Abstract
1 & 2 Thessalonians is part of the series T&T Clark Study Guides to the New Testament. Ascough’s contribution serves ‘to narrate the story of the founding of the Christ group in the ancient Roman city of Thessalonike and how the two letters in the canon reflect the continuation of the relationship between that group and…the “Paul party”’ (p. vii). This book is aimed at an introductory level, and Ascough does an excellent job in clearly explaining and fairly evaluating the main arguments. He particularly focuses on how the Christ group at Thessalonike originated as a worker association that decided to follow the God Paul preached while he was working alongside them.
In Chapter 1, Ascough covers the founding of the Christ group at Thessalonike, comparing it with ancient associations. In Chapter 2, he discusses ancient letters and applies rhetorical analysis to 1 Thessalonians. Ascough examines the development of the relationship between Paul and the Thessalonians in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, Ascough shows how Paul, Timothy, and Silvanus affirm the Thessalonians and encourage them to continue living in a worthy manner. Ascough examines 2 Thessalonians in Chapters 5 and 6. He ultimately concludes it was not written by Paul, but rather by church leaders in the 80s/90s ce. In the bibliography, Ascough gives a summary of each of the key Thessalonian commentaries, which provides a helpful orientation to the scholarship for an introductory student.
The one area where I would take issue with Ascough is his conclusion that the eschatologies of 1 and 2 Thessalonians are incompatible. He argues that 1 Thessalonians suggests the believers will be living in a state of peace and security when the day of the Lord comes, whereas in 2 Thessalonians the troubling signs are apparent to believers beforehand. However, Ascough misreads 1 Thessalonians here. In 1 Thessalonians 5, it is unbelievers who think they are in a time of peace and security while they actually face impending destruction. This does not mean that the believers will live complacently; in fact, they are to remain constantly on guard. However, Ascough states he is open to changing his mind on this topic, which opens the door for fruitful dialogue.
Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Ascough provides clear and helpful discussions of the main themes and issues of the two letters while introducing readers to his own scholarship.