93661.3 1 Thessalonians

Posted byJonathan Kobayashi

A. Overview and Summary.

  1. Paul wrote this first epistle to the church at Thessalonica from Corinth about 51 AD. Thessalonica was a city on the northern reaches of the Aegean Sea. Today, Thessaloniki, also known as Salonica, is a modern city with over one million inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in Greece. Thessalonica was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, King of Macedonia from 305 to 297 BC, who named it after his wife, Thessalonike who was the sister of Alexander the Great. The city became the capital of the Roman Province of Macedonia in 148 BC. It was made a free city of the Roman Republic by Mark Anthony in 41 BC and was on an important trade route. Its population in Paul’s day was 200,000. It had a large population of Jews and from the 16th to the 20th Century, it was the only European city with a majority of a Jewish population. It was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1430 and remained a multi-ethnic municipality and seaport during the five centuries of Turkish rule. It was turned over to Greece in 1912.
  2. Paul and his traveling companions founded the church during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). Because of its large Jewish population, Paul sought out the synagogue upon his arrival to teach the Jews about Jesus as Messiah on three Sabbaths. His preaching resulted in the conversion of some Hellenistic Jews and wealthy women (Acts 17:4). However, his success resulted in the Jews, moved by jealousy, causing some “vile fellows of the rabble” (Acts 17:5) to raise a commotion, which eventually led to Paul being evicted from the city.
  3. The epistle has a strong apologetics theme, a theme of the church, and also of end times with a missionary theme of gospel proclamation and church planting.

B. Chapter One.

  1. After Paul’s greeting, he opens with praise for the church: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father; knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance” (1:2-5). Paul’s mention of election is an important topic, but it’s crucial to understand it within the context of God’s foreknowledge. While God chooses those who respond to His call, this election is always in conjunction with the human free will that God gave. We are saved through God’s grace, made available through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:4-5 speaks of God choosing us before the foundation of the world, but we must remember that this does not mean some are irrevocably predestined to salvation or condemnation. We don’t know who is elected on this side of eternity, and that is why it remains vital for us to preach the gospel to everyone and to continually pray for others, trusting that God desires all to come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4). Our role is to faithfully share the good news, knowing that God works in and through us to bring others to salvation.
  2. Paul continues his praise for them: “As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, for the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1:7-10).
  3. To “turn from idols to serve the living a true God” was truly a high praise for the Thessalonians. Idol worship was rampant. Mankind prefers a “god” that they can see and touch. This tendency also permeated Israel up to the time of the Babylonian captivity. Paul’s mention that “Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” is also a great promise. There is a coming wrath from God that will impact the entire inhabited earth. We have confidence that Jesus will rescue us from that.

C. Chapter Two.

  1. Paul opens the chapter with a reminder of how the brothers conducted themselves and encouraged them while at Thessalonica: “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers. As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (2:10-12).
  2. Paul has the boldness to declare the truth of his message, as being from God: “This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers” (2:13).
  3. Paul likens the persecution he and his companions received from the Jews to what the Thessalonians are receiving from their own countrymen: “hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always completing the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them at last” (2:16). The phrase “completing the number of their sins” would indicate that God has a certain amount of sin that He will allow a people, a nation or a person to accumulate before His wrath comes. We see that in Genesis 15:16, where the Israelites could not come back to Palestine because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete”. God’s wrath would fall upon the Jews, which happened in 70 AD, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. This lesson needs to be in our thinking even today as believers, as our lives could be cut short by sin or lengthened by righteous living (Proverbs 10:27; Ephesians 6:2-3; 1 Chronicles 10:13,14). This may be what is implied by “a sin that leads to death” (1 John 5:16).
  4. Paul concludes the chapter with: “But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. So, we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy!” (2:17-20).

D. Chapter Three.

  1. Paul relates to them after they fled to Athens, he was concerned about their wellbeing and sent Timothy to inquire about them: “For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing” (3:5).
  2. Timothy returned with a good report: “But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love and reported that you always have good memories of us, wanting to see us, as we also want to see you. Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about you through your faith. For now, we live, if you stand firm in the Lord” (3:6-8).
  3. Paul concludes the chapter with a prayer of blessing for the church: “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you. And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you. May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.” (3:11-13). Paul alludes to Christ’s return and his coming with all His saints (Revelation 19:11-16).

E. Chapter Four.

  1. Paul opens with a call to sanctification: “Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing—do so even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus” (4:1-2).
  2. He then reminds them about refraining from sexual immorality, unlike the Gentiles who do not know God (4:3-5). He continues by warning not to sin against one’s brother in because God is an avenger in these offenses (4:6). This is because God has called us not to impurity but to sanctification, and one “who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit” (4:7-8).
  3. He then praises them for their love for one another and then admonishes them “to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone” (4:11-12).
  4. He closes the chapter with a strong word of encouragement about the rapture. Since Paul’s visit to Thessalonica, some believers had died and the other living believers were concerned that they would miss what has been called the rapture: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (4:13-18).
  5. The word “rapture” does not appear in the English translations of the New Testament. It comes from the word “rapturo” used in the Latin translation of this verse. In Greek, the word used is “harpazo” which literally means to “snatch or take away”. From this, end-times Bible teacher Hal Lindsey calls the rapture “the great snatch.” There is disagreement between Bible teachers if the rapture of the church is different from the glorious appearing of the Lord at the end of the Great Tribulation. However, if they are one and the same, it would mean believers would have to go through the Great Tribulation with all of its suffering. This would not be an “encouragement” to them (4:18). The best interpretation of the rapture is found in the pre-tribulation view in which the church is raptured before the tribulation. This fits perfectly with the doctrine of the “imminent” return of Jesus Christ which means He can come at any time. If the rapture is at the end of the Great Tribulation, there are a number of milestones that would have to take place and would remove the imminency of Christ’s return. We will explore this topic more in the synopsis of the book of Revelation.

F. Chapter Five.

  1. Paul opens with a word about the Lord coming as a thief in the night: “About the times and the seasons: Brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness” (5:1-5). The “Day of the Lord” always refers to the second coming of Christ. In chapter four, we have discussed the rapture which is different from this. Paul affirms that we will escape the wrath that is coming from God: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing” (5:9-11).
  2. He then exhorts them: “Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all” (5:12-15).
  3. He continues with specific admonishments: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward. Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophesyings; prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (5:16-22).
  4. He concludes the epistle with: “And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it. Brethren, pray for us. Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (5:11-13).

G. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it On.

  1. Throughout the New Testament, the term “election” is used referring to God’s choosing His people. How does this resonate in your thinking? Some say God is not fair as those not chosen will spend eternity in hell. How would you respond to this?
  2. Do you believe Paul’s writings are a message from God (2:13). See 2nd Peter 3:15-16 for additional insight.
  3. Is your heart blameless before God? (3:13). What is the Holy Spirit instructing you as to what you should do if the answer is no?
  4. This epistle contains a major word about the rapture. What is your viewpoint after reading this synopsis?
  5. Do you have a realization that Jesus could return at any time? How should that impact how you are living your life?