FROM ROMAN POLITICS TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL TERMINOLOGY INTO A NEW THEOLOGICAL ...
FROM ROMAN POLITICS TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL TERMINOLOGY INTO A NEW THEOLOGICAL ...

Summary/Abstract: This article presents certain aspects of the theological manner in which St. Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians deals with the political theology and terminology of the Roman officials of Thessaloniki. The terms to which we refer are: “Lord”, “presence”, “appearance”, “response” and “wreath-bearing”. These terms relate, in the Greco-Roman world, especially in the writings of Josephus and in the Greek Inscriptions, to the religious life of the citizens and mainly to the visit of kings and leaders of a certain town. St. Paul does not merely allude to the political terminology in Thessaloniki, but also clearly takes a stand, by contrasting the Roman “lords” with the Lord Jesus Christ, the “presence” of the Roman officials to the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ as Judge, anticipated by the faithful, the “response” of Roman citizens with the meeting of the resurrected Christians, the “wreath-bearing” during the meeting with the Emperor with his own “wreath of glory”, which is his pride about the Thessalonians on the Presence of the Lord..

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