The Letters to the Thessalonians

Green’s strengths lie in a close reading of the Greek text and his mastery of the socio-historical setting of ancient Thessalonica. [Full Review]

One of the best evangelical commentaries on the epistles. [Full Review]

The clear consensus for the best commentary on the two letters to the Thessalonians is Green’s commentary from the PNTC series. Because 2 Thessalonians contains a very difficult and much disputed text (2 Thess. 2:1-12), few people are going to agree with one commentator all the way. Though even Green will not satisfy everyone, the experts all agree that he does justice to the letters and handle them fairly. This commentary is the place to begin. [Full Review]

Very illuminating commentary on Thessalonians. Green's lengthy introduction includes a critique of the rhetorical analysis approach and gives a considerable amount of historical background. He often quotes from first century sources and sees the client-patron relationship as key to understanding the letters. [Full Review]

Because the epistles to the Thessalonians contain one of the most difficult and debated texts in the entire New Testament (2 Thess. 2:1-12), it is next to impossible to find a commentary with an interpretation of this text with which there are no unresolved problems. Green's outstanding commentary is not without its own problems on this text, but all things considered, this is probably the best commentary on these letters currently available. It contains much helpful background information and very helpful theological insight. [Full Review]

This is a compact, learned, and useful treatment of the two letters. Wanamaker (NIGTC, 1990) is good, but more technical and older.

[Full Review]

The Pillar New Testament Commentary series is designed for pastors and teachers of the Bible but aims at a reading audience that also includes the serious student and the general reader of the Bible. Therefore it seeks to avoid undue technical, detail although it does engage with informed contemporary issues of interpretation. The New International Version (NIV) is the version of choice for this series, but the Greek text itself serves as the basis of the exposition. (The version of the NIV used for the commentaries is the 1973, 1978, 1984 copyrighted edition. In this way, the debate and controversy surrounding the latest version of the NIV, Todays New International Version [ TNIV], 2001, is not at issue.) The final stated goal of the series is to blend rigorous exegesis and exposition with a view toward the contemporary relevance of the Bible without confusing the commentary and the sermon. Greens commentary on the 1 and 2 Thessalonian s is another exceptional contribution to this commentary series. The format and methodology of the commentary follows a traditional pattern of arrangement and exposition. The introductory chapter covers the obligatory terrain: social-historical examination of the Thessalonian community and culture, the history, land, socioeconomic condition, and religious environment. [Full Review]

Gene Green, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, builds on a previous Spanish commentary on the Thessalonian epistles in this recent addition to the Pillar series. Green intends to read these letters in the l ight of relevant materials from the city and world of that era in order to help us better understand the impact of the gospel of Christ on its first readers (xiii). His extensive introduction (seventy-seven pages) surveys the geography and history of Macedonia and Thessalonica, the government, the social and economic worlds of Thessalonica, and its religion. While Thessalonica was a first-century civitas libera, exercising judicial authority apart from the Roman governor (see Acts 17:59), pro-Roman sentiments prevailed, ba sed in particular on the system of patronage or clientela. The citys dependence on th e emperor and his benefaction meant obligatory participation in the imperial cult, explaining the accusation of sedition against the apostles and the fledgling church that proclaimed another king, Jesus (Acts 17:7). [Full Review]