The Church's Reputation and Ministry (1 Thess. 1:1-2:16)

Background on the letters to the Thessalonians:

Author: Paul

Date: AD 51 (Colossians probably 1st Pauline letter dated AD 49, but Thessalonians letters were the next two)

Audience: Thessalonians.

Thessalonica: (show map)

Capital of Roman province of Macedonia

Population most likely over 100,000

Harbor city; trade flourished & open exchange of philosophy

To understand Paul’s work there, go to Acts 15. (highlight key points)

Acts 17:1-10

-Paul goes into synagogue

-People went against them, saying “these men who have turned the world upside down”

-After at least 3 weeks, Paul and Silas leave Thessalonica for Berea.

-During that time, the church in Thessalonica was established

1 Thess. 1:1

Typical intro, authors mentioned- Paul, Silas, Timothy:

Although Silas & Timothy are mentioned, Paul is the primary author.

Vocab, style, theology are compatible with Paul’s other writing.

Paul refers to himself by name in 2:18, and we can infer first person reference is to himself in 3:5 & 5:27

Mentioning the other 2 might indicate the unity of the mission team to offset any disappointment that Paul did not go back to the Thessalonians but Timothy did.

”Grace and peace”

Grace is God’s unmerited favor

Peace— not just absence of conflict but echoes OT shalom, where a person’s life with God and everything else is in ordered harmony. Like saying “all is well.”

Every letter Paul wrote included grace and peace in the opening.

The Church’s Reputation (1 Thess. 1:2-10)

What was the reputation of the Thessalonian church?

Faith, Love, and Hope (v.3)

-evidence of 3 marks of the faith

-common triad in Paul’s writings; several occurences

-1 Cor. 13- faith, hope, & love; the greatest of these is love.

-Paul has given the prominent final position in this list to hope, which is a major theme of this letter.

Assurance of Salvation (4-7)

~V.4— Before talking about the next part of their reputation, Paul talks about the evidence of God choosing the Thessalonians.

~2 Peter 1:10 tells us to be diligent to make our calling and election sure. How do you know if someone is genuinely saved?

~The gospel was proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit and it was received by a person, with the evidence of transformation by how he imitates Christ (v.6)

Proclamation of the Gospel & Evidence of their Faith (v.8)

~They heard the gospel and then made it known

~Their faith became known in the area, to the point where other Greeks took note of it.

-v.9--> “they themselves report...” Other Greeks.

Deserting Idolatry (v.9)

~Turned to God from idols.

~Mt. Olympus is 100km from Macedonia & is the highest point. (bonus points if you have a picture of Mt. Olympus)

-“home of the gods” in Greek mythology and culture

~In a port town, lots of travel and trade. All kinds of influences.

~They were able to turn from these false gods to the living and true God!

~Idolatry occurs when we value something more than God. We depend on something more than God.

Even could be good things.

“Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that ought to be worshiped.” -St. Augustine

Hope for Jesus’ Return (v.10)

~The theme of hope again.

~Because of their faith,

because of their love,

because of the gospel in their lives, they were known for remaining steadfast in their hope of Jesus’ return.

~Jesus, “who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

~The wrath will come on the unrighteous, who have not given their lives to Jesus; But they knew salvation through Jesus; knew they were delivered.

~Important: This is the reputation from their community; not from themselves, not even from the leaders (“so that we need not say anything”

WHAT IS THE REPUTATION OF OUR CHURCH?

By reputation, I don’t mean nice words people say about us, but the impact we’re having on our community as a result of Jesus changing our lives.

What if we exhibited these characteristics and were able to go into our community to have the same effectiveness as the Thessalonian church?

That reputation comes out of our ministry.

The Church’s Ministry

When you read of these early churches, it’s clear that church was not just considered something that people showed up to once a week, or once a month. It was the spiritual family who took their purpose seriously. They realized that they were to serve the Lord together, to carry out the Great Commission.

The Gospel Brings Results (v. 1-2)

There’s a confidence every Christian should have that when we proclaim the gospel, teaching people to obey all that Christ commanded. We know the gospel brings results. Look at how it is mentioned in v.1:

Paul, Silas, Timothy’s going to the Thessalonians was not in vain.

“Vain” (Gr.--> “kenos”, empty, w/o content, w/o result)

NIV uses “failure”

We know it wasn’t because we see that it resulted in a church. But why was it not a failure? READ v. 2. B/C they declared the gospel of Jesus no matter what it took.

Philippi- Acts 16:19-39

Standing firmly on the gospel, proclaiming it--> this is how churches are built up.

The Gospel Must Be Proclaimed with Proper Motives.

What are the proper motives?

TRUTH

The ministry to the Thessalonians was not marked with error, impurity, or attempts to deceive.

Why do we proclaim the gospel of Christ? B/c we believe it is true, so we proclaim so others will be transformed by this truth.

We don’t proclaim it to serve some ulterior motive. Cults will do this. They will use portions of Scripture to convince people that their movement is safe, then they trap them into something that is not gospel-centered.

STEWARDSHIP

V.4— as we’ve been entrusted with the gospel, so we speak...

We are stewards of the gospel— We have heard and now the motivation is that we must share it.

It’s amazing that God would entrust us with such a glorious, powerful message! The gospel is not just something you’ve heard at some point— it’s the power of God to salvation that He has entrusted to you. Are you being faithful with what God has given you?

PLEASING GOD

V.4- “Not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

The message sometimes hurts! Pleasing man/ pleasing God are set as opposites- you can’t always do both.

God is the one who tests our hearts, not man.

God is the one from whom salvation comes, not man.

God is the one who brings liberty and freedom, not man.

Why strive to please men?

Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat.

-Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest, June 19

WITH PROPER CONDUCT

No words of flattery (goes along with not pleasing man— )

No Pretext for greed. Paul did not minister for financial gain

Not Seeking glory from people

“Gentle”

Acted like a “Nursing Mother” The depiction of mother-like leadership in the church. Caring, loving, like a nursing mother- selfless, giving of herself and her time. This should be the nature of a leader toward His church, and the nature of a proclaimer to one hearing the gospel.

Loved them so much that they shared not only the gospel but their lives as well. Relational with the people; Treated them respectfully;

The life of the proclaimer must substantiate the proclamation. [READ v.12]

It’s never the other way around—> The proclamation must substantiate the life of the proclaimer...

Only one of these will change (proclamation & life of the proclaimer), and it’s not the proclamation, the gospel. It must be our lives.