Antisemitism in Thessalonians?

Andrew, Matt, and Alastair get together for a rousing discussion of 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16.

There is a passage in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians that is so jarring some have doubted whether Paul could actually have written it. On its face it seems like an easy tool for anti-Semites to grab on to. Even Matt is having issues with these few verses. So he and Andrew and Alastair got together to talk about it, Mere Fi style.

Links Mentioned:

Lexham Press Book of the Month

Merrie Band

“Thessalonica and Corinth: Social Contrasts in Pauline Christianity” by John M.G. Barclay

‘Reification’ = treating something abstract like a physical thing

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Timestamps

0:00
Uncomfortable Questions
2:54
Doesn’t Feel Pauline
5:56
What Pauline Means
11:01
A Sudden Shift of Tone
15:26
The Real Bombshell
21:27
There’s Jews and There’s Jews
26:06
But Antisemitism!
38:57
In this Case, Read the Greek

Follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Crouch for keeping us organized. Special thanks to Tim Motte for sound editing and show notes. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.

Biblical Interpretation Antisemitism
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