ZECNT 13: 1 and 2 Thessalonians

These early epistles show how Paul created his characteristic communication
strategy: sending letters by a trusted representative, in order to strengthen
his disciples and provide answers for new questions. The mostly Gentile church
of Thessalonica lived among people who mocked the gospel teachings of
monotheism, personal purity, and the resurrection of the body. Paul writes that
God had indeed selected the believers to be his people and in time he would
vindicate them before the world. Shogren uses exegetcal and rhetorical insights
and Jewish and Greco-Roman background to bring out the meaning of the letters.
He underscores Paul's work as church-planter and pastor, a man who consciously
set himself forth as an example to believers. According to Shogren, the apostle
still stands as a model for those who wish to proclaim God's Word in God's way.

Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary
on the New Testament brings together commentary features rarely gathered
together in one volume. Written by notable evangelical scholars, each volume
treats the literary context and structure of the passage in the original Greek,
and each author provides an original translation based on the literary
structure. The series consistently provides the main point, verse-by-verse
commentary, and theology in application in each section of every commentary.
Critical scholarship informs each step but does not dominate the commentary,
allowing readers to concentrate on the biblical authorÆs message as it unfolds.
While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek,
all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will find these books
beneficial. The ZECNT series covers the entire New Testament in twenty volumes;
Clinton E. Arnold serves as general editor.

Series: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.