1 Thessalonians

• What do we known about Thessalonika?

• Greek/Gentile community• Imperial City• Suffused with Greco-Roman Cult• Jewish Community

1 Thessalonians & Conversion• Conversion = Metanoia

– Moral Philosophy -> “Ways of Life”

• Apocalyptic Worldview– Evidence of the novelty of this worldview for the Thessalonian

community (1Thess. 4:13-5:8)

• Resurrection– oi nekroi en Xristo anastesontai (1Thess. 4:16, cf.1Cor.15:12ff)

• Paul’s Distance from the Community: Reconfiguring Boundaries and Bonds.– Porneia (1Thess. 4:3-5; cf 1Cor.6; Rom. 1:18-32)– Letter writing

Letter Writing in the Ancient Mediterranean

• Review

• Rhetorical Criticism– The Place of Rhetoric in the Ancient World

• Paideia

• Letter Writing: Highly Developed Genre in Moral Philosophy (Stoicism)– Primary means of fortifying metanoia

Epistolary Genre and Stoic Training I

• Teacher/Disciple Training

• Enkrateia, politeia (homonoia), psychagogy, pistis

• “Make a person’s character (ethos) present through a letter”

• Provide a model for reader/student to emulate– Persuasion– Mixed Method

• Harsh & Gentle Speech

Epistolary Genre and Stoic Training II• Rhetorical criticism &Types of Ancient Letter Writing

• Epideictic: letters of praise and blame• Paraenesis: letters of exhortation and advice

– Letters of Exhortation (protreptic): Romans– Letters of Admonition (nouthetetikos)

• Letters of Rebuke (epitimetikos): Galatians, 1&2Corinthians

• Letters of Consolation (paramythetikos): 1Thess. 4:13-18• Mixed Method (harsh and gentle speech)

Paul’s Epistolary Goals in 1Thessalonians

• Character Formation (ethos) & Justification of Apostleship (trust / pistis)

– Justification of his position (no flattery!) (1Thess. 2.3-8)

– Caretaker: nurse language (1Thess. 2:7)

– Paul as model (1Thess. 1:6; Phil. 3:17)

• Community Building (politeia & ekklesia)

– Work with hands (1Thess. 4:11-12)

– Live collectively (politeia) in accordance with the gospel (Phil. 1:27)

– Apply mixed psychagogic method (1Thess. 5:12-14)• “Build each other up.”