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.16Their 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).23This 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).25This 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.34Midtribulationists 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.35Posttribulationists 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 howGod 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
