Hi James and Ellen,
1 Thessalonians is one of the first canonized letters that Paul penned. Paul was on his second God-planned, God-directed mission journey when he penned 1 Thessalonians. Even though Paul spent just three Sabbath days in the city of Thessalonica – in the land area of Macedonia, Paul – with the help of Silas – who was Paul’s traveling companion on this journey, was able to jumpstart a Christ-follower community in the city of Thessalonica. On each Sabbath day that Paul spent in the city of Thessalonica, Paul took advantage of the synagogue that had been built in the city of Thessalonica by guys who were Jews to reason the Good News message with his audiences. In the letter that Luke wrote and sent to his friend Theophilus – which was the Acts Letter, Luke tells Theophilus that Paul was able to prevail leading some of the local guys who were Jews along with a good number of the local guys who were Greeks – as well as some prominent gals, to accept in a heartfelt way why God did what He did when He permitted His only Begotten Son – who was Jesus Christ, to suffer and die while inhumanely hung on and nailed to a cross and why He had His Son return to life after having died. The growing popularity that Paul and Silas were experiencing in the city of Thessalonica during their short stay there in 50 A.D. triggered a jealous spirit among the Jew who were local leaders. These guys decided that a way to stop Paul and Silas from doing in the city of Thessalonica what they were doing was to have some bad dudes who frequented the local market foment a riot. When the mob went to the house where Paul and Silas were staying in the city of Thessalonica – which was Jason’s house – the mob dragged Jason – along with some of the other Thessalonica Christ-follower guys, to the city of Thessalonica’s city officials for the city officials to decide their fate. Jason needed to post a bond so that he could go back to his house. Once it got dark enough that evening, guys who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Thessalonica snuck Paul and Silas out of the city of Thessalonica. After spending some time in the town of Berea, Paul went on to the city of Athens and then on to the city of Corinth – which is where Paul was when Timothy showed up with news regarding the status of the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Thessalonica.
Paul’s response to the understandings and actions of an immature, emergent Christ-follower community that was maybe a year old makes up 1 Thessalonians Letter’s five chapters. Paul assures Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica that Timothy had brought to him a good report on their spiritual welfare especially in the areas of their faith in God and their love towards each other. Paul also mentions in this first letter that he sent to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica that he was especially encouraged by the good memories that they had of him and Silas and that they were really hoping to see him again as he would like to see them again, too. What seemed to expressly concern Paul about what Timothy told him about what was happening in the city of Thessalonica was that there were still some guys who were Jews who were living in the city of Thessalonica who were besmirching his character at every opportunity that they had in every way that they could. Paul communicates in his 1 Thessalonians Letter to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica a pressure to have to defend himself against what these guys were saying – which he really did not like having to do. Paul also reveals a real concern for the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica who had not completely rejected their pagan beliefs which he believed was causing these guys and gals to have a lax morality. Because Paul had only been able to spend three Sabbath days plus the days between the Sabbath days in the city of Thessalonica, Paul had not had the chance to underpin the guys and gals who were Christ-follower who were living in the city of Thessalonica in their new faith paradigm. Also in the report that Timothy gave Paul was that some of the guys and gals who were new city of Thessalonica Christ-followers were worried that their deceased loved ones would not be able to join in on Jesus’ return to planet Earth while others gave up their day jobs to idly sit around waiting for Jesus’ return. Paul paints in his letter to the guys and gals who were Christ-followers in the city of Thessalonica an eschatological picture of Jesus’ pending return to planet Earth.
1 Thessalonians Letter ends with a series of practical instructions – which has Paul encouraging each guy and gals who was in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Thessalonica to personally apply 24/7. Paul’s directives included respecting hard workers, overseers, and admonishers, living peacefully with others, not being idle, encouraging guys, gals and kids who are timid, coming alongside and helping the weak, being patient with and kind to others, not paying back a wrong with a wrong, being joyful, giving thanks no matter the circumstances, not quenching the promptings if God – as God the Spirit, testing everything by what the Word of God says, letting good decide, avoiding every kind of evil and never stopping praying. This common sense guidance that Paul gave over 1,950 years ago to the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Thessalonica are just as apropos today for the guys, gals and kids who are Christ-followers who are doing planet Earth duty today.
1 Thessalonians