Nathan Eubank > Quotes

“As recent converts who probably did not have intimate knowledge of the Scripture, the Thessalonians might have thought first of the divine message as a triumphant runner: the image of the word “speeding forward” or “running” and being “glorified” could evoke the image of a runner winning a race and being praised.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“John Chrysostom argues that apostles deserved “praise” beyond that of royal emissaries because they were sent by God, yet they thought it better to remain humble.8”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Three events follow the trumpet’s blast: (1) Jesus will descend from heaven; (2) the dead in Christ will rise; and (3) the living and the newly resurrected dead will be snatched up together in the air, where they will greet Jesus. The”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“is as if the curtain separating earth and heaven will be pulled aside to unveil Jesus along with an angelic retinue ready to assist him in the judgment of the nations. Paul affirms that Jesus is already the Lord enthroned in heaven with the angels. But in the coming apokalypsis all nations will see what is in fact already true. Early”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“The word that Paul uses to describe the “coming” of the Lord is parousia, a word that could refer to any ordinary arrival or coming (e.g., 2 Cor 7:6) but was often used to describe the momentous arrival of a god or human dignitary. The New Testament uses the word in the latter sense to refer to the return of Jesus in glory (e.g., Matt 24:3, 27; James 5:7–8; 2 Pet 3:4; 1 John 2:28). For Paul, the parousia is synonymous with “the day of the Lord,” the time when Jesus will return to consummate the victory won in his resurrection and to gather his people (1 Thess 2:19; 3:13; 5:23). First”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“There is no doubt that according to 2 Thessalonians and throughout the Pauline Letters, God empowers the faithful to do the good, and so it is true for Paul that God “makes” people worthy of the kingdom. But by mistranslating the first part of Paul’s prayer report, the NABRE misses an important part of what Paul is saying: when Jesus returns, there will be a judgment of people’s deeds. God will assess whether people have obeyed the gospel to see if they have become “worthy” of the kingdom of God.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Yet, Paul himself tells us what he thought about the timing of the parousia in the next section of this letter: it will come unexpectedly. By his own admission, then, Paul did not know when it was to occur.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“The return of the Lord from heaven is heralded by a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. Jewish and Christian texts frequently describe angels as heralds of the last judgment. Archangels or “chief” angels do not appear in the Old Testament, but the book of Daniel describes the angel Michael as the “great prince,” and the Judaism of Paul’s day showed increasing interest in angelic hierarchies. Jude 1:9 and Rev 12:7, for instance, name Michael as the chief angel.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Apostles had the right to expect financial assistance from the churches, a right that was based on a command of Jesus (see 1 Cor 9:1–18, especially v. 14). Paul, however, frequently chose not to accept financial assistance because, as he puts it in 1 Cor 9:12, “We endure all things rather than give hindrance to the gospel of Christ” (my translation).”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“The main emphasis in this passage, however, is on the judgment that will occur when Jesus returns (see 1:6–10). The faithful endurance of persecution in the present is a strong indicator that the Thessalonians will be rewarded by God in the future.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“For Paul, the salvation of Christians on the day of the Lord is something that God does through Jesus, but this does not exclude human participation. The essence of this salvation is that when the Lord returns he will find Christians “blameless in holiness” (3:13; 5:23). As Theodoret of Cyrus puts it while commenting on this verse, God “called us not to punish us but so that he might deem us worthy of salvation.”11 Through Christ, it is God’s plan to mold the Thessalonians in faith, love, and hope so that they will be found holy on the day of the Lord.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“God and Jesus are distinguishable, and yet Paul assumes that they work in concert in granting grace and peace. As”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“good news that God offers the free gift of salvation and will not judge people according to their deeds. In the Pauline Letters, however, the gospel makes both promises and demands.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Throughout Paul’s Letters †eschatology is characterized by both future hope and present realization. For Paul, Jesus’s death and resurrection mark God’s decisive victory and the beginning of the end of all things. Those who belong to Christ already taste the life of the world to come because they are united to their risen Lord.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“1 Thess 5:10 Paul says that Jesus died “for us” so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. That is, because of Christ’s death, both the living (those who are awake) and the dead (those who are asleep) will live together with Christ (see 4:14).”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“the Bible the language of affliction (thlipsis) sometimes describes the tribulations of the people of God in the last days prior to God’s decisive intervention.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“judge the living and the dead,” as the Nicene Creed puts it.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“The Vulgate translates harpazō with rapio, which is why the “snatching up” of Christians has come to be known as a “rapture.” In”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“For Paul, the two events—Christ’s resurrection and the resurrection of those who belong to Christ—are parts of an indissoluble whole.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Paul saw the traditions he handed down as having divine origins because they came ultimately from the Lord (see commentary on 1 Thess 2:13). Standing firm and holding fast suggests a contrast to the Thessalonians’ current “shaking” with fear (2 Thess 2:2). By”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“This description does not fit the “free will” versus “determinism” dichotomy often discussed today, but it follows a familiar biblical pattern: people turn away from God, and in return God causes them to suffer the full weight of their decision.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“that when God’s people fail to live up to their calling it brings dishonor to God’s name, but when God’s purposes are fulfilled in his people it brings him glory (36:22–32).28 Here Paul prays that the name of Jesus would be glorified by the Thessalonians’ being found worthy of their call. While Paul no doubt expects Jesus to be glorified in the Church in the present day (1 Cor 6:20; 10:31), the focus here is on Jesus’s return, when he will be glorified by the holy ones (see 2 Thess 1:10). Even more surprising, Paul adds and you in him, presumably meaning that “you” (plural, referring to the Thessalonians) will be glorified in Jesus just as he is glorified in them.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“The Latin translation of “mystery of lawlessness,” mysterium iniquitatis, has come to refer to the mystery of the existence of evil in God’s good creation.25 The original meaning of the phrase is related but has important differences. In this passage, lawlessness is not said to be a mystery in the sense of a truth beyond human comprehension. Instead, lawlessness is currently a mystery in the sense that it is currently hidden but will be revealed. For Paul, “mystery” typically signifies a reality that has been revealed to the faithful by the Spirit, but not to the rest of humanity.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Though this passage presents some difficult puzzles, Paul’s essential point is clear enough: those who die in Christ will rise first and will remain forever with him along with those who are alive at the time of his coming. In this way, all who belong to the Lord, whether living or dead, will always be together with the Lord.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“excluded members are to be regarded not as enemies but as “brothers,” a label that indicates that the purpose of their exclusion is their reintegration. This also implies that those who continue to refuse to work will still be treated with respect, as one would a brother or sister. “He who admonishes his brother,” Chrysostom comments, “doesn’t do it in public; he doesn’t make a show of the rebuke. Instead, he does it privately and with much care and sorrow.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“reminder of these prophecies. “The temple of God,” where the lawless one is to enthrone himself, could refer to the temple in Jerusalem, which was still standing during Paul’s life, though since antiquity some have suggested that it refers not to a particular building but to the Church,”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Ultimately, however, a Christian’s confidence rests not on the ability of authority figures to heed Paul’s and Jesus’s teaching, but on the faithfulness of God. Though the failures of ecclesiastical leaders are no small matter (Matt 18:6; 24:45–51; James 3:1), the weaknesses and failings of the Church’s ministers serve to show forth the power of God, who works both through our obedience and in spite of our disobedience. As Paul puts it when describing his own ministry, “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us” (2 Cor 4:7).”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“phrase “from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power” is taken from Isa 2, where it is repeated three times to describe the fate of the wicked in the last days (vv. 10, 19, 21 LXX). The prophet describes how “on that day” God will humble evildoers and put an end to idolatry. The wicked will flee from God’s face, hiding themselves and their idols in the earth (2:9–21). In Paul’s reappropriation of these words the wicked do not hide themselves; instead, Jesus sends them away. This is the closest the Pauline Letters ever come to describing eternal damnation, but, unlike many other †apocalyptic writers, Paul does not describe how they suffer or use images of darkness, torture, or teeth gnashing. Instead, he cuts to the heart of what is arguably the core of these other portrayals: the wicked are estranged from the face of the Lord, left in horrible isolation.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“Verse 7 contains a famous †textual variant. Some ancient manuscripts have “we were infants among you” rather than we were gentle among you. In Greek the difference between “we were infants” (egenēthēmennēpioi) and “we were gentle” (egenēthēmenēpioi) is only one letter, so it would have been easy for scribes to change one into the other unintentionally. Scholars are divided on the question of which of these is more likely to have been written by Paul. This may seem like a technical question of relevance only to scholars, but this one letter makes an enormous difference for how one reads the entire passage.”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS

“But the evidence of proistēmi being used to refer to simple “caring” is not strong.5 When it does refer to caring or providing, it is the caring expected of someone in an official capacity.6 There is no doubt that these leaders “cared for” the congregation, as the NIV suggests, but they also wielded a measure of authority as teachers. Paul did not share the modern wish for a church without authority.7”
― Nathan Eubank, First and Second Thessalonians (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Biblical Scholars | CCSS