Guy Waters has a fine piece showing us how to trace a theological theme through a book (or pair of related books) of Scripture. He draws out the implications of Paul’s doctrine of the trinity from 1&2 Thessalonians.
What did a body of new believers need to hear? They needed to hear the gospel. It was through the gospel that the church in Thessalonica had come to faith. It would be through the gospel that the church in Thessalonica would grow in faith. And the gospel, according to Paul, is a message centered upon the triune God – one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit.
These two letters afford rich reflection upon the triune God. We may trace four lines of teaching about the Trinity from these two letters. And then we may draw some implications from these letters about the place of theology in Scripture and in the Christian life.
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