Identity and Moral Formation in 1 Thessalonians

Book excerpt: The author examines Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, shedding light on his significant role in shaping the identity and ethos of the early Christian community in first-century Thessalonica. By delving into Paul’s formative discourse, this book shows how Paul utilized the key concepts from the Hebrew Scriptures to substantiate God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles. The author discerns echoes of holiness, sanctification, the fulfillment of the new covenant, and the Day of the Lord within Paul’s writing. These notions serve as reminders to believers of their shared memory, narrative, and communal ethos as God’s chosen people. In the midst of the Thessalonians’ political and religious conflicts with their surrounding world, Paul guides them towards a self-recognition of their identity and cultivates a transformative daily ethos within their community. Furthermore, this book not only offers contemporary readers a deeper appreciation of their own distinctive identity as followers of Christ in today’s socio-cultural context, but it also invites them to actively engage with Paul’s formative discourse.