Tool Beta
The Ancient World Behind the Text
Pick a passage anywhere in the New Testament. See the customs and ideas a first reader knew without being told.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, Leaders, prophets, a holy kiss and a letter read to all
Paul asks the church to honor those who work hard over them, to warn the idle and help the weak, to rejoice, pray and give thanks, not to quench the Spirit or despise prophecy but test everything, and to have the letter read to all.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, in every translation this tool compares.
Paul closes with a quick run of instructions for church life. They are to respect those who lead and care for them, warn the idle, encourage the fearful, support the weak and never repay wrong with wrong. They are to keep rejoicing, praying and giving thanks, to welcome prophecy while testing everything, and Paul asks that the letter be read to every believer.
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/patrons-and-benefactors\/","n":"Patrons, clients and benefactors","s":"Favors in the Roman world came with strings. A patron gave help and protection, the client paid it back in loyalty and public honor, and rulers who gave gifts to the public were hailed as benefactors.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/house-churches\/","n":"House churches","s":"For their first three centuries Christians met in homes, the way some Jewish groups and private clubs did. A host with a large house gave the church its room, its table and often its protection.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/spirit-of-prophecy\/","n":"The Spirit of prophecy","s":"Jews of Jesus' day linked God's Spirit above all with prophecy. Many believed the prophets had fallen silent long ago, and they looked for the day God would pour out his Spirit again.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/letters-and-letter-carriers\/","n":"Letters, scribes and carriers","s":"Letters were usually dictated to scribes, carried by trusted travelers because there was no public post, and read aloud to the people they were sent to.","r":""}
The word for those over the church was used especially of patrons, so Keener suggests the members who hosted and sponsored it, Jason probably among them; the ESV Study Bible takes it of elders and the CSB Study Bible of church leaders, while Carson, Moo and Morris find no officials yet, a sign to them of an early date. Social rank demanded honor, and Christian leadership was meant to be service (the cultural backgrounds notes). The idle are those who can work but will not (Keener; the ESV Study Bible). Even the strictest Jews did not pray all day, but they prayed regularly (Keener). Most Jews linked the Spirit with prophecy, and new churches without senior prophets had to test prophecy together (Keener and his notes). Spirit, soul and body is a Jewish way of naming the whole person (Keener and his notes). A light kiss was the usual greeting among family and close friends (Keener and his notes; the Zondervan dictionary). Most people could read very little, so the letter had to be read aloud (Keener and his notes).
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, introduction to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, and on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 5:14, 5:17, 5:19-20, 5:23-25, 5:26 and 5:27-28
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 5:19, 5:20-21, 5:23, 5:26 and 5:27
- ESV Study Bible, study notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 and 5:14
- CSB Study Bible, note on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
- D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament, ch. 14, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Date
- J. D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, entry kiss
