Text -- 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NET)

1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: 1Th 1:6

Imitators of us and of the Lord ( mimētai hēmōn kai tou kuriou ).

Mimētēs (̇tēs expresses the agent) is from mimeomai , to imitate and that from mimos (mimic , actor). Old word, more than "followers,"in the N.T. only six times (1Th 1:6; 1Th 2:14; 1Co 4:16; 1Co 11:1; Eph 5:1; Heb 6:12). Again Paul uses ginomai , to become, not eimi , to be. It is a daring thing to expect people to "imitate"the preacher, but Paul adds "and of the Lord,"for he only expected or desired "imitation"as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus, as he expressly says in 1Co 11:1. The peril of it all is that people so easily and so readily imitate the preacher when he does not imitate the Lord. The fact of the "election"of the Thessalonians was shown by the character of the message given them and by this sincere acceptance of it (Lightfoot).

Robertson: 1Th 1:6

Having received the word ( dexamenoi ton logon ).

First aorist middle participle of dechomai , probably simultaneous action (receiving), not antecedent.

Robertson: 1Th 1:6

In much affliction ( en thlipsei pollēi ).

Late word, pressure. Tribulation (Latin tribulum ) from thlibō , to press hard on. Christianity has glorified this word. It occurs in some Christian papyrus letters in this same sense. Runs all through the N.T. (2Th 1:4; Rom 5:3). Paul had his share of them (Col 1:24; 2Co 2:4) and so he understands how to sympathize with the Thessalonians (1Th 3:3.). They suffered after Paul left Thessalonica (1Th 2:14).

Robertson: 1Th 1:6

With joy of the Holy Spirit ( meta charas pneumatos hagiou ).

The Holy Spirit gives the joy in the midst of the tribulations as Paul learned (Rom 5:3). "This paradox of experience"(Moffatt) shines along the pathway of martyrs and saints of Christ.

Vincent: 1Th 1:6

Followers ( μιμηταὶ )

More literally and better, imitators . Only once outside of Paul's writings, Heb 6:12. Comp. 1Th 3:9; 2Th 3:7; 1Co 4:16; 1Co 11:1; Gal 4:12; Phi 3:17; Phi 4:9.

Vincent: 1Th 1:6

And of the Lord

Guarding against any possible imputation of self-assertion or conceit. Comp. 1Co 11:1.

Vincent: 1Th 1:6

Tribulation ( θλίψει )

See on Mat 13:21. Referring especially to persecutions at the hands of the Jews (Act 17:5 ff.), which probably continued after Paul's departure from Thessalonica.

Wesley: 1Th 1:6

Though in much affliction, yet with much joy.

JFB: 1Th 1:6

Answering to "For our Gospel," 1Th 1:5.

JFB: 1Th 1:6

Greek, "imitators." The Thessalonians in their turn became "ensamples" (1Th 1:7) for others to imitate.

JFB: 1Th 1:6

Who was the apostle of the Father, and taught the word, which He brought from heaven, under adversities [BENGEL]. This was the point in which they imitated Him and His apostles, joyful witness for the word in much affliction: the second proof of their election of God (1Th 1:4); 1Th 1:5 is the first (see on 1Th 1:5).

JFB: 1Th 1:6

(1Th 2:14; 1Th 3:2-5; Act 17:5-10).

JFB: 1Th 1:6

That is, wrought by "the Holy Ghost." "The oil of gladness" wherewith the Son of God was "anointed above His fellows" (Psa 45:7), is the same oil with which He, by the Spirit, anoints His fellows too (Isa 61:1, Isa 61:3; Rom 14:17; 1Jo 2:20, 1Jo 2:27).

Clarke: 1Th 1:6

Ye became followers of us - Ye became imitators, μιμηται, of us-ye believed the same truths, walked in the same way, and minded the same thing; knowing that our doctrine was of the Lord, and that the way in which we walked was prescribed by himself, and that he also suffered the contradictions of ungodly men

Clarke: 1Th 1:6

Having received the word in much affliction - That they received the doctrine of the Gospel in the midst of much persecution we may learn from the history in general, and from Act 17:5, Act 17:6

Clarke: 1Th 1:6

With joy of the Holy Ghost - The consolations which they received, in consequence of believing in Christ, more than counterbalanced all the afflictions which they suffered from their persecutors.

Calvin: 1Th 1:6

6.And ye became imitators. With the view of increasing their alacrity, he declares that there is a mutual agreement, and harmony, as it were, between his preaching and their faith. For unless men, on their part, answer to God, no proficiency will follow from the grace that is offered to them — not as though they could do this of themselves, but inasmuch as God, as he begins our salvation by calling us, perfects it also by fashioning our hearts to obedience. The sum, therefore, is this — that an evidence of Divine election shewed itself not only in Paul’s ministry, in so far as it was furnished with the power of the Holy Spirit, but also in the faith of the Thessalonians, so that this conformity is a powerful attestation of it. He says, however, “Ye were imitators of God and of us, ” in the same sense in which it is said, that the people believed God and his servant Moses, (Exo 14:13 ⁵⁰⁵) not as though Paul and Moses had anything different from God, but because he wrought powerfully by them, as his ministers and instruments. ⁵⁰⁶ While ye embraced. Their readiness in receiving the gospel is called an imitation of God, for this reason, that as God had presented himself to the Thessalonians in a liberal spirit, so they had, on their part, voluntarily come forward to meet him.

He says, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, that we may know that it is not by the instigation of the flesh, or by the promptings of their own nature, that men will be ready and eager to obey God, but that this is the work of God’s Spirit. The circumstance, that amidst much tribulation they had embraced the gospel, serves by way of amplification. For we see very many, not otherwise disinclined to the gospel, who, nevertheless, avoid it, from being intimidated through fear of the cross. Those, accordingly, who do not hesitate with intrepidity to embrace along with the gospel the afflictions that threaten them, furnish in this an admirable example of magnanimity. And from this it is so much the more clearly apparent, how necessary it is that the Spirit should aid us in this. For the gospel cannot be properly, or sincerely received, unless it be with a joyful heart. Nothing, however, is more at variance with our natural disposition, than to rejoice in afflictions.

TSK: 1Th 1:6

ye : 1Th 2:14; 1Co 4:16, 1Co 11:1; 2Co 8:5; Phi 3:17; 2Th 3:9

and of : Mat 16:24; Joh 8:12, Joh 13:13-15; Eph 5:1; 1Pe 3:13; 3Jo 1:11

received : 1Th 2:13, 1Th 2:14, 1Th 3:2-4; Hos 2:14; Mar 10:29-30; Act 17:5; 2Co 8:1, 2Co 8:2; 2Th 1:4

with joy : Joh 14:16-18; Act 5:41, Act 9:31, Act 13:52; Rom 5:3-5, Rom 8:16-18, Rom 15:13; Gal 5:22; Heb 10:34; 1Pe 1:6, 1Pe 1:8

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Th 1:6

And ye became followers of us - "You became imitators - μιμηταὶ mimētai - of us."This does not mean that they became followers of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, in the sense that they had set themselves up as teachers, or as the head of a sect, but that they imitated their manner of living; see the notes on 1Co 4:16; 1Co 11:1.

And of the Lord - The Lord Jesus. You also learned to imitate him. From this it is evident that the manner in which the Saviour lived was a prominent topic of their preaching, and also that it was one of the means of the conversion of the Thessalonians. It is probable that preaching on the pure and holy life of the Lord Jesus might be made a much more important means of the conversion of sinners than it is. Nothing is better adapted to show them the evil of their own guilty lives than the contrast between their lives and his; and nothing can be conceived better fitted to win them to holy living than the contemplation of his pure and holy deportment.

Having received the word in much affliction - That is, amidst much opposition from others; see Act 17:5-8. It was in the midst of these trials that they had become converted - and they seem to have been all the better Christians for them. In this they were imitators of the Saviour, or shared the same lot with him, and thus became his followers. Their embracing and holding fast the truths of religion amidst all this opposition, showed that they were controlled by the same principles that he was, and that they were truly his friends.

With joy of the Holy Ghost - With happiness produced by the Holy Ghost. Though they were much afflicted and persecuted, yet there was joy. There was joy in their conversion - in the evidence of pardoned sin - in the hope of heaven; see the notes, Act 8:8. However great may be the trials and persecutions experienced in receiving the gospel, or however numerous and long the sufferings of the subsequent life in consequence of having embraced it, there is a joy in religion that more than overbalances all, and that makes religion the richest of all blessings.

Gill: 1Th 1:6

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,.... So far followers of them as they were of Christ, in embracing the Gospel, submitting to the ordinances of it, professing the name of Christ, and suffering for his sake; the Alexandrian copy reads, "of God", and others, "of Christ":

having received the word; the Gospel, the word of truth, peace, and righteousness, and of salvation by Christ; which they received not as the word of man, but of God; and that

in much affliction; referring to the uproar made by the baser sort of people, instigated by the unbelieving Jews, and the trouble they gave to Jason and other brethren, mentioned in Act 17:1 and this is a considerable commendation of them, that at a time when others were offended and fell off from hearing the word, and a profession of the Gospel, they should receive it, and that

with much joy of the Holy Ghost; not with a carnal joy, or with a mere flash of natural affection, as in the stony ground hearers, and in the Jews, who rejoiced for a while in John's ministry, and in Herod, who sometimes heard him gladly; but with a spiritual joy of the Holy Ghost's producing in them, applying the word with power to them, giving them a spiritual gust of it, and pleasure in it, raising in their souls a joy upon the most solid foundation.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Th 1:6

¹ tn Or “after you received.”

Geneva Bible: 1Th 1:6

^{( 4 )} And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with ^{( c )} joy of the Holy Ghost:

^{( 4 )} Another reason, because even to that day they embraced the Gospel with great cheerfulness, insomuch that they were an example to all their neighbours: so that it would be more shameful for them to faint in the middle of the race.

^{( c )} With joy which comes from the Holy Spirit.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Th 1:1-10

1 The Thessalonians are given to understand both how mindful of them Saint Paul was at all time in thanksgiving, and prayer;

5 and also how well he was persuaded of the truth and sincerity of their faith and conversion to God.

MHCC: 1Th 1:6-10

When careless, ignorant, and immoral persons are turned from their carnal pursuits and connexions, to believe in and obey the Lord Jesus, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, the matter speaks for itself. The believers under the Old Testament waited for the coming of the Messiah, and believers now wait for his second coming. He is yet to come. And God had raised him from the dead, which is a full assurance unto all men that he will come to judgment. He came to purchase salvation, and will, when he comes again, bring salvation with him, full and final deliverance from that wrath which is yet to come. Let all, without delay, flee from the wrath to come, and seek refuge in Christ and his salvation.

Matthew Henry: 1Th 1:6-10

In these words we have the evidence of the apostle's success among the Thessalonians, which was notorious and famous in several places. For,

I. They were careful in their holy conversation to imitate the good examples of the apostles and ministers of Christ, 1Th 1:6. As the apostle took care to demean himself well, not only for his own credit's sake, but for the benefit of others, by a conversation suitable to his doctrine, that he might not pull down with one hand what he built up with the other, so the Thessalonians, who observed what manner of men they were among them, how their preaching and living were all of a piece, showed a conscientious care to be followers of them, or to imitate their good example. Herein they became also followers of the Lord, who is the perfect example we must strive to imitate; and we should be followers of others no further than they are followers of Christ, 1Co 11:1. The Thessalonians acted thus, notwithstanding their affliction, that much affliction which the apostles and themselves also were exposed to. They were willing to share in the sufferings that attended the embracing and professing of Christianity. They entertained the gospel, notwithstanding the troubles and hardships which attended the preachers and professors of it too. Perhaps this made the word more precious, being dear - bought; and the examples of the apostles shone very bright under their afflictions; so that the Thessalonians embraced the word cheerfully, and followed the example of the suffering apostles joyfully, with joy in the Holy Ghost - such solid and spiritual and lasting joy as the Holy Ghost is the author of, who, when our afflictions abound, makes our consolations much more to abound.

II. Their zeal prevailed to such a degree that they were themselves examples to all about them, 1Th 1:7, 1Th 1:8. Observe here,

1. Their example was very effectual to make good impressions upon many others. They were tupoi - stamps, or instruments to make impression with. They had themselves received good impressions from the preaching and conversation of the apostles, and they made good impressions, and their conversation had an influence upon others. Note, Christians should be so good as by their example to influence others.

2. It was very extensive, and reached beyond the confines of Thessalonica, even to the believers of all Macedonia, and further, in Achaia; the Philippians, and others who received the gospel before the Thessalonians, were edified by their example. Note, Some who were last hired into the vineyard may sometimes outstrip those who come in before them, and become examples to them.

3. It was very famous. The word of the Lord, or its wonderful effects upon the Thessalonians, sounded, or was famous and well known, in the regions round about that city, and in every place; not strictly every where, but here and there, up and down in the world: so that, from the good success of the gospel among them, many others were encouraged to entertain it, and to be willing, when called, to suffer for it. Their faith was spread abroad. (1.) The readiness of their faith was famed abroad. These Thessalonians embraced the gospel as soon as it was preached to them; so that every body took notice what manner of entering in among them the apostles had, that there were no such delays as at Philippi, where it was a great while before much good was done. (2.) The effects of their faith were famous. [1.] They quitted their idolatry; they turned from their idols, and abandoned all the false worship they had been educated in. [2.] They gave themselves up to God, to the living and true God, and devoted themselves to his service. [3.] They set themselves to wait for the Son of God from heaven, 1Th 1:10. And this is one of the peculiarities of our holy religion, to wait for Christ's second coming, as those who believe he will come and hope he will come to our joy. The believers under the Old Testament waited for the coming of the Messiah, and believers now wait for his second coming; he is yet to come. And there is good reason to believe he will come, because God has raised him from the dead, which is full assurance unto all men that he will come to judgment, Act 17:31. And there is good reason to hope and wait for his coming, because he has delivered us from the wrath to come. He came to purchase salvation, and will, when he comes again, bring salvation with him, full and final deliverance from sin, and death, and hell, from that wrath which is yet to come upon unbelievers, and which, when it has once come, will be yet to come, because it is everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, Mat 25:41.

Barclay: 1Th 1:1-10

Paul sends this letter to the church of the Thessalonians which is in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. God was the very atmosphere in which the Church lived and moved and had its being. Just as the air is in us and we are in the air and cannot live without it, so the true Church is in God and God is in the true Church and there is no true life for the Church without God. Further, the God in whom the Church lives is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and, therefore, the Church does not shiver in the icy fear of a God who is a tyrant but basks in the sunshine of a God who is love.

In this opening chapter we see Paul at his most winsome. In a short time he was going to deal out warning and rebuke; but he begins with unmixed praise. Even when he rebuked, it was never his aim to discourage but always to uplift. In every man there is something fine, and often the best way to rid him of the lower things is to praise the higher things. The best way to eradicate his faults is to praise his virtues so that they will flower all the more; every man reacts better to encouragement than he does to rebuke. It is told that once the Duke of Wellington's cook gave notice and left him. He was asked why he had left so honourable and well-paid a position. His answer was, "When the dinner is good, the Duke never praises me and when it is bad, he never blames me; it was just not worth while." Encouragement was lacking. Paul, like a good psychologist and with true Christian tact, begins with praise even when he means to move on to rebuke.

In 1Th 1:3Paul picks out three great ingredients of the Christian life.

(i) There is work which is inspired by faith. Nothing tells us more about a man than the way in which he works. He may work in fear of the whip; he may work for hope of gain; he may work from a grim sense of duty; or he may work inspired by faith. His faith is that this is his task given him by God and that he is working in the last analysis not for men but for God. Someone has said that the sign of true consecration is when a man can find glory in drudgery.

(ii) There is the labour which is prompted by love. Bernard Newman tells how once he stayed in a Bulgarian peasant's house. All the time he was there the daughter was stitching away at a dress. He said to her, "Don't you ever get tired of that eternal sewing?" "O no!" she said, "you see this is my wedding dress." Work done for love always has a glory.

(iii) There is the endurance which is founded on hope. When Alexander the Great was setting out on his campaigns, he divided all his possessions among his friends. Someone said, "But you are keeping nothing for yourself." "O yes, I am," he said. "I have kept my hopes." A man can endure anything so long as he has hope, for then he is walking not to the night, but to the dawn.

In 1Th 1:4Paul speaks of the Thessalonians as brothers beloved by God. The phrase beloved by God was a phrase which the Jews applied only to supremely great men like Moses and Solomon, and to the nation of Israel itself Now the greatest privilege of the greatest men of God's chosen people has been extended to the humblest of the Gentiles.

1Th 1:8speaks of the faith of the Thessalonians sounding forth like a trumpet; the word could also mean crashing out like a roll of thunder. There is something tremendous about the sheer defiance of early Christianity. When all prudence would have dictated a way of life that would escape notice and so avoid danger and persecution, the Christians blazoned forth their faith. They were never ashamed to show whose they were and whom they sought to serve.

In 1Th 1:9-10two words are used which are characteristic of the Christian life. The Thessalonians served God and waited on the coming of Christ. The Christian is called upon to serve in the world and to wait for glory. The loyal service and the patient waiting were the necessary preludes to the glory of heaven.

Constable: 1Th 1:2-10

A. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians 1:2-10

Paul next reviewed several aspects of the Thessalonians' salvation and gave thanks to God for them to encourage his readers to persevere despite persecution.

Constable: 1Th 1:4-10

2. Specific reasons 1:4-10

1:4-5 Paul's favorite appellation for the Thessalonians was "brothers." He used it 15 times in this epistle and seven times in 2 Thessalonians. It emphasizes the equality of Christians in the family of God, Jews and Gentiles. Paul thanked God for choosing the Thessalonian believers for salvation.¹⁶ Their response to the gospel proved God's choice of them. Paul had not persuaded them by clever oratory, but the power (Gr. dynamei, dative) of God through the Holy Spirit's convicting work had brought them to faith in Christ (cf. Rom. 1:16).¹⁷

"The spiritual power and conviction with which the message was received matched the spiritual power and conviction with which it was delivered."¹⁸

The lives of the preachers who had behaved consistently with what they taught in Thessalonica had backed up their message.

"Conviction is invisible without action. Paul's conviction as well as that of the Thessalonians (seen in their respective actions) testified to the genuine relationship that each had with the God who chose them . . ."¹⁹

"Persons in both the religious and philosophical communities of the first century felt that the only teachers worth a moment's attention were those who taught with their lives as well as with their words."²⁰

1:6-7 Paul was also grateful that his readers had demonstrated the fruit of their faith by becoming followers of their teachers and their Lord. They had welcomed the gospel message even though it had meant much suffering for them because of the persecution of unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. Most of the New Testament writers took for granted that tribulation is the normal experience of Christians (cf. John 16:33; Acts 14:22). Nevertheless with tribulation joy had also come to them, the joy of sins forgiven. News of their good example had circulated within their own province of Macedonia but had also reached their neighboring province to the south, Achaia. This excellent example included generously giving to other Christians in need (2 Cor. 8:1-8).

1:8 The Thessalonians had acted as relay runners by passing the gospel they had heard on to farther places. They were a missionary church.

"The figure is of an echo that continues indefinitely (perfect tense, eksechetai, rang out') and implies the persistence of the testimony over an ever-increasing expanse . . ."²¹

They were so effective at this that Paul felt his ministry of pioneer evangelism was no longer necessary in that area. Possibly only the news of the Thessalonians' faith had circulated widely but they had not sent out missionaries.²²

1:9 Other people were telling Paul how effective his readers had become at spreading the gospel since they had heard it from him. They reported how the Thessalonians had turned from idols to serve the only divine and true God. This was the evidence of their faith and love (v. 3).²³ This reference indicates a sizable Gentile population in the church since idolatry was a Gentile vice. There were evidently two types of Gentiles in the Thessalonian church: pagan Gentiles who had been idolators and God-fearing Gentiles (cf. Acts 17:4).

"The language of separation occurs with regularity in the Thessalonian correspondence (1 Thes. 1:9; 4:5, 7, 12, 13; 5:5f.; 2 Thes. 1:7f.; 2:11f.; 3:6, 14f.) and serves in a negative way to mark the boundary between those who belong to the Christian community and those who do not, thereby encouraging the new Christian identity. Similarly, the language of belonging is also prominent in the Thessalonian correspondence (1 Thes. 1:4; 2:12; 5:5; 2 Thes. 1:11-12; 2:6, 13-15; 3:16)."²⁴

1:10 They were also awaiting the return of God's Son "out of the heavens" (Gr. ek ton ouranon).²⁵ This was the evidence of their hope (v. 3). Jesus' resurrection is indisputable proof of His deity and the prerequisite to His return.

"To the extent that the Thessalonians accepted the resurrection as an act of God, it would give them confidence in the prospect of Christ's coming in power."²⁶

"Believers live anticipating a coronation (2 Tim 4:8) rather than a condemnation."²⁷

When Paul spoke of "the wrath to come" did he have in mind the general outpouring of God's wrath on unbelievers in eternal damnation? Or did he mean a specific instance of God's outpouring His wrath at a particular time in history yet future? The commentators, regardless of their eschatological positions, take either position on this question.²⁸

"Wrath is the holy revulsion of God's being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness."²⁹

If this was the only reference to "the wrath to come" in this epistle, we might conclude that Paul was probably referring to the outpouring of God's wrath on unbelievers generally. There is no specific reference to a particular judgment here. However, later he spent considerable space writing about the outpouring of God's wrath in the Tribulation (4:13-18; 5:1-11). Therefore it seems that this is the first reference to that outpouring of wrath in the epistle (cf. 2:16; 5:9).³⁰

". . . the choice of erchomene [come'] rather than mellousa [come'] . . . may have been determined by the fact that Paul purposes to express not so much the certainty . . . as the nearness of the judgment. Nearness involves certainty but certainty does not necessarily involve nearness."³¹

The outpouring of God's wrath occurs at many times in history. One of these judgments is the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:14) that will come upon the whole earth in the future (Rev. 3:10). Another is the great white throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:11-15).

"Used technically, as it so frequently is in the NT, wrath' (orges) is a title for the period just before Messiah's kingdom on earth, when God will afflict earth's inhabitants with an unparalleled series of physical torments because of their rejection of His will [i.e., the Tribulation] (Matt 3:7; 24:21; Luke 21:23; Rev 6:16, 17)."³²

The Greek preposition ek, translated "from," can mean either "away from" or "out of." Other passages teach that believers will not experience any of God's wrath (e.g., John 3:36; 5:24; Rom. 5:1; 8:1, 34; et al.). Consequently "away from" seems to be the idea Paul intended here.³³

How will God keep believers "away from" His wrath as He pours it out during the tribulation period? Pretribulationists say He will do so by taking us to heaven before the Tribulation begins.³⁴ Midtribulationists say we will enter the Tribulation, but God will take us to heaven before the outpouring of His wrath that will occur only during the second half of the Tribulation.³⁵ Posttribulationists believe we will go through the entire Tribulation and God will protect us from the outpouring of His wrath during that time.³⁶

1 Thessalonians 1:10 does not state exactly how God will deliver us "away from" His wrath when He will pour it out in the tribulation period. Other passages in 1 Thessalonians, however, point to a pretribulational deliverance (e.g., 4:13-18; 5:4-10).

Preservation from the wrath of God is part of the believer's hope. This chapter, like all the others in this epistle, closes with a reference to Jesus Christ's return (cf. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:23).

"That attitude of expectation is the bloom, as it were, of the Christian character. Without it there is something lacking; the Christian who does not look upward and onward wants one mark of perfection."³⁷

"To wait for him has ethical implications; those who wait are bound to live holy lives so as to be ready to meet him (cf. 5:6-8, 23)."³⁸

"In 1 Thessalonians 1:10 the Thessalonian believers are pictured as waiting for the return of Christ. The clear implication is that they had a hope of His imminent return. If they had been taught that the great tribulation, in whole or in part, must first run its course, it is difficult to see how they could be described as expectantly awaiting Christ's return. Then they should rather have been described as bracing themselves for the great tribulation and the painful events connected with it."³⁹

College: 1Th 1:1-10

1 THESSALONIANS 1

I. GREETING (1:1)

¹ Paul, Silas ^a and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you. ^b

^a 1 Greek Silvanus , a variant of Silas ^b 1 Some early manuscripts you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Letters in the first century normally began with a brief greeting identifying the writer and the recipients and offering some wish for the well-being of the recipients. Paul followed this convention in his letters but adapted even this most mundane of epistolary elements to express ideas central to the Christian gospel.

1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy,

Paul first of all identifies himself by name as the writer of the letter. Though in other, later epistles he identifies himself as "an apostle" (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:1), here he does not, perhaps because his authority is not at issue with the Thessalonian church. Along with Paul, Silas and Timothy are mentioned as well. It is possible that these two had some hand in composing the letter. However, the emphasis in chs. 2-3 on Paul's absence from Thessalonica and his concern despite the visit by Silas and Timothy indicates that this letter primarily is Paul's personal expression of care for the Thessalonian church. Paul perhaps includes Silas and Timothy in the salutation to show that his associates, who have actually spent more time with the Thessalonian church than has Paul, stand with him in affirming this message.

Silas (as he is called in Acts) or Silvanus (as Paul refers to him in his letters) accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey, assuming a role similar to that of Barnabas on Paul's first journey. Since he was sent to Antioch to deliver the message from the council of Acts 15, we can conclude that he was a Jewish Christian from the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:22). The fact that Acts associates him with Paul only on this one journey (Acts 15-18) is corroborated by the fact that he is mentioned in Paul's letters only here, in 2 Thess 1:1 and 2 Cor 1:19, all at points in which Paul reflects on the activity of his second missionary journey. He is also mentioned in 1 Pet 5:12, where Peter indicates that Silas has had some role in composing that letter.

Timothy is among Paul's associates whom he mentions most frequently. Acts indicates that he joins Paul on his second missionary journey (16:1) and is with him on the third as well (19:22; 20:4). Paul mentions him with Silas in the salutation of 2 Thessalonians; in 2 Corinthians, Philippians and Colossians he is the only person mentioned with Paul at the opening of the letter. His role in Paul's letters is generally like his role in 1 Thessalonians: he serves as Paul's representative to bring messages and carry out instructions in places where Paul cannot be present personally.

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

The letter is addressed to "the church of the Thessalonians." The Greek word translated "church," ejkklhsiva (ekklçsia ), has been widely analyzed according to its etymology to signify "the called-out ones." But however true it may be that the church is composed of those whom God has called out from the world, the word ekklçsia would not have suggested this idea to Paul's readers. The term was widely used in the Hellenistic world for assemblies of various kinds, including the assembly of citizens in Greek city-states, pagan religious conclaves, and various other secular assemblies. Significantly, though, the term was frequently used in the LXX to translate the Hebrew lhq ( qahal ), which often is used to refer to the assembly of Israel as the people of God. During the intertestamental period, the community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls referred to themselves in Aramaic as the la lhq ( qehal 'el ) ("assembly of God"; 1QM 4:10; 1QS ^a 2:4), reflecting their belief that they were the people of God of the end times. The early Christians' use of this term probably reflects this background. It expresses their conviction that they belong to the assembly of God's people in the age of fulfillment. As is usually the case, Paul uses the word here to refer to what we would call a "local church," the assembly of God's people in a particular place, though he uses it in some contexts for the universal church.

The phrase "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" identifies the ekklçsia as one that is different from all other assemblies of people in Thessalonica: they are the ones who "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" (vv. 9-10). The expression "in Christ" and variants like the one here are among the most frequent in Paul's letters - and certainly among the most discussed by scholars. Here, though the expression serves primarily to differentiate the church from others, it also expresses Paul's conviction that Christians are united with Christ and so experience both his death and his resurrected life in their own lives. That reality will become significant in this epistle as Paul discusses the Thessalonians' experience of persecution and their hope of the resurrection at the Lord's coming. Both, he will state, are consequences of their status "in Christ."

The fact that Paul so easily identifies the church as "in God" and "in Christ" reflects his conviction that Christ is indeed fully divine. As a Jew with rabbinic training, Paul would never have related something to God and to another unless that other one was himself God. Certainly Paul's conviction that Christ was deity began with Christ's appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus: Paul's question of the voice from heaven, "Who are you, Lord ?" is answered, "I am Jesus . . . ." This conviction was reinforced as well by what Paul learned by revelation from the Lord and what he was taught by other Christians.

Grace and peace to you.

The salutation closes with Paul's characteristic "grace and peace." The term "grace" (cavri" , charis ) is, of course, absolutely central to Paul's theology. Paul insists that salvation is to be found not in keeping the Mosaic law so as to gain merit before God, a task made impossible by human sinfulness, but by receiving God's free, unmerited gift of his favor through faith in Jesus Christ. As a word of greeting Paul may have used charis as a play on the similar-sounding caivrein ( chairein ), the ordinary greeting among Hellenistic peoples (cf. James 1:1; 2 John 10-11). With this he combines "peace," the Greek eijrhvnh (eirçnç ), probably as a translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic greeting s ^v alôm ). In OT usage this term signified not just the absence of hostility but positive well-being and fullness of life, the consequence of God's benevolent rule over his people. As Paul uses the expression in tandem with grace, it thus indicates that Christians have received the fulfillment of God's promised peace through the gospel (cf. Matt 10:13//Luke 10:6). Especially striking in this letter is the fact that Paul stresses the peace which God gives (cf. 5:23) while at the same time recounting the suffering which the readers have experienced (1:6; 2:14; 3:3). Precisely because such peace persists in suffering, throughout the letter Paul stresses the comfort and encouragement that come from the gospel (2:3, 12; 3:2, 7; 4:1, 10, 18; 5:11, 14).

The combination of a play on the common Hellenistic greeting with a translation of the common Jewish greeting has been regarded by some as an indication of Paul's concern for the unity of Gentiles and Jews in the church. This conclusion may press the evidence too far, however. Grace is no less an OT concept than peace, and Jews living in a Hellenistic culture were accustomed to using the common Greek salutation (cf. 2 Macc 1:1; 2 Apoc. Bar. 78:2).

In all of Paul's other epistles the phrase "grace and peace" is followed by the phrase "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" or some near variant of it. Though some manuscripts of 1 Thessalonians include that phrase here, it is omitted in others. Because it is more likely that a scribe inserted the phrase in order to bring this letter into conformity with the others than that anyone omitted it, it is probably not an original part of the letter and so was consigned to a footnote in the NIV.

II. THANKSGIVING (1:2-10)

A. THE INITIAL THANKSGIVING (1:2-5)

² We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. ³ We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

Another characteristic of letters in the Greco-Roman world was that the salutation was often followed by a statement of thanksgiving to the deity worshiped by the writer. Though in many letters this thanksgiving was a mere formality, Paul uses such thanksgivings in all of his letters except Galatians to articulate some of the important themes on which he will elaborate. As he does here, Paul's usual thanksgiving was offered for the faith and other Christian virtues that the readers have demonstrated by the way they have lived their lives in Paul's absence.

This section is a single sentence in the Greek text, with the main clause at the beginning of v. 1 ("We always thank God for all of you . . ."). The NIV has rendered it as four separate sentences for ease of understanding in English.

1. Paul's Constant Prayers for the Readers (1:2)

1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

At several points in this statement, Paul stresses that his thanksgiving for the Thessalonian Christians is constant. The verb eujcaristou'men ( eucharistoumen , "thank") and the participle poiouvmenoi ( poioumenoi , "making"; with mneivan [ mneian ], "mention," the sense is "mentioning") are in the Greek present tense, indicating a continuing action. The adverb "always" (pavntote , pantote ) further emphasizes that verbal aspect. Then the adjective "all" (pantw'n , pantôn ), alliterating with the adverb to provide further emphasis, stresses that Paul's thanksgiving includes everyone in the church. The plural "prayers" also indicates a repeated practice. Overall the statement vividly emphasizes the regularity and persistence of Paul's prayers for the readers. The plural "prayers" may also indicate that Paul continued the rabbinic practice of praying regularly at particular times of the day. However, glimpses of his prayer life found in Acts and elsewhere in his letters show that it was not governed or restricted by ritualistic tradition.

2. Their Exercise of Faith, Love and Hope (1:3)

1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father

Again Paul stresses that his thanksgiving is continual. "Remember" translates the Greek mnhmoneuvonte" (mnçmoneuontes ), again a present participle indicating continuing action, and the adverb ajdialeivptw" (adialeiptôs , literally, "without interruption") adds stress to this idea. Here the example is established for the instruction on prayer which Paul gives in 5:17, where "continually" in the NIV represents the same Greek term. To "remember" the Thessalonians before God refers to the same kind of action as "mentioning" them in v. 2, but here the reason for the thanksgiving is specified.

your work produced by faith,

Paul specifies the reason for his thanksgiving with a trio of terms - faith, love and hope - which appear together several times in Paul's letters (Rom 5:1-5; 1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:5-6; Eph 4:2-5; Col 1:4-5; 1 Thess 5:8) as well as in literature influenced by Paul (Heb 6:10-12; 10:22-24; 1 Pet 1:3-8, 21-22). Though the order most familiar to students of the Bible is probably "faith, hope and love" because of its occurrence in the well-known text 1 Cor 13:13, the order found in this text occurs everywhere else. Here each of the terms is connected to a particular response produced by it. Literally the text reads, "your work of faith, your labor of love and your steadfastness of hope"; the NIV translators have inserted the words "produced . . . prompted . . . inspired" to make clear the sense of the text, not to imply any difference among the three. With each of the three phrases in this context, Paul seems to refer not to some specific action which the church has taken so much as the general tenor of their lives as Christians since he left them.

"Faith," the response of assent to and trust in God and his message of salvation, stands at the head of the list because of its priority in the Christian life: all aspects of Christian living stem from our response of faith to the initiative God has taken for us in Christ. Paul sharply distinguishes "faith" from "works" as ways of salvation: he insists that no one can earn God's favor by keeping the Mosaic law (cf. Gal 2:16; Rom 3:28). But Paul always understands that genuine faith expresses itself in action. So here his thanksgiving is for the Thessalonians' "work produced by faith," that is, deeds that they have done as the natural and necessary result of their belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

your labor prompted by love,

"Love" is the Greek ajgavph (agapç), which in the New Testament is most frequently used to refer to the love of God for humanity despite their unworthiness and to the same kind of love which his people show to others. Here it is grounded on faith in the God who demonstrates his love to us in Christ, though as Paul indicates in 1 Cor 13:13, it shall supersede even faith as faith yields to sight while love endures. Like faith, love motivates action. The word translated "labor," kovpo" ( kopos ), is often used to refer to especially difficult or tiresome work. In this context, however, Paul probably does not intend for it to indicate something more difficult than the "work produced by faith"; the different term simply avoids repetition. So the point of both expressions is very similar: genuine love, like genuine faith, produces action.

and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Hope" characteristically comes at the end of the list because of its orientation to the future. As used in the New Testament, the Greek term ejlpiv" ( elpis ) suggests a confident expectation about the future. Such confidence is grounded in God's own faithfulness to carry out the work which he has initiated in Christ, as Paul expresses in Phil 1:6. Hence, their hope is "in our Lord Jesus Christ" not just because they look forward confidently to his return (cf. 1:9-10; 4:13-5:11) but because they are already through their relationship with Christ experiencing the blessings of God that will be fully realized in the future. What stands in the way of the full realization of those blessings in the present is the ongoing struggle with evil, a struggle made more acute by the opposition which their new faith generates. But the confident expectation that God will indeed fulfill his promises to the final degree gives believers the assurance that they need to endure the persecution and other sufferings that come their way in the present age. Thus, endurance is the practical outgrowth of their hope.

These three phrases describing the Thessalonian Christians serve several purposes in the letter. As Paul offers thanksgiving, they show that his primary cause for thanksgiving is the Christian lifestyle of the readers. Mentioning their lifestyle at the beginning of the letter also serves as encouragement and reinforcement for continuing in that lifestyle. This also provides a basis for the moral exhortation that Paul gives implicitly in 2:1-12 and explicitly in 4:1-5:22. There Paul will call the readers to ongoing faithfulness in the manner of life that they already follow. The mention of hope at the climax of the list introduces the theme of 4:13-5:11, namely, the return of Christ.

3. Their Election (1:4)

1:4 For we know, brothers loved by God,

The response of the Thessalonians to the gospel message described in v. 3 is just that - a response to God's initiative in bringing salvation to them. So Paul continues the thanksgiving by focusing on God's work. The term "brothers," Paul's favorite form of address for his readers, was used by Jews to refer to other Jews (cf. Deut 15:3, 12). As Paul applies it to Christians, it stresses the new relationship which has been created among the readers because of what God the Father has done. The barriers and divisions which otherwise would have existed among them have been broken down by the new unity created by their common life in Christ.

This brotherhood has been forged by the actions of God in making the Thessalonian believers his people. They are "loved by God": they are the objects of God's unmerited favor. Hence, they have been "chosen" by God. These two terms indicate that the readers' relationship with God is like Israel's (Deut 7:7; 14:2; Ps 33:12; Acts 13:17). As God chose Israel as his covenant people, so now he has chosen the Christians, but for even greater blessings (cf. Isa 14:1). Because Paul particularly focuses on converts from paganism in this chapter (v. 9), his use of language associated with Israel to refer to Christian believers is especially striking. They do not merely belong to a distinct group of people; they are part of the community of God's people that has received the blessings promised for the end time. In the rest of the chapter Paul will indicate that the Thessalonians' genuine faith and its consequences indicate this new relationship to God is genuine.

that he has chosen you

The idea of God's "choosing" or election has been a controversial one in Christian theology. Under the influence of Augustine and later of John Calvin, many have understood that Christians are only able to come to faith because God has first chosen them and so has irresistibly caused them to believe. In fact, Paul's use of the language of election indicates a different emphasis altogether.

By stressing that God has chosen the Christians, Paul acknowledges that God is sovereign, that he has supreme authority and determines who will belong to him. But the terminology focuses primarily on the relationship that results from God's choosing, not on the act of choosing itself. Paul emphasizes that through the initiative which God has taken in Christ, Christians are in a relationship with God which is secure both in the difficulties of this life (Rom 8:28-30) and in the final judgment (Rom 8:33) because it is based on the choice of the all-sovereign God.

Furthermore, Paul indicates that God's choice is conditional: that is, that God chooses believers on the basis of their faith, not that he first chooses them and so later causes them to believe. This is explicit in Rom 8:29 ("For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren"), a text similar in language to 1 Thess 1:4. It is also consistent with the fact that in Paul's letters the result of God's predestination or choice is never faith as such but the results of salvation conditioned on faith, including such things as conformity to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), holiness and blamelessness (Eph 1:4; cf. Col 3:6), adoption into God's family (Eph 1:5), and ultimately the glorification of God himself (Eph 1:11-12).

If Paul's use of the language of election reflected a belief that God had chosen individuals before creation and so later caused them to believe, we might expect words like "chosen" to be used sometimes to refer to those who are elect but have not yet come to faith. This use, however, is nowhere in evidence in Paul or the rest of the New Testament. Instead, as I.H. Marshall has pointed out, the term always refers to those who have already responded to God's call.

Most importantly, understanding the concept of election had genuine benefit for early Christians. In Paul's letters it gave believers the assurance that they were receiving the full advantage of all of God's saving activity in history. They are at the climax of what God had done; they are the beneficiaries of the plan of God from before creation. Whatever difficulties they may face in this age, they have the assurance of their standing with God in his eternal plan.

4. The Power of the Gospel in Thessalonica (1:5)

1:5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words,

Paul will now demonstrate the reality of the Thessalonians' relationship with God by stressing the genuineness of the gospel which they received. The terms "the gospel" and "the word," meaning the word of God, occur frequently in 1 Thessalonians, along with other terms, especially "you know," which remind the readers of the message that they have already received. The frequency of these terms point to one aspect of Paul's purpose: he writes to remind the readers of the message that they have already received, encouraging them to remain firm and pointing out specifically how that message applies to the difficult circumstances they have faced.

Here Paul stresses the genuineness of the gospel by recounting how the Thessalonians first heard and received it. He knows that they are God's chosen because they have received the genuine message of salvation, and that genuineness is demonstrated first of all by the sincerity of the people who brought it. The ancient world, no less than our own, had a generous share of unscrupulous purveyors of philosophical and religious ideas. Speaking an appealing message that they themselves did not believe, such preachers did not demonstrate by their lives their own belief in their words, and neither did their message produce what they claimed. Paul, however, draws a contrast with the readers' experience of the gospel. Paul's use of the term "gospel" (eujaggevlion, euangelion ) sharpens the focus on these ideas. In Isaiah the related verb eujaggelivzw (euangelizô) is used to refer to the proclamation of the good news of God's salvation (Isa 40:9; 52:7; 60:6; 61:1). Jesus used this language to refer to his ministry (Luke 4:17-20), especially as the announcement of the imminent coming of God's kingdom (Matt 4:29; 9:35; 24:14). As used by Paul the term usually refers to the content of the message preached, though sometimes it can refer to the act of preaching itself. Here the two points of reference stand close together. The genuineness of the gospel message insures that the Thessalonian Christians are indeed God's people, but the fact that the message is genuine is demonstrated in part by the way in which it was preached.

but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction.

These three characteristics distinguish the gospel from other messages which the readers may have encountered. "Power" here refers to the power of God, as implied by the focus on God's actions in the previous verse. Paul probably has in mind his demonstration of God's power through miracles (cf. Rom 15:18-19), though the expression here is perhaps not confined to miracles alone. For Paul, as for New Testament writers generally, miracles served as tokens of the greater salvation which was available through the gospel. So having seen the power of God demonstrated in miraculous actions, the Thessalonian Christians also recognized that God's power was at work in them as they put their faith in Christ.

Paul indicates the source of that power in the following phrase. The Holy Spirit both empowers the apostle to do miraculous deeds and, more importantly, empowers the new Christians to bring their lives into conformity with the gospel which they have received. Because the Old Testament views the pouring out of the Spirit of God on all flesh as a part of God's end-time work of salvation (Joel 2:28-32; Isa 44:3-5; 32:15; Ezek 36:27; 37:14), this reminder of the Spirit's connection to the gospel stresses as did v. 4 that the Thessalonian Christians have received the fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises.

The phrase "deep conviction" is emphatic in the Greek text, underscoring the absolute sincerity of the one who believes the gospel. Though it could refer to the profound belief of the readers at their conversion, the fact that the following clause refers to Paul's own manner of life suggests that the term refers to Paul's sincerity as a messenger. The profound personal commitment of Paul and his associates to the gospel stands is sharp contrast to an insincere message that comes "simply with words."

The previous phrase, "with words" may well have prompted Paul's readers to expect him to draw a contrast with his deeds, as many philosophers of the time did. Paul's contrast, however, is on the message of the gospel and God's power in Paul's preaching of it. This shift helps the readers to focus on the real significance of what they have received from Paul.

You know how we lived among you for your sake.

Paul and his associates demonstrated their own sincere belief in the gospel by the way that they lived among the Thessalonians. Paul does not offer specific characteristics which they demonstrated, at this point relying instead on the Thessalonians' own memory to supply the details. But the fact that they lived such lives "for your sake" indicates their unselfish, generous concern for others demonstrated in their actions. Later in 2:1-12 Paul will elaborate on this brief description.

B. REITERATION AND FURTHER SPECIFICATION OF THE THANKSGIVING (1:6-10)

⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

1. The Readers' Imitation of Paul and His Associates (1:6a)

1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord;

The sincere belief of Paul, Silas and Timothy was reproduced in the readers, indicating further their genuine status as God's people. Like others who offered moral or religious instruction in the ancient world, Paul often admonished his convert to imitate him (1 Thess 2:14; 2 Thess 3:7-9; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Eph 5:1; Phil 3:17). In such instructions, Paul indicates either directly or indirectly that in imitating him his readers ultimately are imitating the Lord. Paul offers a variety of specific behaviors which are or ought to be imitated in these passages; he never suggests that his converts should be like him in absolutely every respect. But in offering himself as a model, he provides a concrete example for the abstract, verbal instruction which they have received. The next statement indicates that he particularly has in mind the Thessalonians' following him in steadfast faith despite suffering (cf. 2:2, 14). By implication, as they imitate Paul's suffering, they also imitate Christ's (cf. 2:15; Phil 3:10; Col 1:24). In reminding his readers of their initial steadfastness in suffering, Paul builds a foundation to encourage them to further steadfastness (4:1-5:22).

2. Their Endurance of Suffering (1:6b)

in spite of severe suffering,

The Thessalonian Christians suffered undoubtedly because of the tension that arose with family and neighbors because of their conversion. Abandoning pagan worship (v. 9) separated them from the practices which had formerly bound them together with other members of their community (cf. Acts 19:23-41 for an example of the consequences of such dislocation). And though such conflict in their social relationships is probably sufficient to explain Paul's references to their suffering, the Thessalonians may have also suffered persecution from more official sources, such as local or imperial rulers, to whom the gospel might have appeared subversive. Leaving the old life for the gospel was for them a costly transaction. In 2:14-16 Paul will remind the readers that other Christians have shared a similar cost.

you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

But ironically, this very suffering is indicative of the power of the gospel (v. 5), since that power has its origin in Christ's self-sacrificial suffering on the cross. But because the gospel message is not just about Christ's death but also about his resurrection and exaltation, sharing in Christ's suffering is a source of joy. Joy is not what one would expect to find in suffering; it does not arise naturally in the circumstances Paul describes. So Paul reminds the readers that this joy has a supernatural source: it is the "joy of the Holy Spirit," joy present with them because God's Spirit is present with them (Gal 5:22; Rom 14:17), given by the exalted Christ, bringing to his people the blessing and power of God that will be fully realized when Christ returns (cf. 1 Thess 4:18; 5:11; Phil 3:1, 20-21). Thus, the fact that the Thessalonians had joy despite suffering shows again that they were genuine people of God (cf. Mark 4:16): they had the joy that comes from God's authentic salvation which transcends present, outward circumstances (cf. Matt 5:10-12; Acts 4:31; 5:40-42; Rom 5:3-5; 2 Cor 1:5-7; 4:7-18; Col 1:24; James 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6-8; 4:13-14).

3. Their Example to Other Churches (1:7-8a)

1:7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

The idea of imitation introduced in v. 6 is now carried a step further in v. 7. By imitating Paul, and ultimately the Lord, in steadfast suffering, the Thessalonian Christians have provided a model for others who believe the same gospel. Paul indicates that the sphere of their influence includes their own region, Macedonia (the northern portion of the Greek peninsula) as well as the region to the south, Achaia (including Athens and Corinth, from which Paul writes). The word translated "model" is tuvpo" ( typos ). Originally this word referred to a mark or impression made by striking something, like the image on a coin. Figuratively it was used to refer to a model or pattern, especially for ethical conduct. This account and others like it in Paul's letters (Rom 1:8; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4-5) indicates that early Christians received and circulated reports about their brothers and sisters in other places and took encouragement from them. Not only did the first generation of Christians repeat the gospel story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection; they also regularly shared the experiences of other Christians. All this serves to make concrete what they were taught about Christian living.

1:8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia -

The expression "the Lord's message" (literally "the word of the Lord") refers here not to the gospel story but to what Paul has been discussing in v. 7: the story of the Thessalonians' steadfastness. This is made clear by the fact that the latter part of the verse refers to this message as "your faith." The fact that Paul can refer to an account of response to the gospel as "the word of the Lord" indicates its supreme value. Such material was integral to God's word for his people because it recounted what God had done among his people. Thus, Luke's writing of Acts as a companion volume to his Gospel has its roots in this oral sharing of information about the churches.

your faith in God has become known everywhere.

Paul widens the Thessalonians' scope of influence from the immediate regions to "everywhere." Though this expression obviously does not mean that literally all the world - or even all the Roman empire - had heard the report, it does stress that the gospel in all its aspects was shared without borders. Paul uses similar expressions elsewhere (Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 2:14; Col 1:6, 23; 1 Tim 2:8), stressing that the Christian gospel is the message of salvation for all people.

The fact that Paul refers to their faith as "faith in God" rather than "in Christ" is consistent with his stress on their conversion to Christian faith from paganism. Had Paul intended to address Jewish Christians, faith in God would not have distinguished them from other Jews (see comments on v. 9). This emphasis may indicate that pressure from the readers' pagan families and neighbors was the primary source of their persecution.

4. Reports of Their Conversion (1:8b-10)

Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 1:9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.

The point of this statement is that the Thessalonians' faith is well known among all the churches in which Paul has been ministering. Again, we see how important such accounts were to the life of the early Christians. The focus of the report is still on the Thessalonians' initial acceptance of the gospel despite opposition. Now, though, the specific focus is on the success of the missionaries' visit to Thessalonica. A prepositional phrase periΙ hJmw'n (peri hçmôn, "concerning us") appears in v. 9 and is left untranslated by the NIV. It places stress on Paul and his associates as the subjects of the report in circulation. The word ei[sodo" ( eisodos ), translated here as "reception" in the NIV, literally means "entrance" and refers to Paul's entire visit to Thessalonica. The clause literally reads, "For concerning us they themselves report what kind of entrance we had with you." It stresses less the Thessalonians' reception of Paul, as the NIV has it, than the success of Paul's visit, though obviously one implies the other. Paul will elaborate on this idea as he repeats eisodos in 2:1 (there translated as "visit" in the NIV) and discusses his experience with the Thessalonians at length in ch. 2-3.

Forsaking Idols to Serve the Living God (1:9b)

They tell how you turned to God from idols

That the messenger and his message cannot be separated is once more clear from the fact that Paul focuses again on the response to his preaching. The NIV accurately represents the redundancy of the Greek text which stresses that it is to God that the Thessalonians have turned. Here Paul draws upon Old Testament language (cf. Jer 10:1-10) to describe their conversion from paganism. The term "idols" stresses that the Thessalonians' worship had centered on images of multiple deities. In contrast, the God of Israel is one God (Deut 6:4), supreme and transcendent over all, and can never be represented as or reduced to an image (Deut 5:8-10). Other so-called "gods" are no gods at all; they are the imaginary creations of the people who worship them. Hence, the God of Israel is "living," in contrast to the lifeless pagan deities, and "true" or "genuine," in contrast to the false pagan gods.

to serve the living and true God,

As the only true God, the God of Israel possesses absolute authority; consequently, the only right response to him is "to serve." The Greek infinitive translated "to serve," douleuvein ( douleuein ), refers to the service of a slave to a master, stressing the obligation of the relationship, and is in the present tense, emphasizing that the service is continuing. For Paul such service is what makes a person truly free, for the alternative is slavery to sin, which yields death (Rom 6:15-23). Thus, Paul can comfortably describe Christians as God's children as well as his slaves (e.g., Rom 8:16). The virtues mentioned in v. 3 are obvious examples of the new service to the one true God.

In this contrast between the true God and idols lies the heart of the gospel's universal claim. The objects of pagan worship were generally conceived to have authority over a specific, limited realm, often thought to be tied to a particular place or people. The God of Israel, on the other hand, is Creator and Lord of all. Hence, his message of salvation is a message for all people, and so Paul seeks to proclaim that message to all.

The conversion of the Gentiles to faith in the one true God is viewed by the Old Testament as a significant part of God's great act of salvation in the last days (Isa 2:2-4; 25:6-8; 42:6; 49:6; Micah 4:1-3; Zech 8:20-23). Having been called especially to preach to the Gentiles, Paul saw his own ministry as a part of this great event. In this text, he offers the Thessalonians' conversion from paganism as further evidence that the gospel is genuine, for through the gospel God's promise to bring the nations to faith in him is being fulfilled.

This factor probably best explains Paul's emphasis in this passage on Gentile converts in the Thessalonian church. Many scholars have drawn attention to the fact that in Acts 17:1-9, Luke indicates that the Thessalonian church consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. Some have speculated that Paul writes 1 Thessalonians specifically to the Gentile segment of the Thessalonian church. This idea, however, would appear to be inconsistent with Paul's stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile in the church. Others have argued that Luke has overemphasized the Jewish element of the Thessalonian church because of his own theological interests. But resorting to this conclusion is unnecessary when Paul's purpose in 1 Thessalonians 1 is recognized.

At this point Paul continues to recount the experience of the Thessalonian Christians in order to remind them of the authenticity of the message that they have received. Since conversion of the Gentiles is, according to the Old Testament prophets, a result of God's end-time act of salvation, such conversions are another indication that the Thessalonians have put their faith in the true message of God. Paul thus neither denies that there are Jewish Christians in the Thessalonian church nor ignores them in this letter. Instead, he focuses here on Gentile converts as further evidence that the gospel of Jesus Christ is much more than mere words (v. 5).

Awaiting the Return of Jesus (1:10)

1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -

This verse further specifies the object of the Thessalonians' faith. Verse 9 by itself could describe the conversion of a pagan to Judaism, and some have suggested that Paul is using language drawn from Jewish sources there. But here the content of the Thessalonians' faith is explicitly Christian: they believe not only in the true God but more specifically in Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead by God and now reigns with him from heaven, the place of universal authority. In this specific conviction the Thessalonian Christians, both Gentiles and Jews, would be distinct from all other people. The genuine gospel message assumes that there is one true God, but it focuses on what he has done in Jesus Christ, whom he raised from the dead and who will return for his people.

Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

But this verse serves to do more than distinguish the Thessalonians' faith from other groups'. It also explicates further the basis for the Thessalonians' steadfastness in suffering. Regardless of what happens to them, they have the assurance that they belong to the God who raised Jesus from the dead. Thus, God's power to overcome their own difficulties, including death itself, is guaranteed. Because Christ is presently in heaven, they have the assurance of his absolute and supreme power at work in their lives, even when outward circumstances would seem to indicate otherwise. Indeed, in times of persecution it may seem that the unbelievers have the best of it. But God's wrath is about to bring punishment on those who have rebelled against God's authority. The readers' own lives as pagans (v. 9) would make them objects of that same wrath, but through Jesus they have the assurance that they have been removed from the sphere of God's wrath and are instead numbered among his beloved people (v. 4). The word translated "deliver," rJuvomai ( rhyomai ) is not as common as sw/vzw (sôzô, "save") in Paul's letters, but when it does occur it emphasizes salvation from something - here, from God's wrath. The full realization of both the wrath of God and the deliverance from that wrath will occur when God's Son comes returns from heaven. So as they experience persecution in the present, the Thessalonian Christians can focus on that full realization in the future: they "wait" with confidence that God will finish the work which he began with Christ's resurrection and continues in them. As they wait for that consummation, the power that raised Jesus from the dead is continuing at work in them.

The concept of God's wrath is sometimes difficult to hold together with his love. Some mistakenly equate the concept of God's wrath with capricious human anger prompted by selfishness and pride. The biblical concept, however, is grounded in God's holiness and the consequent necessity that he punish sin. Wrath is thus God's consistent, just and holy response in bringing punishment for sin (cf. Rom 2:5,8; 3:5-6; 2 Thess 1:5-10). It is therefore necessarily God's wrath directly and personally, not some impersonal consequence of disaster that inevitably follows evil, as some have argued. Likewise, wrath is perfectly consistent with God's supreme desire to forgive sinners. Indeed, God's desire to bring forgiveness and the holy necessity that sin be punished are what make the cross necessary (Rom 3:25-26).

Paul saves the personal name "Jesus" for a point of emphasis in the sentence. In so doing he identifies unambiguously the one of whom he speaks. The Son of God raised from the dead and coming to rescue his people is Jesus of Nazareth, a figure of history known personally by Paul's contemporaries. That the gospel message is grounded in history is assumed by Paul at every point.

The connection between the Gentiles' conversion and Jesus' return is significant here. Jesus told his disciples that God's purpose of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles would be fulfilled prior to his return (Matt 24:14; Mark 13:10). From the Old Testament perspective, this preaching is an event of the end-time; from the post-Easter perspective, the end-time climaxes with Jesus' return.

This verse also announces a theme which will occupy an important portion of the letter. In 4:13-5:11 Paul will discuss further the significance of the Lord's coming, reminding the readers of teaching which they had already received and correcting their misunderstanding of certain points. Here, as in that later elaboration, we see that Paul's teaching on Christ's return is not a matter of esoteric doctrinal details; rather, it has an immediate and profound impact on the way that a believer responds to the difficulties of the present life.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

McGarvey: 1Th 1:6

And ye became imitators of us [1Co 11:1], and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction [Act 17:4-10], with joy of the Holy Spirit ;

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

First Thessalonians

From Corinth a.d. 50-51

By Way of Introduction

We cannot say that this is Paul’s first letter to a church, for in 2Th_2:2 he speaks of some as palming off letters as his and in 2Th_3:17 he says that he appends his own signature to every letter after dictating it to an amanuensis (Rom_16:22). We know of one lost letter (1Co_5:11) and perhaps another (2Co_2:3). But this is the earliest one that has come down to us and it may even be the earliest New Testament book, unless the Epistle of James antedates it or even Mark’s Gospel. We know, as already shown, that Paul was in Corinth and that Timothy and Silas had just arrived from Thessalonica (1Th_3:6; Act_18:5). They had brought supplies from the Macedonian churches to supply Paul’s need (2Co_11:9), as the church in Philippi did once and again while Paul was in Thessalonica (Phi_4:15.). Before Timothy and Silas came to Corinth Paul had to work steadily at his trade as tent-maker with Aquila and Priscilla (Act_18:3) and could only preach in the synagogue on sabbaths, but the rich stores from Macedonia released his hands and " Paul devoted himself to the word" ( suneicheto tōi logōi Paulos ). He gave himself wholly to preaching now. But Timothy and Silas brought news of serious trouble in the church in Thessalonica. Some of the disciples there had misunderstood Paul’s preaching about the second coming of Christ and had quit work and were making a decided disturbance on the subject. Undoubtedly Paul had touched upon eschatological matters while in Thessalonica. The Jewish leaders at Thessalonica charged it against Paul and Silas to the politarchs that they had preached another king, Jesus, in place of Caesar. Paul had preached Jesus as King of the spiritual kingdom which the Jews misrepresented to the politarchs as treason against Caesar as the Sanhedrin had done to Pilate about Jesus. Clearly Paul had said also that Jesus was going to come again according to his own promise before his ascension. Some asserted that Paul said Jesus was going to come right away and drew their own inferences for idleness and fanaticism as some do today. Strange as it may seem, there are scholars today who say that Paul did believe and say that Jesus was going to come back right away. They say this in spite of 2Th_2:1. where Paul denies having ever said it. Undoubtedly Paul hoped for the early return of Jesus as most of the early Christians did, but that is a very different thing from setting a time for his coming. It is open to us all to hope for the speedy return of Christ, but times and seasons are with God and not with us. It is not open to us to excuse our negligence and idleness as Christians because of such a hope. That hope should serve as a spur to increased activity for Christ in order to hasten his coming. So Paul writes this group of Epistles to correct gross misapprehension and misrepresentation of his preaching about last things (eschatology). It is a rare preacher who has never been misunderstood or misrepresented.

JFB: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

The AUTHENTICITY of this Epistle is attested by IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 5.6.1], quoting 1Th 5:23; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [The Instructor, 1.88], quoting 1Th 2:7; TERTULLIAN [On the Resurrection of the Flesh, 24], quoting 1Th 5:1; CAIUS in EUSEBIUS' Ecclesiastical History [6.20]; ORIGEN [Against Celsus, 3].

The OBJECT OF THE EPISTLE.--Thessalonica was at this time capital of the Roman second district of Macedonia [LIVY, Histories, 45.29]. It lay on the bay of Therme, and has always been, and still is, under its modern name Saloniki, a place of considerable commerce. After his imprisonment and scourging at Philippi, Paul (1Th 2:2) passed on to Thessalonica; and in company with Silas (Act 17:1-9) and Timotheus (Act 16:3; Act 17:14, compare with 1Th 1:1; 1Th 3:1-6; 2Th 1:1) founded the Church there. The Jews, as a body, rejected the Gospel when preached for three successive sabbaths (Act 17:2); but some few "believed and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout (that is, proselytes to Judaism) Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." The believers received the word joyfully, notwithstanding trials and persecutions (1Th 1:6; 1Th 2:13) from their own countrymen and from the Jews (1Th 2:14-16). His stay at Thessalonica was doubtless not limited to the three weeks in which were the three sabbaths specified in Act 17:2; for his laboring there with his hands for his support (1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8), his receiving supplies there more than once from Philippi (Phi 4:16), his making many converts from the Gentiles (1Th 1:9; and as two oldest manuscripts read, Act 17:4, "of the devout and of the Greeks a great multitude," Act 17:4), and his appointing ministers--all imply a longer residence. Probably as at Pisidian Antioch (Act 13:46), at Corinth (Act 18:6-7), and at Ephesus (Act 19:8-9), having preached the Gospel to the Jews, when they rejected it, he turned to the Gentiles. He probably thenceforth held the Christian meetings in the house of Jason (Act 17:5), perhaps "the kinsman" of Paul mentioned in Rom 16:21. His great subject of teaching to them seems to have been the coming and kingdom of Christ, as we may infer from 1Th 1:10; 1Th 2:12, 1Th 2:19; 1Th 3:13; 1Th 4:13-18; 1Th 5:1-11, 1Th 5:23-24; and that they should walk worthy of it (1Th 2:12; 1Th 4:1). And it is an undesigned coincidence between the two Epistles and Act 17:5, Act 17:9, that the very charge which the assailants of Jason's house brought against him and other brethren was, "These do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." As in the case of the Lord Jesus Himself (Joh 18:33-37; Joh 19:12; compare Mat 26:64), they perverted the doctrine of the coming kingdom of Christ into a ground for the charge of treason against Cæsar. The result was, Paul and Silas were obliged to flee under the cover of night to Berea; Timothy had probably preceded him (Act 17:10, Act 17:14). But the Church had been planted, and ministers appointed; nay, more, they virtually became missionaries themselves for which they possessed facilities in the extensive commerce of their city, and both by word and example were extending the Gospel in Macedonia, Achaia, and elsewhere (1Th 1:7-8). From Berea, also. Paul, after having planted a Scripture-loving Church, was obliged to flee by the Thessalonian Jews who followed him thither. Timothy (who seems to have come to Berea separately from Paul and Silas, compare Act 17:10, with Act 17:14) and Silas remained there still, when Paul proceeded by sea to Athens. While there he more than once longed to visit the Thessalonians again, and see personally their spiritual state, and "perfect that which was lacking in their faith" (1Th 3:10); but (probably using the Thessalonian Jews as his instruments, Joh 13:27) "Satan hindered" him (1Th 2:18; compare Act 17:13). He therefore sent Timotheus, who seems to have followed him to Athens from Berea (Act 17:15), immediately on his arrival to Thessalonica (1Th 3:1); glad as he would have been of Timothy's help in the midst of the cavils of Athenian opponents, he felt he must forego that help for the sake of the Thessalonian Church. Silas does not seem to have come to Paul at Athens at all, though Paul had desired him and Timothy to "come to him with all speed" (Act 17:15); but seems with Timothy (who from Thessalonica called for him at Berea) to have joined Paul at Corinth first; compare Act 18:1, Act 18:5, "When Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia." The Epistle makes no mention of Silas at Athens, as it does of Timothy (1Th 3:1).

Timothy's account of the Thessalonian Church was highly favorable. They abounded in faith and charity and reciprocated his desire to see them (1Th 3:6-10). Still, as nothing human on earth is perfect, there were some defects. Some had too exclusively dwelt on the doctrine of Christ's coming kingdom, so as to neglect the sober-minded discharge of present duties (1Th 4:11-12). Some who had lost relatives by death, needed comfort and instruction in their doubts as to whether they who died before Christ's coming would have a share with those found alive in His kingdom then to be revealed. Moreover, also, there had been committed among them sins against chastity and sobriety (1Th 5:5-7), as also against charity (1Th 4:3-10; 1Th 5:13, 1Th 5:15). There were, too, symptoms in some of want of respectful love and subordination to their ministers; others treated slightingly the manifestations of the Spirit in those possessing His gifts (1Th 5:19). To give spiritual admonition on these subjects, and at the same time commend what deserved commendation, and to testify his love to them, was the object of the Epistle.

The PLACE OF WRITING IT was doubtless Corinth, where Timothy and Silas rejoined him (Act 18:5) soon after he arrived there (compare 1Th 2:17) in the autumn of A.D. 52.

The TIME OF WRITING was evidently immediately after having received from Timothy the tidings of their state (1Th 3:6) in the winter of A.D. 52, or early in 53. For it was written not long after the conversion of the Thessalonians (1Th 1:8-9), while Paul could speak of himself as only taken from them for a short season (1Th 2:17). Thus this Epistle was first in date of all Paul's extant Epistles. The Epistle is written in the joint names of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, the three founders of the Thessalonian Church. The plural first person "we," is used everywhere, except in 1Th 2:18; 1Th 3:5; 1Th 5:27. "We" is the true reading, 1Th 4:13. The English Version "I," in 1Th 4:9 1Th 5:1, 1Th 5:23, is not supported by the original [EDMUNDS].

The STYLE is calm and equable, in accordance with the subject matter, which deals only with Christian duties in general, taking for granted the great doctrinal truths which were not as yet disputed. There was no deadly error as yet to call forth his more vehement bursts of feeling and impassioned argument. The earlier Epistles, as we should expect, are moral and practical. It was not until Judaistic and legalizing errors arose at a later period that he wrote those Epistles (for example, Romans and Galatians) which unfold the cardinal doctrines of grace and justification by faith. Still, later the Epistles from his Roman prison confirm the same truths. And last of all, the Pastoral Epistles are suited to the more developed ecclesiastical constitution of the Church, and give directions as to bishops and deacons, and correct abuses and errors of later growth.

The prevalence of the Gentile element in this Church is shown by the fact that these two Epistles are among the very few of Paul's writings in which no quotation occurs from the Old Testament.

JFB: 1 Thessalonians (Outline)

• ADDRESS: SALUTATION: HIS PRAYERFUL THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE. THEIR FIRST RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL, AND THEIR GOOD INFLUENCE ON ALL AROUND. (1Th 1:1-10)
• HIS MANNER OF PREACHING, AND THEIRS OF RECEIVING, THE GOSPEL; HIS DESIRE TO HAVE REVISITED THEM FRUSTRATED BY SATAN. (1Th. 2:1-20)
• PROOF OF HIS DESIRE AFTER THEM IN HIS HAVING SENT TIMOTHY: HIS JOY AT THE TIDINGS BROUGHT BACK CONCERNING THEIR FAITH AND CHARITY: PRAYERS FOR THEM. (1Th 3:1-13)
• EXHORTATIONS TO CHASTITY; BROTHERLY LOVE; QUIET INDUSTRY; ABSTINENCE FROM UNDUE SORROW FOR DEPARTED FRIENDS, FOR AT CHRIST'S COMING ALL HIS SAINTS SHALL BE GLORIFIED. (1Th. 4:1-18)
• THE SUDDENNESS OF CHRIST'S COMING A MOTIVE FOR WATCHFULNESS; VARIOUS PRECEPTS: PRAYER FOR THEIR BEING FOUND BLAMELESS, BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT, AT CHRIST'S COMING: CONCLUSION. (1Th. 5:1-28)

TSK: 1 Thessalonians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Th 1:1, The Thessalonians are given to understand both how mindful of them Saint Paul was at all time in thanksgiving, and prayer; 1Th 1:5, and also how well he was persuaded of the truth and sincerity of their faith and conversion to God.

MHCC: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

This epistle is generally considered to have been the first of those written by St. Paul. The occasion seems to have been the good report of the stedfastness of the church at Thessalonica in the faith of the gospel. It is full of affection and confidence, and more consolatory and practical, and less doctrinal, than some of the other epistles.

MHCC: 1 Thessalonians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

(1Th 1:1-5) The faith, love, and patience of the Thessalonians, are evident tokens of their election which was manifested in the power with which the gospel came to them.

(1Th 1:6-10) Its powerful and exemplary effects upon their hearts and lives.

Matthew Henry: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Epistle of st. Paul to the Thessalonians

Thessalonica was formerly the metropolis of Macedonia; it is now called Salonichi, and is the best peopled, and one of the best towns for commerce, in the Levant. The apostle Paul, being diverted from his design of going into the provinces of Asia, properly so called, and directed after an extraordinary manner to preach the gospel in Macedonia (Act 16:9, Act 16:10), in obedience to the call of God went from Troas to Samothracia, thence to Neapolis, and thence to Philippi, where he had good success in his ministry, but met with hard usage, being cast into prison with Silas his companion in travel and labour, from which being wonderfully delivered, they comforted the brethren there, and departed. Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where the apostle planted a church that consisted of some believing Jews and many converted Gentiles, Act 17:1-4. But a tumult being raised in the city by the unbelieving Jews, and the lewd and baser sort of the inhabitants, Paul and Silas, for their safety, were sent away by night unto Berea, and afterwards Paul was conducted to Athens, leaving Silas and Timotheus behind him, but sent directions that they should come to him with all speed. When they came, Timotheus was sent to Thessalonica, to enquire after their welfare and to establish them in the faith (1Th 3:2), and, returning to Paul while he tarried at Athens, was sent again, together with Silas, to visit the churches in Macedonia. So that Paul, being left at Athens alone (1Th 3:1), departed thence to Corinth, where he continued a year and a half, in which time Silas and Timotheus returned to him from Macedonia (Act 18:5), and then he wrote this epistle to the church of Christ at Thessalonica, which, though it is placed after the other epistles of this apostle, is supposed to be first in time of all Paul's epistles, and to be written about a.d. 51. The main scope of it is to express the thankfulness of this apostle for the good success his preaching had among them, to establish them in the faith, and persuade them to a holy conversation.

Matthew Henry: 1 Thessalonians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

After the introduction (1Th 1:1) the apostle begins with a thanksgiving to God for the saving benefits bestowed on them (1Th 1:2-5). And then mentions the sure evidences of the good success of the gospel among them, which was notorious and famous in several other places (1Th 1:6-10).

Barclay: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The Letters Of Paul

There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letters of Paul. That is because of all forms of literature a letter is most personal. Demetrius, one of the old Greek literary critics, once wrote, "Every one reveals his own soul in his letters. In every other form of composition it is possible to discern the writercharacter, but in none so clearly as the epistolary." (Demetrius, On Style, 227). It is just because he left us so many letters that we feel we know Paul so well. In them he opened his mind and heart to the folk he loved so much; and in them, to this day, we can see that great mind grappling with the problems of the early church, and feel that great heart throbbing with love for men, even when they were misguided and mistaken.

The Difficulty Of Letters

At the same time, there is often nothing so difficult to understand as a letter. Demetrius (On Style, 223) quotes a saying of Artemon, who edited the letters of Aristotle. Artemon said that a letter ought to be written in the same manner as a dialogue, because it was one of the two sides of a dialogue. In other words, to read a letter is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We do not possess the letter which he was answering; we do not fully know the circumstances with which he was dealing; it is only from the letter itself that we can deduce the situation which prompted it. Before we can hope to understand fully any letter Paul wrote, we must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.

The Ancient Letters

It is a great pity that Paulletters were ever called epistles. They are in the most literal sense letters. One of the great lights shed on the interpretation of the New Testament has been the discovery and the publication of the papyri. In the ancient world, papyrus was the substance on which most documents were written. It was composed of strips of the pith of a certain bulrush that grew on the banks of the Nile. These strips were laid one on top of the other to form a substance very like brown paper. The sands of the Egyptian desert were ideal for preservation, for papyrus, although very brittle, will last forever so long as moisture does not get at it. As a result, from the Egyptian rubbish heaps, archaeologists have rescued hundreds of documents, marriage contracts, legal agreements, government forms, and, most interesting of all, private letters. When we read these private letters we find that there was a pattern to which nearly all conformed; and we find that Paulletters reproduce exactly that pattern. Here is one of these ancient letters. It is from a soldier, called Apion, to his father Epimachus. He is writing from Misenum to tell his father that he has arrived safely after a stormy passage.

"Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus.

I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are

going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother.

I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe when I was

in peril on the sea. As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey

money from Caesar--three gold pieces. And things are going fine

with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let

me know how you are, and then about my brothers, and thirdly, that

I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up well, and because

of that I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted. Give Capito my

heartiest greetings, and my brothers and Serenilla and my friends.

I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon. My

military name is Antonius Maximus. I pray for your good health.

Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimonboy, and Turbo,

Galloniuson." (G. Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri,

36.)

Little did Apion think that we would be reading his letter to his father 1800 years after he had written it. It shows how little human nature changes. The lad is hoping for promotion quickly. Who would Serenilla be but the girl he left behind him? He sends the ancient equivalent of a photograph to the folk at home. Now that letter falls into certain sections. (i) There is a greeting. (ii) There is a prayer for the health of the recipients. (iii) There is a thanksgiving to the gods. (iv) There are the special contents. (v) Finally, there are the special salutations and the personal greetings. Practically every one of Paulletters shows exactly the same sections, as we now demonstrate.

(i) The Greeting: Rom_1:1 ; 1Co_1:1 ; 2Co_1:1 ; Gal_1:1 ; Eph_1:1 ; Phi_1:1 ; Col_1:1-2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:1 .

(ii) The Prayer: in every case Paul prays for the grace of God on the people to whom he writes: Rom_1:7 ; 1Co_1:3 ; 2Co_1:2 ; Gal_1:3 ; Eph_1:2 ; Phi_1:3 ; Col_1:2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:2 .

(iii) The Thanksgiving: Rom_1:8 ; 1Co_1:4 ; 2Co_1:3 ; Eph_1:3 ; Phi_1:3 ; 1Th_1:3 ; 2Th_1:3 .

(iv) The Special Contents: the main body of the letters.

(v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings: Rom 16 ; 1Co_16:19 ; 2Co_13:13 ; Phi_4:21-22 ; Col_4:12-15 ; 1Th_5:26 .

When Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on the pattern which everyone used. Deissmann says of them, "They differ from the messages of the homely papyrus leaves of Egypt, not as letters but only as the letters of Paul." When we read Paulletters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises and theological treatises, but human documents written by a friend to his friends.

The Immediate Situation

With a very few exceptions, all Paulletters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, "Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation.... He had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in existence in the next generation, far less that one day people would look at them as Holy Scripture." We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paulletters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.

The Spoken Word

One other thing we must note about these letters. Paul did what most people did in his day. He did not normally pen his own letters but dictated them to a secretary, and then added Ws own authenticating signature. (We actually know the name of one of the people who did the writing for him. In Rom_16:22 Tertius, the secretary, slips in his own greeting before the letter draws to an end). In 1Co_16:21 Paul says, "This is my own signature, my autograph, so that you can be sure this letter comes from me." (compare Col_4:18 ; 2Th_3:17 .)

This explains a great deal. Sometimes Paul is hard to understand, because his sentences begin and never finish; his grammar breaks down and the construction becomes involved. We must not think of him sitting quietly at a desk, carefully polishing each sentence as he writes. We must think of him striding up and down some little room, pouring out a torrent of words, while his secretary races to get them down. When Paul composed his letters, he had in his mindeye a vision of the folk to whom he was writing, and he was pouring out his heart to them in words that fell over each other in his eagerness to help.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS TO THE THESSALONIANS

Paul Comes To Macedonia

For anyone who can read between the lines the story of Paulcoming to Macedonia is one of the most dramatic in the book of Acts. Luke, with supreme economy of words, tells it in Act_16:6-10 . Short as that narrative is, it gives the impression of a chain of circumstances inescapably culminating in one supreme event. Paul had passed through Phrygia and Galatia and ahead of him lay the Hellespont. To the left lay the teeming province of Asia, to the right stretched the great province of Bithynia; but the Spirit would allow him to enter neither. There was something driving him relentlessly on to the Aegean Sea. So he came to Alexandrian Troas, still uncertain where he ought to go; and then there came to him a vision in the night of a man who cried, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." Paul set sail, and for the first time the gospel came to Europe.

One World

At that moment Paul must have seen much more than a continent for Christ. It was in Macedonia that he landed; and Macedonia was the kingdom of Alexander the Great, who had conquered the world and wept because there were no more worlds left to conquer. But Alexander was much more than a military conqueror. He was almost the first universalist. He was more a missionary than a soldier; and he dreamed of one world dominated and enlightened by the culture of Greece. Even so great a thinker as Aristotle had said that it was a plain duty to treat Greeks as free men and orientals as slaves; but Alexander declared that he had been sent by God "to unite, to pacify and to reconcile the whole world." Deliberately he had said that it was his aim "to marry the East to the West." He had dreamed of an Empire in which there was neither Greek nor Jew, barbarian or Scythian, bond or free (Col_3:11 ). It is hard to see how Alexander could have failed to be in Paulthoughts. Paul left from Alexandrian Troas which was called after Alexander; he came to Macedonia which was Alexanderoriginal kingdom; he worked at Philippi which was called after Philip, Alexanderfather; he went on to Thessalonica which was called after Alexanderhalf-sister. The whole territory was saturated with memories of Alexander; and Paul must surely have thought, not of a country nor of a continent, but of a world for Christ.

Paul Comes To Thessalonica

This sense of the wide-stretching arms of Christianity must have been accentuated when Paul came to Thessalonica. It was a great city. Its original name was Thermal, which means The Hot Springs, and it gave its name to the Thermaic Gulf on which it stood. Six hundred years ago Herodotus had described it as a great city. It has always been a famous harbour. It was there that Xerxes the Persian had his naval base when he invaded Europe; and even in Roman times it was one of the worldgreat dockyards. In 315 B.C. Cassander had rebuilt the city and renamed it Thessalonica, the name of his wife, who was a daughter of Philip of Macedon and a half-sister of Alexander the Great. It was a free city; that is to say it had never suffered the indignity of having Roman troops quartered within it. It had its own popular assembly and its own magistrates. Its population rose to 200,000 and for a time it was a question whether it or Constantinople would be recognized as the capital of the world. Even today, under the name Salonika, it has 70,000 inhabitants.

But the supreme importance of Thessalonica lay in this--it straddled the Via Egnatia, the Egnatian Road, which stretched from Dyrrachium on the Adriatic to Constantinople on the Bosphorus and thence away to Asia Minor and the East. Its main street was part of the very road which linked Rome with the East. East and West converged on Thessalonica; it was said to be "in the lap of the Roman Empire." Trade poured into her from East and West, so that it was said, "So long as nature does not change, Thessalonica will remain wealthy and prosperous."

It is impossible to overstress the importance of the arrival of Christianity in Thessalonica. If Christianity was settled there, it was bound to spread East along the Egnatian Road until all Asia was conquered and West until it stormed even the city of Rome. The coming of Christianity to Thessalonica was crucial in the making of it into a world religion.

PaulStay At Thessalonica

The story of Paulstay at Thessalonica is in Act_17:1-10 . Now, for Paul, what happened at Thessalonica was of supreme importance. He preached in the synagogue for three Sabbaths (Act_17:2 ) which means that his stay there could not have been much more than three weeks in length. He had such tremendous success that the Jews were enraged and raised so much trouble that Paul had to be smuggled out, in peril of his life, to Beroea. The same thing happened in Beroea (Act_17:10-12 ) and Paul had to leave Timothy and Silas behind and make his escape to Athens. What exercised his mind was this. He had been in Thessalonica only three weeks. Was it possible to make such an impression on a place in three weeksime that Christianity was planted so deeply that it could never again be uprooted? If so, it was by no means an idle dream that the Roman Empire might yet be won for Christ. Or was it necessary to settle down and work for months, even years, before an impression could be made? In that event, no man could even dimly foresee when Christianity would penetrate all over the world. Thessalonica was a test case; and Paul was torn with anxiety to know how it would turn out.

News From Thessalonica

So anxious was Paul that, when Timothy joined him at Athens, he sent him back to Thessalonica to get the information without which he could not rest (1Th_3:1-2 , 1Th_3:5 ; 1Th_2:17 ). What news did Timothy bring back? There was good news. The affection of the Thessalonians for Paul was as strong as ever; and they were standing fast in the faith (1Th_2:14 ; 1Th_3:4-6 ; 1Th_4:9-10 ). They were indeed "his glory and Ws joy" (1Th_2:20 ). But there was worrying news.

(i) The preaching of the Second Coming had produced an unhealthy situation in which people had stopped working and had abandoned all ordinary pursuits to await the Second Coming with a kind of hysterical expectancy. So Paul tells them to be quiet and to get on with their work (1Th_4:11 ).

(ii) They were worried about what was to happen to those who died before the Second Coming arrived. Paul explains that those who fall asleep in Jesus will miss none of the glory (1Th_4:13-18 ).

(iii) There was a tendency to despise all lawful authority; the argumentative Greek was always in danger of producing a democracy run mad (1Th_5:12-14 ).

(iv) There was the ever-present danger that they would relapse into immorality. It was hard to unlearn the point of view of generations and to escape the contagion of the heathen world (1Th_4:3-8 ).

(v) There was at least a section who slandered Paul. They hinted that he preached the gospel for what he could get out of it (1Th_2:5 , 1Th_2:9 ); and that he was something of a dictator (1Th_2:6-7 , 1Th_2:11 ).

(vi) There was a certain amount of division in the Church (1Th_4:9 ; 1Th_5:13 ).

These were the problems with which Paul had to deal; and they show that human nature has not changed so very much.

Why Two Letters?

We must ask why there are two letters. They art, very much alike and they must have been written within weeks, perhaps days of each other. The second letter was written mainly to clear up a misconception about the Second Coming. The first letter insists that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, and urges watchfulness (1Th_5:2 ; 1Th_5:6 ). But this produced the unhealthy situation where men did nothing but watch and wait; and in the second letter Paul explains what signs must come first before the Second Coming should come (2Th_2:3-12 ). The Thessalonians had got their ideas about the Second Coming out of proportion. As so often happens to a preacher, Paulpreaching had been misunderstood, and certain phrases had been taken out of context and over-emphasized; and the second letter seeks to put things back in their proper balance and to correct the thoughts of the excited Thessalonians regarding the Second Coming. Of course, Paul takes occasion in the second letter to repeat and to stress much of the good advice and rebuke he had given in the first, but its main aim is to tell them certain things which will calm their hysteria and make them wait, not in excited idleness, but in patient and diligent attendance to the daywork. In these two letters we see Paul solving the day to day problems which arose in the expanding Church.

FURTHER READINGS

Thessalonians

J. E. Frame, Thessalonians (ICC; G)

G. Milligan, St. PaulEpistles to the Thessalonians (MmC; G)

W. Neil, The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians (MC; E)

Abbreviations

CGT: Cambridge Greek Testament

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

MmC: Macmillan Commentary

TC: Tyndale Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: 1 Thessalonians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Love's Introduction (1Th_1:1-10)

Constable: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical background

Thessalonica was an important city. Cassander, the Macedonian king, founded it in 315 B.C. and named it for his wife, who was a half-sister of Alexander the Great. It was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, and it stood on the Via Egnatia, the Roman highway to the East. It was a self-governing community with enough Jews in residence to warrant a synagogue (Acts 17:1).

Paul first visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey with Silas and Timothy. They had just left prison in Philippi and made their way southward to Thessalonica. For at least three Sabbath days Paul reasoned in the synagogue with those present, and many believed the gospel (Acts 17:2). However, he probably ministered in Thessalonica for a longer time than just three weeks in view of what he wrote that he had done there (e.g., 1 Thess. 2:9; cf. Phil. 4:15-16).¹ Those who responded to the message of Christ's sufferings and resurrection (Acts 17:3, 7) were Jews (Acts 17:4) and God-fearing proselytes to Judaism. There were also some leading women of the city and many idol-worshipping pagans (Acts 17:4-5).

"If Macedonia produced perhaps the most competent group of men the world had yet seen, the women were in all respects the men's counterparts; they played a large part in affairs, received envoys and obtained concessions from them for their husbands, built temples, founded cities, engaged mercenaries, commanded armies, held fortresses, and acted on occasion as regents or even co-rulers."²

When the unbelieving Jews heard of the conversion of the proselytes, whom they were discipling, they stirred up a gang of roughnecks who attacked the house of Jason. Paul had been staying with him. Unable to find the missionaries the mob dragged Jason before the magistrates who simply charged him to keep the peace. Convinced of the danger for Paul and Jason the Christians sent Paul and Silas away from the city by night to Berea (Acts 17:10).

Paul and his party began their evangelistic work in Berea in the synagogue, as was their custom. However when many Jews there believed, the Thessalonian Jews came down to Berea and stirred up more trouble (Acts 17:10-13). The Berean Christians sent Paul away to Athens, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea (Acts 17:14). Having been sent for by Paul, Silas and Timothy joined Paul in Athens, but he soon sent Silas back to Philippi and or Berea, and Timothy back to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:1-3; Acts 17:15). Later both men returned to Paul while he was practicing his trade in Corinth (Acts 18:3, 5) with a gift from the Christians in those Macedonian towns (2 Cor. 11:9; cf. Phil. 4:15).

Timothy's report of conditions in the Thessalonian church led Paul to write this epistle. Some of the Thessalonians apparently believed that Jesus Christ was about to return momentarily and had consequently given up their jobs and had become disorderly (cf. 1 Thess. 4:11; 5:14). Some worried about what had happened to their loved ones who had died before the Lord had returned (4:13, 18). Persecution from the Gentiles as well as the Jews still oppressed the believers (2:17-3:10) who were nevertheless holding fast to the truth and eager to see Paul again (3:6-8). Some outside the church, however, remained hostile to Paul (2:1-12). There appears to have been some misuse of spiritual gifts in the assembly as well as an unfortunate tendency on the part of some to return to their former habits involving sexual impurity (4:1-8; 5:19-21).

It seems clear that Paul wrote this epistle shortly after he arrived in Corinth (1:7-9; 2:17; 3:1, 6; Acts 18:5, 12), about 51 A.D. If one follows the early dating of Galatians, as I have suggested, this epistle would have been Paul's second inspired writing. If Paul penned Galatians after the second missionary journey, 1 Thessalonians could have been his first inspired epistle.³ However the first option seems more probable.⁴

A few scholars have suggested that Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians before he wrote 1 Thessalonians.⁵ This is not as improbable as may appear at first since the traditional sequence of Pauline letters to churches rests on length rather than date. Nonetheless this theory has not convinced most scholars.⁶

Purpose

In view of this epistle's contents, Paul had at least three purposes in mind when he wrote it. First, he wanted to encourage the Christians in Thessalonica who were making good progress in their new faith (1:2-10). Second, he desired to correct misinformation about himself and his fellow missionaries that some of his critics in Thessalonica were circulating (2:1-3:13). Third, he wrote to give additional instruction that would contribute to the Thessalonians' spiritual growth (4:1-5:24).

"Far and away the largest theological contribution of the Epistles [1 and 2 Thessalonians] lies in what they say about eschatology."⁷

". . . over a quarter of 1 Thessalonians and nearly half of 2 Thessalonians deal with problems and issues regarding the parousia or coming of Christ from heaven."⁸

"The Thessalonian letters present the first literary evidence for the use of parousia . . . in the sense of the future Advent of Christ: it occurs in this sense six times in the two letters. The event is depicted repeatedly in language borrowed from portrayals of OT theophanies. But it is the ethical implications that are chiefly stressed: the writers look forward to the Parousia especially as the time when their service will be reviewed and rewarded by the Lord who commissioned them, and they will be content, they say, to have it assessed by the quality of their converts."⁹

Message¹⁰

In this epistle there is evidence that Paul had conflicting emotions regarding the new church in Thessalonica. On the one hand he was joyful and satisfied with what God had accomplished. On the other hand he felt concern about the perils in which the new Christians lived.

This letter differs from most of Paul's others in that it does not deal primarily with a doctrinal issue or a departure in belief or behavior. While the teaching on the Rapture of the church is definitely a doctrinal contribution, Paul did not write primarily to expound that truth or to defend it. He simply clarified the events he had previously taught them. The new revelation is in a sense secondary to Paul's argument. Nevertheless it is obvious that the Lord's return was prominent in Paul's mind from beginning to end of this letter. He referred to it in every chapter.

Paul wrote this epistle primarily to comfort and to encourage those who were suffering for their Lord. Their hope was an essential emphasis in view of this purpose (cf. 1 Pet.).

The epistle deals with the hope of the Lord's return as this relates to Christian experience.

Paul took the fact of the Lord's return for granted. He did not feel compelled to try to prove it. His belief that Jesus would return for His own is obvious to anyone who reads this letter regardless of his or her eschatology. Paul believed in a real return of the same Jesus who had lived on the earth, died, was buried, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven (cf. 4:16). First Thessalonians deals with when the Lord will return. The larger emphasis in 1 Thessalonians, however, is that He will return.

In relation to Christian experience the return of Christ is the final argument that produces faith. When Paul preached the gospel in Thessalonica, he proclaimed that the Christ who had come would come again (1:9-10). His converts were to wait for Him. They had turned from belief in visible idols to an invisible God. Paul urged them to wait with the assurance that they would see their God visibly soon. They turned from disorder to the hope of divine rule, from spiritual anarchy to the hope of an orderly kingdom. Christians trust in Christ's first coming and wait for His return. Without the hope of Christ's vindication the message of His death is incomplete. I do not mean that the return of Christ is part of the gospel message. However without the hope of Christ's return the gospel message is harder to accept. The return of Christ is the final argument that produces faith in this sense. It is an apologetic for Christianity.

In relation to Christian experience the return of Christ is, second, the abiding confidence that inspires labor (1:9). The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve the living God. Their reward for service would come at His return. That would be their payday. Paul referred to his readers as his own reward for service at Christ's return (2:19-20). A little of our reward comes to us here and now, but the great bulk of it awaits the judgment seat of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58). When those we have led to Christ and discipled experience glorification, our reward will be full. This prospect is what so forcefully motivated Paul in his tireless missionary service.

Third, in relation to Christian experience the return of Christ is the ultimate victory that creates patience (3:13). The conviction that we will experience ultimate victory at the Rapture produces patience in the believer (cf. 5:14b). We can be patient about our own slow growth knowing that eventual glorification will take place. Furthermore we can be patient with God knowing that God will balance the scales of justice and vindicate Himself. One day Christ will return just as one day He was born. Both events are crises in history. They are high points not built up to gradually but introduced as cataclysms.

Thus the return of Christ is the final argument producing faith, the abiding confidence inspiring labor, and the ultimate victory creating patience. In the introduction to this epistle Paul said he remembered his readers' work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope (1:3). Faith, hope, and love are the three greatest attributes of the Christian life, and they are possible because Christ will return.

This epistle also helps us understand how we should respond to the truth that Christ will return.

First, in our own life we should respond with godly behavior: personal purity, love for the brethren, and honesty in the world. Christ's return should have a purifying effect in every one of these areas of our life (ch. 4).

Second, in the face of death there is a two-fold response. There is comfort for the bereaved in particular (4:14).

Also there is comfort for all the living (4:18).

Third, in view of judgment to come our response should be confidence. We will not experience God's wrath, but He will deliver us from it in all its manifestations.

Failure to accept the truth of the Lord's return results in unbelief and a return to idols.

It results in indolence that leads to strife.

Furthermore it results in impatience that leads to sin. These are the very opposite of the work of faith, the labor of love, and the patience of hope.

The light of this great doctrine underwent an eclipse during the history of the church. It only came out into prominence again in the nineteenth century. We at Dallas Seminary follow in the train of those dispensational writers and teachers who through careful study of the whole Word of God have brought this doctrine back out into public view. Satan would like to silence this emphasis because the hope of Christ's return is one of the greatest motivations for Christian service and sacrifice. The sanctification of the whole person (spirit, soul, and body) consists in active waiting for Jesus to return (5:23). I pray that as a result of this study of 1 Thessalonians we may all live with a greater conscious awareness of Christ's return.

Outline¹¹

I. Salutation and greeting 1:1

II. Personal commendations and explanations 1:2-3:13

A. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians 1:2-10

1. Summary statement 1:2-3

2. Specific reasons 1:4-10

B. Reminders for the Thessalonians 2:1-16

1. How the gospel was delivered 2:1-12

2. How the gospel was received 2:13-16

C. Concerns for the Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

1. Desires to see them again 2:17-3:5

2. Joy on hearing about them 3:6-13

III. Practical instructions and exhortations 4:1-5:24

A. Christian living 4:1-12

1. Continued growth 4:1-2

2. Sexual purity 4:3-8

3. Brotherly love 4:9-12

B. The Rapture 4:13-18

C. Personal watchfulness 5:1-11

D. Church life 5:12-15

1. Attitudes toward leaders 5:12-13

2. Relationships among themselves 5:14-15

E. Individual behavior 5:16-24

1. Personal actions and attitudes 5:16-18

2. Actions and attitudes in corporate living 5:19-22

3. Divine enablement 5:23-24

IV. Conclusion 5:25-28

Constable: 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians

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Rosenthal, Marvin. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990.

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. First and Second Thessalonians. Moody Colportage Library series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1959.

_____. So Great Salvation. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989.

Showers, Renald E. Maranatha Our Lord, Come: A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church. Bellmawr, Pa.: Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1995.

Smith, J. B. A Revelation of Jesus Christ. Edited by J. Otis Yoder. Scottsdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1971.

Stanton, Gerald B. Kept from the Hour. Fourth ed. Miami Springs, Fl.: Schoettle Publishing Co., 1991.

_____. "A Review of The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church." Bibliotheca Sacra 148:589 (January-March 1991):90-111.

Tarn, W. W., and Griffith, G. T. Hellenistic Civilisation. Third edition. London: E. Arnold, 1952.

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962.

Thomas, Robert L. "1 Thessalonians." In Ephesians--Philemon. Vol. 11 of Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978.

Wall, Joe L. Going for the Gold. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

Wallace, Daniel B. "A Textual Problem in 1 Thessalonians 1:10: Ek tes Orges vs Apo tes Orges." Bibliotheca Sacra 147:588 (October-December 1990):470-79.

Walvoord, John F. The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation. Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.

_____. The Rapture Question. Findlay, Oh.: Dunham Publishing Co., 1957.

_____. "The Resurrection of Israel." Bibliotheca Sacra 124:493 (January-March 1967):3-15.

_____. The Thessalonian Epistles. Study Guide series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979.

Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians. New International Greek Testament Commentary series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and Exeter, Eng.: Paternoster Press, 1990.

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Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Ready. BE Books series. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1980.

Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO THE THESSALONIANS.

INTRODUCTION.

St. Paul having preached with success at Thessalonica, the chief city of Macedonia, wrote to the this letter, to confirm them in the Christian faith and in the practice of virtue. This, in order, is the first epistle of St. Paul. He wrote it about the year fifty-two, as it is thought, from Corinth. (Witham) --- St. Paul having preached the gospel in this place, converted some Jews and a great number of Gentiles; but the unbelieving Jews, envying his success, raised such a commotion against him, that he and his companion Silvanus were obliged to quit the city. Afterwards he went to Athens, where he had heard that the converts in Thessalonica were under severe persecution ever since his departure; and lest they should lose their fortitude, he sent Timothy to strengthen and comfort them in their sufferings. In the mean time St. Paul came to Corinth, where he wrote this first epistle and also the second to the Thessalonians, both in the same year, being the nineteenth after our Lord's ascension. (Challoner) --- St. Paul preached the faith in this city, assisted by Silas and Silvanus, whose name is joined with the apostle's in this letter. See Acts xvii. Being driven away from this city by the violence of the Jews, he left Timothy and Silas in Macedonia, to confirm the new converts in their faith. But having afterwards called them to him, and hearing of their constancy and perseverance, he writes this epistle to encourage them and praise them. It is the first in time of all St. Paul's epistles, and filled with the most affectionate expressions of love and tenderness for his spiritual children in Jesus Christ. In the latter part of the epistle, he gives some short instructions concerning the state of souls after death, and the coming of the last day; as his companions had informed him that strange reports concerning these two articles were in circulation at Thessalonica, to the disturbance of the faithful. (Calmet, Estius, and others.) --- The first three chapters are to confirm and comfort the Thessalonians against the temptations of persecution; the other two are to exhort them to live up to the precepts he delivers them.

====================

Gill: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 THESSALONIANS

Thessalonica was a very large, populous, and flourishing city, it was "liberae conditionis", as Pliny says ^a, a free city, and the metropolis of Macedonia; it was formerly called Halis ^b, and had the name of Thessalonica given it by Philip king of Macedon, on account of his conquest of Thessalia, which this name signifies; and some say he gave this name to a daughter of his on that occasion, who was afterwards the wife of Cassander; who, others say, called this place by his wife's name ^c, which before was Therme: its name with the Italians is Salonichi, and is now in the hands of the Turks, as all Greece is: here the Apostle Paul came after he had been at Philippi, and stayed about three weeks, and preached every sabbath day, and his ministry was blessed to the conversion of some Jews, a multitude of devout Greeks, and many of the chief women of the place, which laid the foundation of a Gospel church; to which the apostle wrote this epistle, and is the first of all the epistles he wrote: the occasion of it was this; the unbelieving Jews, vexed to see the apostle's success, raised a mob of the baser sort of people, and assaulted the house of Jason, where the apostle and his companions were; but Paul and Silas were sent away by night to Berea, which the rabble understanding, followed them thither; when Paul was sent as if he was going to the sea, but was conducted by the brethren to Athens, who gave orders that Silas and Timothy should come to him with all speed, as they did; and Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica to establish and comfort the young converts there; and returning with good news of their faith, and charity, to the apostle at Corinth, he sent them from thence this epistle, and not from Athens, as some have thought: the design of which is to encourage them under their afflictions and sufferings; to exhort them to stand fast in the Lord, to abide by his truths and ordinances, and to live an holy life and conversation, and to regard the several duties of religion, towards God and one another, and those that were set over them; and in it he instructs them concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the coming of Christ, articles of very great importance and concern: the writing of this epistle is placed by Dr. Lightfoot in the 51st year of Christ, and in the 11th of Claudius Caesar.

Gill: 1 Thessalonians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 THESSALONIANS 1

This chapter contains the inscription of the epistle; the apostle's salutation of the persons it is written to; his thanksgiving for blessings received by them; an account of the manner in which the Gospel came to them, how they behaved when it was preached to them, and of the success of it in their conversion. The inscription which expresses the names of the persons concerned in the epistle, and describes those to whom it is written, and also the salutation, which is the same as in other epistles, are in 1Th 1:1 and then follows a thanksgiving to God made in prayer to him for the special graces of the Spirit bestowed on them, as faith, hope, and love, and the lively exercise of them in which they were; the source and spring of which was the electing love of God, 1Th 1:2 and the evidence of their election of God to the apostle, was the manner in which the Gospel came to them; not merely in the external ministry of it, but in the internal efficacy of it, through the power of the Holy Ghost, 1Th 1:5 and the effects of it upon them; it found an hearty reception among them, in much affliction, and with joy of the Holy Ghost; so that they not only professed it, and became the followers of Christ and his apostles, but were examples unto others, 1Th 1:6 for the fame of the Gospel being preached unto them, and of their faith, were spread everywhere, so that the apostle had no need to say anything about it, 1Th 1:8 the manner of their entrance among them, and the issue of it, their conversion, were so manifest to all; which is described by what they were turned from, idols; and by what they were turned to, the living God; and by the ends of it, which were to serve God, and wait for Jesus Christ; the arguments engaging to which are, his relation to God as his Son, his being raised from the dead by him; his being in heaven, exalted at his right hand there, from whence he is expected; and his having, by his sufferings and death, delivered his people from wrath to come, 1Th 1:9.

College: 1 Thessalonians (Book Introduction)

FOREWORD

This commentary has been produced through a full schedule of college and seminary teaching and church-based ministry. In the current climate of biblical studies, that schedule has necessitated some compromises. Journal articles, scholarly monographs and commentaries are today so numerous that the person who wants to keep current in the study of a biblical book must have the leisure to devote almost full time to the task. Therefore, I have not been able to consider all the issues as thoroughly as I might have liked. For most readers, however, this is probably a relief. I have tried to discuss only those matters which significantly affect our understanding of the text and have sufficient supporting evidence to warrant a hearing. So to those who find that an issue has been ignored, too briefly summarized, or too fully discussed, I offer my apologies. It is my hope that the setting in which I have written the book, having taught and preached on it in churches and a church-based college and seminary, will ensure a greater degree of relevance than might be found in some scholarly works and a greater degree of accuracy than in some popular ones.

Thanks for assistance with this project go to several people. I am grateful to the publishers and editors of the series for their invaluable help in bringing this work to publication. To my former professor and present colleague Dr. Jack Cottrell, who first offered the invitation, and to Mr. John Hunter of College Press, who graciously worked with me for its completion, I give special thanks. Another former professor and present colleague, Mr. Tom Friskney, first stimulated my study of the Thessalonian letters. His influence is felt on every page, but he should not be blamed for my mistakes. In particular I thank my family - my wife, Tammie, and our children, Cale and Allison - for their patience with me as I spent too many evenings, weekends and vacation times working on this project.

My parents, Chet and Millie Weatherly, more than anyone have provided the example for me of the integrity, love, discipline, hard work, generosity, endurance and expectancy which these letters teach. I dedicate this book to them with heartfelt gratitude.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

INTRODUCTION

Though it is a relatively brief letter, 1 Thessalonians provides the modern Christian with a challenging glimpse into the life and thought of the first generation of Christianity. Its presentation of the ministry of Paul, the trials of the persecuted church, the ethical demands of the new life in Christ, and especially of the vivid expectation of Christ's return provides some of the foundational elements for genuine Christian experience in every era.

Major critical problems with 1 Thessalonians are fewer than with some other Pauline letters; the bulk of modern scholarship is largely agreed about the general circumstances under which the letter was written. But knowing those circumstances provides a necessary touchstone for the interpretation of the letter, so they will be briefly summarized below.

THE CITY OF THESSALONICA

Founded by Cassander, a general of Alexander the Great, around 315 B.C., Thessalonica was a city of size and influence. Located at the head of the Thermatic Gulf, now called the Gulf of Salonika, a natural harbor on the Aegean coast of Macedonia, the northern part of the Greece, it was an important port city, providing a gateway to the Macedonian interior. Its prominence as a transportation center was augmented when the Romans constructed the Via Egnatia or Egnatian Way, a highway crossing the Greek peninsula from east to west and ultimately connecting Asia in the east with Italy and Rome in the west. Inland from Thessalonica lay a fertile plain, which provided abundant agricultural resources for the city and the region.

It is little wonder, then, that in 146 B.C. the Romans designated Thessalonica as the capital of the province of Macedonia. The city itself had an independent government with magistrates known as "politarchs" (Acts 17:6, 8), providing a degree of autonomy from the imperial government and its taxes. The religious climate was dominated by paganism; the cults of Dionysus and the Cabirus appear to have been especially prominent. According to Acts 17:1 there was also a colony of Jews large enough to constitute at least one synagogue.

Altogether, then, Thessalonica appears to us as a busy, prosperous, cosmopolitan city, a place where the gospel could readily take root but also meet significant resistance. That image is confirmed to us by the description of Paul's mission in Acts and the corresponding elements of 1 Thessalonians.

PAUL'S MINISTRY IN THESSALONICA

AND THE WRITING OF 1 THESSALONIANS

According to Acts, Paul visited Thessalonica with Timothy and Silas on what we call his second missionary journey (17:1). Having left Philippi after being jailed overnight, Paul traveled to the neighboring city on the Egnatian Way, perhaps pursuing a strategy of planting churches in cities on major transportation arteries so that the gospel could spread out from those centers. There, as was his custom, Paul preached in the synagogue as long as he was able (17:2-3). Acts indicates that his converts included Jews, God-fearers (Gentiles who acknowledged the God of Israel but had not converted fully to Judaism), and some of the principal women (17:4). According to Acts these conversions prompted a jealous response from non-Christian Jews, presumably synagogue leaders, who incited a mob against the Christians (17:5-7). The magistrates appear to have recognized that the mob's anger was not prompted by any offense against the civil order and required only that Jason, apparently a prominent Christian convert, post a bond pledging no further trouble (17:8-9). The violence did, however, prompt Paul to leave the city, perhaps sooner than he had planned (17:10).

From Thessalonica Paul went to Berea. But the fervor of his Thessalonian opponents was intense, for they followed him there and incited similar opposition (17:13). Paul then went on alone to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy behind (17:14-15). After Paul had preached in Athens with mixed results (17:16-34), he went on to Corinth (18:1). There Silas and Timothy rejoined him (18:5).

The text of 1 Thessalonians confirms and supplements this outline. Though Paul focuses on the conversion of Gentiles in 1:9 (see comments below), says little about the conversion of Jews, and does not quote the Old Testament, themes from the Jewish Scriptures and Judaism appear throughout the letter (cf. 1:4, 6, 10; 2:4, 10, 12, 15-16, 18; 3:3, 5; 4:3, 5-8, 16; 5:3, 5, 8-9, 23-24), implying an audience familiar with them. The letter acknowledges the opposition to Paul (2:2) and the ongoing problem of persecution in Thessalonica (1:6; 2:14; 3:3-4), elements entirely consistent with the anti-Christian violence which Acts depicts. It indicates that Paul left the city prematurely and under duress (2:17) and was prevented from returning (2:18). In particular it makes clear that from Athens Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica as a substitute for his own presence (3:1-3; see comments below) to strengthen the church and report about its progress to Paul. Timothy's return and report are recounted also (3:6).

It appears, then, that Timothy's report prompts the writing of this first letter. We can infer from the letter's contents that the report was mostly positive but did note some areas of serious concern. The letter serves to reassure the readers about their status as Christians (1:3-10; 3:11-13) and about Paul's concern for them despite his absence (2:1-12; 2:17-3:10), to strengthen them in the persecution which they endure (2:13-16; 3:4-5), and to reiterate instruction which they had already received about the standards by which they are to live as people in Christ surrounded by an immoral pagan culture (4:1-12). In particular Paul is concerned about their misunderstanding of the significance of Christ's return, especially regarding the status of those who have died as Christians (4:13-18), but also more generally (5:1-11). He also expresses specific concern about the need for Christians to support themselves responsibly (4:11-12; 5:14; cf. 2:6b-9), and to have proper respect for leaders (5:12) and for the spiritual gift of prophecy (5:19-22). In essence, then, this letter is a substitute for Paul's actual presence, containing the teaching which he would have delivered had it been possible for him to return to Thessalonica immediately. While a couple of specific problems had arisen, Paul's primary concern is to strengthen the young church in its commitment and the consistency of its practice.

DATE

If the reconstruction above is correct, then 1 Thessalonians was written during Paul's stay in Corinth on his second missionary journey. It is conceivable that Paul could have written this letter on his third journey after his second visit to Thessalonica, but since the letter itself refers to only one visit, the obvious explanation is that Paul had made only one. Some have denied the accuracy of the sequence of events in Acts altogether, but the numerous points of confirmation between 1 Thessalonians and Acts as noted above make such a denial highly questionable.

Paul's stay in Corinth can be dated with an exceptional degree of precision. According to Acts 18:12-17, Gallio served as proconsul of Achaia during Paul's Corinthian mission. An inscription at Delphi puts Gallio as proconsul during the twelfth year of Claudius' imperial power, after the Roman senate's twenty-sixth proclamation of Claudius as emperor. Since the twenty-seventh proclamation was made in August of A.D. 52 and proconsuls took office usually in midsummer, Gallio can be assumed to have taken office in the summer of A.D. 50 or 51. The Acts account makes it appear that Paul was brought before Gallio not long after he took office and near the end of Paul's eighteen-month sojourn in the city. Therefore, a date of 50-51 is likely for this letter.

Relative to Paul's other letters, 1 Thessalonians is very early. Unless Galatians was written earlier, as is plausible, between the first and second missionary journeys, or 2 Thessalonians was written first (see the introduction to 2 Thessalonians below), this letter is Paul's earliest. If so, it is also likely to be the earliest book of the New Testament, unless, as we have no way to confirm, one of the Gospels or the letter of James was penned sometime in the forties of the first century. For students of Paul and of early Christianity generally, then, this letter has special import.

AUTHORSHIP

Few critical scholars have doubted that Paul composed this letter himself. The internal claim of the letter is clear and unequivocal, including not only the salutation (1:1), but the repeated personal references in the middle section of the letter (2:1-3:10). Likewise, the external evidence is clear. The letter was quoted in some of the earliest Christian literature outside the New Testament (Ign. Eph. 10:1; Ign. Rom. 2:1; Did. 16:6-7), attributed to Paul as early as Marcion (c. A.D. 140), and never questioned in the early centuries of Christianity.

Those who have contended that 1 Thessalonians is not an authentic letter of Paul have largely based their arguments on alleged discrepancies with Acts. As implied above, it has been argued that this letter indicates that Paul's Thessalonian converts were pagans (1:9; 4:1-5) while Acts asserts that they were Jews and God-fearers (17:4). However, as noted in the comments below, Paul may have a particular reason for emphasizing converts from paganism, and Acts certainly emphasizes Jewish converts in Thessalonica as a part of a larger theme in Paul's ministry. Neither book, however, should be understood to be deliberately specifying the precise composition of the Thessalonian church.

Likewise, it has been argued that the movements of Timothy and Silas in 1 Thessalonians do not match those in Acts. In particular, Acts 18:5 shows them rejoining Paul in Corinth, whereas 1 Thessalonians 3:1-6 may show Timothy rejoining Paul in Athens. Several reconstructions of their specific movements can be offered which account for the material in both books. Paul may have initially left Timothy and Silas behind in Macedonia, and they may have returned to him briefly in Athens only to be sent back to Macedonia a second time. Alternately, Paul may have sent his associates back to Thessalonica after arriving in Athens, and Acts may simply condense their movements, giving the result that they were "left behind" while focusing attention on Paul. But most important is the observation that the use of "Athens" instead of "here" in 1 Thess 3:1 indicates that Paul probably wrote from a place other than Athens and so was reunited with Timothy at that place. Corinth clearly fits the details here, precisely in accord with the description in Acts.

A third argument based on alleged tensions with Acts concerns the length of Paul's stay. It is argued that Acts 17:2 indicates a stay of three weeks, whereas this letter presumes a longer stay with its discussion of Paul's self-support and preaching. However, all that Acts 17:2 asserts is that Paul preached in the synagogue for three sabbaths, not that those three weeks comprised his entire stay. And if only three weeks were involved, Paul still could have preached, taught and worked with his hands.

Another challenge to authorship is found in hypotheses which argue that the letter is a compilation of several authentic or pseudepigraphical letters, edited together by a later follower of Paul. Elaborate arguments for compilation are entirely conjectural and have found little support. Some have argued that 5:1-11 is a later, non-Pauline interpolation based on its vocabulary and content. The differences with the rest of Paul's letters are in fact few, however, and so this hypothesis has little support either. More prominent has been the hypothesis that 2:13-16 are a later interpolation of non-Pauline material. Specific discussion of this issue can be found in the comments on the passage below.

ORGANIZATION

Most of Paul's letters follow a rather set pattern of salutation, thanksgiving, letter body, and closing greetings. This pattern is apparent in a wide variety of letters from the Greco-Roman world, indicating that Paul adapted the standard letter form for his own purposes.

1 Thessalonians follows this pattern approximately, as the outline below indicates. One variation comes at 2:13-16, where Paul appears to offer a second thanksgiving. Such formal irregularities are not surprising, however, if Paul felt free to adapt standard forms as the occasion demanded.

Recently Paul's letters have been analyzed according to the patterns of Greek rhetoric. Several recent works have employed this approach in understanding 1 Thessalonians, with the beneficial result of stressing that the letter is a unified composition with a specific purpose of communication. Opinions vary, however, on where the precise rhetorical divisions lie, probably because Paul did not compose his letters strictly according to the canons of rhetoric, though he was probably influenced by them. In this commentary, therefore, no direct attention will be given to specifying the precise rhetorical contours of the letter.

THEOLOGICAL VALUE

As a small, young church in big, pagan city, the Thessalonian Christians faced challenges to their faith at every turn. Persecution, social pressure, temptations of the old lifestyle, conflict with new brothers and sisters in Christ, and surrender to despair were constant threats. Whatever the confidence with which they began their Christian pilgrimage, these believers were now faced with the daily ordeals of life in Christ in hostile surroundings.

Paul's answers to these problems are varied and significant. He confirms the truth of the gospel in the face of the doubts and struggles which they face, reminding them of the change which the gospel has brought to their lives and of the warnings which they had already received about the difficulties to come. He reminds them of his own manner of life with them, itself a confirmation of the truth of his message and an example of the self-sacrificial love and Christ-glorifying integrity which comprise the core of the Christian lifestyle. That love expressed to one another will in turn draw the church together to stand up to the pressure of the hostile culture which surrounds it. Perhaps most importantly, Paul reminds the readers repeatedly that the work of God begun in them in Christ will not be complete until Christ returns. They can therefore look forward to his return with great expectancy, remembering that even death itself will then be utterly defeated, and living each moment in faithfulness as they await the fulfillment of their relationship with Christ.

The situation for Christians near the beginning of the third millennium is not much different from the one that Paul addressed. And so his reminders remain timely. The truth and power of the gospel, the love and integrity which characterize Christ's people, and the living hope of Christ's return are especially relevant to a people confronted with the contemporary diseases of relativism, hatred, selfishness, and despair. The conviction that this universe will end with God's eternal triumph is as foreign to modern thinking as is the idea that it began by God's command. But apart from such a conviction, which stands at the center of 1 Thessalonians, can humanity find meaning in what seems to be chaos? Without it, can humanity find a basis for moral decisions? Faced with such questions, today's reader will not have to read far in 1 Thessalonians to find both blessing and challenge.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 & 2 THESSALONIANS

COMMENTARIES

Commentaries are cited in the notes by author's last name alone.

Bruce, F.F. 1 & 2 Thessalonians . WBC 45. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.

Best, Ernest. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians . BNTC. 1972. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1986.

Frame, James Everett. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Thessalonians . ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1979 (reprint).

Marshall, I. Howard. 1 and 2 Thessalonians . NCB. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Morris, Leon. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians . NICNT. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians . NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

OTHER WORKS

Allison, Dale C. "The Pauline Epistles and the Synoptic Gospels: the Pattern of the Parallels," NTS 28 (1982)1-31.

Aus, Roger D. "God's Plan and God's Power: Isaiah 66 and the Restraining Factors of 2 Thess 2:6-7," JBL 96 (1977) 537-553.

. "The Liturgical Background of the Necessity and Propriety of Giving Thanks According to 2 Thes 1:3," JBL 92 (1973) 432-438.

Bammel, Ernst. "Preparation for the Perils of the Last Days: 1 Thessalonians 3:3." In Suffering and Martyrdom in the New Testament: Studies Presented to G. M. Styler by the Cambridge New Testament Seminar . Ed. William Horbury and Brian McNeil. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981.

Bassler, Jouette M. "The Enigmatic Sign: 2 Thessalonians 1:5," CBQ 46 (1984) 498-510.

Boers, Hendrikus. "The Form Critical Study of Paul's Letters. I Thessalonians as a Case Study," NTS 22 (1976) 140-158.

Collins, R.F. Studies on the First Letter to the Thessalonians . BETL 66. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1984.

Cottrell, Jack. What the Bible Says About God the Ruler . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1984.

Donfried, Karl P. The Theology of the Shorter Pauline Letters . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Ellis, E. Earle. Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Friskney, Tom. Thirteen Lessons on First and Second Thessalonians . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1982.

Funk, Robert W. Parables and Presence: Forms of the New Testament Tradition . Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction . 4th ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990.

Harris, Murray J. Raised Immortal: Resurrection and Immortality in the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Hengel, Martin. The Pre-Christian Paul . Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991.

Hewett, James A. "1 Thessalonians 3:11," ExpTim 87 (1975-76) 54-55.

Hock, Ronald F. The Social Context of Paul's Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1980.

Holland, Glenn S. The Tradition that You Received from Us: 2 Thessalonians in the Pauline Tradition . HUT 24. Tübingen: Mohr, 1988.

Jewett, Robert. The Thessalonian Correspondence: Pauline Rhetoric and Millenarian Piety . FFNT. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986.

Johnson, Luke T. "The New Testament's Anti-Jewish Slander and the Conventions of Ancient Polemic," JBL 108 (1989) 419-441.

Klijn, A.F.J. "1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 and Its Background in Apocalyptic Literature." In Paul and Paulinism: Essays in Honour of C. K. Barrett . Ed. M.D. Hooker and S.G. Wilson. London: SPCK, 1982, pp. 67-73.

Ladd, G.E. A Theology of the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Lightfoot, J.B. Notes on Epistles of St. Paul . 1885. Reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Malherbe, Abraham J. "Exhortations in First Thessalonians," NovT 25 (1983) 238-256.

. "'Gentle as a Nurse': The Stoic Background to 1 Thess. II," NovT 12 (1970) 203-217.

. Moral Exhortation, A Greco-Roman Sourcebook . Library of Early Christianity. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986.

. Paul and the Thessalonians: The Philosophic Tradition of Pastoral Care . Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987.

Marshall, I. Howard. "Pauline Theology in the Thessalonian Correspondence." In Paul and Paulinism: Essays in Honour of C.K. Barrett . Ed. M.D. Hooker and S.G. Wilson. London: SPCK, 1982, pp. 173-183.

Meeks, Wayne A. The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1983.

Morris, Leon. The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross . 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.

Moule, C.F.D. The Origin of Christology . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1977.

Pauline Theology, Volume I: Thessalonians, Philippians, Galatians, Philemon . Ed. Jouette M. Bassler. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991.

Pate, C. Marvin. The End of the Age Has Come: The Theology of Paul . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Pearson, Birger A. "I Thessalonians 2:13-16: A Deutero-Pauline Interpolation," HTR 64 (1971) 79-94.

Plevnik, Joseph. "1 Thess 5,1-11: Its Authenticity, Intention and Message," Bib 60 (1979) 71-90.

. "The Taking Up of the Faithful and the Resurrection of the Dead in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18," CBQ 46 (1984) 274-283.

Poythress, Vern S. "2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism," JETS 37 (1994) 529-538.

Russell, R. "The Idle in 2 Thess 3.6-12: An Eschatological or a Social Problem," NTS 34 (1988) 105-119.

Schlueter, Carol J. Filling Up the Measure: Polemical Hyperbole in 1 Thessalonians 2.14-16 . JSNTSup 98. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994.

Schmidt, Daryl. "1 Thess 2:13-16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation," JBL 102 (1983) 269-279.

Schmithals, Walter. Paul and the Gnostics . Trans. J.E. Steely. Nashville: Abingdon, 1972.

Stowers, Stanley K. "Social Status, Public Speaking and Private Teaching: The Circumstances of Paul's Preaching Activity," NovT 26 (1984) 68-82.

The Thessalonian Correspondence . Raymond F. Collins, ed. BETL 87. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1990.

Walton, Steve "What Has Aristotle to Do with Paul? Rhetorical Criticism and 1 Thessalonians," TynBul 46 (1995) 229-249.

Warfield, B.B. "The Prophecies of St. Paul." In Biblical and Theological Studies . 1886. Ed. Samuel G. Craig. Reprint, Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1952, pp. 463-475.

Weatherly, Jon A. "The Authenticity of 1 Thessalonians 2.13-16: Additional Evidence," JSNT 42 (1991) 79-98.

. Jewish Responsibility for the Death of Jesus in Luke-Acts . JSNTSup 106. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994.

Wenham, David. Gospel Perspectives 4: The Rediscovery of Jesus' Eschatological Discourse . Sheffield: JSOT, 1984.

. Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Winter, Bruce W. "The Entries and Ethics of Orators and Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:1-12)," TynBul 44 (1993) 55-74.

Witton, J. "A Neglected Meaning for Skeuos in 1 Thessalonians 4.4," NTS 28 (1982) 142-143.

Wright, N.T. The Climax of the Covenant . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992.

COMMENTARIES

Commentaries are cited in the notes by author's last name alone.

Bruce, F.F. 1 & 2 Thessalonians . WBC 45. Waco, TX: Word, 1982.

Best, Ernest. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians . BNTC. 1972. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1986.

Frame, James Everett. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Thessalonians . ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1979 (reprint).

Marshall, I. Howard. 1 and 2 Thessalonians . NCB. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Morris, Leon. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians . NICNT. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians . NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

OTHER WORKS

Allison, Dale C. "The Pauline Epistles and the Synoptic Gospels: the Pattern of the Parallels," NTS 28 (1982)1-31.

Aus, Roger D. "God's Plan and God's Power: Isaiah 66 and the Restraining Factors of 2 Thess 2:6-7," JBL 96 (1977) 537-553.

. "The Liturgical Background of the Necessity and Propriety of Giving Thanks According to 2 Thes 1:3," JBL 92 (1973) 432-438.

Bammel, Ernst. "Preparation for the Perils of the Last Days: 1 Thessalonians 3:3." In Suffering and Martyrdom in the New Testament: Studies Presented to G. M. Styler by the Cambridge New Testament Seminar . Ed. William Horbury and Brian McNeil. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981.

Bassler, Jouette M. "The Enigmatic Sign: 2 Thessalonians 1:5," CBQ 46 (1984) 498-510.

Boers, Hendrikus. "The Form Critical Study of Paul's Letters. I Thessalonians as a Case Study," NTS 22 (1976) 140-158.

Collins, R.F. Studies on the First Letter to the Thessalonians . BETL 66. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1984.

Cottrell, Jack. What the Bible Says About God the Ruler . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1984.

Donfried, Karl P. The Theology of the Shorter Pauline Letters . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Ellis, E. Earle. Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Friskney, Tom. Thirteen Lessons on First and Second Thessalonians . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1982.

Funk, Robert W. Parables and Presence: Forms of the New Testament Tradition . Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction . 4th ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990.

Harris, Murray J. Raised Immortal: Resurrection and Immortality in the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Hengel, Martin. The Pre-Christian Paul . Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991.

Hewett, James A. "1 Thessalonians 3:11," ExpTim 87 (1975-76) 54-55.

Hock, Ronald F. The Social Context of Paul's Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1980.

Holland, Glenn S. The Tradition that You Received from Us: 2 Thessalonians in the Pauline Tradition . HUT 24. Tübingen: Mohr, 1988.

Jewett, Robert. The Thessalonian Correspondence: Pauline Rhetoric and Millenarian Piety . FFNT. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986.

Johnson, Luke T. "The New Testament's Anti-Jewish Slander and the Conventions of Ancient Polemic," JBL 108 (1989) 419-441.

Klijn, A.F.J. "1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 and Its Background in Apocalyptic Literature." In Paul and Paulinism: Essays in Honour of C. K. Barrett . Ed. M.D. Hooker and S.G. Wilson. London: SPCK, 1982, pp. 67-73.

Ladd, G.E. A Theology of the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Lightfoot, J.B. Notes on Epistles of St. Paul . 1885. Reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Malherbe, Abraham J. "Exhortations in First Thessalonians," NovT 25 (1983) 238-256.

. "'Gentle as a Nurse': The Stoic Background to 1 Thess. II," NovT 12 (1970) 203-217.

. Moral Exhortation, A Greco-Roman Sourcebook . Library of Early Christianity. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986.

. Paul and the Thessalonians: The Philosophic Tradition of Pastoral Care . Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987.

Marshall, I. Howard. "Pauline Theology in the Thessalonian Correspondence." In Paul and Paulinism: Essays in Honour of C.K. Barrett . Ed. M.D. Hooker and S.G. Wilson. London: SPCK, 1982, pp. 173-183.

Meeks, Wayne A. The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1983.

Morris, Leon. The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross . 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.

Moule, C.F.D. The Origin of Christology . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1977.

Pauline Theology, Volume I: Thessalonians, Philippians, Galatians, Philemon . Ed. Jouette M. Bassler. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991.

Pate, C. Marvin. The End of the Age Has Come: The Theology of Paul . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Pearson, Birger A. "I Thessalonians 2:13-16: A Deutero-Pauline Interpolation," HTR 64 (1971) 79-94.

Plevnik, Joseph. "1 Thess 5,1-11: Its Authenticity, Intention and Message," Bib 60 (1979) 71-90.

. "The Taking Up of the Faithful and the Resurrection of the Dead in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18," CBQ 46 (1984) 274-283.

Poythress, Vern S. "2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism," JETS 37 (1994) 529-538.

Russell, R. "The Idle in 2 Thess 3.6-12: An Eschatological or a Social Problem," NTS 34 (1988) 105-119.

Schlueter, Carol J. Filling Up the Measure: Polemical Hyperbole in 1 Thessalonians 2.14-16 . JSNTSup 98. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994.

Schmidt, Daryl. "1 Thess 2:13-16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation," JBL 102 (1983) 269-279.

Schmithals, Walter. Paul and the Gnostics . Trans. J.E. Steely. Nashville: Abingdon, 1972.

Stowers, Stanley K. "Social Status, Public Speaking and Private Teaching: The Circumstances of Paul's Preaching Activity," NovT 26 (1984) 68-82.

The Thessalonian Correspondence . Raymond F. Collins, ed. BETL 87. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1990.

Walton, Steve "What Has Aristotle to Do with Paul? Rhetorical Criticism and 1 Thessalonians," TynBul 46 (1995) 229-249.

Warfield, B.B. "The Prophecies of St. Paul." In Biblical and Theological Studies . 1886. Ed. Samuel G. Craig. Reprint, Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1952, pp. 463-475.

Weatherly, Jon A. "The Authenticity of 1 Thessalonians 2.13-16: Additional Evidence," JSNT 42 (1991) 79-98.

. Jewish Responsibility for the Death of Jesus in Luke-Acts . JSNTSup 106. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994.

Wenham, David. Gospel Perspectives 4: The Rediscovery of Jesus' Eschatological Discourse . Sheffield: JSOT, 1984.

. Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Winter, Bruce W. "The Entries and Ethics of Orators and Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:1-12)," TynBul 44 (1993) 55-74.

Witton, J. "A Neglected Meaning for Skeuos in 1 Thessalonians 4.4," NTS 28 (1982) 142-143.

Wright, N.T. The Climax of the Covenant . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

ABBREVIATIONS

ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. by David Noel Freedman

ASNU Acta seminarii neotestamentici upsaliensis

ASV American Standard Version

AV Authorized (King James) Version

BAGD Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich-Danker Greek Lexicon, 1979

BDF Blass-Debrunner-Funk Greek Grammar

BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium

Bib Biblica

BNTC Black's New Testament Commentary

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

DPL Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. by Gerald F.

Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid

EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by Horst

Balz and Gerhard Schneider

ET English Translation

ExpTim Expository Times

FFNT Foundations and Facets: New Testament

GELNTBSD Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on

Semantic Domains (2nd ed.), ed. by Johannes P. Louw,

Eugene A. Nida, Rondal B. Smith and Karen A. Munson

HCNT Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament, ed. by

M. Eugene Boring, Klaus Berger and Carsten Colpe

HTR Harvard Theological Review

HUT Hermeneutische Untersuchungen zur Theologie

ICC International Critical Commentary

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament

JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament

Supplement Series

LSJ Liddell-Scott-Jones-McKenzie Greek Lexicon (9th ed.)

MHT Moulton-Howard-Turner Grammar of

New Testament Greek

MM Moulton-Milligan Vocabulary of the Greek Testament

NASB New American Standard Bible

NCB New Century Bible Commentary

NIDNTT New International Dictionary of New Testament

Theology, ed. by Colin Brown

NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIV New International Version

NovT Novum Testamentum

NRSV New Revised Standard Version

NTS New Testament Studies

RSV Revised Standard Version

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by

Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich

TEV Today's English Version

TynBul Tyndale Bulletin

UBS United Bible Societies

UBSGNT United Bible Societies Greek New Testament

WBC Word Biblical Commentary

ZPEB Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. by

Merrill Tenney

ZTK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

College: 1 Thessalonians (Outline)

OUTLINE

I. GREETING - 1:1

II. THANKSGIVING - 1:2-10

A. The Initial Thanksgiving - 1:2-5

1. Paul's Constant Prayers for the Readers - 1:2

2. Their Exercise of Faith, Love and Hope - 1:3

3. Their Election - 1:4

4. The Power of the Gospel in Thessalonica - 1:5

B. Reiteration and Further Specification - 1:6-10

1. The Readers' Imitation of Paul and His Associates - 1:6a

2. Their Endurance of Suffering - 1:6b

3. Their Example to Other Churches - 1:7-8

4. Reports of Their Conversion - 1:9-10

a. Forsaking Idols to Serve the Living God - 1:9

b. Awaiting the Return of Jesus - 1:10

III. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH - 2:1-3:13

A. Paul's Behavior in Thessalonica - 2:1-12

1. Paul's Motives - 2:1-6a

2. Paul's Activity - 2:6b-12

B. The Thessalonians' Endurance of Persecution - 2:13-16

1. Their Genuine Reception of the Word - 2:13

2. Their Imitation of the Judean Christians - 2:14

3. The Continuity of Persecution Age to Age - 2:15-16

C. Paul's Continuing Concern for the Church - 2:17-3:10

1. His Desire to See the Thessalonians - 2:17-20

2. Timothy's Visit on Paul's Behalf - 3:1-5

3. Timothy's Report and Paul's Response - 3:6-10

D. Paul's Prayer for the Thessalonians - 3:11-13

1. That He Might Return to Them - 3:11

2. That They Might Abound in Love, and Be Blameless at the Lord's Return - 3:12-13

IV. EXHORTATION - 4:1-5:22

A. Exhortation Concerning Christian Living - 4:1-12

1. To Continue in Current Behavior - 4:1-2

2. To Remain Sexually Pure - 4:3-8

3. To Exercise Brotherly Love - 4:9-10

4. To Lead a Quiet, Honest Life - 4:11-12

B. Exhortation Concerning the Lord's Return - 4:13-5:11

1. The Dead in Christ and the Lord's Return - 4:13-18

2. The Suddenness of the Lord's Return - 5:1-11

C. General Exhortations - 5:12-22

1. Behavior in the Christian Community - 5:12-15

a. Respect for Christian Leaders - 5:12-13

b. Service and Forgiveness - 5:14-15

2. Constants of Christian Behavior - 5:16-18

3. Responding to Christian Prophecy - 5:19-22

a. Yielding to the Spirit's Work - 5:19-20

b. Testing Prophecy - 5:21-22

V. CONCLUSION - 5:23-28

A. Benediction - 5:23-24

B. Final Words - 5:25-28

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV