1-2 Thessalonians (New Covenant Commentary Series | NCCS)

by Nijay K. Gupta

Publisher:

Cascade

, 2016

Overview

In the first century, the Thessalonian church grieved deaths in their community, endured harsh persecution, and struggled with questions about the future. Paul offered them the comforts and reassurances of hope in the Messiah Jesus. But he offered far more than wishful thinking or pie-in-the-sky comfort. Paul’s emphasis on hope in the Messiah Jesus involved capturing a vision of God’s redeemed and just future in order to see and live faithfully today. Paul did not believe in a passive hope, but an active hope where, if the Day of the Messiah is a beacon, believers set their course and diligently move toward it. That diligence is especially captured by love for Christian brothers and sisters, commitment to honest and productive work, and obedience to the truth of the gospel of Lord Messiah Jesus.

Key Features

• Draws out the unique empheses of Pauline thought in 1&2 Thessalonians
• Attends to key questions modern readers have of the ancient text
• Provides an accessible commentary for thoughtful Christians who seek a broad theological dialogue

Contents

Top Highlights

“It is easily recognized that Paul writes 1 Thessalonians to a community that is beginning to lose its confidence and foundation of its faith.” (Page 2)

“Believers inevitably will suffer for their allegiance to Jesus as Lord, not because God relishes in suffering, but because the Messiah’s kingdom operates in direct opposition to the sinful way of the world—his subjects must maintain a distinctly counter-cultural existence imitating the radically backwards values of holiness as well as self-giving love towards neighbor and God.” (Pages 69–70)

“The point is not that the mourners were wrong to think the young girl dead (for she was dead). Rather, the point of this saying is that death is such an unequal match for the life-giving power of Jesus that it does not even deserve to be called ‘death.’” (Page 92)

“A minority of scholars (including myself) hypothesize that those who died may have been martyred, killed by persecutors.” (Page 14)

“Traditionally, pistis is translated ‘faith’ in the New Testament, but here it takes on the more common Hellenistic meaning of ‘loyalty’ or ‘trust.’⁴ Paul is not really commending them for what they believe per se, but rather for their firm commitment to God from the start.⁵ Pistis here is a word marking the orientation of the will—it is an active word for Paul in the same way love (agapē) is an active word. In ancient Greek literature, pistis was regularly used with the meaning of ‘pledge’ or ‘bond.’ This reflects aptly Paul’s concern: the Thessalonians were known for their bold and active loyalty and obedience that are seen in real-life action or work.” (Pages 40–41)

Endorsements

In conversation with the best interpreters of the Thessalonian letters across the centuries, Nijay Gupta offers us a rich feast of insights into these very early Christian Scriptures. Simultaneously accessible and perceptive, attentive to historical context as well as contemporary theological and spiritual concerns, this is a commentary for students, pastors, and all readers of Paul.

—Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary's Seminary & University

Nijay Gupta's commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians demonstrates reliable, even-handed scholarship, theological and pastoral sensitivity, and a masterful ability to lay out the letters' substance and basic flow of thought in an engaging style that is a pleasure to read. These qualities, along with its manageable size, make it ideal for use in the classroom and for local church pastors and teachers. Highly recommended!

—Andy Johnson, professor of New Testament, Nazarene Theological Seminary

Here is a commentary that does not miss the mark. It is exegetically sound, theologically astute, and ecclesially centered. Gupta seems to delight in showing how these ancient texts make modern sense. I read few commentaries cover to cover, but Gupta's I did. It is well worth the time and investment, for he carefully weighs the interpretive options and arrives at well-reasoned and well-supported readings. I want this one on my shelf.

—David B. Capes, academic dean and professor of New Testament, Houston Graduate School of Theology

Nijay K. Gupta is a gifted interpreter of Scripture. Herein, you will find incisive, insightful commentary on the Apostle Paul's earliest extant letters. I warmly commend this comparatively (and refreshingly!) compact treatment of the Thessalonian correspondence, not least the exegetical skill, theological engagement, and pastoral concern manifestly evident throughout.

—Todd D. Still, DeLancey Dean and Hinson Professor, Baylor University, Truett Seminary

Product Details

• Title: 1-2 Thessalonians: A New Covenant Commentary
• Author: Nijay K. Gupta
• Series: New Covenant Commentary Series
• Publisher: Cascade
• Print Publication Date: 2016
• Logos Release Date: 2016
• Pages: 204
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. N.T. 1 Thessalonians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. 2 Thessalonians › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781625644480, 9781498286534, 9781532601019, 9780310518716, 9780310518723, 9780718846046, 9780718895051, 1625644485, 1498286534, 1532601018, 0310518717, 0310518725, 0718846044, 0718895053
• Resource ID: LLS:NEWCOVCOMM73TH1
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-10-05T17:05:59Z

About Nijay K. Gupta

Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, University of Durham) is Associate Professor of New Testament at Portland Seminary, George Fox University, Oregon, and author of Worship that Makes Sense to Paul: A New Approach to the Theology and Ethics of Paul’s Cultic Metaphors (BZNW 175; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2010), Colossians (Smyth & Helwys Biblical Commentary; Macon: Helwys, 2013), and 1-2 Thessalonians (New Covenant Commentary Series; Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016). He is co-editor of The State of New Testament Studies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2019), and co-editor of a planned second edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press).