Bible Overview: 1-2 Thessalonians
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Author: Paul
Author: Paul
Paul includes his fellow missionaries Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, though Paul himself is the author of the letters.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.
Audience: the Church of the Thessalonians
Audience: the Church of the Thessalonians
Modern Day Thessaloniki, Greece, an important city for trade.
Date: A.D. 50-51
Date: A.D. 50-51
Some of Paul’s earliest letters, probably shortly after he wrote Galatians
Background
Background
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
Paul & Silas (& Timothy?) were only in Thessalonica for 3 weeks apparently (v. 2), yet according to v. 4 it appears that many people trusted in Jesus Christ and so a church was formed. But the circumstances around the establishment of this church were very difficult, and Paul was concerned for what might happen to their faith in the face of persecution. He writes this letter as a response to the report from Timothy after his visit to them, mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 3:1-7.
17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,
18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone,
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—
7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.
The timeline in Acts 17-18 is not clear, but it may have been only a few weeks (probably not more than a year) after his visit to Thessalonica that Paul wrote this letter. His personal care and concern for this church is very evident. He wants to help them keep growing in their faith even though he can’t return to them right now.
Themes & Key Verses
Themes & Key Verses
Paul’s Ministry to the Thessalonians
1 Thess 1:5, 9; 2:1-12; 2 Thess 3:7-9;
Many were converted, turned from idols and turned to Christ because of Paul’s ministry
5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
Pure motives
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.
6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
Hard work
9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you,
8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
Persecution
Paul had taught the believers in Thessalonica that persecution and suffering is to be expected for believers.
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.
4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
Sanctification
12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,
13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Eternal Hope with Christ
Parousia (“coming” - advent, return)
As believers, we long for Christ to return, and there are several things this means for us.
1 Thess 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thess 2:1, 8
When we see him, he will transform us to be like him
13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Believers who have died before he returns will not miss out on eternity with Christ or glorified bodies. They are with him now, and they will receive new bodies along with those who are alive when Christ returns
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
The fact that he is coming back for us is intended to give us great hope and encourage us to work hard for him until that day.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Other end-times teachings
Christ had not already returned as some were claiming
2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
The arrival of the man of lawlessness (antichrist) and his judgment
3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Judgment of the wicked and rewarding of the righteous
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
All of this is meant to give us hope, that no matter what persecutions, difficulties, and hardships we endure in this life, if our trust is in Christ, we will be with him forever and will not experience his judgment, but will rather receive eternal blessing and joy.
Application:
Our hope of eternity with Christ should lead us to endure persecution and pursue holiness.