Introduction:

Some people who come into our lives are blessings from beginning to end.  Their enthusiasm and steadfast love make our work easier and more joyful.  The Thessalonian believers were just such people.  While the surrounding culture stirred up trouble and persecution, the believers in Thessalonica rejoiced in the truths that had been shared with them by Paul, Silas, and Timothy.  Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians reveal the satisfaction and happiness he felt when he thought about these particular spiritual children of his.

Background:

Thessalonica was an important city in Macedonia.  It was one of the capitals and had a busy harbor.  In addition, it was on the Egnatian Road that connected the city of Rome with its eastern territory.  As a result, Thessalonica was both important to the government and a center of prosperity.  Paul had a pattern of evangelizing the bigger metropolitan areas and then using them as homebases to reach the smaller towns surrounding them.  The importance of Thessalonica explains both the presence of an active Jewish synagogue in the city and why Acts 17:1 speaks of Paul bypassing two other towns and heading straight for Thessalonica.

The story of the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles of Thessalonica is told in Acts 17.  Paul and Silas had just come from Philippi where they had been beaten and imprisoned.  Despite their aching bodies and being immobilized by stocks on their feet, Paul and Silas began singing hymns of praise to God as the other prisoners listened intently.  The result was an earthquake that released them, a converted jailor, and the authorities who had punished them apologizing and politely requesting that they leave the city.  Thus, when Paul, Silas, and Timothy came to Thessalonica, they were well aware of the cost of preaching the gospel, as well as the power of God to turn persecution around to bless people.  The missionaries did not hesitate but began preaching in the synagogue.  The same pattern from Philippi began to repeat itself.  Many were converted, but many more were not.  These nonbelievers stirred up trouble and attacked the house where Paul, Silas, and Timothy were staying; however, the three men were not present at the time.  Instead, the homeowner named Jason and some of the other new converts were taken before the city authorities and accused of harboring lawbreakers.  Basically, Jason and company posted bond and were allowed to go home.  Knowing what happened in Philippi and fearing for Paul’s safety, the Thessalonians smuggled Paul and Silas out of the city by night.  The two men went on to the city of Berea (Timothy may have gone with them or stayed behind) where they received a better reception at the synagogue, that is, until troublemakers from Thessalonica showed up.  In response to that threat, Paul was sent on alone to Athens while Silas and Timothy remained behind in Macedonia to complete the process of discipling new believers and firmly establishing the churches in Berea and Thessalonica.

Author and Setting:

Paul wrote First Thessalonians from either Athens or Corinth after receiving a report from Timothy about the work that Silas and Timothy had continued in Macedonia.  First Thessalonians 3:1-2 would indicate Athens; however, Acts18:1, 5 says that Timothy’s return from Macedonia took place while Paul was in Corinth.  Is Acts 18 speaking of a second return by Timothy, or is 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 speaking of the act of leaving Silas and Timothy behind to minister to the new believers?  Either way, Paul’s goal was to encourage the believers that they were not alone and to remind them of some of his teachings, so he sent Timothy back to them with his written message. 

First Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul’s letters in the Bible, written around A.D. 51.  In fact, either the epistle of James or the first letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest book of the New Testament.  The second letter to the Thessalonians was most likely written only a few months after the first letter since Silas is still included with Paul as a co-author.  Silas was not associated with Paul after their time in Corinth, which only lasted a year and a half on this particular mission trip.  Thus, Second Thessalonians was probably written either at the very end of A.D. 51 or the beginning of A.D. 52.

Paul had almost certainly written other letters before this, but they were not preserved.  The reason for believing that the epistles to the Thessalonians were not Paul’s first letters is because of comments that Paul makes in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and 3:17. The verse in chapter two warns against false letters.  In chapter three, Paul gives guidelines as to how to tell whether a letter is genuinely from him or not.  There would have been no incentive for copycat epistles if Paul were not already well known for sending his advice in written messages. 

Message:

Unlike some of his other letters, Paul had only commendations for the Thessalonians.  There was only one weakness Paul noted in the believers at Thessalonica—some of them were idle and gossiping.  This may have been a problem of culture as Paul emphasized the fact that he had labored hard to support himself while preaching to the Thessalonians in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 2:9) and part of his exhortation in 5:14 includes an admonishment for the idle or unruly, depending on your translation.  However, it is in the second letter that Paul strongly rebukes idleness and gossiping, and then it is only at the very end of the letter as if it was still a somewhat small problem that needed to be nipped in the bud before it increased.  Another possibility for the idle behavior that Paul is concerned about in the second letter may have been the direct result of misunderstandings in Paul’s first letter.  In the first letter, Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to look forward to Jesus’ second coming and the resurrection of the dead.  Some of the believers may have taken this to mean that Jesus’ coming was imminent and that they should not continue life as usual.  This has been a common reaction by believers in the past to the certainty that there was little time before the end of the world.  In the second letter, Paul emphasized that several events had to occur before Jesus’ return.  Thus, it was not as imminent as some may have thought, and they needed to continue working and living life normally (that is, normally for a follower of Jesus).

Organization: First Thessalonians

Part 1: Greetings and Commendations

1:1 The letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, not just Paul.  This is because all three brought the gospel to Thessalonica and were known by the believers there.

1:2-10 Paul praises their walk with God from their initial acceptance of the message to the record of their faithfulness since then.

2:1-16 Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his past interactions with them.  He commends their faithfulness in the face of persecution.

2:17-20 Paul explains that he wanted to return to them, but Satan had repeatedly interfered with those plans.

3:1-13 Timothy had been sent to continue the ministry to the Thessalonians.  When Paul could stand the suspense no longer, he sent for information about his beloved converts.  Timothy reported that the new converts were maturing as loving Christians.  Paul was overjoyed.

Part 2: Advice and Teaching

4:1-8 Live a holy life both physically and spiritually

4:9-12 Continue to live in love as you are already doing.  Live a life that is industrious and peaceful

4:13-18 The resurrection and the coming of the Lord

5:1-11 Be prepared for the judgment by staying awake and sober because it will come unexpectedly

Part 3: Closing Remarks

5:12-22 Paul admonishes them to respect Jesus’ servants, preserve the peace within the church, live in joy, prayer, and gratitude, and to listen to the Spirit.

5:23-28 Blessing for the church and request for prayer

Organization: Second Thessalonians

Part 1: Greetings and Sympathy

1:1-2 Again, this letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, not just Paul.

1:3-4 Commendations of the Thessalonians’ walk with God

1:5-12 The judgment as comfort—persecutors will fall but the righteous will be glorified.

2:1-12 Details about the events before Jesus’ coming:  avoid being deceived, the man of sin, restraint upon the man of sin, those who reject truth will be deceived by false signs and wonders

2:13-17 Thankfulness that the Thessalonians are being sanctified and admonitions to stand firm

Part 2: Closing Remarks

3:1-5 God is faithful and will guard the believers

3:6-15 Exhortations against idleness and how to deal with idle believers

3:16-18 Benediction and Identification as an authentic letter from Paul

Conclusion: 

The Thessalonian believers teach us that our walk with God is not dependent upon our environment.  They lived in a corrupt cosmopolitan environment and faced persecution while they were still baby Christians.  Their education as followers of Christ was interrupted.  They had misunderstandings of doctrine that led to a wrong course of action for some, yet the majority were not distracted from the gospel.  They continued to grow in grace, and their reputation for love spread throughout their land.  Paul rejoiced in their development and was confident that God would continue to guide their growth.  Like the Thessalonians, we can also be blessings to those around us.  Our Christian development is not dependent on the wider environment or the presence of error among fellow believers.  If we keep our focus on following Jesus both physically and spiritually, we too will bring joy to others, as well as to our Father in heaven.