1 Thessalonians 5:27-The Thessalonian Pastors Must Publicly Read the Contents of First Thessalonians to Their Congregations

1 Thessalonians 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. (NET)

The apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 solemnly puts under oath each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to read the contents of First Thessalonians to each member of their congregation.

The implication is that if these pastor-teachers did not perform this task, then they would be disciplined by the Lord (Heb. 12:1-13) through church discipline (Matt. 18:15-17).

Paul is using strong language which some have interpreted as indicating that there was a problem among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community and that tensions existed among them.

However, there is nothing in the contents of First Thessalonians which would indicate that there were tensions among the members of the Thessalonian Christian community.

In fact, quite to the contrary since Paul affirms that the Thessalonians were making it their habit of obeying the Lord’s command in John 13:34 to love one another as He loves them (cf. 1 Thess. 1:3; 4:9-12).

Therefore, the reason for the strong language here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 is that Paul simply wanted the contents of First Thessalonians to be read to each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community because it revealed the will of God for their lives.

Consequently, the application of the contents of this epistle would result in greater spiritual growth among the members of this community.

Thus, it was imperative that the contents of First Thessalonians were read to everyone in the Thessalonian Christian community because it was the Word of God.

Furthermore, the public reading of the contents of this epistle to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community took the place of the personal presence of Paul and expressed his apostolic authority over this community.

Since Paul could not be present with the Thessalonians, the contents of First Thessalonians would to a certain extent take the place of his personal presence among the Thessalonians.

Lastly, Paul was adamant about the contents of First Thessalonians being read publicly to the entire Christian community in Thessalonica because it also answered their questions and concerns about the dead in Christ in relation to the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Notice, the switch from the first person plural to the first person singular indicating that Paul alone and not himself, Timothy and Silvanus is putting the pastors in Thessalonica under oath.

Now, as we noted in our introduction and in our exegesis and exposition of 1 Thessalonians 1:1, many expositors and scholars have surmised that Silvanus and Timothy took part in the writing of this epistle and were thus co-senders since Silvanus and Timothy are listed with Paul in the greeting of the epistle in 1 Thessalonians 1:1.

However, others dissent asserting that Paul is the sole author of this epistle and that the plurals in this epistle should be interpreted as being used “literarily” rather than “literally.”

This raises two questions: (1) What role, if any, did Silvanus and Timothy play in the writing of this letter? (2) If Paul is the true author of the letter, why did he present Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders?

I am of the conviction that Silvanus and Timothy are not co-senders and that Paul is the true author of this epistle, which is indicated by the fact that three times in 1 Thessalonians, the text shifts significantly to the first-person singular.

This would strongly suggest that the first-person plurals in the letter ought to be taken not literally but literarily.

This is also called an “editorial we” or a “epistolary plural.”

Thus, it would not be an “exclusive we” which would include Paul with his associates as distinct from the audience.

The first instance where there is a shift to the first-person singular is 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

The second instance in which Paul shifts to the first-person singular is found in 1 Thessalonians 3:5.

The third time there is a shift to the first-person singular is here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27.

These three verses strongly suggest that Paul is the true author of the epistle indicating that the plurals used throughout the correspondence ought to be taken as “editorial” or “epistolary plurals” despite the fact that he lists Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders.

This leads us to the second question; namely why did Paul include Silvanus and Timothy as cosenders even though he is the real author of the epistle?

I believe that these two men are included by Paul in the greeting as cosenders because they played a significant role in ministering to the Thessalonian Christian community.

Acts 17:1-9 reveals that Silvanus played a key role in establishing this community with Paul.

Timothy is identified as a cosender here in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 because 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 reveals that he was instrumental in strengthening the Thessalonian Christian community.

Now, as we noted, in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Paul solemnly put each of the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community under oath to read publicly the contents of First Thessalonian to each member of their congregation.

This exhortation is solemn for two reasons.

First, Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton to emphasize the solemn nature and importance of the contents of 1 Thessalonians 5:27.

Secondly, the verb enorkizō (ἐνορκίζω) means “to adjure” since the word pertains to commanding solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse.

The contents of First Thessalonians were extremely important for the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian Christian community since it communicated the will of the Father for them.

This solemn command is also an impassioned plea or request from these three men, which is indicated by the fact that in this verse, the noun adelphos, “brothers and sisters” is functioning as a vocative of emphatic emotional address.

As we noted, in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, the referent of the accusative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su in this verse is the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul asserted in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 that the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community exercised authority over each member of this community which was in agreement with the will of God.

Also, he then defines what he means by this by asserting that they make it their habit of providing instruction for each member of this community.

He also asserts in this verse that they worked hard when doing this.

Therefore, the referent of the personal pronoun su in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 refers to the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community since Paul asserts that they exercised authority over of each member of the Thessalonian community by providing them instruction and the contents of First Thessalonians provided them with instruction.

So therefore, here in 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Paul directs the pastor-teachers in the Thessalonian Christian community to publicly read the contents of First Thessalonian.

Then, the Thessalonians were to make a copy of this epistle and then send to other Christian communities in their geographical area like Philippi which was close by.

This is indicated by Paul’s statement in Colossians 4:16.

Colossians 4:16 Now, after this epistle has been read in the presence of each one of you, I solemnly charge all of you to have it read in the Laodicean assembly. Likewise, I solemnly charge all of you to have the one from Laodicea read publicly by each one of you. (My translation)

Notice that in both 1 Thessalonians 5:27 and Colossians 4:16, Paul wants these epistles to be publicly read in both the Thessalonian and Colossian Christian communities respectively.

This corresponds to what Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 since he ordered Timothy to be occupied with the public reading of Scripture.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I do arrive, continue making it your habit of being occupied with the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. (My translation)

The reading of Scripture in the public worship setting would provide the foundation for pastor-teachers communicating to the church their application.

Also, these pastors would teach the church from that which was read publicly from this public reading of the Scriptures and this would provide the individual members of the church with an understanding of who they are in Christ.

It would in other words define their identity in Christ as individuals but also as a corporate unit.

Therefore, the public reading of Scripture and communicating their application to the church and teaching the church from them would not only answer the believer’s question as to who they were but also answer their question as to how they should live in light of this identity in Christ.

It would also resolve disputes, especially between Jewish believers and Gentile believers with regards to such things as the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law and circumcision.