As we know, the whole Bible should be read and used by the church, for “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16).”
However, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are especially important for the church in America today, given the Western church has an inordinate focus on blessings and often looks at suffering as something to escape and minimize by any means necessary.
By contrast, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are letters from Paul to a church facing persecution and yet is thriving and flourishing through the oppression. In the letters, Paul even makes a point to say the faith of the church is heard and admired throughout the area.
Some of the questions Paul answers in the letters, such as what happens to Christians when they die, show the seriousness of the persecution they are going through. Yet, even as they are persecuted, the church in Thessalonica continues to follow God through Christ.
For the church today, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are a testimony of how a church not only goes through suffering, but thrives in their walk with God, all while refusing to succumb to the temptation of turning away from God in their darkest moments.
Having written sermons from 1 and 2 Thessalonians as a pastor at New Song Fellowship Church, and as a professor at Stark College & Seminary who has taught the historical and theological context of Paul’s letters, here are a few commentary recommendations for preaching and teaching through the letters.
IVP New Testament Commentary Series: 1-2 Thessalonians by G.K. Beal
The IVP New Testament Commentary for 1-2 Thessalonians is a great verse-by-verse commentary for virtually anyone needing guidance with Paul’s letters. Its easy-to-read format makes it to where pastors and lay leaders can use and understand the commentary.
The commentary breaks up the letters into sections, giving commentary on those sections, and then explaining each verse within that section deeper. I appreciate this approach, because it gives insight into the passage as a whole and its overarching message before diving into the details.
The introduction also gives a theological and historical context of the letters for needed background.
G.K. Beal is a professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary and a known New Testament scholar.
Within the commentary, Beal does a great job of providing both an in-depth analysis and pastoral insight. Given this, I believe the commentary is more useful for the pastor or Bible study leader than for an academic setting. However, I have used this commentary for both sermon preparation and class lectures on the Thessalonian letters.
One thing I appreciate about this commentary series is it focuses on the exegesis of Scripture, giving priority to the original meaning of the text, rather than interpretation of those Scriptures. This allows the sermon writer to engage in critical thinking, using the foundation provided by the commentary to apply it to their own context thoughtfully.
Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Thessalonians by Gene L. Green
The Pillar New Testament Commentary is especially useful in academia.
Nevertheless, all ministers can utilize this commentary because of its well-laid-out structure. Gene L. Green uses his background in New Testament exegesis to provide a proper and deeper understanding of the context of Paul’s letter. The beginning of the commentary also gives as much historical and literary background that a commentary within this size can provide.
In the Pillar New Testament Commentary, the author explores the Greek translation to bring out an in-depth commentary for each section of the letter, providing notes all ministers can understand easily.
The commentary is structured verse-by-verse and offers insight into specific words and phrases within each verse. This approach helps readers grasp the details of the passage, giving them further theological understanding into Paul’s letter as a whole.
This commentary is one of the main resources I use for sermon preparation. While it is helpful for pastors in preparing their messages, the Pillar New Testament Commentary’s detailed structure also makes it an ideal resource for teaching others in an academic setting.
NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Thessalonians by Micheal W. Holmes
The NIV Application Commentary is one of the best commentaries out there for pastors. While it is useful particularly for ministers in the local church, it also contains great information that makes it a valuable resource for scholarly study.
The commentary starts by looking at the “Original Meaning” of the text, where the author breaks the passage down verse by verse.
The commentary then follows with a “Building Contexts” section that helps to “build a bridge from the world of the Bible to the world of today.” This section does an excellent job of exploring the original message of the letter and making it understandable for modern readers who live in a vastly different culture and time period.
Finally, the commentary concludes each section with the “Contemporary Significance,” which helps the reader apply the letter’s timeless truths to today’s world. This practical section is needed especially to ensure the church faithfully lives out biblical truth.
Micheal W. Holmes is a professor specializing in New Testament textual criticism and therefore is an expert at interpreting the original meaning of passages. Holmes does a great job of explaining Scripture with proper exegesis, while also making the passage easy to understand for all ministers.
I use this commentary when I need help tying Scripture to the contemporary world for the church. I also use this text to gain background information for my sermon notes.
Honorable mentions
Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 45: 1 & 2 Thessalonians by F.F. Bruce
If there is one commentary I use strictly to gain background information, it is the Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 45: 1 & 2 Thessalonians by F.F. Bruce. Although the Word Biblical Commentary is an older series, its thorough study of Greek to English interpretation makes it a valuable and timeless resource.
Word Biblical Commentary breaks down every word and phrase from the Greek in order to help explain what it properly means in English.
The information in the Word Biblical Commentary is much more academic than any of the commentaries listed above. However, the background and even theological information within its contents provides a foundation the other commentaries then use to derive pastoral insight and contemporary application.
IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig Keener
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig Keener is on the opposite spectrum of commentaries from the Word Biblical Commentary.
It is simplified and shorter in its scriptural breakdown compared to the robust Word Biblical Commentary. However, this approach is helpful to pastors looking for concise insight into Scripture.
While many commentaries expound on words and phrases, this commentary gives insights on the passage or section as a whole, rather than verse-by-verse interpretation. This helps readers understand the overall message from the passage.
Andres Garcia is the pastor of New Song Fellowship Church in Corpus Christi and is a Doctor of Ministry graduate of Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary, now Logsdon School of Theology. He is also the director of the certificate program at Stark College & Seminary. The views expressed in this resource article are those of the author.
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