Some scholars have argued that 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 is a
non-Pauline interpolation. See, for example, F. C. Baur, Paul the Apostle of
Jesus Christ: His Life and Work, his Epistles and his Doctrine (trans.
Allen Menzies; London: Williams & Norgate, 1875–1876), 2.87–88; Birger A.
Pearson, “1 Thessalonians 2:13–16: A Deutero-Pauline Interpolation,” HTR 64
(1971): 79–94; Daryl Schmidt, “1 Thess 2:13–16: Linguistic Evidence for an
Interpolation,” JBL 102 (1983): 269–79. The two principal challenges to
Pauline authorship are (1) that these verses interrupt the structure of the
letter, and (2) that the anti-Jewish nature of verses 14–16 are inconsistent
with what Paul says elsewhere about the Jews, most notably in Romans 9–11. Both
of these objections can be countered, and here I follow the view of those who
argue that these verses are Pauline. First, it is correct to see that a
transition occurs in 2:13, but this does not necessitate the view of an
interpolation. Rather, 2:13 most likely begins a second thanksgiving section.
Though a second thanksgiving may be unusual, it is no less so than Galatians
not having a thanksgiving section at all. Both may be explained through contextual
arguments: whereas Paul appears especially thankful for the Thessalonians, he
is upset with the Galatian believers. Second, although in 2:14–16 Paul condemns
“the Jews” for their persecution of Christians in Judea, this harsh tone does
not automatically exclude these verses from being authentic to Paul. Not only
do 1:6–9a and 2:13–16 appear to flow together rhetorically (note how the themes
of imitation and affliction in 1:6–9a seem to be taken up and expanded in
2:13–16), but elsewhere Paul is also not beyond using harsh language when speaking
of his fellow Jews: in Rom 9:22 Paul implies that the Jews are the “objects of
wrath that are made for destruction” and in 11:3 he notes Elijah’s condemnation
of Israel because they “have killed the prophets.” In both instances, nearly
identical language is used to describe the Jews (οργη, προφητης, αποκτεινω).
For two recent formulations of these arguments, see Todd D. Still, Conflict
at Thessalonica: A Pauline Church and its Neighbours (JSNTSup 183;
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), 24–45; Karl Paul Donfried, Paul,
Thessalonica, and Early Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002),
195–208. (Timothy Wardly, The Jerusalem Temple and Early Christianity
[Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 291; Tübingen:
Mohr Siebeck, 2010], 195 n. 108)
