contains the figure of speech called metonymy meaning the effect is put for the cause or in other words, the thing effected for the instrument which effects it. Here grace is put for the Word of God which effects grace. Therefore, the Spirit of God speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for the Thessalonian Christian community is the means by which grace is received by them as believers. “Be ” does not translate a word in the Greek text but is added by the translators since they interpret Paul as using the figure of ellipsis meaning that they believe that he is deliberately omitting the third person singular future middle indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί ). Though it is true that Paul is using the figure of ellipsis, he is not however deliberately omitting eimi , but rather he is omitting the third person singular aorist middle optative form of the verb ginomai (γίνομαι ),

24 Comfort, P. (2005). Encountering the manuscripts: an introduction to New Testament paleography & textual criticism (pp. 34–36). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 33 which means “to cause oneself to be manifested.” This would then indicate that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, namely His doctrine or Spirit inspired teaching would cause itself to be manifested among the individual members of the Thessalonian Christian community. This would take place if they continue to obey the commands and prohibitions that Paul issued in this epistle. The optative mood of the verb is a voluntative optative expressing Paul’s Spirit inspired desire that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community when they obeyed his Spirit inspired requests, prohibitions and commands in this epistle. It is difficult to determine however, the mood of this verb. If it is indicative, then the benediction would have the sense of a declarative statement: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you.” If it is imperative: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” If it is the optative, in which the benediction expresses a Spirit inspired wish or desire: “ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” This last option is the view of author since it is supported by peace benedictions and other benedictions in Paul’s Letters, most of which use the optative (Rom. 15:5–6; 15:13; 1 Thess. 3:11, 12–13; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:16–17; 3:5, 16). As Weima suggests, “By analogy, this practice suggests that the same mood is implied in the grace benedictions. Furthermore, although the opening benedictions or greetings of Paul’s Letters also omit the verb, the opening benedictions of other NT letters have the optative (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2; Jude 2). Thus it seems best to view the grace benediction as a wish or prayer to Christ, to send his grace into the hearts and lives of the letter’s recipients. 25 ”26 The aorist tense of this verb is an ingressive aorist emphasizing the beginning of an action or entrance into a state. Here it is used with reference to the grace originating from the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of Paul’s Spirit inspired letter ot the Thessalonians entering into the state of causing itself to be manifested among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community. The middle voice of the verb ginomai is a causative middle meaning that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of His Spirit inspired teaching as the subject does something to itself. With the causative middle, the action was caused by someone who also was the recipient of its outcome in some sense. Thus, it is also an indirect middle. Therefore, the causative middle voice of the verb ginomai indicates that Paul’s inspired desire is that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the

NT New Testament 25 Van Elderen (1967: 48) recognizes that the optative in the NT often takes on a force similar to that of the imperative and speaks of an “imperatival optative”—an optative that expresses a stronger sense than mere volition: “The speaker intends more than a wish (‘may it be so-and- so’); he expresses this with a strong confidence of fulfillment (‘let it be so-and-so’).” 26 Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians . (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (pp. 431–432). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 34 form of his Spirit inspired teaching will cause itself to be manifested among the individual members of the Thessalonian Christian community. The noun kurios means “the Lord” and refers the Father’s one and only Son, Jesus of Nazareth, which is indicated by the fact that this word is ascribed to Jesus of Nazareth throughout First Thessalonians. In fact, the last time the word appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, the term was ascribed to Jesus Christ. This word indicates the following about Jesus Christ: (1) His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest-ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature. (5) His victory over the sin nature and Satan and His kingdom. In His deity, Jesus Christ is “ Lord ” (See Luke 20:42). However, in His human nature He received this title as a result of His obedience to the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer a spiritual and physical death on the cross as a substitute for every member of the human race-past, present and future (See Philippians 2:5- 11). In 1 Thessalonians 5:28, the noun kurios emphasizes the victory that Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, accomplished for the believer through His spiritual and physical deaths and resurrection. His spiritual death solved the problem of personal sins, which are produced by the sin nature through the function of human volition. His physical death solved the problem of the sin nature, which resides in the genetic structure of the human body. His resurrection guarantees the believer that he or she will receive a resurrection body at the rapture of the church, which will be immortal and minus the sin nature. The noun kurios functions as a genitive of source indicating that this grace “originates from” the Lord Jesus Christ or in other words, His mind and thinking. The articular construction of the noun kurios is also used with the plural form of the personal pronoun eg ō, “ our ” to denote possession. The genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun egō refers to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy and the Thessalonian Christian community. This word denotes the intimate relationship between Paul, Silvanus, Timothy, Thessalonians and the Lord Jesus Christ. The proper name Iēsous refers to the human nature of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. The word functions as a genitive of simple apposition meaning that it stands in apposition to the genitive form of the noun kurios , “ Lord ” and simply clarifies who is Lord here, namely Jesus of Nazareth since there were many lords that the pagans worshipped in the first century A.D. The proper name Christos , “ Christ ” is a technical word designating the humanity of our Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind who is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and empowered by the

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 35 Spirit as the Servant of the Father. The word denotes the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth; thus He is the Deliverer of the human race in three areas through His death, resurrection, ascension and session: (1) Satan (2) Cosmic System (3) Old Sin Nature. The word Christos also signifies the uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth who is the God-Man and signifies His three-fold office: (1) Prophet (2) Priest (3) King. The Lord’s Messiahship has a four-fold significance: (1) Separation unto God. (2) Authorization from God. (3) Divine enablement. (4) The coming Deliverer. Christos signifies that Jesus of Nazareth served God the Father exclusively and this was manifested by His execution of the Father’s salvation plan which was accomplished by His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross. The word also signifies that Jesus of Nazareth has been given authority by God the Father to forgive sins, give eternal life, and authority over all creation and every creature as a result of His execution of the Father’s salvation plan. Furthermore, it signifies that Jesus of Nazareth was perpetually guided and empowered by God the Holy Spirit during His First Advent. Lastly, Christos signifies that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised deliverer of the human race from the bondage of Satan, his cosmic system and the old Adamic sin nature. The word Christos also functions as a genitive of simple apposition meaning that it stands in apposition to the genitive form of the proper name Iēsous and simply clarifies which Jesus, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are referring to here since Jesus was a common name in Judaea in the first century A.D. The personal pronoun su is in the plural and means “all of you” referring of course to the Thessalonian Christian community as a corporate unit. The word is used in a distributive sense meaning that there are no exceptions expressing Paul’s concern for each member of the Thessalonian Christian community. Therefore, Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the grace of the Lord would cause itself to be manifested among each and every one of them. This word functions as the object of the preposition meta , which functions as a position within an area determined by other objects and distributed among such objects. This prepositional phrase indicates that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the grace originating from the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching in this epistle to the Thessalonian Christian community would cause itself to be manifested “among” each every one of them when they obeyed his Spirit inspired teaching in this epistle. We have textual problem we need to address before we conclude our exegesis A, D c, K, L, P 614 1739 ,א ) ”since some manuscripts include a final ἀμήν , “amen Byz Lect it 61, 86 vg syr p, h cop bo goth eth). However, it is absent from significant manuscripts from the Alexandrian and Occidental families (B, D*, F, G, 33, 424 c 1881 it d, g syr pal cop sa arm). Some manuscripts from both the Alexandrian and

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 36 Western text types end this letter without the amen, which is not original but rather appears to be added by copyists under the influence of liturgical usage which means the latter was read aloud in a public worship service. The NET Bible has the following note, they write “Most witnesses, including a A D 1 Ψ 1739 c
lat sy bo), conclude this letter with ἀμήν א ) few important ones (am ēn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the witnesses for the omission are sufficiently early and diffuse (B D* F G 0278 6 33 1739* 1881 it sa) to render the verdict against the particle here.”27 There is also another textual issue here at the end of First Thessalonians since the KJV has the subscription “The first epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens,” which is not part of the original since it was a later scribal addition, dating perhaps from the late second or early third century. Also, the phrase “written from Athens” is an obvious scribal blunder, which is based upon a misinterpretation of 3:1. The epistle was written from Corinth.

Translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 5:28 May the grace originating from our Lord, namely, Jesus, who is the Christ cause itself to be manifested among each and every one of you. (Author’s translation)

Expanded translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 5:28 May the grace originating from our Lord, namely, Jesus, who is the Christ cause itself to be manifested among each and every one of you. (Author’s translation)

Exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 5:28 contains the final benediction of First Thessalonians and is nearly identical to the ones found in Romans 16:20 and 1 Corinthians 16:23. This benediction is a Spirit inspired desire that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.

27 Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (1 Th 5:28). Biblical Studies Press.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 37 D. E. Hiebert writes “The concluding benedictions in all the Pauline epistles are essentially the same, with some variations. The shortest is simply ‘Grace be with you’ (Col. 4:18; 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 4:22), while the fullest is the trinitarian formulation in 2 Corinthians 13:14. At times he adds the pronoun ‘all’ (2 Thess. 3:17; Titus 3:15) or says ‘with your spirit’ (Phil. 4:23; Philem. 25). The second- person pronoun ‘you’ (hum ōn) makes the benediction personal for the readers. Only in Ephesians is this pronoun not used; there the benediction is expressed impersonally in the third person (Eph. 6:24).”28 The final benediction in First Thessalonians solemnly expresses Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Spirit inspired desire that the grace originating from the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community. The reference to “grace” refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God. It refers to the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community through Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who communicates in this epistle the will of the Father’s will for their lives. We noted in our exegesis that the noun charis , “the grace ” contains the figure of speech called metonymy meaning the effect is put for the cause or in other words, the thing effected for the instrument which effects it. Here grace is put for the Word of God which effects grace. Therefore, here in 1 Thessalonians 5:28 Paul is not speaking of grace at justification but rather the grace or God’s provision for after justification. The grace of God is not only God’s provision for justification but also a post- justification fellowship with Him. So in other words, in 1 Thessalonians 5:28, Paul is referring to grace which sanctifies or sanctifying grace. He wants the Thessalonians to experience their sanctification by obeying the requests, commands and prohibitions in this epistle. Thus, 1 Thessalonians 5:28 communicates Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Spirit inspired desire that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community would respond to the Spirit’s teaching in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for each of them. So Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are revealing their Spirit inspired desire which is in agreement with the will of the Father that the Word of God would cause itself to be manifested among the individual members of the Thessalonian congregation as a result of applying its contents of First Thessalonians in their lives. The objectives for fulfilling this Spirit inspired desire is that it would enable the Thessalonians to continue to appropriate by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father. This in turn would enable them to continue to experience their deliverance

28 Hiebert, D. E. (1996). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Revised Edition, p. 280). Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 38 over sin, Satan and his cosmic system. It would also enable them to be unified and give them encouragement as they endured persecution in anticipation of the rapture (1 Timothy 2:17-3:6). It would enable them to continue to experience their deliverance over sin and Satan and his cosmic system. Correspondingly, it would enable them to continue to experience their sanctification (1 Thess. 4:1-8). It would also enable the Thessalonians to endure undeserved suffering as they await the Lord’s return at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18). It would also enable them to persevere in light of the fact that they will be delivered from the Lord’s wrath during the eschatological day of the Lord. Obedience to these requests, commands and prohibitions in Firs Thessalonians would thus enable the Thessalonians to be become conformed them more into the image of Christ. They would enable them to maintain their fellowship with the Trinity which would result that they would be unified experientially. This Spirit inspired desire in 1 Thessalonians 5:28 that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among each member of the Thessalonian Christian community is inextricably tied to the solemn command Paul issued this community in 1 Thessalonians 5:27. This is indicated by the fact that the latter solemnly puts under oath each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community. The implication is that these pastor-teachers did not perform this task, then they would be discipline by the Lord (Heb. 12:1-13) through church discipline (Matt. 18:15-17). Paul is using strong language which some have interpreted as indicated that there was a problem among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community and that tensions existed among them. The reason for the strong language in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 is that Paul simply wanted the contents of First Thessalonians to be read to each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community because it revealed the will of God for their lives. Consequently, the application of the contents of this epistle would result in greater spiritual growth among the members of this community. Thus, it was imperative that the contents of First Thessalonians were read to everyone in the Thessalonian Christian community because it was the Word of God. Furthermore, the publicly reading of the contents of this epistle to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community took place of the personal presence of Paul and expressed his apostolic authority over this community. Since Paul could not be present with the Thessalonians, the contents of First Thessalonians would to certain extent take the place of his personal presence among the Thessalonians. Lastly, Paul was adamant about the contents of First Thessalonians being read publicly to the entire Christian community in Thessalonica because it also

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 39 answered their questions and concerns about the dead in Christ in relation to the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18). The exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 is solemn for two reasons. First, Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton to emphasize the solemn nature and importance of the contents of 1 Thessalonians 5:27. Secondly, as we noted in our exegesis, the verb enorkiz ō (ἐνορκίζω ) means “to adjure” since the word pertains to commanding solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse. The contents of First Thessalonians were extremely important for the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian Christian community since it communicated the will of the Father for them. Therefore, the Spirit inspired desire in 1 Thessalonians 5:28 that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be a manifested among each member of the Thessalonian Christian community is solemn for the same reasons since the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is manifested through the contents of First Thessalonians. We also noted in our exegesis of 1 Thessalonians 5:27 that the noun kurios , “by the authority of the one and only Lord ” is ascribed to Jesus Christ throughout First Thessalonians and in fact, the last time the word appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the term was ascribed to Him. We also noted that the word functions as the complement of an object-complement double accusative construction. This means that it is making an assertion about the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community who we noted are the referent of the personal pronoun su. Therefore, this construction is expressing the idea that Paul is solemnly commanding each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community “by the authority of the one and only Lord ” to have the contents of First Thessalonians read to each member of their congregation. This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul is expressing his apostolic authority by solemnly commanding the pastors in Thessalonica to communicate the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation. Secondly, it is indicated by the fact that the noun kurios , “Lord” expresses the sovereignty of Jesus Christ over the church. Therefore, the reference to “the grace originating from our Lord Jesus Christ ” in 1 Thessalonians 5:28 is linked to the noun kurios in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 since the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of His Spirit inspired requests, commands and prohibitions in First Thessalonians manifests His sovereign authority over the Thessalonians and every member of the body of Christ. Also, this Spirit inspired desire in 1 Thessalonians 5:28 that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community corresponds to the “grace” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:1.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 40 1 Thessalonians 1:1 From Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the Thessalonian congregation in union and fellowship with God the Father as well as the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to each and every one of you resulting in peace. (Author’s translation) In 1 Thessalonians 1:1, charis , “ grace ” refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God. The Spirit, through the communication of the Word of God to the believer reveals God the Father’s grace policy to the believer. This word in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 refers to the Holy Spirit speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit or new Christ nature regarding the will of the Father. By responding in faith to the Spirit’s appeal here in 1 Thessalonians 1:1, the recipients of First Thessalonians, would be obedient to the commands in Ephesians 5:18 and Colossians 3:16, which when obeyed produce the same results. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1, we have a figure of speech with this word charis , “grace ” which is called metonymy meaning the effect is put for the cause or in other words, the thing effected for the instrument which effects it. Here grace is put for the Word of God which effects grace. Therefore, the Spirit of God speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit regarding the will of the Father is the means by which grace is received by the believer. The greeting is more than just that, but rather it is in fact, a Spirit inspired desire that the recipients of this letter, namely the Thessalonian Christian community would respond to his apostolic teaching in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for them. The apostle Paul under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit is appealing to the church to respond to his doctrinal teaching in this epistle, which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not speaking of grace at conversion but the grace or God’s provision for after conversion. The grace of God is God’s provision of eternal salvation relationship and a post-conversion fellowship with Him. Therefore, First Thessalonians is bookended by Spirit inspired desires which contained references to grace which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ. Both the introduction and the benediction are expressing the Spirit inspired desire that the grace originating from the Lord Jesus Christ would cause itself to be manifested among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community as a result of the latter appropriated its contents by faith. This faith in turn results in obedience to the commands, prohibitions and requests contained in this letter. D. E. Hiebert writes “This concluding benediction, ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,’ inaugurated a typical Pauline practice. A reference to grace appears in each of the concluding benedictions of the Pauline epistles. It matches

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 41 the mention of grace in the opening salutation of each epistle. Thus all the contents of the epistle are encompassed with grace. It is specifically the grace of Him whom both writers and readers worship as ‘our Lord Jesus Christ.’ His grace is the alpha and omega of Paul’s letters. ‘The grace of God,’ Constable remarks, is always ‘with’ His children, but Paul’s concern was that his readers experience and enjoy this grace.’23 Clearly Paul assumes that the reading of this epistle will be a Spirit- empowered means in the enrichment of their experience of God’s grace. He was anxious that all the brothers experience the enrichment to be derived from the written Word.”29

Grace

Grace is all that God is free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior based upon the merits of Christ and His death on the Cross. It is God treating us in a manner that we do not deserve and excludes any human works in order to acquire eternal salvation or blessing from God. Grace means that God saved us and blessed us despite ourselves and not according to anything that we do but rather saved us and blessed us because of the merits of Christ and His work on the Cross. It excludes any human merit in salvation and blessing (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) and gives the Creator all the credit and the creature none. By means of faith, we accept the grace of God, which is a non-meritorious system of perception, which is in total accord with the grace of God. Grace and faith are totally compatible with each other and inseparable (1 Tim. 1:14) and complement one another (Rom. 4:16; Eph. 2:8). Grace, faith and salvation are all the gift of God and totally exclude all human works and ability (Eph. 2:8-9). Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds, which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (NASB95) The unique Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross- is the source of grace (2 Cor. 8:9) and He is a gift from the Father (2 Cor. 9:15). 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (NASB95) 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NASB95) Jesus Christ was full of “ grace and truth ” (John 1:17) and the believer receives the grace of God through Him (John 1:16).

23 Constable, p. 710. 29 Hiebert, D. E. (1996). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Revised Edition, pp. 279–280). Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 42 John 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (NASB95) It is by the grace of God that Jesus Christ died a substitutionary spiritual death for all mankind (Heb. 2:9). Therefore, the throne in which Christ sits is a “ throne of grace ” (Heb. 4:16). Hebrews 2:10 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (NASB95) The grace of God has been extended to every member of the human race because of the act of love and justice on the Cross. At the Cross, the Father imputed the sins of every person in history-past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross and judged Him as a substitute for the entire human race (Titus 2:11). Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. (NASB95) The message of God’s saving act in Christ is described as the “ gospel of the grace of God ” (Acts 20:24), and the “ word of His grace ” (Acts 20:32; cf. 14:3). By His grace, God justifies the undeserving and unworthy through faith in His Son Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24). Grace is an absolute and is no longer grace if we are saved on the basis of human works (Rom. 11:6). Ephesians 1:3-14 teaches that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the recipients of three categories of grace: (1) “Antecedent” grace: The Father’s work in eternity past. (2) “Living” grace: Our spiritual life and its accompanying invisible assets. (3) “Eschatological” grace: Resurrection bodies and our eternal inheritance. Therefore, since God has dealt graciously with the believer, the believer is in turn commanded to be gracious with all members of the human race, both believers and unbelievers (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 4:6; 1 Thess. 3:12). A Christian is someone who is a “ partaker ” of the grace of God (Phil. 1:7) and he is to live by the same principle of grace after salvation (Col. 2:6; Rom. 6:4). Grace is the Christian’s sphere of existence (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; Col. 1:2). The believer who rejects this principle is said to have “ fallen from grace ,” (Gal. 5:1- 5). God in His grace and love disciplines the believer in order to get the believer back in fellowship with Himself (Heb. 12:5-12). He also trains the believer through undeserved suffering in order to achieve spiritual growth (2 Cor. 12:7-11). The believer is commanded to “ grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ” (2 Pet. 3:18). The believer experiences the grace of God while in

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 43 fellowship with God, which is accomplished by obedience to the Word of God. God in His grace has given the believer the ability to learn and apply bible doctrine through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in order to achieve spiritual maturity (Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-16). God in His grace has provided the church with the spiritual gift of pastor- teacher to communicate the mystery doctrine for the church age, which produces spiritual growth (Eph. 3:1-5; 4:8-12, 16). The Christian life from beginning to end is built upon God's policy of grace (2 Cor. 6:1-9; Rom. 5:2; John 1:16). The grace of God has been manifested and revealed to the entire human race in time through the following: (1) Unique Theanthropic Person of Jesus Christ (2) Salvation work of Christ on the Cross (3) Word of God (4) Holy Spirit’s various salvation and post-conversion ministries. God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the unbeliever the spiritual gift of evangelism and the royal ambassadorship of believers as the vehicles that God the Holy Spirit employs to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ for their salvation (Jn. 16:7-11; Eph. 4:11; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the believer with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher as the vehicle, which the Holy Spirit employs to communicate the Word of God, which produces spiritual growth (Eph. 3:1-5; 4:8- 12, 16). God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the human race the Word of God and the Spirit of God, which reveal His plan from eternity past (Word: 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 3:15-16; Spirit: Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-16). In relation to the unbeliever, God the Father’s gracious provision of salvation based upon faith in the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the Cross-is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Gospel. In relation to the believer, the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God reveals all the benefits of God the Father’s gracious provision for their salvation. The Spirit of God through the communication of the Word of God reveals all that the Father has graciously done and provided for the believer to do His will. Therefore, we learn about the grace of God by listening to the Spirit’s voice, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God (Colossians 1:3-6). The Word of God informs the believer of all that God the Father has provided for the believer through Person, Work and Life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit reveals the will of the Father through the communication of the Word of God (Acts 21:11; 28:25; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:7; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17; 3:6, 13, 22). The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is not only His impeccable unique Person and Work on the Cross but also it is the gift of His Words, His thoughts as communicated to the believer by the Holy Spirit.

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 44 1 Corinthians 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we possess the mind of Christ. (NASB95) The Spirit does not operate independently from the Word of God when He is actively working on behalf of the believer (John 16:13-15). God the Holy Spirit in common grace makes the Gospel message understandable to the unbeliever (John 16:7-11; 1 Cor. 2:10-15). God in His grace has to seek after spiritually dead human beings who have no ability to seek Him (Rom. 3:11; 5:6-11; Eph. 2:1-5). In the Greek New Testament, the term charis is used in the expression “grace and peace” that appears in the introduction to his epistles. Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, slaves owned by Christ Jesus, to all the saints in union with Christ who are presently located in Philippi including the overseers and deacons. 2 Grace to all of you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Author’s translation) Romans 1:7 To those who are presently located in Rome, loved by God, set apart ones, elected to privilege: Grace to all of you and peace that originates from God our Father and the Lord Jesus who is the Christ. (Author’s translation) In Philippians 1:2 and Romans 1:7, charis , “ grace ” refers to the revelation of the blessings and benefits given to the believer at the moment of justification, and which blessings and benefits are imparted by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God, which is the mind of Christ. These blessings and benefits would include the revelation of the following: (1) character of God and the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) blessings effected by the work of the Trinity; (3) will of the Father; (4) provisions to perform the Father’s will, (5) rewards for executing the Father’s will. The impartation of these blessings to the believer pivots off his obedience to the will of the Father. Both the believer and the unbeliever “learn” of the grace of God (i.e. His unmerited favor) by “listening” to the voice of the Spirit, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God. The unbeliever receives the grace of God at the moment of justification by obeying the voice of the Spirit, which is heard by the unbeliever through the communication of the Gospel for salvation by an evangelist or a believer operating under his royal ambassadorship. The believer receives the grace of God by obeying the voice of the Spirit who speaks to the believer regarding the will of the Father through the communication of the Word of God by the believer’s divinely ordained pastor-teacher, or fellow- believer. The Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to the believer making it understandable to the believer since the Word of God is spiritual phenomena (Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:10-16).

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 45 The human race would have no knowledge of who and what God is, what He has graciously done for the human race through the death, resurrection, ascension and session of Jesus Christ if it were not for the Spirit of God. He inspired the Scriptures, which reveals these things and who speaks to humanity through the communication of the Word of God. Nor would the human race know the extent to which and manner in which God has loved the entire human race if it were not for the Spirit of God inspiring the Scripture which reveals these things and who speaks to humanity through the communication of the Word of God. Believers would not know the deliverance that they can experience in time from Satan, his cosmic system and the old sin nature if it were not for the Spirit revealing through the communication of the Word of God the will of the Father and what the Father did on their behalf through Christ’s death and resurrection, ascension and session. They would know nothing of the fantastic future that the believer has if it were not for the Spirit revealing it to the believer through the communication of the Word of God (1 Cor. 2). The believer could not experience fellowship with God if it were not for the Spirit and the Word. The believer is able to experience a relationship with His Master, the Lord Jesus Christ by obeying the Spirit’s voice, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God. The believer experiences the blessings of having the character of Christ reproduced in their lives by obeying the Spirit’s revelation of the Father’s will, which is accomplished through the communication of the Word of God. Obedience to the Father’s will as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God in turn enables the Holy Spirit to reproduce the life and character of Christ in the believer, which is the Father’s will for the believer from eternity past. God the Father is the author of the salvation plan of God for sinful mankind that is based upon His grace policy and is executed by God the Son and revealed by the Holy Spirit. The attributes of each member of the Trinity are involved in grace in that the grace of God is expressed through the harmonious function of all God’s divine attributes in relation to both men and angels. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are co-equal, co-infinite and co-eternal and all with the same divine essence. God is not only a unity of three Persons, all with same divine essence but also the essence of God is a unity of invisible attributes, never working independently of each other. If they did work independently of each other, this would corrupt the integrity of the divine essence. Each of the divine attributes has a role to play in man’s salvation. Grace involves the attributes of each member of the Trinity providing in imparting unmerited blessings to the believer at the moment of justification without compromising the divine integrity. They are also involved in providing the

2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 46 unbeliever the opportunity to receive these unmerited blessings by exposing them to the Gospel of grace. Grace is God giving of Himself (His holiness) in order to benefit all mankind. Grace is the sum total of unmerited benefits, both temporal and spiritual, imparted to the sinner through the harmonious function of the sum total of divine attributes of each member of the Trinity as a result of the sinner making the non-meritorious decision to trust in the Person and Work of Christ on the Cross. This is why John writes the following: John 1:16, For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. (NASB95)

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