Pagan Philosophers and 1 Thessalonians

Certain ancient philosophers (Celsus, Porphyry, Hierocles, Julian, and Macarius Magnes' critic) responded antagonistically to the New Testament. Their responses to several New Testament themes that appear in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians and one specific text (1 Thess 4.15–17) show how difficult it was to persuade some individuals to give up paganism. Their criticisms of the New Testament probably indicate how the antagonists would have read 1 Thessalonians. The essay is a contribution to the history of the reception of the New Testament.