1Th 1:2 | KingComments | STEP | When the apostle Paul, during his second missionary journey, comes to Thessalonica ( ) and preaches there, a church comes into existence. However, not only a church starts, but also persecution. Opposition from satan is often proof that a real work of God is happening. There is no doubt that God was working in the Thessalonians. They witnessed to the Lord Jesus. You can then be certain that satan will come into action. You will hardly experience any opposition from satan if you do not live the life of a Christian. The brethren advise Paul to flee ( ). He has been there for a very short period, only three sabbaths. He managed to preach the gospel and to teach the new converts in, at the most, four weeks. From his first letter to them it appears that he, despite his short stay, had been able to pass on much of the truth of God. After Paul has fled from Thessalonica he comes to Berea. Persecution also arises there because also there Jews from Thessalonica stir up the crowds against him. Paul also left this city at the advice of the brethren ( ). You see that Paul was not trying to play the hero and he also did not consider the advice of the brethren below his dignity, but accepts them. He goes to Athens while his companions Silas and Timothy stay in Berea. In Athens Timothy must have joined Paul again because from there he sends Timothy to Thessalonica ( ). He himself leaves Athens and comes to Corinth ( ), where Silas and Timothy join him again ( ). Besides, Timothy had news about the Thessalonians ( ). To Paul it is a great comfort when he hears the good news about them from Timothy for which he give thanks to God. Servants are not made of stone; they do have feelings. Paul is refreshed by the news. Timothy’s report also makes it clear that certain issues need to be addressed. Paul doesn’t want to wait for another opportunity to visit them. No, he writes this letter immediately after he has heard the good news. Therefore we have, just like the Christians through the ages, a document of invaluable value at our disposal. You may consider Paul’s letters to the different churches to be means by which the apostle watched over his work. Each letter has its own character, which is in agreement with the state of the church he writes to. God has used this to record what would be necessary for the church as a whole through the ages. The two letters that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians belong to the first letters he wrote. The first letter to them was written as an addition to what he had already orally passed on to them. In that way he provided in what was lacking in their knowledge. His second letter was necessary because false teachings arose concerning the coming of Christ. When they would open themselves up to these false teachings they would seriously undermine their faith and that would lead to disgraceful practices. Therefore his second letter is corrective in character. He exposes the false teachings to prevent them from suffering shipwreck concerning their faith. The central theme in both letters is the return of Christ, though not only as a formal doctrine. Christ’s return is connected to all spiritual and natural relationships in which we find ourselves. It is expressed in all circumstances in the life of the Christian. Each of the five chapters of the first letter ends with a reference to that coming, though every time from a different aspect: 1. In chapter 1 the expectation of that coming is also the goal of our conversion ( ). 2. The end of chapter 2 refers to the coming of Christ as the event in which the believers will see the fruits of their work ( ). 3. Chapter 3 concludes with His coming in connection with the holiness which will then be seen in all its real value ( ). 4. In the last part of chapter 4 the coming of Christ is presented as comfort for believers who had to bury loved ones ( ). 5. In the conclusion of chapter 5 the coming of Christ is connected to the unexpected judgment that the world will meet – as the first part of that chapter describes – and the sanctifying effect that it should have on the believer ( ). We now go back briefly to the first acquaintance of Paul with the Thessalonians. In Luke’s account of it in he describes vividly what that was like. He also mentions details regarding Paul’s preaching and how it was received. According to his custom Paul first goes to a synagogue because he wants to preach the gospel to his ‘brethren after the flesh’ first. He converses with them starting from familiar Scriptures. On that basis he explains and shows that Jesus is the Christ, Who had to suffer and rise again from the dead. Some of them are convinced. Also among the Gentiles people come to faith. But that does not please satan. He succeeds by inciting Jews and wicked men to cause an uproar. A procession starts to the house of Jason, who apparently had provided accommodation to Paul and Silas. When the crowd doesn’t find them there, Jason has to pay the price. Jason and some other brethren are dragged to the city council. A twofold charge was brought: the people Jason has given accommodation to, cause turmoil in the whole world, and they preach another King than the emperor, Jesus ( ). As has often happened in the history of professing Christianity, also here the charge is in fact a compliment to the Christians who are not ashamed of the gospel. A clear testimony concerning the Lord Jesus causes turmoil. People do not like to be confronted with their sinfulness, even if this is done to have them confess that they may be saved. Also the preaching of Christ Who is glorified in heaven, is an offense and an annoyance. You only have to tell the people around you that you have submitted your life to the authority of the Lord Jesus. Tell that the power is not in the hands of the world leaders, but that all power in heaven and on earth has been given by God into the hands of Him Who is despised and murdered by the world. Tell, like the Thessalonians, that you have converted and that you want to live for Him and under his commandments. That’s what the world responds to. The Thessalonians have, imitating what the Lord Jesus did before Pilate, witnessed the good confession ( ). The Lord Jesus witnessed before Pilate that His kingdom was now not of this world ( ). His kingdom is still to come. He will establish it at His return. And that is what the Thessalonians confessed. The true hope of everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord – and thereby confesses to be a subject of that Lord – is focused on the return of Christ to establish His kingdom. All these things are not only for the advanced believers. The Thessalonians were newly converted. With them you see the youthful freshness of a living faith that in all circumstances counts on God. It is something that makes one jealous. Their example is embarrassing and encouraging at the same time. .This letter does not come from Paul alone. Silvanus and Timothy are co-senders. This is quite understandable, for they have laid the foundation of the church in Thessalonica together with him. Don’t you think that the Thessalonians, while reading these three names, felt great thankfulness rise in their hearts? These were the men who brought them the gospel by which they got to know the Lord Jesus. The enormous change that it has brought about is presented in this letter in an appealing and therefore catching way. Paul must have been grateful for the support of these two men. Silvanus – that is how Paul calls him in his letters; in Acts Luke calls him Silas – was a faithful brother who accompanied Paul during his second missionary journey. He came from the church at Jerusalem, where he was a leader and a prophet ( ). Paul finds in the young Timothy a companion to whom he was very attached ( ). Here you see how older believers beautifully go together with a young, dedicated believer. There was no generation gap between them. Notice that Paul introduces himself only by his name. That is remarkable, considering that in many other letters he presents himself as an apostle. In this letter he does not. This is because he writes this letter to a newly started church. In chapter 2 you will see how he compares himself with a mother and a father. That attitude is much more appropriate for someone who addresses babies in faith, than the formal approach of an apostle. There is something else remarkable in the greeting. The word “church” means ‘the called-out ones’. In their case the point is that they were called out from the pagan idolatry. Those who form the church of the living God have indeed been ‘called out’ from the world, but surely not to live in a vacuum. Therefore the church in Thessalonica is addressed as “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. That is unique. This way of addressing appears only one more time in the second letter to the same church. This also fits with the ‘target audience’. The senders want to let this young church feel that they are a companionship of believers that is safe in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means a great encouragement. What a privilege to be allowed to call God your Father! That is because they have been born of God and possess the Son as their life. If they become fully aware of this, it may be of great comfort to them amid all the oppression in which they find themselves. Additionally they all have the same relation to the Lord Jesus. He is mentioned here with His full name. He is the humiliated Man Jesus, but He is also the Anointed (that is the meaning of the name Christ) of God Whom God made both Lord and Christ ( ). It does not say ‘in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus’. The word ‘in’ is written here only once. Therefore God the Father and the Lord Jesus are closely connected together. Being ‘in’ God can never be without the Lord Jesus. It points to a certain sphere of life in which we are as in a certain room. It also indicates an intimate relationship. That relationship can only be experienced and sustained by the Holy Spirit Who is also regularly referred to in this letter ( ). This is no question of false mysticism as if there would be a kind of entering into the Godhead. Being ‘in’ is not the result of human effort. It is a Divine gift. They did not become a (local) church by an official permission of people from another church, but simply because God had called them out of the world to be one. In order to give substance to that it is a blessing to know that you, together with your brothers and sisters of the local church, are in Divine Persons. The Thessalonians – and we too – can be sure that they have been received and hidden in an atmosphere of Divine love, care and power. I think that this is beautifully reflected in Isaiah 40 ( ). The writers close the salutation with the blessing “grace to you and peace”. It is the wish that the Thessalonians will experience grace and peace in their lives. It is a great grace to be assured that you have been saved from hell and that you are a child of God. But here it is about noticing the grace of God in your daily life; that that grace is enough for you in all circumstances, also in the very tough ones ( ). If that is the case, you will have peace in your heart, even in the hardships you have to endure and which you sometimes do not understand. It is about the actual awareness of standing in the full grace of God ( ), with peace as its fruit. Then you can say to yourself: ‘In whatever way God leads me, I will have peace in it.’ . It must have been also an encouragement for the Thessalonians to hear that Paul and his companions always give thanks for all of them. That means that they regularly go to God in prayer and give Him thanks for what He has worked in the Thessalonians. Giving thanks is: giving glory and honor to God. It is a lofty form of answering to God. It is an appreciation of the blessings that have been given to us and the appreciation of Him Who blesses. When Paul gives thanks for them, he regards them as a gift of God. How do you regard your fellow believers? Thankfulness is a mind of the believer. It is not an inferior activity. In Luke 17, only one of the ten cleansed lepers returns to give thanks to the Lord Jesus ( ). The Lord says about him that he gave glory to God. Ungratefulness is one of the characteristics of the last days ( ). Giving thanks puts you in the right position before God to be able to pray. Otherwise prayer becomes the visit to the complaints office and can even be misused to accuse fellow believers before God. Despite many worries, Paul could always give thanks for them. He is not selective at this point, but he gives thanks for all of them. He is also not vague but he mentions concrete points for which he can give thanks. Here he gives thanks for the way they practiced their faith. In chapter 2 he even gives thanks without ceasing that they received the Word of God ( ). In chapter 3 it is as if he is searching for words to tell God about the joy they brought him by what he saw with them and heard of them ( ). There is always something for which he can give thanks. He does so always, without ceasing. Giving thanks and prayer belong together ( ; ). After thanksgiving comes praying. Giving thanks together and praying together creates a strong bond between those who pray together as well as between those who pray and those who are being prayed for. Its power is often underestimated, which is why prayer meetings are so poorly attended. Therefore the result is that not much is being achieved concerning God's work in a needy world and in churches that fall prey to the world. When you read this from Paul and his companions, it may seem that they did not travel that much since they were always on their knees ( ). Isn’t it true that we are more in action than on our knees? That can change, but you must be willing to make the effort, that is: it requires willingness from your side. You can start practicing by saying good things of your fellow brothers and sisters to the Lord. After that you can tell Him about what you find hard about them. It will make your prayer life richer and the Lord will use it to glorify His Name. Now read Thessalonians 1:1-2 again. Reflection: What shows the loving way in which the senders approach these young believers?

‏ 1 Thessalonians 1:2

Introduction

When the apostle Paul, during his second missionary journey, comes to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1) and preaches there, a church comes into existence. However, not only a church starts, but also persecution. Opposition from satan is often proof that a real work of God is happening. There is no doubt that God was working in the Thessalonians. They witnessed to the Lord Jesus. You can then be certain that satan will come into action. You will hardly experience any opposition from satan if you do not live the life of a Christian.

The brethren advise Paul to flee (Acts 17:10). He has been there for a very short period, only three sabbaths. He managed to preach the gospel and to teach the new converts in, at the most, four weeks. From his first letter to them it appears that he, despite his short stay, had been able to pass on much of the truth of God.

After Paul has fled from Thessalonica he comes to Berea. Persecution also arises there because also there Jews from Thessalonica stir up the crowds against him. Paul also left this city at the advice of the brethren (Acts 17:14). You see that Paul was not trying to play the hero and he also did not consider the advice of the brethren below his dignity, but accepts them.

He goes to Athens while his companions Silas and Timothy stay in Berea. In Athens Timothy must have joined Paul again because from there he sends Timothy to Thessalonica (1Thes 3:1-2). He himself leaves Athens and comes to Corinth (Acts 18:1), where Silas and Timothy join him again (Acts 18:5). Besides, Timothy had news about the Thessalonians (1Thes 3:6).

To Paul it is a great comfort when he hears the good news about them from Timothy for which he give thanks to God. Servants are not made of stone; they do have feelings. Paul is refreshed by the news. Timothy’s report also makes it clear that certain issues need to be addressed. Paul doesn’t want to wait for another opportunity to visit them. No, he writes this letter immediately after he has heard the good news. Therefore we have, just like the Christians through the ages, a document of invaluable value at our disposal.

You may consider Paul’s letters to the different churches to be means by which the apostle watched over his work. Each letter has its own character, which is in agreement with the state of the church he writes to. God has used this to record what would be necessary for the church as a whole through the ages.

The two letters that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians belong to the first letters he wrote. The first letter to them was written as an addition to what he had already orally passed on to them. In that way he provided in what was lacking in their knowledge. His second letter was necessary because false teachings arose concerning the coming of Christ. When they would open themselves up to these false teachings they would seriously undermine their faith and that would lead to disgraceful practices. Therefore his second letter is corrective in character. He exposes the false teachings to prevent them from suffering shipwreck concerning their faith.

The central theme in both letters is the return of Christ, though not only as a formal doctrine. Christ’s return is connected to all spiritual and natural relationships in which we find ourselves. It is expressed in all circumstances in the life of the Christian.

Each of the five chapters of the first letter ends with a reference to that coming, though every time from a different aspect:

1. In chapter 1 the expectation of that coming is also the goal of our conversion (1Thes 1:10).

2. The end of chapter 2 refers to the coming of Christ as the event in which the believers will see the fruits of their work (1Thes 2:19).

3. Chapter 3 concludes with His coming in connection with the holiness which will then be seen in all its real value (1Thes 3:13).

4. In the last part of chapter 4 the coming of Christ is presented as comfort for believers who had to bury loved ones (1Thes 4:13-18).

5. In the conclusion of chapter 5 the coming of Christ is connected to the unexpected judgment that the world will meet – as the first part of that chapter describes – and the sanctifying effect that it should have on the believer (1Thes 5:23).

We now go back briefly to the first acquaintance of Paul with the Thessalonians. In Luke’s account of it in Acts 17:1-10 he describes vividly what that was like. He also mentions details regarding Paul’s preaching and how it was received.

According to his custom Paul first goes to a synagogue because he wants to preach the gospel to his ‘brethren after the flesh’ first. He converses with them starting from familiar Scriptures. On that basis he explains and shows that Jesus is the Christ, Who had to suffer and rise again from the dead. Some of them are convinced. Also among the Gentiles people come to faith. But that does not please satan. He succeeds by inciting Jews and wicked men to cause an uproar.

A procession starts to the house of Jason, who apparently had provided accommodation to Paul and Silas. When the crowd doesn’t find them there, Jason has to pay the price. Jason and some other brethren are dragged to the city council. A twofold charge was brought: the people Jason has given accommodation to, cause turmoil in the whole world, and they preach another King than the emperor, Jesus (Acts 17:6-7).

As has often happened in the history of professing Christianity, also here the charge is in fact a compliment to the Christians who are not ashamed of the gospel. A clear testimony concerning the Lord Jesus causes turmoil. People do not like to be confronted with their sinfulness, even if this is done to have them confess that they may be saved.

Also the preaching of Christ Who is glorified in heaven, is an offense and an annoyance. You only have to tell the people around you that you have submitted your life to the authority of the Lord Jesus. Tell that the power is not in the hands of the world leaders, but that all power in heaven and on earth has been given by God into the hands of Him Who is despised and murdered by the world. Tell, like the Thessalonians, that you have converted and that you want to live for Him and under his commandments. That’s what the world responds to.

The Thessalonians have, imitating what the Lord Jesus did before Pilate, witnessed the good confession (1Tim 6:13). The Lord Jesus witnessed before Pilate that His kingdom was now not of this world (Jn 18:36). His kingdom is still to come. He will establish it at His return. And that is what the Thessalonians confessed. The true hope of everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord – and thereby confesses to be a subject of that Lord – is focused on the return of Christ to establish His kingdom.

All these things are not only for the advanced believers. The Thessalonians were newly converted. With them you see the youthful freshness of a living faith that in all circumstances counts on God. It is something that makes one jealous. Their example is embarrassing and encouraging at the same time.

Greeting, Blessing and Giving Thanks

1Thes 1:1.This letter does not come from Paul alone. Silvanus and Timothy are co-senders. This is quite understandable, for they have laid the foundation of the church in Thessalonica together with him. Don’t you think that the Thessalonians, while reading these three names, felt great thankfulness rise in their hearts? These were the men who brought them the gospel by which they got to know the Lord Jesus. The enormous change that it has brought about is presented in this letter in an appealing and therefore catching way.

Paul must have been grateful for the support of these two men. Silvanus – that is how Paul calls him in his letters; in Acts Luke calls him Silas – was a faithful brother who accompanied Paul during his second missionary journey. He came from the church at Jerusalem, where he was a leader and a prophet (Acts 15:22 ; 27 ; 32). Paul finds in the young Timothy a companion to whom he was very attached (Phil 2:20-22). Here you see how older believers beautifully go together with a young, dedicated believer. There was no generation gap between them.

Notice that Paul introduces himself only by his name. That is remarkable, considering that in many other letters he presents himself as an apostle. In this letter he does not. This is because he writes this letter to a newly started church. In chapter 2 you will see how he compares himself with a mother and a father. That attitude is much more appropriate for someone who addresses babies in faith, than the formal approach of an apostle.

There is something else remarkable in the greeting. The word “church” means ‘the called-out ones’. In their case the point is that they were called out from the pagan idolatry. Those who form the church of the living God have indeed been ‘called out’ from the world, but surely not to live in a vacuum. Therefore the church in Thessalonica is addressed as “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. That is unique. This way of addressing appears only one more time in the second letter to the same church. This also fits with the ‘target audience’. The senders want to let this young church feel that they are a companionship of believers that is safe in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This means a great encouragement. What a privilege to be allowed to call God your Father! That is because they have been born of God and possess the Son as their life. If they become fully aware of this, it may be of great comfort to them amid all the oppression in which they find themselves. Additionally they all have the same relation to the Lord Jesus. He is mentioned here with His full name. He is the humiliated Man Jesus, but He is also the Anointed (that is the meaning of the name Christ) of God Whom God made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

It does not say ‘in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus’. The word ‘in’ is written here only once. Therefore God the Father and the Lord Jesus are closely connected together. Being ‘in’ God can never be without the Lord Jesus. It points to a certain sphere of life in which we are as in a certain room. It also indicates an intimate relationship. That relationship can only be experienced and sustained by the Holy Spirit Who is also regularly referred to in this letter (1Thes 1:5 ; 6 ; 1Thes 4:8 ; 1Thes 5:19).

This is no question of false mysticism as if there would be a kind of entering into the Godhead. Being ‘in’ is not the result of human effort. It is a Divine gift. They did not become a (local) church by an official permission of people from another church, but simply because God had called them out of the world to be one.

In order to give substance to that it is a blessing to know that you, together with your brothers and sisters of the local church, are in Divine Persons. The Thessalonians – and we too – can be sure that they have been received and hidden in an atmosphere of Divine love, care and power. I think that this is beautifully reflected in Isaiah 40 (Isa 40:11).

The writers close the salutation with the blessing “grace to you and peace”. It is the wish that the Thessalonians will experience grace and peace in their lives. It is a great grace to be assured that you have been saved from hell and that you are a child of God. But here it is about noticing the grace of God in your daily life; that that grace is enough for you in all circumstances, also in the very tough ones (2Cor 12:9). If that is the case, you will have peace in your heart, even in the hardships you have to endure and which you sometimes do not understand.

It is about the actual awareness of standing in the full grace of God (Rom 5:2), with peace as its fruit. Then you can say to yourself: ‘In whatever way God leads me, I will have peace in it.’

1Thes 1:2. It must have been also an encouragement for the Thessalonians to hear that Paul and his companions always give thanks for all of them. That means that they regularly go to God in prayer and give Him thanks for what He has worked in the Thessalonians. Giving thanks is: giving glory and honor to God. It is a lofty form of answering to God. It is an appreciation of the blessings that have been given to us and the appreciation of Him Who blesses. When Paul gives thanks for them, he regards them as a gift of God. How do you regard your fellow believers?

Thankfulness is a mind of the believer. It is not an inferior activity. In Luke 17, only one of the ten cleansed lepers returns to give thanks to the Lord Jesus (Lk 17:15). The Lord says about him that he gave glory to God. Ungratefulness is one of the characteristics of the last days (2Tim 3:1-2). Giving thanks puts you in the right position before God to be able to pray. Otherwise prayer becomes the visit to the complaints office and can even be misused to accuse fellow believers before God.

Despite many worries, Paul could always give thanks for them. He is not selective at this point, but he gives thanks for all of them. He is also not vague but he mentions concrete points for which he can give thanks. Here he gives thanks for the way they practiced their faith. In chapter 2 he even gives thanks without ceasing that they received the Word of God (1Thes 2:13). In chapter 3 it is as if he is searching for words to tell God about the joy they brought him by what he saw with them and heard of them (1Thes 3:9). There is always something for which he can give thanks. He does so always, without ceasing.

Giving thanks and prayer belong together (Eph 1:16; Phil 1:3-4). After thanksgiving comes praying. Giving thanks together and praying together creates a strong bond between those who pray together as well as between those who pray and those who are being prayed for. Its power is often underestimated, which is why prayer meetings are so poorly attended. Therefore the result is that not much is being achieved concerning God's work in a needy world and in churches that fall prey to the world.

When you read this from Paul and his companions, it may seem that they did not travel that much since they were always on their knees (1Thes 3:10). Isn’t it true that we are more in action than on our knees? That can change, but you must be willing to make the effort, that is: it requires willingness from your side. You can start practicing by saying good things of your fellow brothers and sisters to the Lord. After that you can tell Him about what you find hard about them. It will make your prayer life richer and the Lord will use it to glorify His Name.

Now read Thessalonians 1:1-2 again.

Reflection: What shows the loving way in which the senders approach these young believers?