NOTES

[1] Walter Bauer et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 780.

[2] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, rev. ed. The New Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975), 181.

[3] See Clyde E. Fant and Mitchell G. Reddish, Lost Treasures of the Bible: Understanding the Bible through Archaeological Artifacts in the World Museums (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 366–368.

[4] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, 558.

[5] Ted W. Engstrom, The Making of a Christian Leader (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 67.

[6] Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, ed. Cleon L. Rogers, Jr. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), 588.

[7] See, for example, John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, rev. ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 20.

[8] F. F. Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 45 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), 48.

[9] See various views in Charles A Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 117.

[10] Ibid.

[11] See Leon Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1984), 65.

[12] Philip Yancey, Where Is God When It Hurts? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1977), 22–23.

[13] Rienecker, A Linguistic Key , 594.

[14] See Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, 129.

[15] See Charles C. Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 2001), 43.

[16] Ibid., 47.

[17] Yancey, Where Is God When It Hurts?, 21.

[18] See Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 68.

[19] Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 48.

[20] Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 53.

[21] Thomas L. Constable, “1 Thessalonians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament ed., ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), 701.

[22] General summary drawn from CovenantEyes, “Pornography Statistics: 250+ Facts, Quotes, and Statistics about Pornography Use,” 2013 ed. (Owosso, MI: CovenantEyes, 2013). Available online at www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats.

[23] See Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, 152.

[24] Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 56.

[25] Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 3 vols. in 1, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 296.

[26] Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 87.

[27] See comments in Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 90–91.

[28] Quoted in Lloyd Cory, ed., Quote, Unquote (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1977), 172.

[29] See Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, 171.

[30] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 99.

[31] See Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 67–68; Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, 177.

[32] Robert L. Thomas, “1 Thessalonians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 282.

[33] E. Schuyler English, “The Church and the Tribulation,” in Prophetic Truth Unfolding Today, ed. Charles Lee Feinberg (Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1968), 32.

[34] Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 103.

[35] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 119.

[36] Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 78.

[37] See 1 Clement 5.3–4; 42.1–3; Ignatius Magnesians 13.1; Romans 4.3; Polycarp Philippians 9.1; Tertullian Against Marcion 4.5.

[38] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 128–129.

[39] Wanamaker, Epistles to the Thessalonians, 205.

[40] G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 3d ed. (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1937), 445.

[41] See Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Scripture Press, 1986), 196.

[42] Ibid.

[43] W. E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, vol. 2 (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, 1981), 296.

[44] See Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon, 479–480.

[45] Walter Bauer et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 763.

[46] Ibid., 945.

[47] Earl F. Palmer, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, A Good News Commentary (San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, 1983), 59.

[48] Though technically this letter is “co-authored” by Paul, Silas, and Timothy, it was clearly written with one voice. Likely Paul was that voice behind the letter, with Silas contributing as his secretary or scribe. Throughout this commentary, we’ve mostly referred to Paul as the author, though we don’t want to forget the fact that his other two ministry companions collaborated with him on the letter.

[49] See Charles A. Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990), 220

[50] C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1970), 93.

[51] See F. F. Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 45 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), 150–151.

[52] The preposition rendered “in” could also be understood as “during,” “at,” or “by means of” (see D. Edmond Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles [Chicago: Moody, 1971], 288). In any case, the point is clear: When Christ comes as Judge and King, He will render judgment to the wicked and relief to the righteous.

[53] C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974), 12.

[54] Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 4.

[55] Thomas L. Constable, “2 Thessalonians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), 716.

[56] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, 532.

[57] Ibid., 911.

[58] Constable, “2 Thessalonians,” 717.

[59] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 166.

[60] Leon Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1984), 128.

[61] See Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 128; Charles C. Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 2001), 110–111; Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, 246–247.

[62] Ryrie, First and Second Thessalonians, 115.

[63] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 171.

[64] John R. W. Stott, The Message of 1 and 2 Thessalonians: Preparing for the Coming King, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991), 177.

[65] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., s.v. “exhort.”

[66] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, 760.

[67] G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed. (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1937), 66–67.

[68] As we skim the New Testament, we find many examples of Paul requesting prayer from his readers (Rom. 15:30; Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; 1 Thes. 5:25; Phlm. 1:22).

[69] Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon, 450.

[70] Stott, The Message of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 186.

[71] Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 202.

[72] See Matt. 25:14-30; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 15:58; Gal. 6:6-9; Col. 3:23; 1 Tim. 6:11-12; 1 Pet. 4:7-11.

[73] See Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, 800.