1 Thessalonians
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1 Thessalonians
Galatians probably was the first of Paul's letters to be written, and 1 Thessalonians was the second. Paul traveled to Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia, on his second missionary journey around a.d.. 51. Luke reported the brief visit, Paul's preaching ministry there with Silas, and the subsequent persecution that drove them out of the city (see Acts 17:1-9). Many people believed in Jesus Christ before they were compelled to leave. From Thessalonica, Paul went to Berea, Athens, and then Corinth. Timothy and Silas, who had been with Paul at Thessalonica, rejoined Paul in Corinth (see Acts 18:5; 1 Thess. 3:6). Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians in response to Timothy's report shortly after his arrival.
Purpose of the Letter. Paul received the report that the Thessalonians were strong in faith and were making favorable progress. He wrote this letter to defend himself against enemies who spread false rumors and to answer the Thessalonians' questions. Paul's experience with the opposition of the Jews in Corinth, terminating in his expulsion from the synagogue, may well have been the reason for his strong condemnation in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16. The controversy over the law had plagued the churches of Macedonia. Paul's Jewish adversaries had accused him of being a heretic, a deceiver, and a religious adventurer who made a living by victimizing an ignorant public. The letter to the Thessalonians was Paul's answer to these issues.
Theology of the Letter. Paul's basic theology about salvation, Christ, and His return make up the essence of the letter. Here we learn there is one living and true God (1 Thess. 1:9) who has loved men and women (1 Thess. 1:4) and has revealed Himself to them (1 Thess. 2:13). This revelation concerned His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 1:3,8,10) who died and rose again (1 Thess. 4:14) for our salvation (1 Thess. 5:9). The Holy Spirit imparts joy, authoritative truth, and prophetic wisdom (1 Thess. 1:6; 4:8; 5:19). The apostle taught that holiness of life is required of all Christians (1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23).
Paul often mentioned the gospel (1 Thess. 1:5; 2:2-4,8; 3:2), though not in the framework of justification by faith. He affirmed that Jesus' death and resurrection are the core of the gospel, but the greatest single doctrinal emphasis of this letter concerned the return of Christ (1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:23). This teaching indicates that the expectation regarding the return of Christ was the hope of the earliest church. The motivation for Christian living was based on this anticipation. The hopelessness of death was reversed and abandoned because of this confident hope.
- Salutation (1:1)
- Personal Relations (1:2-3:13)
- Church Problems (4:1-5:11)
- Concluding Exhortations (5:12-28)
Salutation (1:1)
The salutation included the identification of the writer, the recipients, and a Christian greeting. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were the authors, though obviously Paul was the primary writer. The letter is addressed "to the church of the Thessalonians, who are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This opening word describes the church's union with the Godhead, which meant a new sphere of life on an infinitely higher plane.
Faith, Hope, and Love (1:2-10)
The first part of the letter deals primarily with the response of the church and the nature of Paul's ministry.
Paul offered thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' faith. This letter started Paul's practice of beginning his letters by thanking God for his readers (all of his letters except the first letter to the Galatians contain such a statement). Paul's words were not mere rhetorical flattery. He was giving credit to One who brought about their spiritual progress.
The apostle's trilogy of faith, hope, and love is introduced at this early part of the letter. Paul described the church service as "work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." He commended their courageous service that excluded self-pity. The early church associated faith with work (see Gal. 5:6; Jas. 2:18), love with labor (see Rev. 2:2,4), and hope with endurance (see Rom. 5:2-4; 8:24).
Paul found in the fruitfulness of their lives an adequate proof that God loved them. The knowledge of God's prior choice of these believers was the root of Paul's thanksgiving. The heart of divine election is God's sovereign decision to choose a people for Himself, making them peculiarly His own.
The power of the gospel to bring about conviction and transform lives encouraged the apostle. He knew the Holy Spirit was the source of that power. The Thessalonians welcomed the message and were converted. In spite of difficult circumstances and severe suffering, they had a joy that could only be supplied by the Spirit. They rapidly became imitators of Paul and the Lord and thus became a model to all believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia.
The apostle affirmed that these converts played a substantial part in the ever-widening scope of Christian witness. Their testimony echoed the preaching that had undergirded the mission to Thessalonica. They had turned (been converted) from idol worship to the worship of God. They turned to serve the living God and to wait for His Son from heaven. Early Christianity universally maintained that the resurrected and ascended Christ would return. Their expectancy of this event implied its imminency. Ultimately the faith, hope, and commitment of all believers should be focused on the person of Jesus, in whom God's gracious favor found its most pointed expression.
God-Approved Ministry (2:1-9)
Chapter 2 is new material, but it is closely related to chapter 1 as the following chart shows:
| 2:1-6 | expands | 1:4-10 |
| 2:7-12 | restates | 1:5,9 |
| 2:13-16 | echoes | 1:6-8,10 |
Chapter 2 is a defense against insinuations about his alleged ulterior motives. The apostle was subjected to a constant barrage of accusations. The Thessalonians themselves may have begun to question Paul's sincerity. No evidence of organized opposition on a wide scale exists. Estrangement could have developed unless treated immediately. So Paul addressed his readers most affectionately.
Paul claimed their ministry (Paul as well as Timothy and Silas) was above suspicion. It was bold and powerful because God had approved their ministry to preach the gospel. The success of their mission, in spite of sustained opposition, was due largely to their courage inspired by God. The approval of God was more significant for Paul and his team than the success of the mission. Yet the success of the work offered important validation of his motives and message. Verses 7-8 picture Paul as one who had found sufficient reason to endure suffering and the questions surrounding his character. He denied that flattery was the means of his ministry. Also greed and human praise were not the motivations for his ministry.
Worthy of God (2:10-16)
Paul appealed to the sensitive nature of their ministry in order to silence those who attacked him. To the hesitant he offered exhortation; to the weary he offered encouragement; to the weak he offered strength and direction. His motivation was to help each convert see what it meant "to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
Christian ministers are expected to offer practical guidance to fellow Christians, but not as dictators. Christian leaders cannot rule by decree. If they are to be true to the Spirit of Christ, they must lead by example. The example must be modeled after the Lord Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor. 1:12; Phil. 2:7).
Paul returned to the theme of thanksgiving in verse 13. His thanksgiving for them was an aspect of his vindication and served as a demonstration of his guileless interest in them. They had listened to him and welcomed his message as "the word of God, which is at work in [those] who believe." The manner of speech was Paul's. At the same time God was uttering His own powerful, creative word through him. The word had evidenced its power in their daily experience.
The words of verses 15-16 have been the source of careful scrutiny. Some think Paul spoke mistakenly about the Jews. Others reject Pauline authorship of these verses. These options are hardly worthy of Holy Scripture. Certainly the words here reveal Paul's heartfelt concern and exasperation with his countrymen. Yet to read this as personal vindication is to misunderstand Paul's point. It is the rejection of the gospel that moved Paul to bitter denunciation reminiscent of the prophets of God.
My Glory and Joy (2:17-3:5)
Paul again expressed deep feeling for the Thessalonians. He described himself in sharp contrast to the persecutors just mentioned in 2:14-16. He declared that the Thessalonians were his glory and joy—not only at Christ's return but even at that very time.
We are allowed to see into Paul's heart in 3:1-5. Paul's deepest concerns for the church are here expressed. He needed to know how the Thessalonians were doing in the midst of persecution. Paul's mission was to strengthen and encourage them in their faith (see Rom. 1:11; 16:25; 1 Thess. 3:13). He knew dependence on God in faith was their only recourse in adversity.
Faith That Lacks (3:6-13)
Timothy's report of the favorable feelings of the Thessalonians toward him assured Paul that the church had not cast him off as one who exploited them. The encouraging report rejuvenated Paul (as it did elsewhere; see Rom. 1:12; 2 Cor. 7:4; Phlm. 7). Along with rejoicing, Paul prayed continually for the believers in Thessalonica that God would supply what was lacking in their faith.
The prayer reflects the transition in Paul's life from anguish to exhilaration. The prayer served to conclude what he had said in this section (2:13:13) and prepared the readers for what Paul had to say in the second half of the letter. He prayed that God would enable him to visit his friends. Then he asked the Lord to perfect and enlarge the love the Thessalonians had already displayed toward one another.
Love toward God and toward others turns us away from selfish concerns and opens the way to moral perfection that is the condition of holiness. This radical transformation of character Paul desired for the church then and God desires for believers today so that they may face Christ's return without fear or shame. Daringly Paul set himself as a standard of love to be emulated, a step he could take only because of his imitation of Jesus (see 1 Thess. 1:5-7).
Sexual Morality (4:1-12)
The second section of the letter shifts to ethical or doctrinal issues. Up to this point the letter has been intensely personal. Now it shifts to instruction and exhortation.
Paul encouraged his readers to purity of life, love, and faithful work. The word "finally" was used to indicate the transition in Paul's thought. He addressed matters of moral irregularities and brotherly love.
Pagan culture looked upon sexual immorality either indifferently or favorably. Had church members slipped into immorality they probably would not have thought it strange. Paul gave general guidelines concerning pleasing God and then specific ones focused on sexual morality. To please God is to do His will, and His will is the sanctification of the believer.
Verses 6-8 provide theological reasons for his ethical exhortations. These include the judgment of God and God's calling on their lives; the words themselves are God's words. To reject these words is to reject God.
Paul turned from negative commands in verses 1-8 to positive concerns in verses 9-12. The manner of the believer's lifestyle should be characterized by mutual edification. God's will includes the necessity of moral purity and love relationship with people, which demands openness and self-sacrifice on the part of believers.
Hope in Grief (4:13-18)
This important paragraph holds out hope for believers during times of sorrow. The believing community should not grieve over those who have died in Jesus because God will bring them with Jesus at the return of the Lord. Paul desired that these believers not grieve as those who are without hope.
The "Lord's own word" further confirmed the fact that the Christian dead will experience no disadvantage at the Lord's return. Paul said the living believer will not have an advantage at the Lord's appearing. In fact, the Christian dead will rise first. After that those "who are still alive" will be "caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." These encouraging words provided great comfort to those whose family members had already died. Also it served as the basis for an evangelistic appeal to those who have no hope. Paul exhorted the believers to comfort one another with these words.
Day of the Lord (5:1-11)
In this section Paul continued his discussion about the Lord's return with particular emphasis on the meaning of the Day of the Lord. Since the Day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly, bringing destruction on those who are spiritually insensitive, believers should maintain spiritual alertness. The good news for the Thessalonians and for all believers is that their destiny is not wrath but eschatological deliverance through Jesus Christ. Again Paul exhorted believers to comfort one another.
Believers should encourage and build up one another in the faith because one day we will live with Christ. The simultaneous truths concerning the return of Christ and the resurrection of believers offer hope and meaning for living. The flip side is that at the Day of the Lord, God's wrath will be revealed. There is no universalism in this text. People need to be saved from the wrath to come by placing their faith and hope in the Lord.
Concluding Exhortations (5:12-28)
The concluding section stresses the responsibilities to the different people in the Christian community. Paul told them they were responsible to church leaders. Leaders were to guard against abusing their authority.
Verses 14-15 focused on their responsibilities to others. They were to warn when necessary, encourage the timid, and show kindness to one another. Responsibilities to oneself and to one's spiritual relationship with God can be seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Compliance with other commands and exhortations in the book is impossible apart from personal communion with God. To "be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances" is possible even in the midst of persecution when one recognizes God's superintendence over all things (see Rom. 8:28).
Paul shifted the focus from the personal to the community in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22. Here Paul reflected on the believers' responsibilities in Christian worship. They were not to underestimate the importance of prophecy while holding "on to the good." Finally they were to be free from every kind of evil that attempts to parade itself as a genuine representation of the Spirit.
Paul offered edifying words of blessing for the church. These comments underscore the importance of prayer in carrying out the purposes of God. Paul's signature theme—"the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"—concludes this pastoral and encouraging letter.
Theological Significance. The letter is more practical than theological. It is God-centered throughout. God chose them unto salvation (1 Thess. 1:4). His will is the guide for all believers (1 Thess. 4:3). He calls His people to holy living (1 Thess. 4:7) and imparts sanctification to them so they can live obediently. He raised Jesus from the dead (1 Thess. 4:14) and will raise believers to be with Him at the Lord's return (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11).
The letter was written specifically to reassure those who were concerned about believers who had already died. Words of comfort and hope from Paul about the resurrection of believers provide equally good news for the church of all times in all places. This good news serves as a basis for practical and godly living.
Questions for Reflection
- How does what Paul says about the nature of ministry speak to church leaders and church members today?
- What is the relationship between the promise of the Lord's return and holy living?
- How can the true character of Christian love be communicated in a secular world that has degraded the idea of love?
- In what way is Paul's teaching about the Christian life in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 binding on Christians today?
Sources for Additional Study
Bruce, F. F. 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco: Word, 1982.
Hiebert, D. E. The Thessalonian Epistles. Chicago: Moody, 1971.
Marshall, I. Howard. 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.
Stott, John R. W. The Gospel and the End of Time. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1991.