1 THESSALONIANS 1
Setting of the epistle
The apostle Paul and Silas, (or Silvanus, a prophet, and one of the “chief men of the brethren”, Acts 15:22,32), had left Philippi, having been subjected to beating and imprisonment for preaching the gospel, Acts 16. They left Timothy and Luke behind, (as is indicated by Luke changing from “us” to “they” in that chapter), and travelled about one hundred miles to Thessalonica, Acts 17:1. They bypassed Amphipolis and Apollonia, for possibly these towns did not have a Jewish synagogue, (which Luke is careful to tell us Thessalonica did have), and it was Paul’s policy to preach in the synagogue first, for it was most likely to contain seeking souls. No doubt he was confident that those saved through his preaching would spread the word to those towns afterwards, which is what in fact happened, 1 Thessalonians 1:8.
It seems that there was no synagogue in Philippi either, but it was the chief city of the region, Acts 16:12, and Paul’s strategy was to preach in places from which the gospel could afterwards radiate. This visit to Philippi was directed of the Spirit, for there were those in Philippi meeting together for prayer as worshippers of God, verse 13.
Paul preached for three sabbath days in the synagogue, and some of the Jews believed, along with a great multitude of Greeks who, because they were in the synagogue, were clearly seeking God, and even some who were the wives of the chief men of the city were converted, Acts 17:4. It is a testimony to the power of the preaching that there were such results from just three addresses. The secret is in the technique used, for Luke tells us that “Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, ‘that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ'”, Acts 17:2,3. There is no reason why this method should not be used today, with a careful, intelligent and thorough exposition of the scriptures, resulting in real converts, able to withstand opposition.
Sadly, however, many of the Jews were opposed to the gospel, and Paul and Silas had to leave by night to go to Berea, where the people were more welcoming. But the Jews pursued them to this place, and Paul went on to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea, Acts 17:14.. This tendency to persecute believers marked the city of Thessalonica, as is seen in remarks the apostle made as he wrote to the assembly at a later date.
When he was in Athens, the apostle sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to establish and encourage the assembly. When he came back, Timothy was able to report that they were progressing well, despite the persecutions and tribulations they were enduring still, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-10. The First Epistle to them is in response to Timothy’s report.
Structure of the epistle
| Section 1 | 1:1-10 | Conversion of the Thessalonians |
| Section 2 | 2:1-12 | Conduct of the apostles |
| Section 3 | 2:13-20 | Contrariness of the unbelievers |
| Section 4 | 3:1-13 | Constancy of the Thessalonians |
| Section 5 | 4:1-12 | Continuance in holiness, love and diligence |
| Section 6 | 4:13-18 | Concern of the Thessalonians |
| Section 7 | 5:1-11 | Confidence for the future |
| Section 8 | 5:12-28 | Conduct in the assembly |
Section 1 1:1-10
Conversion of the Thessalonians
Structure of the section
| (a) | Verse 1 | Greetings to the church |
| (b) | Verses 2-4 | Gratitude to God for their character |
| (c) | Verses 5-10 | Genuineness of their conversion |
(a) Verse 1
Greetings to the church
1:1
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus- as already noted, Paul and Silas, (here called Silvanus), had preached in Thessalonica, whereas Timothy had meanwhile been left at Philippi. But he had been sent to Thessalonica by the apostle to gain insight into their spiritual state, and now he has returned to report on their welfare, hence his inclusion in the greeting.
Unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ- this is a distinctive way of describing the assembly. Faced with opposition as they were, they needed the fatherly encouragement of their God, and the assurance that they were in Him, in the sense that they were enclosed in His purpose and His embrace. They were also in the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that all spiritual blessings are mediated. Note the testimony to the Deity of Christ in that He is linked to God the Father in a vital way, as in the next phrase also.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ- what were the usual greetings of the day are transformed into being a deliberate calling down of spiritual graces upon them from God, rather than, as was the case in everyday greetings of this sort, the mere wish that good may come to the one greeted. Note that Paul now calls God “our” Father, thus linking himself with the assembly in the enjoyment and consciousness of the Father’s love and care.
(b) Verses 2-4
Gratitude to God for their character
1:2
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers- parted from them, the apostle and his companions are able to mention them before the throne of grace, for the One who sits there is not limited by distance. Prayers uttered in Corinth, (which is probably where Paul was when he wrote the epistle), are just as effective as they are in Thessalonica, for those prayers are directed straight to the sanctuary above, where Christ presents them to God. See Hebrews 8:3,6.
1:3
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith- it was to the Corinthians that the apostle wrote, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity”, 1 Corinthians 13:13. Christian graces should be accompanied by exercise of heart in the form of work, labour and patience. The apostle is pleased that in the case of the Thessalonians these features were in evidence, for they are a sign of genuineness.
It is clear that salvation is not by works, but is to be followed by the good works “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”, Ephesians 2:9,10. The Lord Jesus taught the people “this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent”, John 6:29. This initial act of faith is to be followed by many other acts of faith. Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise about him having a son, Genesis 15:6, but it was many years later, when he offered Isaac on the altar, that his faith was made perfect, or reached its goal, James 2:21-24. Abraham was justified by works that day, because those kinds of works are the logical outcome of faith in God, and the faith he had exercised long before had now reached its fullest expression, justifying his title “Friend of God”.
And labour of love- here the apostle uses a word for work which means “toil to the point of exhaustion”. We shall learn in verse 8 of their earnest endeavours in the gospel, and we can be sure in other ways too. Their labours were not merely out of a sense of duty, or to keep up appearances, but were the genuine outcome of deep love for Christ.
And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ- hope for the believer is not a wistful longing, but a confident expectation. The reason why hope is solid and sure is that it is centred in “our Lord Jesus Christ”, the one whose authority as Lord, and sympathy as Jesus, and competency as Christ assures us that He will never dash our hopes. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said that “we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel”, Luke 24:21. Their hopes had been dashed because they had been hoping for the wrong thing, namely deliverance from Rome, whereas Christ came to fulfil scripture, so that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”, verse 47.
In the sight of God and our Father- if men had seen Abraham offering his son on the altar they would have been outraged. If the men of Jericho knew that Rahab was giving shelter to spies as an act of faith, they would have killed her. But these were things done in the sight of God, and in recognition of His claims, and so also were the acts of the Thessalonians.
1:4
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God- the apostle was confident that the faith of the Thessalonians was the faith of God’s elect. In other words, it was genuine, as is seen in the works, labour and patience they were displaying despite opposition. The apostle Peter described believers as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”, 1 Peter 1:2, telling us that God’s knowledge of them beforehand was the determining factor in His election of them. The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his second epistle to them, that “God hath…chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”, 2 Thessalonians 2:13. God sovereignly ordained that those whom He knew beforehand would believe were to be His chosen ones. The reason He could do this was because He chose them in Christ, not in themselves, Ephesians 1:4. What Christ was and would be to Him conditioned His choice, and gave it validity. God could not have dealings with sinners in any other other way than because of Christ.
(c) Verses 5-10
Genuineness of their conversion
1:5
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
For our gospel came not unto you in word only- the reason they found themselves amongst the elect was because the word of God had come to them, conveyed by the words of the preachers. The apostle could have easily overwhelmed the men in the synagogue with flights of eloquence, but he did not attempt such a thing. He simply explained the meaning of the scriptures. That is all the gospel preacher of today is required to do, for in the light of the coming of Christ to judge, the apostle wrote to Timothy “preach the word”, 2 Timothy 4:1,2. Having quoted from Isaiah about the abiding word of the Lord, the apostle Peter declared, “this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”, 1 Peter 1:25. So the gospel is the means by which the word of the Lord is preached. It is not that the gospel is preached using the word, but that the word is preached in the gospel; it is the word of God that is paramount. If the word of God is not explained at a meeting, the gospel has not been preached. No amount of appeals to the unsaved to get saved can replace the setting forth of the truth of the scriptures; in fact, as we read the addresses in the Acts of the Apostles we do not find any appeals at all.
But also in power- it is important that the gospel be preached, but it is vital that it be preached in power. That is, nothing must be allowed to diminish the force of the gospel, which is “the power of God unto salvation”. The preacher must ensure that he is in the right condition of heart to preach the gospel of Christ. We should not equate power in preaching with shouting. The Lord Jesus told His own, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you”, Acts 1:8.
And in the Holy Ghost- Paul’s preaching was “in the Holy Ghost”, for, as the apostle Peter wrote, the gospel is preached “with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven”, 1 Peter 1:12. We live in the post-Pentecost age, when the Holy Spirit, having come down in a special way at Pentecost, is operating in the world to take out of that world a people for God. The means He uses is the word of God. To ignore that word in the preaching is to ignore the Holy Spirit. Nothing will be accomplished for God in such circumstances.
And in much assurance- the apostle had every confidence in the gospel. He could write to the Roman believers, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”, Romans 1:16. His confidence was justified, for the Thessalonians showed by their lives that they were genuine converts. There is no need for the evangelist to add his contribution to the preaching in the form of emotional stories, or high-pressure salesman tactics. The conversion of a soul is entirely a work of God, and needs no human assistance.
1:6
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord- we might have expected these two things to be the other way round. They saw the example of Paul and Silvanus when they were with them, and Timothy, when he was sent to them, and recognised it to be worthy of imitation. They then discovered that the apostle and his companions were simply imitating Christ, and so the Thessalonians came to the point where they followed Christ for Christ’s sake, not because of the preachers.
Having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost- the circumstances at Thessalonica were difficult, not just for Paul, but also for those who had recently believed. Notwithstanding, their faith in the word of God stood firm, and despite the opposition, they had great Spirit-generated joy in their souls. After the authorities had beaten the apostles on one occasion, we read that “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name”, Acts 5:41.
1:7
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia- having progressed from following Paul and Silas’ example, to following Christ, they now, in their turn, are fine examples to others in a very wide area. Macedonia and Achaia together are the size of Wales. If it be asked how this large territory saw their example, the next verse will tell us, beginning, as it does , with “for”.
1:8
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia- we see now why Paul did not stop at Amphipolis and Apollonia on the way to Thessalonica. If, (as is suggested by the statement that at the latter place there was a synagogue), there was no synagogue in the first two places, then Paul was confident that converts from the Gentile population of Thessalonica would evangelise there eventually. And this they did, as this verse shows.
Notice it is “from you” that the word sounded out. Those who evangelised did not act in isolation, but issued forth from a New Testament assembly. They were not freelancers, accountable only to themselves. Their task was to see men converted, and then gathered together in a scriptural assembly. They could then return to their home assembly to report on what the Lord had done, as Paul and Barnabas did at Antioch in Acts 14:26-27.
But also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad- the apostle seems to change the subject mid-sentence here. He begins with the idea of the word of the Lord being sounded forth, but then goes on to speak of the faith of the Thessalonians. But the preaching of the Thessalonians was an evidence of their faith in God, so that when men heard the Thessalonian believers preaching, their first thought about them was that they were believers in God, having turned from their gods. Their personal testimony and the truth of the gospel coincided, which is an admirable thing, and worthy to be imitated.
That faith was known even in Rome, no doubt, for the authorities there would keep a close eye on any sign of unrest in the empire, and there had been a disturbance made by the Jews at Thessalonica, (which was a Roman colony, and therefore under close supervision by Rome), who said of Paul and Silas that “these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus”, Acts 17:7. We may be sure that if a matter was known in Rome, the rest of the empire knew as well.
So that we need not to speak any thing- it is not that Paul did not need to continue preaching. Rather, he did not have to inform others of the faith of the Thessalonians, for it was widely known.
1:9
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
For they themselves shew of us- “they themselves”, (those in every place, verse 8), “shew of us”, (bear testimony to our character when we were at Thessalonica).
What manner of entering in we had unto you- how the preachers behaved themselves when they entered into Thessalonica to preach. The conduct and attitude of the preacher is of immense importance, for initially the audience will judge the message by the messenger. First impressions count for much. How the preacher is dressed, his dignified approach, his attitude to his audience, (not taking them for granted, for instance), his grasp of his subject, his competence in the imparting of God’s truth; all these things, and others, combine to make an immediate impression on the audience.
And how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God- the second thing that unbelievers testified to was the change wrought in the Thessalonians by the gospel. Note that their conversion, (“turned”), was positively towards God. Paul was able, by the Spirit, to convince these idol-worshippers that they were wrong. By his exposition of the Old Testament, he showed that God was an intervening God, breaking into history and controlling events. The very fact, for instance, that the nation of Israel had been brought into the land of promise, was testimony to this. The converts realised that their gods were totally unable to do such a thing, and were therefore false and dead. They had done the wise and logical thing, namely, turn to the true and the living God Paul preached. See Rahab’s testimony for an example of this, Joshua 2:10,11.
But the major reason why they turned to God would have been the fact that Paul preached Christ from the Old Testament. We learn from Acts 17:3 that he told them of Christ, His sufferings, and His resurrection. Since He is God manifest in flesh, and lived amongst men, then God must indeed be the Living God. But He also must be the True God, for He has raised Christ from the dead in fulfilment of His Old Testament predictions, seen now to be true. Pharoah’s magicians admitted that, even though they could imitate some of Moses’ miracles, when it came to life from the dust they had to say, “This is the finger of God”, Exodus 8:19.
Note they did not turn from idols to God, but the reverse. God was the centre of their attention. It is important that preachers present a God-centred and Christ-centred gospel. Too often a gospel meeting is taken up with sinners, and their need, and how they can be blessed. This is indeed part of the gospel, but not the primary focus. The main thrust of the gospel is the presentation of the gospel of the glory of God and of Christ, and this will enable the sinner to realise that a great gulf exists between such glorious persons and himself. The Spirit produces this realisation, and also encourages faith in God.
The conversion of these Thessalonians was evidenced by their service, for they turned to serve. They formerly served idols, and expressed that service by their worship of them. Now they express their allegiance to their new-found God by worshipping Him.
1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
And to wait for his Son from heaven- the apostle must have taught the new believers that the one who suffered and rose again had ascended to heaven to the place of supremacy as Psalm 110 said He would, and had promised to come back again, John 14:3. It seems that the apostle taught them much about future events, as we see from 5:1. Even though they were waiting, they were still serving God in the interim, worshipping God and seeking to obey Him in every way, guided by His word.
Whom he raised from the dead- this fact can simply be stated here, for it had been amply proved by the apostle in his word from the Old Testament given in the synagogue. He seems to be working his way backwards here, for he speaks first of Christ’s coming, then His resurrection, then the fact that He is Jesus, implying His birth and life, and then refers to the wrath to come, which echoes the ministry of John the Baptist, who prepared the people for Messiah’s first coming. He had asked the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come”? It was a question that showed that John knew they were not coming to hear him for the right reason, but only out of curiosity and suspicion. They would have come for the right reason if God had warned them to flee.
Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come- He is Jesus, (meaning Jehovah the Saviour), in every sense of the word, saving His people from their sins, but also delivering them so that they escape the wrath and judgement that is yet to come upon this world. As is said in 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him”. So certain is this non-appointment to wrath, and deliverance from it, that the apostle can write in the past tense, for the reason Christ’s people are delivered from the wrath about to fall on this world is that Christ has died for them, and brought them into heavenly blessings, so that they are not part of the world now, and hence will not share in its judgement.
There are those who believe that this deliverance from wrath has to do with the Great White Throne judgement. Believers have indeed been delivered from that judgement, for the promise of the Lord Jesus is, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”, John 5:24. Since the one who believes has moved out of spiritual death into spiritual life, he has, for that reason, moved out of the danger of judgement already. He does not have to wait for the Lord to come from heaven to make that a reality. In any case, the coming of the Lord and the Great White Throne are not connected, the latter taking place after the millenial reign of Christ.