Eschatology of the Thessalonian Correspondence

Preface

In my search for a topic for a doctoral dissertation, I was drawn to examining the problem of New Testament eschatology. However, it seemed unlikely that anything new or interesting on that topic had been left unexplored. In the course of a preliminary examination of the subject and of the related literature, I was unable to find any coherent account of the eschatological teaching found in the Thessalonian Correspondence. This was the beginning of a journey through Paul’s eschatology. After prolonged discussions with the promoter of the dissertation, Prof. W. Rakocy, the project took its present shape. An examination of the earliest written stage of Paul’s eschatology in the context of intertestamental eschatological thought became the focus of my research during the following years. This book is a result of that exploration.

Although the task of sifting through unknown paths was necessarily something to be done personally, I did not travel the road alone. I owe special thanks to many people who contributed during the writing the thesis and afterwards during the process of translating, correcting and preparing the manuscript for publication.

I would like first to thank the promoter Prof. W. Rakocy and all the professors of John Paul II Catholic University, Lublin (Poland), where the thesis was written and accepted.

I own sincere thanks to the École Biblique in Jerusalem for hospitality shown during the periods of research I spent there.

I would like to thank Walter Dunphy, Brendan Kelleher and Robert Reimer for correction of the English translation.

A word of special appreciation goes to Nanzan Catholic University, Nagoya (Japan) for financial support of the publication.

Finally, I would like to thank all those friends whose encouragement helped me to finalize the project. I mention in particular M. Calmano, R. Strzyzewski, W. Szypula, K. Szymczycha, Ph. Rittershause, A. Gadomska, but there are many more who should be included. ← 9 | 10 →

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Abbreviations

1.  The Bible

The Old Testament

The New Testament

2.  Dictionaries, Commentaries, Series, Journals

3.  Classical and Hellenistic Writings

4.  The Dead Sea Scrolls

5.  The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

Introduction

The Letters to the Thessalonians are the earliest writings of the New Testament¹, and for that reason, they are the subject of unremitting interest to exegetes and theologians². Among the theological issues raised by the letters, the most analyzed and discussed problem is universal eschatology³. While in 1 Thess this issue occurs together with many others about which the apostle exhorts the recipients of the letter, in 2 Thess it becomes a central theme⁴. In studies of the New Testament eschatology, the Letters to the Thessalonians are one of the main sources, which provide important information about universal eschatology⁵, and are basic to any discussion of issues related to prodroms, the resurrection of bodies and the parousia of Christ. ← 19 | 20 →

Although these three issues are core themes of universal eschatology, it does not mean that they are the only themes in the eschatological passages of 1 Thess 4, 13–5, 11 and 2 Thess 2, 1–12. The works of scholars who refer to details of universal eschatology as presented in 1–2 Thess are usually marked with controversy concerning the authenticity of 2 Thess or they refer to only one of many issues. In Polish, so far, there are no studies, which examine the passages 1 Thess 4, 13–5, 11, and 2 Thess 2, 1–12 in order to present how Paul created a compact and comprehensive Christian eschatology.

Among the authors who analyze the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians (such as C. E. B. Cranfield, A. M. Molina, B. Witherington III) there is a trend to use a certain eschatological motif, only to demonstrate the evolutionary development of the eschatological concept in the New Testament⁶. An objective approach to the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians is also necessary for general studies, such as the introduction to the New Testament theology, and the development of the theology of Apostle Paul⁷.

In the early twentieth century, the classic studies of Pauline eschatology and eschatological motifs, the Letters to the Thessalonians (H. A. A. Kennedy, G. Vos) are already a central focus of the author’s interest, but are still presented in the context of general eschatology in the Bible. The eschatology of 1–2 Thess is often compared to the apocalyptic writings of the Old Testament and to the eschatology of the intertestamental literature in order to search for dependence and convergence of both types of eschatology⁸. All commentators on the ← 20 | 21 → Letters to the Thessalonians indicate two main sources of inspiration and influence in Pauline eschatology⁹.

A dominant trend is to emphasize the influence of the Old Testament, especially the Book of Daniel, on the thought of the apostle¹⁰. Depending on the eschatological issue in the Letters to the Thessalonians, commentators find inspiration in the Book of Isaiah, Ezekiel, or the books of Maccabees¹¹. In Polish, L. Mycielski and K. Romaniuk wrote comparative studies of eschatology and apocalyptic in the Letters to the Thessalonians and the Old Testament¹².

Some authors analyze the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians from the perspective of other apocalyptic texts in the New Testament (Mk 13; Ac). A. Sand shows that the “Christianization” of Jewish apocalyptic themes is presented by the authors of the New Testament for polemical and apologetic purposes¹³. D. Wenham examines the eschatology of the Apostle Paul in the context of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the tradition of the synoptic gospels¹⁴. Showing ← 21 | 22 → similarities between certain eschatological motifs in the Letters to the Thessalonians and the synoptic gospels (particularly Mt 23), he concludes that the concepts of “man of lawlessness” and his defeat at the revelation of the Son of man were created much earlier than it appears in the Letters to the Thessalonians.

There are no comprehensive and extensive studies concerning the relationship between the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians and the eschatology of the intertestamental apocalypses, which not only indicate the differences and similarities between both eschatology, but also explain them. Previous studies on the eschatology of the Old Testament and the New Testament reveal two trends in reference to the intertestamental literature. The first is the selective treatment of the pseudepigraphal texts that use only the best-known writings¹⁵. However, a reductive approach to the intertestamental literature makes it impossible to discover the richness of these texts, and reduces the research to searching for arguments supporting the author’s thesis. The second trend is to analyze the intertestamental literature for a selected theme within the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians¹⁶. This approach is common, particularly in monographic studies. Among exegetes dealing with the relationship between the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians and the eschatology of the intertestamental literature, there is agreement that apocryphal literature is one of the three sources (along with the Old Testament and the revelation received by Paul), which the apostle used to create his eschatology¹⁷. ← 22 | 23 →

A. Feuillet believes that the eschatology of both letters is strongly influenced by Judaic literature and there is no significant influence from Hellenism in 1–2 Thess¹⁸. In the same way W. Baird, says that despite changes in the eschatological language used by Paul, Judaic apocalyptic is not shaped by Hellenistic ideas¹⁹. Some authors do not deny the influence of the intertestamental literature but they emphasize a clear distinction between the eschatology of the Apostle Paul, the Old Testament eschatology and the intertestamental apocalypses²⁰. Others authors, such as L. J. Kreitzer, show the evolution of the Old Testament expression “the Lord’s Day”, which in the letters of Paul is named as “the day of Christ”²¹. T. F. Glasson, in turn, denies any influence from the intertestamental literature on the concept of the parousia presented by Paul²². In his opinion, the parousia is an example of the application the Old Testament idea of “the day of the Lord” to the person of Jesus, created by early-Christian apocalyptic.

Many of the monographs and articles referring to the eschatology of the Letters to the Thessalonians are dominated by a controversy concerning the authenticity of 2 Thess. Authors, adopting different methods, examine the two letters in order to prove or refute the authenticity of 2 Thess. Most of this kind of work will be presented in the first chapter. At this point, we will present only the most recent study by C. R. Nicholl²³, in which he advocates for the authenticity of 2 Thess. Any differences between 1 Thess and 2 Thess including those relating to eschatology, he explains by changes in the external and the internal ← 23 | 24 → situation that occurred in the community of Thessalonica during a relatively short period, between the writing of 1 Thess and 2 Thess. Carefully analyzing both letters, he concludes that the situation described in 1 Thess is very similar to that presented in 2 Thess. In both cases, what determines community beliefs, are eschatological themes.