Acts 17-18/1-2 Thessalonians

daily text

As I mentioned before, information on the Psalms can be found on an earlier post.

Acts
17: Paul arrives in Thessalonica. He founds a church there in the typical way, which becomes a formula. Paul arrives and goes to the synagogue to teach. He is either welcomed or not, but there is usually at least some faction there that gives him trouble. Here they beat the person at whose house he was staying.

Of course we are reading 1-2 Thessalonians in relation to this section.

Paul then goes to Athens and delivers his famous discourse at the Areopagus. The Athenians were famous for their curiosity, education, and philosophical discourse. Paul shares the gospel with them in terms they can understand, even quoting their own philosophers. However, when the issue of the resurrection comes up they find it strange. We often forget what an unusual idea the central idea of Christianity is when compared to most religious thinking in the world.

18: Paul's adventures in Corinth. Next week we start reading the two Corinthian letters.

1-2 Thessalonians
Most scholars agree that 1 Thess. is the earliest letter written by Paul, somwhere in the late 40's early 50's. It is thus the earliest writing in the New Testament. It is a friendly letter of encouragement to a church that was suffering from persecution by other Jews in town (remember the first part of Acts 17).

2 Thessalonians is almost certainly written quite a bit later. It's concern again is to encourage the Thessalonians and warn them of people who are spreading false ideas. Paul tells them that the day of the Lord - that is Jesus return - has not occurred yet (as apparently some one was telling them). He is also apparently signing all his letters with a particular mark. Evidence that there were forgeries floating about. Paul, you may remember, did not actually write out his letters but dictated them to a secretary. Occasionally he will mention the secretary, and will also sometimes write part in his own hand.