Go to the Chronological List of all Early Christian Writings, var lmonth=months[time.getMonth() + 1]; Many ancient historians express a preference for. The nearly unanimous consensus of modern scholarship is that 2 Thess. This is the standard position for liberal scholarship. A.D. 190): For our part, brethren, we receive both Peter and the other apostles as Christ, but the writings which falsely bear their names (ta de onomati auton pseudepigrapha) we reject, as men of experience, knowing that such were not handed down to us.9 On another occasion, Tertullian explains that a man was deposed from the ministry for writing the pseudonymous 3 Corinthians, even though he wrote it out of love for Paul.10 Invariably the early church rejected works deemed to be inauthenitic. Three years later and no less consistently Marshall has interpreted the epistle as the work of Paul, thus doing for 2 Thessalonians what E. M. B. The manner of expression is favored by 42 words and expressions repreated twice or more. What are the arguments for its authenticity? This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write." Given statements like these, I think it is logically and morally incompatible to hold to pseudonymity / pseudepigraphy and the ultimate authority of Scripture. Do you think the In light of these factors, neither position regarding the authenticity or pseudonymity of 2 Thessalonians has acquired a general consensus. We got the seven authentics. Powered by WordPress & WPstart Theme. Ibid. . Although the theology between Colossians and the authentic Pauline letters differ, the question on which scholars are divided is whether or not it would have been possible, in certain circumstances, for Pauls theology to have developed in this direction. (a) Recall Why did the United Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. 2 Thessalonians 3:17: "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. First, I will define pseudonymity and demonstrate why this is an important issue for believers today. Which of the following did Paul meet for the first time in Corinth? 2 Thessalonians, a pseudonymous letter, also preaches a politically conservative and accommodative message, as does 1 Peter. However, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 seems to warn its readers against accepting teachings from a letter forged in Paul's name, indicating that either a pseudonymous author was attempting to disarm the letter's audience into accepting his forgery as authentically Pauline, or that Paul himself was writing to warn his readers that forged letters were . 5:8, 10) and their rejection of the gospel (pp. In 2 Thessalonians 2:67 that which restrains may be the preaching of the gospel to all nations (Mk. 118122). . The fascinating instance of enallage of verb in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 (see also 2 Thes. 3:6-15). , This blog is providing valuable and unique information. One of the key tests for canonicity that the early church used was apostolicity. Donald Guthrie notes the principle that one canonical pseudepigraphon leads to the possibility if not the probability of others, and the investigator can proceed without restraint to postulate as many pseudepigraphic hypotheses as he wishes.5. document.write("2001-" + year); Praise His Name. (22)However, in order to defend the Pauline authorship of 2 Thessalonians, 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. In 1980 Trilling wrote a commentary on 2 Thessalonians (based on his 1972 monograph) in which he consistently interprets the letter as a pseudonymous work. Michael Holmes (NIVAC) [2 Thess = authentic]. Suggestive, however, is the presence of strikingly varied theological emphases in letters written to the same church at about the same time. I can't find anything in the search for 2 Thessalonians. 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. They are agnostic on Pauline authorship of Ephesians, inclining against it (pp. months[12]="Dec."; After meticulously noting their differences (or sometimes similarities), he or she then proclaims confidently that it is impossible for the same person to have written both epistles. 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). 6:5). p. 389. . Explain the immigration quota laws passed in the 1920s. Which of the following does not reflect an early Christian tradition about Paul's activity in Rome? 119-120): Second Thessalonians is so like 1 Thessalonians and yet so different that it must be an imitation of 1 Thessalonians written to meet a later situation. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14 the word vessel (skeuos) refers to the mans own body in its sexual aspects and the whole verse to the need for sexual self-control (pp. 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. document.write(year + ". " 244, 258). Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy, Follow Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy on WordPress.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xApDbRDz8U8&t=320s. Ultimately, all such attempts to argue that it is pseudonymous falter on the same his Yet as we talked, he told me about something that disturbed him greatly. We got the three blatant pseudepigraphica. Second, significanttheological differencesexist between the two letters, especially concerning their eschatological views (2). shortsightedness \rule{2cm}{0.15mm}. 1 Timothy c. Titus d. 2 Timothy Which of the following is pseudonymous? The eschatology of 2 Thessalonians, it is alleged, bears close resemblance to the eschatology of the Revelation, a late-first-century book. have followed? 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12. 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. 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. 1 Corinthians b. 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. . Colossians is also Pauline in its general structure and content, with greetings closely matching those of Philemon 23-24. The outlier is 2 Thessalonians. 13:10), while he who restrains and will be taken out of the way is perhaps some angelic figure who, at the direction of God, was keeping evil under restraint during the period of preaching (pp. months[11]="Nov."; 1:1; and Titus 1:1) to his two apostolic representatives, Timothy and Titus. , Your email address will not be published. The majority of critics who argue for canonical pseudonymity, however, contend that these epistles should not be considered forgeries. The term rebellion referred to in 2 These 2 : 3 is NOT a translation from the greek but an interpretation of the translator(s) of this particular Bible version of the greek word apostasy used there. 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. Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self, Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka, John Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, "But we ought always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord . Great, thanks for sharing these points. 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. Usually, the case for pseudonymity of a particular NT epistle focuses on technical arguments concerning vocabulary, style, and certain doctrinal and historical idiosyncrasies. Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. Second, I will explain briefly why critics argue for pseudonymity within the NT. 2 Thessalonians? 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. So in 2 Thessalonians we read of "our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us. c. The letter claims to have been co-written by Timothy. I don't see a majority position on this question. Second, once the door is opened, scholars tend to doubt the authenticity of other NT books. + date + " " + lmonth + " " + year); 3:17) and in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 warns believers against a "letter supposed to have come from us." Why do critics argue for pseudonymity in the New Testament? 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. Thank for the information, please visit In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul warns the Thessalonians not to be misled by letter as from us (di epistoles hos di hemon). The issue of authorship of the Pastoral Letters began to be debated in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. 1 Thessalonians 2:16b means that the divine wrath in its full and final manifestation had drawn very near to the Jews collectively as a people since by and large they were opposed to the gospel (pp. Those who reject it say its eschatology differs too much, and even the author's insistence that he isn't a pseudonymous author is actually evidence he is. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All of the following were reasons for writing pseudonymously except, One reason some scholars doubt the authenticity of the authorship claim of 2 Thessalonians is, it teaches the end will not come immediately, The opponents in 1 Timothy appear to resemble, One of central concerns in the Pastoral epistles is, IN the churches that Paul founded, all of the following were true except, The author of the Pastoral writes against all of the following except. Also suggested is that the canonical order is wrong and that 2 Thessalonians was written first. In First Thessalonians, Paul is referring to the Rapture of the church which will come without warning. The letters themselves claim to be from Paul the Apostle (cf. However, it has more acceptance as authentic than Colossians, and substantially more than the pastorals. Ibid. In most cases, the critic compares the suspect epistle to other epistles believed to have been written by the biblical author. Barclay , J. M. G. 1997. p. 389. Which of the following is not one of the Pastoral epistles? One similarity between Jesus in the Gospel of Luke and the apostles in Acts is, In the Gospel of Luke and in Acts, the end of the world is expected. Christs cosmic role and divine nature are emphasized in ways barely anticipated in the undisputed letters (1:15-20; 2:9-10; cf. During the last quarter of the 20th century a majority of biblical scholars came to support the view that 2 Thessalonians is a pseudonymous composition. Conrad Gempf explains, Formerly it was the case that a persons views on pseudonymity in the canon could be ascertained merely by finding out whether the person was an evangelical or not. 2 Thessalonians differs in listing a series of events (signs) that will herald that day. In fact, the case has been made by various critics at one time or another that all of the NT epistles are pseudonymous. 2:18) was perhaps achieved through Pauls bouts of illness (cf. In 1 Corinthians he tells readers I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are (1 Cor 7:26). so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God and Father. Scholars agree thatPaul wrote all of the following except, Many scholars think Paul wrote his letters around, Paul believed all of the following about the Law except, it puts a person in right standing with God. ." }? as truth, bravery, and love are generally considered difficult to define. I would really like to thanks for the efforts youve got made in writing this post. James is specializing in the area of new religious movements and is currently guest lecturing and tutoring in the Sociology of Religion and Comparative Religion. (2) It is often erroneously claimed that the ancient world had no concept of copyright or intellectual property, and thus it was perfectly normal for someone to use a popular name to promote his own work. InBlackwell Companion to the New Testament, edited by David E. Aune, 373-398. Slightly more than half of the roughly 110 on that chart accept its authenticity. Write the correct word in the space next to each definition. 3:1 f.; 2 Cor. (1) Some believe it is probable that the NT contains pseudononymous works, since pseudonymity was a common practice in antiquity. Paul again recognizes that the new age is near, but implies that it is too late to do anything. An example of this is 2 Thessalonians, which is written by an author claiming to be Paul. What little I can find is 'Paul wrote it because his name is on it and it's a lot like 1 Thessalonians' or 'Paul didn't write it because it's too similar to 1 Thessalonians and its eschatology is a bit different'. 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 church included many people who had come out of idolatry that implies that Paul had preached to gentiles there. Which of the following does not represent a methodological issue for the study of Paul? Which of the following views of Paul did Jesus share? The Apostle Peter var date=time.getDate(); Write a paragraph analyzing the causes and effects of illegal immigration to the United States. 2. For some of the Gospels and teachings, we know who the authors were. The New Testament. He wants to stop any confusion they have about their faith, especially the return of Jesus. Bassler, Jouette M. 2010. 2 Thessalonians b. 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. 2 Thessalonians: This book deviates from the known Pauline corpus in that the writers view of eschatology has changed. Your email address will not be published. One of its striking occurrences is in the orthodox Apostolic Constitutions, a book of ecclesiastical instructions, ostensibly written in the name of Jesus' apostles, which warns its readers to avoid books falsely written in the name of Jesus' apostles (VI, 16). We both had learned so much and were really pleased with our education so far. a. months[8]="Aug."; 2 Thessalonians 1:10, 12; 2:14. It is pretty easy to conclude that either 2 Thessalonians was written by a different author than the rest of the letters, or that something happened to make the author change his mind and teachings about the eschatology. Why should Christians reject pseudonymity and accept the authenticity of the New Testament? I will offer three basic lines of defense against canonical pseudonymity. 8083). Indeed, supporters of pseudonymity are ubiquitous. What may the theological student legitimately expect of a serious exegetical commentary on a biblical book? The one letter I have trouble finding any real information on is 2 Thessalonians. Obviously these critics hold a very low view of Scripture. Often, certain historical or theological presuppositions drive scholars to find or to contrive arguments for pseudonymity. First, the letter is close in language and structure to 1 Thessalonians, which suggests that both letters were written around the same time while the words were still fresh in the Apostle Pauls mind or, alternately, that one served as the literary template for the other, indicating a different author (1).]. 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. The time of composition is likely to have been in the last two decades of the first century when hopes in the imminent parousia were faltering. In addition, pseudonymity greatly affects the interpretation of numerous passages. I remain unconvinced that 2 Thessalonians is pseudony mous. 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. 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. if (year < 2000) Paul recognizes that there is an impending crisis which could come at any time, but does not think that they need to prepare for it in any way. a. Ibid. (abstract) _____________________. Ibid. In 1980 Trilling wrote a commentary on 2 Thessalonians (based on his 1972 monograph) in which he consistently interprets the letter as a pseudonymous work. Believe it or not, today the majority of NT scholars argue that many of the epistles in the NT are pseudonymous. As J. I. Packer notes, Frauds are still fraudulent even when perpetuated from noble motives.13 Thus, one must conclude that the literary category of pseudonymity is simply incompatible with the Word of God. 12:7) (pp. //-->. Green did for 2 Peter in his Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Finally, the idea of canonical pseudonymity falls short ethically. The problem is that those post-Pauline or Pseudo-Pauline letters are primarily counter-Pauline and anti-Pauline. For instance, there is no indication that different groups are being addressed in these letters. Furthermore, the generation following Paul tended to ascribe to Jesus attributes and functions that Paul's generation reserved to God, a tendency that was a natural consequence of a developing Christology. 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. 1 Cor. Satans hindering (1 Thes. months[10]="Oct."; Among the Pauline documents in the New Testament, six are thought by many to be pseudonymous, i.e., documents falsely claiming to be written by Paul.1 These six include: Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians and the Pastoral Epistles . var months=new Array(13); The most common books that are said to be pseudonymous are 2 Peter, the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus), and Ephesians. Colossians and Philemon: New Testament Guides. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. "2 Thessalonians." a. it claims to have been written by Paul, b. it talks about church leadership structures unknown in Paul's day, c. it teaches the end will not come immediately, d. the author claims to have worked in Thessalonica, b. they believed everyone had received gifts from God's Spirit, d. when there was a problem they wrote to Paul for advice, a. For example, James Dunn argues that Ephesians is pseudonymous for four reasons: (1) stylistic variations from other Pauline epistles, such as long sentences, repetition, and piling of adjectives, (2) an assumed dependency on Colossians, (3) its second generation perspective, and (4) a theological emphasis that appears to represent a later historical situation.3 Another example is J. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2665675471425577"; d. Early Christians did not think Colossians was Pauline. The thesis of When comparing the Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral epistles with those considered genuinely Pauline, which of the following is not evidence against Pauline authorship? The pains taken by the author at the end (iii, 17) to declare his signature genuine render it the more suspect.". Not really able to afford the most recent academic work, I can't find much accessible scholarly commentary on 2 Thessalonian's authorship. Which of the following is pseudonymous? In 1 Thessalonians the parousia, the coming of Jesus from heaven as apocalyptic judge and redeemer, is imminent. 9. Second Thessalonians is widely regarded as pseudonymous. If this letter was was written first, then there is a more natural progression of circumstance, tone, and eschatology. A few critics answer this question affirmatively, and assume unashamedly that any pseudonymous epistle in the NT is a literary forgery (i.e., the writer deceptively tricked his original audience). 1 Corinthians was written from what city? I will follow your article. 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. 2 Thessalonians is a pseudonymous True A teaching circulated among the Thessalonians that Christ had already come True Paul visited thessalonica on his second missionary journey True Thessalonica is part of the Roman province called Macedonia Apostasy Falling away from it abandoning the faith Thessalonica google_ad_width = 728; Themelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. Some are anonymous, and others are pseudonymous, meaning that they were written by someone pretending to be someone else. var time=new Date(); The most common books that are said to be pseudonymous are 2 Peter, the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus), and Ephesians. Which book of the NT has been attributed to Paul even though it does not claim Pauline authorship? 1 Thes. On the other hand, if 2 Thessalonians was not written by Paul, it presents the irony of one pseudonymous letter warning against the danger of another. Norman Perrin writes the following (The New Testament: An Introduction, pp. p. 389. So. 3 Corinthians. In his NT survey class his professor believed and taught that many of the epistles in the NT were not written by the claimed authors, but rather that they were pseudonymous. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 the author urges the members of the . In Romans, he writes the night is far gone, the day is near (Rom 13:12). p. 388. I'm browsing through search results. Kirby, Peter. Faith-based comments, discussion of modern religion, and apologetics are prohibited.