Thessalonica was an important provincial capital in Macedonia and its largest city.

A busy seaport and centre of

trade.

Unlike all subsequent Pauline epistles, 1 Thessalonians does not focus on justification by faith or questions of
JewishGentile relations, themes that are covered in all other letters. Many scholars see this as an indication that
this letter was written before the Epistle to the Galatians, where Paul's positions on these matters were formed
and elucidated.[2]

Theme:Paul wrote this letter to encourage the Thessalonians to live worthy lives in preparation for the coming of
the Lord, and to relieve their concerns about relatives who had died without a knowledge of the gospel.

THE TITLE: 1 Thessalonians is the first of two canonical letters written to the church at Thessalonica. Thessalonica
was a busy seaport town on a major road (i.e., the Egnatian Way) in northern Greece. In the time of Paul it was the
chief city of Macedonia.

THE PURPOSE: To communicate thanksgiving, exhortation, and instruction to new believers in the midst of
persecution. The intended result, then, is that the saints at Thessalonica (and in the ages to come) might (1) excel
still more (1 Thess 4:1, 10) and (2) be blameless at Christs coming (3:13; 5:23).

THE THEME: The return of Jesus Christ should spiritually affect our individual lives and churches. Every chapter in 1
Thessalonians ends with reference to the return of Jesus Christ, and each reference relates the doctrine to a
practical aspect of Christian living. Here is a summary: 1:10 (salvation and assurance); 2:19-20 (soul-winning and
service); 3:11-13 (stability in Christian living); 4:13-18 (strength in sorrow); and 5:23-24 (sanctification of life).
Furthermore, over a quarter of 1 Thessalonians deals with problems and issues regarding the return of Christ.1

THE AUTHOR: The apostle Paul identifies himself twice as the author of 1 Thessalonians (1:1; 2:18). The inclusion of
Silvanus and Timothy in the greeting does not mean that they were coauthors. Rather, these men were with Paul
in Corinth (Acts 17:10, 16; 18:1) as he was writing the letter (Acts 18:5; 2 Cor 1:19) and played a strategic role in
assisting him in the building up of the Thessalonian church (Acts 16:1-3; 17:4, 10, 14).

THE AUDIENCE: The church at Thessalonica consists of recent converts, mostly from a Gentile background (1 Thess
1:9). This would account for the reason Paul never quotes directly from the Old Testament.

THE TIMES: When Paul founded the Thessalonian church, he and his companions were driven out of Thessalonica
by jealous Jews (Acts 17:1-10). Paul sent Silvanus and Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the young
Christians were doing (1 Thess 3:1-6). 1 Thessalonians is either the first or second oldest book in the New
Testament, depending on the dating of Galatians. Scholars date 1 Thessalonians at approximately 50-51 A.D.,
meaning that it was written only 18 years after Jesus life and death. As such it is one of the earliest pictures we
have of the Christian church. Paul becomes the first Christian missionary to set foot in Europe and thus 1
Thessalonians is our earliest missionary document.

KEY WORDS: Brethren/brother (19xs),2 encourage/exhort (8xs).3

KEY VERSE:

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13: And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we do for you, so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

CHRIST IN 1 THESSALONIANS: Christ is seen as the believers hope of salvation, both now and at His coming. When
He returns, He will deliver (1:10; 5:4-11), reward (2:19), perfect (3:13), resurrect (4:13-18), and sanctify (5:23) all
who trust Him.4
THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

Introduction

AUTHOR: The apostle Paul, joined in his salutation by Silvanus and

Timothy (1:1), and with specific mention of his name again later in the
epistle (2:18). Early sources in church history that attribute this
letter to Paul include: Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.), Tertullian
(200 A.D.), and Irenaeus (200 A.D.).

THE CITY OF THESSALONICA: It was the capital and largest city of the
Roman province of Macedonia. Located on the Egnatian Way, a major road
from Rome to the eastern provinces, the city served as center of trade
and commerce. Today, it is known as Thessaloniki, or Salonica.

THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA: The establishment of the church is

recorded in Ac 17:1-9. On his second missionary journey, Paul and his
companions (Silas and Timothy) had just left Philippi and passed
through Amphipolis and Apollonia to arrive at Thessalonica. As was his
custom, Paul immediately located the synagogue and reasoned with the
Jews for three Sabbaths concerning Jesus Christ. While some of them
were persuaded, including a great number of devout Greeks and leading
women, the unbelieving Jews became jealous and created an uproar in the
city. Therefore it became necessary to send Paul and Silas away
secretly by night to Berea.

Despite such ominous beginnings, a strong church was established in

Thessalonica (cf. 1:2-10). Mostly Gentile (cf. 1:9), its members
included Jason (Ac 17:9), Aristarchus, and Secundus (Ac 20:4).

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING: First Thessalonians is considered one of

Paul's earliest epistles, if not the first. From the letter itself
(3:1-6), and the record of Paul's travels in Acts (Ac 17:10-18:11), it
appears that Paul wrote this letter soon after arriving in Corinth on
his second journey. This would put it somewhere around 52 A.D.

PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE: The abrupt departure from Thessalonica so soon

after the beginning of the church naturally left Paul anxious about the
condition of the brethren. When Timothy joined Paul at Athens (cf. Ac
17:14-16), his concern prompted Paul to send Timothy at once back to
Thessalonica to encourage and ground the new disciples in the faith,
and to learn how they were enduring persecution (cf. 3:1-5).

When Timothy returned to Paul in Corinth (cf. Ac 18:5), the news was
mostly encouraging (cf. 3:6-7). Despite persecution they had remained
strong (2:13-16), and even proved themselves to be an example to others
(1:6-8). Yet, as with any young church, they needed further
instruction concerning holy living (cf. 4:1-12). They also needed to
be reassured that their loved ones who died in Christ would not miss
out on the blessings involving the coming of our Lord (cf. 4:13-18).
Therefore we can summarize by saying that Paul's purpose in writing
was:

* To praise them for their steadfastness under persecution

* To instruct them concerning holy living

 * To correct any misunderstanding, especially about the second
coming of Christ

THEME OF THE EPISTLE: This book is unique in that every chapter ends
with a reference to the second coming of Christ (1:10; 2:19; 3:13;
4:13-18; 5:23). With his emphasis on steadfastness and holy living, an
appropriate theme might be:

"HOLINESS IN VIEW OF THE COMING OF CHRIST"

KEY VERSES: 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one
another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish
your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."

This is probably the first epistle written by Paul and perhaps the first written document of the Christian religion. It
is not doctrinal, has no element of controversy and is one of the most gentle and affectionate of Paul's letters. It is
notable for its special salutations and refers to their expectations of the immediate return of Jesus. Its main idea is
consolation (4:17-18), its keynote hope and its leading words affliction and advent. Its purpose was: (1) to send
affectionate greetings, (2) to console them in their afflictions, (3) to correct their wrong, their mistaken views of
Christ's second coming, (4) to exhort then to proper living as against certain immoral tendencies.

II. Argument

Paul opens his letter with a customary salutation (1:1), written to the Thessalonian believers.

He then spends the next three chapters setting forth his relation to the Thessalonians (1:23:13). He does this
apparently because Jews from the synagogue in Thessalonica were trying to discredit Paul, arguing that he was no
different than those who peddled their philosophy for profit on nave audiences. The opponents attacked Paul on
three grounds: (1) the Thessalonians conversion was not genuinehence, Pauls message could not be from God;
(2) Paul was a peddler for profit; and (3) the proof that Paul was not interested in the Thessalonians is that he has
not even bothered to visit them again. To these charges Paul now responds.

First, the apostle expresses thanks to God for the confirmation of the Thessalonians salvation as seen in their
spiritual growth (1:2-10). He commends them to God because of their spiritual productivity which is motivated by
their focus on salvation, their present walk with the Lord, and their hope of glorification (1:3). The apostle now
reveals the evidence of their salvation (which is the reason he knows that they are saved): (1) his gospel was
proclaimed with full conviction in the power of the Holy Spirit (1:4-5); (2) the Thessalonians accepted the gospel
and followed Pauls pattern in words and works (1:6-8); and (3) the Thessalonian believers remained steadfast in
the apostolic kerygma (1:9-10).

The second reason Paul sets forth his relationship to the Thessalonian believers is to defend/confirm the
genuineness of his apostleship and their conversion (2:1-16). Here Paul first presents positive (and objective)
evidence (2:1-12), followed by negative (and subjective) evidence (2:13-16). Positively, the first reason that Pauls
apostleship (i.e., that he was sent from God) and, consequently, the Thessalonians conversion should be accepted
as genuine is because (1) Pauls message was from God (2:3-4), (2) his motives were pure (2:5-8), and (3) his
method was characterized by sacrificial service and hard work among the Thessalonians (2:9-12). These points are
all stated in 2:1-2, then elaborated on in 2:3-12.

Then the negative evidence is presented: The second reason Pauls apostleship and the Thessalonians conversion
should be accepted as genuine is because (1) the Thessalonians accepted Pauls message as from God (2:13-14a),
and (2) those who maligned the Thessalonians faith belong to the class of men who reject the truth and will be
rejected by God (2:14b-16). In this second point Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they have suffered at the
hands of their (Jewish) countrymen who are just like the Jews in Judea in their rejection of the truth. The wrath of
God will certainly come ( is a proleptic aorist) on them because of this.

The third reason Paul sets forth his relationship to the Thessalonian believers is to express his deep desire to visit
them again (2:173:10). He begins with a negative argument, offers a Plan B, and shows the result of this second
plan. The negative argument is that Paul and Silas have not returned to Thessalonica because Satan has prevented
them (2:17-20)an oblique reference, we believe, to the security taken from Jason. The Plan B then goes into
effect: Timothy, who had not visited Thessalonica the first time, was sent to them to strengthen their faith in the
midst of forewarned persecutions (3:1-5). The result of Timothys visit is that Paul now has a renewed desire to
visit the Thessalonians as well as much encouragement about their faith (3:6-10).

At this stage the first major section of the epistle concludes with a transitional benediction. The content of Pauls
prayer (in light of the fact that the genuineness of his ministry, his message, and their faith stand vindicated) is that
the Lord would (1) bring the apostles back to the Thessalonians, (2) continue to sanctify these believers, and (3)
perfectly sanctify them at the time of the second coming of Christ (3:11-13).

Having vindicated himself and their conversion, Paul now can get to the heart of the epistle (4:15:22). Since this
section contains prophecy as well as authoritative exhortations, Paul necessarily had to establish that he was a
spokesman for God before proceeding. Hence, as long as the first three chapters are, they function basically as
backdrop to chapters 4 and 5. In essence, these last chapters are an argument for proper relations within the body
of Christ in the light of the imminent return of Christ. There are three basic parts: (1) an emphasis on proper
conduct with other Christians in the body (4:1-12), (2) encouragement about the Lords return with some specific
eschatological details (4:135:11), and (3) exhortations concerning proper attitudes toward authorities within the
body (5:12-22). The middle position of the eschatological paragraph is no accident: it governs the other two
sections in terms of rationale. That is to say, the reason believers should have proper horizontal relations (in terms
of authority) within the body and proper hierarchical relations within the body is because the Lords return for the
saints is imminent.

First (since his authority is from God), Paul argues that the manner of the believers lifestyle should be
characterized by proper horizontal relations within the body (4:1-12). In 4:1-2 he summarizes this by stating that
the Thessalonians lifestyle should be characterized by continually pleasing God (4:1-2). Then he gives specifics
(4:3-12): (1) negatively, the believers lifestyle should be characterized by the absence of irresponsible lust (4:3-8);
(2) positively, the believers lifestyle should be characterized by a mutual edification (extending beyond the local
body) and an individual work ethic (affecting the non-believers view of the church) (4:9-12).

Second (in light of the fact that Pauls message is from God), Paul now encourages the Thessalonians with
reference both to living and dead Christians on the basis that all will be resurrected/raptured imminentlybefore
the day of the Lord begins (4:135:11). This section really has two distinct parts as seen by the in 5:1. In the
first part Paul encourages the saints with some positive news about their destiny and that of their dead. In the
second part Paul encourages the saints by denying negative news (the wrath of God).

In 4:13-18 the apostle essentially encourages the believers about the status of Christians who have died (4:13). In
essence, his argument is that he has received a prophecy (word of the Lord in 4:15) that both living and dead
saints will be together with the Lord imminently in their translated bodies at the rapture (rather than the dead
saints having to wait seven years) (4:14-17).

In 5:1-11 Paul exhorts the saints to be alert (5:6-8) since they are sons of light (5:4-5) and since the day of the Lord
will come suddenly (5:1-3). This alertness has to do with proper Christian conduct, rather than watchfulness for
signs of the Lords return, as is evident by the abrupt unexpectedness of the Lords return. Paul follows this
challenge with a promise: just as the non-elect are destined for the time of Gods wrath (cf. 2:16), Gods children
are destined for escape from it (5:9). This wrath almost certainly carries a double entendre force to it: both the
tribulation period and final wrath (namely, hell). Believers are not destined for either. This promise extends even
to those believers who are not alert (5:10). A state of non-alertness affects present sanctification, but has no
impact on the time of future glorification. Paul concludes this eschatological section with a final encouragement
(5:11) which appropriately forms an inclusio with the encouragement in 4:18.

Third, the manner of lifestyle believers should have in relation to intrachurch authority (in light of the imminence
of the rapture) is respect for leaders (5:12-13), responsibility toward imperfect saints (5:14-15), reverence for God
(5:16-18), and critical receptiveness toward prophecy (5:19-22).

The epistle concludes with a benediction and final greetings (5:23-28).