Introduction to 1 Thessalonians

Who was this man, Paul?

Have you ever thought about who the Apostle Paul was? I mean, what he looked like, what he sounded like, or maybe what his mannerisms might have been? The fact is that we really don’t know that much about Saul of Tarsus. He was likely born around AD 5 in Tarsus in Cilicia (the southern coast of modern-day Turkey) (Acts 22:3). Tarsus was a well known and prosperous city. Paul inherited his Roman citizenship from his father, which was very rare for a person born outside of Rome (Acts 22:27-28). We know very little about Paul’s early life, but one thing we do know is that at an early age he was sent to Jerusalem to study under the rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:34). Paul would have memorized Scripture and worked very hard to learn the traditions of his forefathers in Judaism, and by the time he had completed his education his learning would have surpassed the majority of current PhD programs. Certainly, God knew what he was doing by blessing Paul to obtain the education that he did! Concerning Paul’s physical appearance, we actually have a document known as The Acts of Paul and Thecla (2nd century) that might give us at least some insight into his physical appearance. According to this document Paul was described as being a man who was smaller in stature and bald-headed. He also had crooked legs [bow-legged], and it was said that his eyebrows met in the center [unibrow]. Paul was described as having a hooked nose and as to his demeanor, he was said to be very friendly. Now, you might be surprised to hear that during this period time, especially in the Mediterranean region, these were all considered to be very desirable traits! As to whether or not Paul was ever married, there is likely no way that we will ever know for sure [he may have been a widower(?)]. In our world today, you might say that Paul would have been a normal, average, everyday man; someone who might live next door to you!

Why the info on Paul?

The reason I wanted to give you some basic information about Paul is because I think we often have a disconnect between the Bible and the people who actually were inspired to write the books, which were more often than not, letters. While it is most certainly correct to say that our Bible is inspired by God, it is quite incorrect to remove the human element from it as well. You have to bear in mind that although these people were inspired by the Spirit to write, they were also real people in real situations, writing to other real people who were also in real situations. In other words, some people tend to, more often than not, hold to the idea of what’s known as “mechanical dictation”. That’s the idea that the writer is looking into a bowl of water [think of depictions of Nostradamus on the History Channel] or goes into some kind of trans and then while they’re totally out of it, God takes their hand and makes it move. Simply put, that’s not how inspiration works. So, with that said, let’s talk for just a few minutes about this first letter the Thessalonians.

Important “words” in 1 Thessalonians

I want to start out, since 1 Thessalonians is relatively short, by pointing out some key terms we’re going to run across in our study. (1) ὀργή (orgē) which means “wrath” or “anger”. Sometimes in Scripture this word is used to refer to God’s disposition towards sin. At other times it seems to point to a temporal earthly judgment. (2) A group of three words most of you will know well because you see them quite often when reading material written by the Apostle Paul, πίστις (pistis) which means “faith”, ἔλπις (elpis) which means “hope”, and finally ἀγάπη (agapē) meaning “love”. These three are prominent in Paul’s writings and are often called the Pauline Triad. Probably, the most famous passage where they’re found is 1 Corinthians 13. However, in 1 Thessalonians these themes are associated with the following, first, faith is confidence, reliance, or trust and points to how a person begins and also continues in his or her Christian walk. In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians “faith” is the bedrock of Christian life and living. Second, “hope” points to what has not been realized in the “now” where we currently live. Hope consistently points us to the return of Jesus and the total realization and consummation of what was inaugurated in his first coming. Lastly, “love”, at least the way it is used in 1 Thessalonians, is associated with how the church at Thessalonica characterizes relationships between other believers in brotherly love and orderly living. This should illuminate how we “do” church as well, in our modern setting. Now, while these three virtues were important to the folks so many years ago in Thessalonica, they are no less important to us in the church here today! (3) A third term that’s really important in 1 Thessalonians is παρουσία (parousia) which technically means “presence” and is used in the NT to refer to the return of Christ. (4) The last word I would like for you to be aware of is παρακαλέω (parakaleō) which can mean encourage, comfort, console, or help. All of these words were important to these message Paul had for the Thessalonians, and they will also be important to us as we look at and glean from what Paul has to say in this letter. Now, I want to look at the events that led up to Paul’s preaching to the Thessalonians and what eventually necessitated his writing this letter.

Background to 1 Thessalonians

The city of Thessalonica is a port city in Greece on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, and it’s not that for northeast of what is affectionately termed by the Greeks as “Mt. Olympus”. The city has been fairly important for the majority of its life as a port, and two strategic Roman roads intersect at Thessalonica making it quite the hub. Thessalonica, because of its strategic location, eventually became the capital of the second district of Macedonia in 168 BC, and by the time of Christ Thessalonica was a bustling city, and so too when Paul and his companions arrived there.

The Apostle Paul founded/planted the church in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey in either late AD 49 or early AD 50, but there’s much more to the story that just that, let me tell you a little about it. (Pause) After Paul’s first missionary journey a council was held in Jerusalem. This council, the Jerusalem Council, is recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Acts, and it consisted of questions concerning Gentile converts and whether it was necessary for them be circumcised [i.e. perform outward acts which others could see (legalism)]. The council ruled in the negative and sent a letter of encouragement to the new Gentile believers to build up their faith. Both Paul and Barnabas, as well as Peter, spoke at this meeting (Acts 15:6-12). (Pause) Now, between his first missionary journey and the Jerusalem Council, Paul had written his letter to the Galatians, which itself dealt sharply with legalism in the church. He had written to the Galatians from Antioch to give them encouragement, and when he heard the ruling of the Jerusalem Council, he would have been chomping at the bit to hit the road and make his way back to all of those churches he and Barnabas had planted and present them with the news. Now, this is the point at which matters blew up and there was a massive in your face confrontation between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. Paul, decided to part ways with Barnabas leaving John Mark with him, and instead took Silas (Silvanus) with him on his journey. It was on this journey when they came to Derbe and Lystra that Paul was quite impressed with a young man named Timothy and chose to bring him along as well. The book of Acts tells us that as Paul, Silas, and Timothy went along they delivered the decree of the Jerusalem Council to all of the churches (Acts 16:4), and we’re also informed that the churches were strengthened by the message the travelers brought (Acts 16:5). Now, just when things must have seemed to be going well, the Holy Spirit began to frustrate Paul’s attempts to go preach the Word in the Roman province of Asia. The missionaries were pushed farther and farther east until they finally reached the coast of the Aegean Sea, and it was hear one night that Paul received the message to go to Macedonia and preach the gospel. The group sailed from Troas and eventually worked their way to Philippi, staying there, the text says, for some days (Acts 16:12). Now, one day, while they were on their way to pray, Paul and Silas ran into a slave girl who was possessed by a demon who caused her to plague them for several days. Finally, Paul had enough and cast it out of her. It was this incident that led to Paul and Silas’ being arrested, beaten and imprisoned, but God works in all circumstances doesn’t he, because while in jail an earthquake rocked the prison to its very foundations ultimately leading to the conversion of the jailor himself! Now when the officials found out what had happened, and that Paul was a Roman citizen they were terrified because it was unlawful for a Roman citizen to be punished in such a manner. They quickly and secretly asked Paul to be on his way, but he would have none of it and apparently caused quite a scene before eventually departing from the home of a friend, Lydia. It’s after this that we finally find our missionaries arriving at Thessalonica in Acts 17. Here we’re told about how Paul went into the synagogues and “reasoned” with the people there winning some of them over. However, we’re also told about how the Jews got riled up when they saw the Gentiles converting. In fact, they got so mad that they gathered a mob and caused an uproar all over the city (Acts 17:5). This angry mob came looking for the men who, in their view, had incited all of this, that being Paul and Silas, but when they couldn’t find them they viciously dragged a man named Jason and some other believers into the street saying, “Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!” (Acts 17:7, NET). Shortly after this happened, we’re told that the believers sent for Paul and Silas and sent them on their way. It’s interesting that we’re told the following in Acts 17:9, “After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them.” (Acts 17:9, NET). What’s interesting about this is that it may well have included a pledge that Paul and Silas would not return to the city of Thessalonica again. This would make a lot of since because we know that it was Timothy who delivered the letter to the Thessalonian church.

Conclusion

Now, that brings us full circle, you might say, because at this point Paul found himself in the city of Corinth and in the mind of concern for the believers at Thessalonica, and it is from Corinth that Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church, along with co-authors Silas and Timothy. His purpose was to provide them with encouragement in their continuing in faith, hope, and love as they endured the hardships of everyday life as they awaited the return of Jesus. And it’s here that I want to ask you if that’s what you’re doing. Are you continuing in faith, hope and love as you wait for the return of our Savior? Remember, these are foundational principles to the way we do church. Also, remember that they apply outside the walls of the church building as well! If those who know you best were asked about how well you present the principles of faith, hope, and love, what would their answer be? Would their answer be that you’re persevering while waiting on the Lord?

Invitation

Prayer