"2 Thessalonians." This is in opposition to in many of his prior letters to both Thessalonians and other cities. Which of the following is pseudonymous? The author of 2 Thessalonians claims all of the following about the end except. bomb on Hiroshima? States decide to drop the atomic James Bishop is from South Africa. The Apostle Paul specifically criticized pseudonymous writings in his name in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and confirmed his authenticity in 2 Thessalonians 3:17.3 Despite the objections from critical scholars, a strong argument can be made for 2 Peter being authored by the Apostle Peter somewhere between AD 64 and 68.4. (4) Many claim that pseudonymity is not wrong because the writer was in some way preserving the apostles teaching. In the churches that Paul founded, all of the following were true, The author of the Pastorals writes against all of the following, The author of 2 Thessalonians claims all of the following about the end. , Your email address will not be published. Which book of the NT has been attributed to Paul even though it does not claim Pauline authorship? When Paul speaks of "we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord" (1 Thes 4:15), he clearly expects the event in his own lifetime. 2:1617) where a plural subject (God and Jesus) is followed by a singular verb shows that Paul assumes the deity of Jesus (pp. One of the key tests for canonicity that the early church used was apostolicity. Some were duped by false teachers that were forging letters to make them look as if they had come from Paul ( 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ). Decide which form of the vocabulary word in parentheses best completes the sentence. Amongst other things, a discussion of the standard introductory matters of historical and geographical setting, date, occasion and purpose, authorship and authenticity, structure and integrity; at points of ambiguity, an indication of the exegetical options with reasons given for the alternative preferred; interaction with recent literature on the book found not only in other commentaries but especially in articles and general works that may be inaccessible; and, more generally, an avoidance of the temptation to import foreign ideas into the text and a willingness to let the biblical text in all its potency speak for itself. Paul again recognizes that the new age is near, but implies that it is too late to do anything. Second, once the door is opened, scholars tend to doubt the authenticity of other NT books. Faith-based comments, discussion of modern religion, and apologetics are prohibited. , This is a very good post which I really enjoy reading. 2 Thessalonians b. We got Colossians as deutero-Pauline (and Ephesians by proxy). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 Tim. The air ( around the earth) is presently satans domain but this will change when we are our caught up to be united with our Lord there and receive our bodily change and be and rule with Him forever. Do you think the A further detail complicates the situation (6): 2 Thessalonians 2:2 warns against a letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already arrived. In addition, pseudonymity greatly affects the interpretation of numerous passages. Green did for 2 Peter in his Tyndale New . a. for profit b. as an act of humility c. to gain authority for the work d. to become famous document.write(year + ". " (1) Some believe it is probable that the NT contains pseudononymous works, since pseudonymity was a common practice in antiquity. How could one trust the truthfulness of Scripture if parts of the Bible were fictional, whether or not they were transparent? Finally, the idea of canonical pseudonymity falls short ethically. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12. Second, I will explain briefly why critics argue for pseudonymity within the NT. For some of the Gospels and teachings, we know who the authors were. 102103). Which of the following does not reflect an early Christian tradition about Paul's activity in Rome? For some of the Gospels and teachings, we know who the authors were. By virtue of Paul's authentic letters usually being called the seven authentic letters, this naturally excludes 2 Thessalonians. She gives special attention to the maternal imagery in these texts (and in Paul in general) and she also addresses Paul's eschatology more broadly. According to D. A. Carson, pseudonymity literally means falsely named.1 It refers either to the practice of attributing a written work to someone other than the author, or to an authors falsely attributing his work to someone else. The best understanding of 2 Thessalonians, therefore, is to see it as a deliberate imitation of 1 Thessalonians, updating the apostle's thought. months[11]="Nov."; The theory that 2 Thessalonians is a forgery must be rejected, not only because of the inherent difficulties of the thesis already mentioned, but also for want of a sufficient motive. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul warns the Thessalonians not to be misled by letter as from us (di epistoles hos di hemon). It will be no surprise for any who already know of Professor Marshalls splendid contributions to New Testament studies to learn that this commentary on the Thessalonian letters fully meets each of these expectations. But in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul (or an unknown author writing in his name) argues against an imminent expectation. 5. Though historians cant say definitively whether the letter was written by Paul or not, you can compare the letter to others written by him and draw your own conclusions. Consider why immigrants risk coming to the United States illegally, the goal of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and its effectiveness, and efforts at immigration reform. Ephesians and Colossians use which term in a different manner from its usual meaning in Paul's undisputed letters? 2 Thess. Yeah, not so much. The pseudonymity of Colossians is arguably stronger (7). What is pseudonymity and what is its relevance? if (year < 2000) In the known Pauline epistles, Paul was adamant that the end of the age was at hand and was coming very quickly. Which of the following does not represent a methodological issue for the study of Paul? . months[1]="Jan."; This objection seems more persuasive, and -- if indeed 2 Thessalonians is to be understood as pseudepigraphical and intends to refute somePauline teaching -- might lead us to look for the culprit among other "realized eschatology" elsewhere in the Pauline or pseudo-Pauline corpus. Paul (previously called Saul of Tarsus; c. 5 - c. 64/65 AD), commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings. (3) Some propose that pseudonymity was merely a literary device, a kind of transparent fiction, in which the readers were fully aware that the author wrote under an assumed name. 2 Thessalonians: This book deviates from the known Pauline corpus in that the writers view of eschatology has changed. What are the arguments for its authenticity? In summary it may be said: 'The use of words, stylistic peculiarities and the train of thought must be seen together. First, the vocabulary differs somewhat from Pauls undisputed letters (8). We both had learned so much and were really pleased with our education so far. In other words, they argue that pseudonymous epistles in the canon of Scripture are innocent writings, free of deceptive or false intent.6 It is at this point that advocates of canonical pseudonymity compile many theories about why the early church would have accepted pseudonymous epistles into the canon. months[3]="Mar. This is the standard position for liberal scholarship. An example of this is 2 Thessalonians, which is written by an author claiming to be Paul. We got the three blatant pseudepigraphica. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Professor Emeritus) VisitUs. I don't see a majority position on this question. 12:7) (pp. Few will doubt that the most disputed question in the discussion of the Thessalonian epistles is the authenticity of 2 Thessalonians. . : The Making of the Christian Myth, The History and Theology of the New Testament Writings, Patristic References to 2nd Thessalonians, Chapters. Please buy the CD to support the site, view it without ads, and get bonus stuff! Archived post. If the letter is genuine, this means that early in Pauls career, letters were being written and sent to groups in his name, but without his approval, although many scholars find this unlikely. p. 388. Explain the immigration quota laws passed in the 1920s. google_ad_slot = "4364046558"; But, again, this could possibly be accounted for in terms of a new set of issues that Paul was confronting. 6. decision to drop the bomb 2 Thessalonians b. What happens across those three sets of letters is that the radical Paul of the authentic seven letters (Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon) is slowly but steadily morphed into the conservative Paul of the probably inauthentic threesome . made no difference in whether a person was righteous, Galatians is unique among the undisputed Pauline letters because, Paul's opponents in Galatia appear to have, Paul countered his Glatian opponents by saying that he, One way Paul argued against his Galatian opponents was, to point out that the apostles agreed with him, Which of the apostles joined Paul in Antioch and stopped eating with the Gentiles, According to Paul, a person is justified by, According to Paul, Gentiles fulfill the law by, Philemon is different from the other undisputed letters because, Which Pauline letters includes a Christ hymn, Paul's letter to the Galatians is best characterized as, What is one likely reason for Paul's relative lack of attention to social inequities, Romans is unique among the undisputed Pauline letters because, it is written to a community Paul did not found, Paul may have written to the Romans for all of the following reasons except, In Romans, Paul defends himself and his beliefs using the rhetorical tool of, In the judicial model, all of the following are true except, The participationist model envisions Jesus' death and resurrection as, According to Paul's letter to the Romans, which statement is not true concerning both the Jews and Gentiles, They both can be made right with God by being circumcised, baptized, and obeying the Law, Paul believed all people were enslaved to sin because of. The thesis of var date=time.getDate(); The theology of 2 Thessalonians is not necessarily incompatible with the views found in the undisputed letters of Paul. This latter ploy serves, of course, to throw the scent off one's own deceit. 2 Thessalonians differs in listing a series of events (signs) that will herald that day. p. 388. speak in the native languages of those gathered, Acts reports that on his journey to Rome, Paul. ." In First Thessalonians, Paul is referring to the Rapture of the church which will come without warning. Not really able to afford the most recent academic work, I can't find much accessible scholarly commentary on 2 Thessalonian's authorship. The form given may be correct. The letter, therefore, represents the church coming to terms with the problems of the generation following Paul's though still consciously and immensely indebted to the apostle. The nearly unanimous consensus of modern scholarship is that 2 Thess. First, I will define pseudonymity and demonstrate why this is an important issue for believers today. year = year + 1900; When this general disclaimer is coupled with Pauls custom of signing his own letters (see 2 Thess 3:17, 1 Cor 16:21, Gal 6:11, Philemon 19, and Col 4:18), it is clear that, in the words of T. L. Wilder, Paul puts a moratorium on pseudonymity in his name. 7 In addition, Revelation 22:18, 19 forbids anyone to add to Scripture. He is a graduate in Creative Brand Communication and Marketing (CBC), and in Theology (majoring in Psychology). Colossians is also Pauline in its general structure and content, with greetings closely matching those of Philemon 23-24. 2 Thes 2:2-13 Second Thessalonians is widely regarded as pseudonymous. it will come like a "thief in the night" A substantial minority of biblical scholars continue to hold the traditional view that 2 Thessalonians was an actual letter written by the apostle Paul to a gathering of Christians at Thessalonica. 8:6; Phil. 1 Corinthians was written from what city? Paul traveled to Thessalonica with Silas and, Paul lists two events that will precede the Christ's coming- the rebellion and, The proconsul blank ruled during Paul's stint at Corinth, The majority of Jews in thessalonica accepted Paul's message, A teaching circulated among the Thessalonians that Christ had already come, Paul visited thessalonica on his second missionary journey, Thessalonica is part of the Roman province called Macedonia, Falling away from it abandoning the faith, Macedonia city named after Alexander the greats sister, Paul's traveling companion, cofounder of churches and amanuensis, Paul's traveling cofounder of churches circumcised by paul. In the first letter Paul says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. }? as truth, bravery, and love are generally considered difficult to define. In actuality, it was widely and strongly condemned, sometimes even within documents that are themselves patently forged. 244, 258). Different from the lively, sometimes abrupt argument of Paul's letters, 2 Thessalonians appears as a didactic compositiion with a narrowly limited theme. 1:1; 2 Tim. Which of the following books is not pseudonymous. So. The Apostle Peter Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. // --> I will offer three basic lines of defense against canonical pseudonymity. that "the case that 2 Thessalonians is a pseudonymous work has been strongly presented in the last decade by W. Trilling"(21)Marshall sharply criticizes the stylistic and form-critical reasons adduced by Trilling against the authenticity of 2 Thessalonians. The New Testament. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul's addressing a situation in Thessalonica where believers were worried they'd missed Jesus' return and had lost hope. In 1 Thessalonians the parousia, the coming of Jesus from heaven as apocalyptic judge and redeemer, is imminent. 2:6 -11) (10). to become famous. Although I will refer to some texts from 2 Thessalonians, this article will focus more on the content of 1 Thessalonians. Finally, the urging of wives (3:18) and slaves (3:22) to be subordinate appears to not sit well with the admonitions found in 1 Corinthians 7 and Philemon. Neither position concerning the authenticity or lack thereof of Pauline authorship of Colossians has acquired general consensus. When they say There is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! (1 Thess 5:2-3). Not only has the apocalyptic imagery changed, but the whole tenor of the expectation is different. One of the largest differences between 2 Thessalonians and other letters that were supposedly written by Paul are the ideas mentioned in the letters on the end times, or eschatology. The portrayal of the "man of lawlessness" in 2:1-11 is said to reflect the "Nero redivivus" myth, an "urban legend" that circulated widely in the years after the death of the Emperor Nero in A.D. 68. Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. Many ancient historians express a preference for. That noted, although the theological position of 2 Thessalonians is unusual for Paul, it is not necessary beyond his thought, especially if it was written in response to a theological crisis. This is in contrast with Paul's writing in Romans 13, which calls for submission to governmental authorities - although passages in 1 Corinthians may be said to contradict this. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7, "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. have followed? The author enlarges on the apocalyptic theme of the Antichrist, prehaps identified with Nero risen from the dead, whose manifestation was to cause the ruin of the Roman Empire. However, it has more acceptance as authentic than Colossians, and substantially more than the pastorals. (2:16), or we find the prayer, "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ" (3:5). An example of this is 2 Thessalonians, which is written by an author claiming to be Paul. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 the author urges the members of the . 3:6-15). The same epistles, however, sharply denounce lying and deception of any kind (e.g., Eph 4:15, 25; Col 3:9; 1 Tim 4:1,2; 1 Pet 2:1). 1 Cor. Johnson: Paul's "Anti-Christology" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 127 graciously provided the church with the whole of canonical Scripture as a framework within which ruled Christian readings6 can emerge, which may go beyond the original intention of the human author. The manner of expression is favored by 42 words and expressions repreated twice or more. Also suggested is that the canonical order is wrong and that 2 Thessalonians was written first. Praise His Name. months[12]="Dec."; Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. Faith Baptist Bible College and ACA Agree to Preschool Rental Space, Wilkenings to Join Faculty and Staff at Faith Baptist Bible College, Goergen Ends Eagles Career as an All-Time Great On and Off the Court, 2023 Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, Federal Compliance | Institutional Goals and Effectiveness | Title IX Policy | Privacy Policy. p. 389. All of the following were reasons for writing pseudonymously except. The reference in 2:2 suggests that the letter belongs to the deutero-Pauline period, and the letter may have been intended to replace 1 Thessalonians entirely. a. In some cases, such as 2 Thessalonians, the letters share significant literary similarities with one or . (1 Thess 3:11-13). 118122). What may the theological student legitimately expect of a serious exegetical commentary on a biblical book? Barclay , J. M. G. 1997. 174175, 203). Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed (2 Thess 2:3). shortsightedness \rule{2cm}{0.15mm}. Themelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. After our freshman year at college, my best friend from high school and I got together and compared our experiences. The purpose of this article is three-fold. Beverly Gaventa (Interpretation) [2 Thess = pseudonymous]. Cambridge, New Zealand.