a personal insult but likely to prove a serious menace to the interests of his friends at Thessalonica. The primary charge against the Christian evangelists had been treason or sedition; they were ar- raigned before the local authorities for setting up βασιλέα ἕτερον (Acts xvii. 6-8). But during his enforced absence (thanks to the success of this manceuvre), further charges against Paul’s personal character were disseminated. He was just a sly, unscrupulous, selfish fellow ! He left his dupes in the lurch! And so forth. Naturally, when he comes to write, it is the latter innuendoes which occupy his mind. The former charge is barely mentioned (ii. 12, God’s own kingdom, cf. ο 9).
Paul’s vindication of his character and conduct, which occupies most of the first part of the epistle, is psychologically apt. He was the first Christian the Thessalonians had ever seen. He and his friends practically represented the Christian faith. It had been the duty of the apostles to give not only instruction but a personal example of the new life to these converts; thus their reputation formed a real asset at Thessalonica. καὶ ὑμεῖς μιμηταὶ ἡμῶν ἐγενήϑητε καὶ τοῦ κυρίου. If the local Christians were to lose faith in their leaders, then, with little or nothing to fall back upon, their faith in God might go (cf. ili. 8). It was this concern on their behalf? which led Paul to recall his stay among them and to go over his actions since then, with such anxious care (see notes on i. 4 f., ii, 1-11, 17 f., iui. 1-19).
(b) In addition to this, the Thessalonian community possessed definite παραδόσεις, in the shape of injunctions or regulations as to the faith and conduct of the Christian life (ii, 11, iv. 1, 12; cf. 2 Thess. ii. 5, 15, iii. 6). These were authoritative regulations, ὃ as the other epistles indicate (cf. e.g., 1 Cor. iv. 17) which had the sanc-
1Qn the ethical function of this self-assertion, as a means of inspiration and education, see Exp. Ti., x. 445 f. The young Italian patriots who died, as they had lived, confessing their faith in ‘God, Mazzini, and Duty.” are a modern case in point. The example of τοῦ κυρίου implies that the Thessalonians were familiar with the earthly trials and temptations of Jesus.
2 The language of Π. 1-τὸ must not be taken as if Paul had been blaming him- self for having appeared to leave his friends in the lurch. It is not the sensitiveness of an affectionate self-reproach but the indignant repudiation of local slanders which breathes through the passage. The former would be a sadly post factum defence.
3The epistle itself (cf. v. 27) takes its place in the series; this verse (see note) is perfectly intelligible as it stands and need not be suspected as the interpolation of a later reader to emphasise the apostolic authority of the epistle (so Schmiedel and others), much less taken (as e.g., by Baur, van der Vies, τοῦ f., and Schrader, der Apostel Paulus, 36) to discredit the entire epistle. There is no hint of any clerical organisation such as the latter theory invoives.
ὃ INTRODUCTION
tion of apostolic tradition, and must have been based, in some cases, upon definite sayings of Jesus. It is the Christian halacha of which the later epistles give ample if incidental proof.
This suggests a further question. To what extent do the Thessa- lonian epistles reveal (c) an acquaintance on the part of Paul and the local church with the sayings of the Lord? The evidence cannot be estimated adequately except in the light of the corrobora- tive facts drawn from an examination of the other epistles, but it is enough to bear the general consideration in mind, that no preoccu- pation with the risen Christ and his return could have rendered Paul absolutely indifferent to the historical data of the life of Jesus. 1 When he told the Thessalonians that Jesus was the Christ, they could not believe without knowing something of Jesus. The wrath of God they might have reason to fear. But ὁ ῥυόμενος ῷ Who was He to exercise this wonderful function? Where had He lived? Why had He died? Had Herisen? And when was Hetoreturn? Some historical content? had to be put into the name Jesus, if faith was to awaken, especially in people who lived far from Palestine. The Spirit did not work in a mental vacuum, or,in a hazy mist of apoca- lyptic threats and hopes. Hence, a priori, it is natural to assume that such historical allusions to the life and teaching of Jesus may be reflected in Paul’s letters, as they must have been present in his preaching. This expectation is justified.