Template:Thessalonians

Thessalonians

Most New Testament scholars believe Paul the Apostle wrote the Thessalonians letter from Corinth, although some information would point to Athens as if it was the location of its writing after Timothy had returned from Macedonia with news of the state of the church, e.g. the called out, in Thessalonica which we see in Acts 18:5 and 1 Thessalonians 3:6.[4] Paul was known to the Church at Thessalonica, having preached there according to Acts 17:1–10.

The letter is mostly personal in nature, with only the final two chapters spent addressing controversies. Paul encourages and reassure the Christians to continue working quietly.

The early Church was gathering in a network to provide all social welfare through charity, rather the stsrem of force used in the world of Rome and most of the city states.

To take the free bread from the government supported temples was considered by them to be idolatry.

Christ came to set the captive free so that the whole world might be saved.

A common word for "power" in Greek is 'exousia' which means the "power of choice" or "rights".

The word "right" or "rights" as a noun is defined as "that which is morally correct, just, or honorable." If you are willing to take the right of choice from your neighbor it becomes morally correct that your right of choice be equally diminished.

"Freedom is the Right to Choose, the Right to create for oneself the alternatives of Choice. Without the possibility of Choice, and the exercise of Choice, a man is not a man but a member, an instrument, a thing.”  Archibald MacLeish.

Redistribution of that which is produced by the sweat, blood, and life of the individual through force rather than the choice of charity diminishes freedom and degenerates the souls of men.

Ultimately if you want your rights back you must take back your responsibilities to your fellow man which brings us to the definition of Religion two hundred years ago when all social welfare was by charity as required by Christ and not by the rule of force like Caesar, Pharaohs, Nimrod, or Cain.

Most New Testament scholars believe Paul wrote this epistle but some modern scholars suggest there is a conflict in style and the theology of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. It does not make much reference to justification by faith nor does it bring up the questions of Jewish–Gentile relations.

Some suggest that the Second Coming of Christ expressed in 2 Thessalonians differ so strikingly from those found in 1 Thessalonians that they are also inconflict. But this seems dependent on some interpretations held by modern churches that might not be accurate.

Most people believe they were written around 51–52 AD. This is accepted in part because it was included in Marcion's canon and the Muratorian fragment. It was also mentioned by name by Irenaeus, and quoted by Ignatius, Justin, and Polycarp.