1 Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: The apostle Paul
Audience: The church of Thessalonica
Date: AD 50–51
Type of Literature: A letter
Major Themes: The gospel and faith, pleasing God, and the future
Outline:
Letter Opening — 1:1
Thanksgiving for Faith — 1:2–10
Ministry Explained, Thanksgiving Renewed — 2:1–3:13
Exhortation to Christian Living — 4:1–5:11
Letter Closing — 5:12–28
About 1 Thessalonians
What a fascinating letter! Full of encouragement and exhortation, 1 Thessalonians will leave you richer in your spiritual life. The apostle Paul brought the gospel to the important city of Thessalonica, with an estimated population of 100,000. Originally named Thermai (“hot springs”), the city was renamed Thessalonica, after Alexander the Great’s half sister. The city was home to a Jewish community as well as many cults and false religions.
After leaving Philippi, during his second apostolic journey, Paul and his team arrived at the wealthy city of Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia. As he preached and taught in the synagogue, many Jews and a large number of God-fearing non-Jews became believers and formed a congregation of Christ-followers. (See Acts 17:4.) But Paul and his companions had to cut short their stay, for their lives were in danger.
Shortly after leaving the city, Paul sent Timothy back to make sure the believers were doing well and living faithfully by the truths of the gospel. When Timothy returned, he informed Paul of the great faith, hope, and love that still burned in their hearts. So he wrote them this letter, about two years after the church had been established, in order to comfort and strengthen their hearts. The Thessalonians had let Paul know that they had questions about the appearing of Christ, so Paul addressed that subject in his letter. This was a young church that needed to hear from Paul.
Many scholars have concluded that 1 Thessalonians is one of the earliest known writings of the apostle Paul (along with the books of Galatians and 2 Thessalonians), which makes it perhaps the oldest Christian writing we have. It is dated back to AD 50–51, only twenty years or so after Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
In this deeply personal letter, Paul gives us wise and practical advice on how to live our lives with gratitude, grace, and glory. He speaks to the recipients as their “father” (2:11) and their “mother” (2:7). Eight times he addresses the Thessalonian believers as his beloved “brothers and sisters.” He even describes them as his “exhilarating joy” (2:19).
Such a treasure is found in the few pages of this letter!
Purpose
Writing as a concerned “father” and longing “mother,” Paul coauthored this letter with his fellow missionaries Silas and Timothy, to remind these dear believers in Thessalonica of what they had previously taught them and to reinforce what they already knew. After hastily departing them and finding no way to return, Paul dictated this letter to encourage them to maintain their hope in God by persevering, remaining pure, pursuing God’s pleasure, and living in a way that prepared them for Christ’s return. This concern is captured at the center of this letter:
Then your hearts will be strengthened in holiness so that you may be flawless and pure before the face of our God and Father at the appearing of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. (3:13)
Although Paul was encouraged by the Thessalonians’ faith, hope, and love, he was still mindful of their vulnerability. So along with his trusted companions Silas and Timothy, Paul sent them this letter to build their spiritual muscles, help them live faithfully, and encourage them as they waited for Christ’s return.
Author and Audience
There is little doubt that Paul the apostle dictated the contents of the letter that was later sent to the Christian community at Thessalonica. In fact, many New Testament scholars consider it to be not only one of Paul’s earliest letters but one of the earliest New Testament books. And yet Paul isn’t the only author, for the letter opens with this: “From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We send our greetings to you, the congregation of believers in Thessalonica.” Paul and his coworkers jointly spoke into the situation faced by their audience, even though the letter was dictated by Paul.
Paul and Silas had a particularly special bond with the Thessalonians, for they had traveled to this Roman city from Philippi during their second missionary journey, after Paul received a vision of a man pleading with them to come. (See Acts 16:9–10.) During this evangelistic mission, a large number of God-fearing non-Jews, as well as many pagan idol-worshipers, turned to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote these baby Christians and this infant church to encourage them to persevere, remain pure, and prepare for the coming of the Lord.
Major Themes
Faith and the Gospel, Explained and Personalized. While 1 Thessalonians isn’t an apologia for the gospel, like Romans or Galatians, we still discover much about its essence. Paul speaks of it as a power (1:4) and as the Lord’s message—a message not derived from the words of men but the very word of God (2:13), which was entrusted to the apostles (2:4). The gospel results in our being chosen and called by God (1:4; 4:7). The key verses of 1 Thessalonians are 1:9–10: “You turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God. And now you eagerly expect his Son from heaven—Jesus, the deliverer, whom he raised from the dead and who rescues us from the coming wrath.”
Turning from idolatry and sin, toward God in faith and service, was their response to the gospel message that Paul, Silas, and Timothy preached—the good news that Jesus, our deliverer, rose from the dead, rescues us from God’s wrath, and will one day return from heaven. This is reaffirmed near the end of the letter: “For God has not destined us to experience wrath but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He gave his life for us so that we may share in resurrection life in union with him” (5:9–10). There you have it: God’s good news explained!
One of the more striking aspects of this letter is Paul’s commendation of the believers’ faith and the outworking of it in love and hope (1:3). He goes so far as to say that because of their faith, they had “become an example for all the believers to follow” (1:7). They had received the gospel “wholeheartedly,” not as a “fabrication of men but as the word of God” (2:13), resulting in their lives being impacted by the gospel’s power. Because of this faith, the Thessalonian believers were persecuted yet remained steadfast (3:7). You get the sense that Paul is inviting us to follow in their steps.
Living to Please God. The theme of living in a way that is worthy of the name “Christian” and in a way that pleases God runs strong through Paul’s letters. First Thessalonians is no different. From the start, Paul commends these dear believers for putting their faith into practice (1:3). Yet he goes further, reminding them that as God’s holy, set-apart people, they are called to live in a particular way.
First he challenges them “to adopt a lifestyle worthy of God” (2:12). When Paul first evangelized this community, this was part of what he taught them. So he reminds them of these teachings here and makes an appeal: “Keep faithfully growing through our teachings even more and more” (4:1). Why? Because “God’s will is for you to be set apart for him in holiness” (4:3).
Finally, he reminds them that they are to live differently because they are different: “For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night nor to darkness” (5:5). While living to please God can be difficult, especially in a culture that lives the exact opposite, it’s something we’re called to, something God desires from us.
Hopeful Preparation for the Day of the Lord. Paul wants us to be prepared in hope for the day when Christ returns in full glory. The main portion of Paul’s letter is framed by this sense of waiting for, expecting, and being prepared for Christ’s return. Paul praised the Thessalonians for eagerly expecting God’s Son from heaven to rescue them (1:10). He exhorted them to be prepared for the day when he does return, keeping themselves completely flawless until his appearing.
In between waiting and keeping, Paul encourages the believers that those who have already passed away have not died in vain but died in hope—for God will bring with Christ those who have died in a declaration of victory!
He also wants them, and us, to “stay alert and clearheaded” (5:8) as we wait, for we don’t know when it will happen. The Lord’s return will come unexpectedly and as a complete surprise (5:2). Yet, though we may have questions about the end, we can be encouraged and encourage one another in the hope that we will “share in resurrection life in union with him” (5:10).
1 Thessalonians
Faithfulness to Christ
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