The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament | NICNT)

by Gordon Fee

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2009

In this commentary Gordon Fee aims first and foremost to offer a fresh exposition of the text of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He shows the reader what is in the biblical text, what the text meant in the first century, and what it means now. Fee reveals the logic of each argument or narrative before moving on to the details of each verse, and he concludes each section with a theological-practical reflection on the meaning of the text today. Among other things, Fee explores the occasion for writing for each epistle, restoring 2 Thessalonians to the place it deserves as a full companion to the first letter, rather than merely a tag along to 1 Thessalonians.

Key Features

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introduction to the authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology of 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Contents

Top Highlights

“Rather, his point is that believers who have hope in the resurrection do not sorrow in the same way as others, people who lack that hope.” (Pages 168–169)

“Continual prayer is the ongoing reminder that God’s children are always and wholly dependent on their heavenly Father for all things. It is also in this context that they are ‘in all circumstances’ to ‘give thanks’—including those of their present lot. It is especially important to note that the modifier in this case does not say ‘for all things,’ but ‘in all circumstances.’ It is neither reasonable nor biblical piety to imagine that God wishes his children to be thankful for all things that befall them, good or ill. Rather, a thankful heart should simply be a way of life for those whom God has redeemed through Christ.” (Page 215)

“The point is that Paul, in a thoroughgoing way, understood joy, prayer, and praise (thanksgiving) as both the result and the evidence of the Spirit’s presence.” (Page 214)

“Thus, it is especially important in the context of the more saccharine Christianity of a later time to note that Paul’s emphasis here is not so much on the experience of joy,³⁵ but on the active expression of it. They are to ‘rejoice always,’ which, as Philippians 4:4 bears out, means not simply to express joy in general, but specifically to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ This is not a sugar-coated call for putting on a happy face in the midst of difficulties. Here is a church that is undergoing severe hardship because of its faith in Christ. God’s will for such a community, both as individuals and as they gather for worship, is that as a matter of first importance they continue to exalt Christ by rejoicing, with him as the focus.” (Pages 214–215)

Endorsements

Fee could not be boring even if he tried. The zest of his prose makes him exciting to read, and his scholarship is always rigorous.

—D. A. Carson, research professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Gordon Fee brings his exceptional skill as an exegete together with his pastor’s heart in this very helpful commentary on Paul’s two Thessalonian letters. Fee delivers his depth of insight into the text in prose that is a model of clarity and readability. Everyone will appreciate his concise and challenging applications at the end of each section.

—Clinton E. Arnold, dean, Talbot School of Theology

Product Details

• Title: The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians
• Author: Gordon Fee
• Series: New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2009
• Logos Release Date: 2009
• 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: 9780802863621, 0802863620
• Resource ID: LLS:NICNT73TH1
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:26:58Z

About Gordon Fee

Gordon D. Fee (1934–2022) was a leading expert in pneumatology and textual criticism of the New Testament. He was an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God and served as professor emeritus of New Testament studies at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fee earned degrees from Seattle Pacific University and University of Southern California. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Northwest University. Before teaching at Regent College, Fee taught at Wheaton College, Vanguard University of Southern California, and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Fee was a member of the Committee on Bible Translation that translated the New International Version and its revision, the Today’s New International Version.

In addition to Fee’s many highly respected commentaries in series like the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series: New Testament and The New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT), he is also the author of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study, and To What End Exegesis?