Tom Wright - Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians

The New Testament for Everyone commentary series

Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 115

Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 1628

Mark for Everyone

Luke for Everyone

John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 110

John for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 1121

Acts for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 112

Acts for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 1328

Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 1 Chapters 18

Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2 Chapters 916

Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians

Paul for Everyone: 2 Corinthians

Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians

Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon

Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

Hebrews for Everyone

Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah

Revelation for Everyone

First published in Great Britain in 2002

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

36 Causton Street

London SW1P 4ST

www.spckpublishing.co.uk

Reprinted four times

Reissued 2014

Copyright Nicholas Thomas Wright 2002

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

SPCK does not necessarily endorse the individual views contained in its publications.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9780281071968

eBook ISBN 9780281072910

Typeset by Pioneer Associates, Perthshire

eBook by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong

CONTENTS

For

Chloe, Sam and David

a small gift from

an often absent Godfather

On the very first occasion when someone stood up in public to tell people about Jesus, he made it very clear: this message is for everyone .

It was a great daysometimes called the birthday of the church. The great wind of Gods spirit had swept through Jesus followers and filled them with a new joy and a sense of Gods presence and power. Their leader, Peter, who only a few weeks before had been crying like a baby because hed lied and cursed and denied even knowing Jesus, found himself on his feet ex-plaining to a huge crowd that something had happened which had changed the world for ever. What God had done for him, Peter, he was beginning to do for the whole world: new life, forgiveness, new hope and power were opening up like spring flowers after a long winter. A new age had begun in which the living God was going to do new things in the worldbeginning then and there with the individuals who were listening to him. This promise is for you , he said, and for your children, and for everyone who is far away (Acts 2.39). It wasnt just for the person standing next to you. It was for everyone.

Within a remarkably short time this came true to such an extent that the young movement spread throughout much of the known world. And one way in which the everyone promise worked out was through the writings of the early Christian leaders. These short worksmostly letters and stories about Jesuswere widely circulated and eagerly read. They were never intended for either a religious or intellectual elite. From the very beginning they were meant for everyone.

That is as true today as it was then. Of course, it matters that some people give time and care to the historical evidence, the meaning of the original words (the early Christians wrote in Greek), and the exact and particular force of what different writers were saying about God, Jesus, the world and themselves. This series is based quite closely on that sort of work. But the point of it all is that the message can get out to everyone, especially to people who wouldnt normally read a book with footnotes and Greek words in it. Thats the sort of person for whom these books are written. And thats why theres a glossary, in the back, of the key words that you cant really get along without, with a simple description of what they mean. Whenever you see a word in bold type in the text, you can go to the back and remind yourself whats going on.

There are of course many translations of the New Testament available today. The one I offer here is designed for the same kind of reader: one who mightnt necessarily understand the more formal, sometimes even ponderous, tones of some of the standard ones. I have of course tried to keep as close to the origi nal as I can. But my main aim has been to be sure that the words can speak not just to some people, but to everyone.

The three letters in this book were among the first, perhaps the very first, that Paul wrote to the young churches. That means they are the very earliest documents we possess from the beginning of the churchs existence. They are already full of life, bubbling with energy, with questions, problems, excitement, danger and, above all, a sense of the presence and power of the living God, who has changed the world through Jesus and is now at work in a new way by his Spirit. So here it is: Paul for everyone Galatians and Thessalonians!

Tom Wright

1Paul, an apostle(my apostleship doesnt derive from human sources, nor did it come through a human being; it came through Jesus the Messiah, and God the father who raised him from the dead)2and the family who are with me; to the churches of Galatia. 3Grace to you and peace from God our father and Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, 4who gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our father, 5to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

6Im astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by grace, and going after another gospel7not that it is another gospel, its just that there are some people stirring up trouble for you and wanting to pervert the gospel of the Messiah. 8But even if weor an angel from heaven!should announce a gospel other than the one we announced to you, let such a person be accursed. 9I said it before and I now say it again: if anyone offers you a gospel other than the one you received, let that person be accursed.

Imagine youre in South Africa in the 1970s. Apartheid is at its height. You are embarked on a risky project: to build a community centre where everybody will be equally welcome, no matter what their colour or race. Youve designed it; youve laid the foundation in such a way that only the right sort of building can be built. Or so you think.

You are called away urgently to another part of the country. A little later you get a letter. A new group of builders are building on your foundation. They have changed the design, and are installing two meeting rooms, with two front doors, one for whites only and one for blacks only. Some of the local people are mightily relieved. They always thought there was going to be trouble, putting everyone together like that. Others, though, asked the builders why the original idea wouldnt do. Oh, said the builders airily, that chap who laid the foundation, he had some funny ideas. He didnt really have permission to make that design. Hed got a bit muddled. Were from the real authorities. This is how its got to be.

Now imagine youre in central south Turkey during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius. Most of the town worship one or other of the local gods or goddesses, several of whom claim the loyalty of particular racial groups. Some have started to worship the emperor himself, and with him the power of Rome. There is also a significant minority of Jews, with their own synagogue. They are threatened by the growing power of the imperial cult, on top of the usual pagan idolatry and wickedness. And into this town has come a funny little Jew called Paul