Essentials of Salvation

1 Thessalonians- An Overview

Introduction

The Pauline epistle to the church in Thessalonica was critical to the development of Christian doctrine. It is considered the earliest of the Pauline letters and, as such, the earliest evidence of Christianity, according to Gaventa.¹ The analysis of 1 Thessalonians in context and using Weima’s methods as found in Paul the Ancient Letter Writer: An Introduction to Epistolary Analysis will demonstrate the influence this epistle had on the formation of the early church. Indeed, it provides the foundation on which Paul’s theology is shaped and formed, coming to a polished final form in later epistles, such as Romans.

The Back Story

Paul had just established the church in Thessalonica. The letter was probably written shortly after the founding of the church in Thessalonica, around 50 A.D. Most agree that Paul was the author. It was written in response to the good news brought back by Timothy. Paul’s delight in their “work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope”² (1:3), but also foreshadows the four major themes taken up in the letter body: the defense of Paul’s integrity (2:1–3:10), persecution (3:1–5), proper moral conduct (4:1–12; 5:12–22), and Christ’s return (4:18–5:11).

First Thessalonians was written to a church body founded by Paul during his second missionary journey. Paul had just come down the Via Egnatia from the city of Philippi, where he was treated poorly. According to Rulmu, “In Paul’s day, in addition to her Greek heritage, the city of Thessalonica had a strong Roman presence and influence.” The society consisted of Jews, God-fearers, and Gentile pagans. It was a port city as well as being on a major trade route. “Thessalonica was named for a step-sister of Alexander the Great.”³ It sat on the Aegean Sea across the bay from Mt. Olympus in northern Greece.⁴ The city was once the headquarters of Pompey and was embroiled in Roman politics.⁵ During the murder of Julius Caesar, Thessalonica supported Brutus and Cassius. When Octavian and Anthony battled for power, Thessalonica supported Anthony, later switching to Octavian when he proved the victor. This lack of commitment was evident to the Roman ruling elite as well, but despite Thessalonica’s mixed loyalties, they still managed to secure the title of civitas libera in 42 BCE.⁶ It was in this backdrop that the Thessalonian Christian lived.

We know from the book of Acts of the Apostles that the letter was penned by Paul sometime during his stay at Corinth.⁷ Unger places the writing during Paul’s second missionary trip, sometime around 52 A.D. Because we know Paul took this second journey during the reign of Claudius, the dating of the writing has been narrowed to sometime during Claudius’ reign of 49-54 A.D.⁸ Most believe it was during the latter part of Claudius’ reign, thus the dating of 51-52 A.D. To place this in perspective, a majority of scholars date the Gospel of Matthew at 50-65 A.D., the Gospel of Mark at the middle to late 60s A.D.

As to authorship, Constable gives the following as evidence making the case for Pauline authorship, namely that his “name appears first and he spoke of himself in the singular elsewhere in the letter.”⁹ This would imply that, although Silas and Timothy were present with him, and sent their greetings to the church in Thessalonica as well, it was Paul’s letter which was being written to them. As this is the first letter, which we have extant of Paul’s epistles, some characteristics found in other letters are missing which have led some to speculate that Paul may not have written this letter. Most scholars disagree with this idea, and Constable points out 1 Thessalonians is unlike “most of Paul’s other epistles, [as the] closing section does not state that it was written by him or by an amenuensis.”¹⁰ It should be noted that it would not be necessary for Paul to append his customary sign-off on this letter, because there were no other letters which had gone before. It is argued that there were many who wrote letters to the church and used an apostle’s name for lending added authority to their work. Because this in Paul’s first ever letter, there were no forgeries or antilegomena to fight against. Therefore, there was no need to “seal” the letter with the authority of Paul’s signature sign-off. When Paul’s writings became prolific, it was then necessary for Paul to include some form of signature to assure readers that this “Letter from Paul” was authentic.

The Subtext

Thessalonica was located where the modern Greek city of Thessaloniki is currently located. Morris notes “[Thessalonica] was strategically situated on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman highway to the East.”¹¹ This was a major trade route of the Roman Empire and connected Dyrrhachium with Byzantium. Gaventa states “1 Thessalonians is widely regarded as the earliest of Paul’s letters and thus the earliest evidence of the Christian movement.”¹² As a body of believers, Paul was impressed by this congregation. Having had little time to teach and interact with this group, Paul was elated with the news carried by Timothy that this group was doing well in their Christian walk. He edified the group, lifting them up as examples to other churches on how to worship God with their daily walk and exemplify godly Christian living. There were a few things, however, which Paul needed to address. He takes liberty to tell them of their need to purify themselves from sexual immorality, to study quietly, practicing their artisan skills, and that they not worry over loved ones who have passed away, but rather to continue with praying, peace and holy living, knowing that the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Analysis

The Opening

The Sender Formula

The opening consists of two parts in the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians. The first part is the sender formula. In this epistle, the senders are identified as Paul, Silas and Timothy. Weima notes “Paul’s apostleship was not an issue with the Thessalonian congregation, and so in the letter opening he has no need to assert his authoritative status.”¹³ Although the other two were sending the letter in their name as well, the majority of the composition is believed to be Paul’s.

The Thanksgiving

The second part of the opening is the thanksgiving. Thanksgivings were a common feature of ancient letters, not just in the Scriptures, but in most correspondence. This was especially true in personal correspondence and Paul used it effectively in his epistles. Keener states “Verses 2–10 might function like a proem, the customary opening designed to secure the hearers’ goodwill, although Paul also wishes at the same time to encourage them; he is lavish in praising them (a skill emphasized in antiquity most extensively in epideictic rhetoric).”¹⁴ This is why Paul goes on at length to state his qualifications which the Thessalonians knew quite well. Weima also comments, saying:

Especially in this context where the emphasis is on God’s election (because we know, brothers loved by God, your election), there can be little doubt that Paul’s application of terms originally reserved for Israel to the predominantly Gentile congregation of Thessalonica is not coincidental, but rather stems from his conviction that the church, consisting of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, now constitutes the renewed Israel of God…¹⁵

The introduction melds both congregations into one, including both the pagan Gentiles and the Jewish converts Paul had won while staying at Thessalonica. According to Gorman, another aspect of the thanksgiving, and indeed the entire epistle, was to “It is a communication designed to accomplish Paul’s apostolic goals in absentia and to make the presence of the absent apostle felt among the letter’s recipients.”¹⁶

Rulmu proposes the Thessalonians were also a part of a hand-worker association, which he believes is city-wide. If this is true, it seems logical that a tent-maker such as Paul would fit in quite well in this society.¹⁷ This may have led to successes on the mission field, where he could witness to crafts-people who shared a kindred spirit. With little success in the synagogue, Paul began the proselytizing of God-fearers or Gentiles rather than Paul’s base of Jewish converts.¹⁸

While he may have had little success in the temple, he undoubtedly had great success as he went to the streets and the marketplace to preach amongst the hand-workers, spreading the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This could help to explain why there was little correction but much encouragement in the first letter Paul sent to Thessalonica. There was little to unlearn so-to-speak of Jewish customs and traditions, enabling these new Christians to be a model for other Christian communities. Rather, they were to abandon (and apparently did) their old idols for the worship of the God of Israel.

The Body

Carpenter and Comfort in their work Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words noted: “Collectively speaking, the church at Thessalonica was a model to the other churches in the region. Thessalonica was not only the largest city in Macedonia and the capital of the province, but also the center of evangelistic activity in the region.”¹⁹ The city of Thessalonica was a major center of activity, helping to further spread the gospel to the known world.

Having just come from Philippi, Paul was overjoyed to find a welcoming ear in the Thessalonians. Keener correctly notes that “Dio Chrysostom criticized false philosophers, who feared insulting treatment from the masses, and he described their speech as vain. True philosophers, he said, spoke with boldness even in the face of opposition. Paul and his companions were ‘mistreated’, ‘treated outrageously’ or ‘shamefully treated’ [depending on English translation] in Philippi shortly before arriving in Thessalonica; this term means that they were scandalously treated in a humiliating manner, being publicly stripped and beaten without a hearing (Acts 16:22–23).”²⁰ Having been treated as such, Paul would most likely have wanted to stay longer with the more responsive pagans in Thessalonica. Despite have a short time with them, he was encouraged by Timothy’s report.

Paul visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. Acts 17 states that Paul stayed for three Sabbaths, reasoning with the Jews in the synagogues. He didn’t have much time there, because the Jews which did not believe stirred up a mob to try to arrest Paul. A believer named Jason intervened and Paul managed to escape in the dead of night to Berea.

The main theme of 1st Thessalonians is one of encouragement and specifically, encouragement to continue in prayer. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages the congregation to continue in their belief of the gospel, and continue in the way they model the Christian life. Spivey and Smith note “The Christian should continue to work hard while awaiting the imminent return of Jesus.”²¹ This is important, because it could become easy to get swept away with the cares of this world while living in a free city-state such as Thessalonica. In fact, Paul laments the Demas departed from him and returned to Thessalonica in his second letter to Timothy. Accordingly, Spivey and Smith declare that the main purpose of the letter can be found in 1 Th 2:17-3:10. This pericope deals with Paul’s concern that he cannot speedily return to them for Satan’s hindrances, and his rejoicing that they are steadfast for truth. Paul rejoices in the news that Timothy has brought back to him. Despite having had just a little time with them, they had rejected their previous idols and now worshipped the one true God, Jesus Christ. Paul writes them to answer a few questions they have on sexual purity, and on what happens to the deceased. On the issues of holiness, he encourages them to continue in what they have been doing. Lastly, he closes the letter by saying short pithy statements such as “rejoice evermore”, and “quench not the Spirit”.

The Body

Paul encourages the Thessalonians to continue in the gospel he has delivered to them, relieved and strengthened by the report of Timothy. This was the main point of the epistle. Although prayer is a continuing theme, starting with the third chapter, he transitions the letter into instructions and exhortations.²² These will be further discussed in the remainder of this paper. The final chapter of Paul’s epistle gives concluding instructions and a benediction.²³

This church, having had but a brief time with its founding pastor, Paul, was an example Paul could be proud of. The church, possibly meeting in the houses of rich merchants such as Jason, was on fire for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was typical for the day, as Acts of the Apostles notes. Many times, Christians would meet in these “house churches” to worship Christ as soon coming King. The Thessalonian Christians passionately swept away their previously held worship of false idols to worship the living God. This area was firmly entrenched with false idols, having in plain view Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek pantheon of gods. This is evident in Paul’s opening lines of his epistle. Paul states his letter is “unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ:” (1 Thess 1:1 KJV) These people were “in God the Father”, and they were “in the Lord Jesus Christ”. In other words, they were believers in the one true God, and in the man Christ Jesus, the savior of this world.

Another particular note of admonition is to lead a quiet life. Paul’s instruction here may be for the benefit of the Christian’s separation from the prevailing culture in Thessalonica. The city was well positioned in the empire of Rome, along a busy road. This allowed them a certain level of respect in the empire, but not without its suspicions from Caesar. Thessalonica was well known, as said previously, to be a vocal supporter of whomever was currently in power. This was not lost upon the Roman aristocracy, who knew their loyalties were fickle. Despite this, they managed to be relatively self-governing. Because of this atmosphere, and Thessalonica’s position as one of the main “gateways” into the heart of the Roman Empire, a Christian could easily lose their way in this cultural milieu. Paul was encouraging them to stay focused on their Christian walk. Additionally, Constable states “Two reasons why Christians should not grieve like unbelievers are that Christians have a revelation from God that gives them hope and they have a glorious future with Christ. Just as certainly as Jesus died and was resurrected by the Father, so God will unite the resurrected dead in Christ with their Savior at His coming.”²⁴

The Closing

One feature unique to this epistle is the description of the “day of the Lord”. This day closely mirrors that of Revelation 11 where the Lord descends from heaven with a shout, redeeming the saints from the wicked on the earth. The apostle commends them, and exhorts their continued obedience to the Lord. Calling them children of light, they do not walk in darkness, and thus know full well what Paul intends by the use of the phrase “day of the Lord”.²⁵ They were distraught, thinking their loved ones would somehow be lost and not able to go to heaven because they died before Christ’s return. Paul tells them they have nothing to fear. The Lord will raise the dead first on that great and notable “day of the Lord”.

Reflections

The Apostolic Study Bible gives us several applications for the modern Apostolic Christian. Key Apostolic insights listed by the editors are to utilize the epistle for instruction in overcoming severe suffering and persecution.²⁶ As the modern world continues into depravity, this epistle gives us instruction in prayer, and encourages the believer to live a quiet, peaceful, and productive life while awaiting the soon return of the King of Kings. Christ’s return is very near, and the Christian needs to be prepared, for true believers are known by him and will be prepared when the Master calls. Especially useful and the pithy one-liners used in chapter five. Paul admonishes us to “… comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (1 Th 5:11 KJV) We should rejoice evermore, knowing Jesus will return for us and we will reign in heaven as priests and kings. Additionally, we should not quench the Holy Ghost or subdue prophesy as it goes forth from the Holy Ghost. This is important to the Apostolic church. We are filled with God’s spirit and should encourage the move of the Holy Ghost in our services as we minister to our cities.

The first epistle by Paul that we currently have was written to a fledgling Christian house church which was doing many things right. They had forgone their worship of false gods and embraced the Christian God. Timothy’s encouraging report prompted Paul to write this letter of edification to a church he had very little time to train properly. God is still on the throne, however, and his Spirit led the church in Paul’s absence into a further relationship with Jesus.

It is a letter which has application to the Christian today. We need to be led by the Holy Ghost, exemplifying Christ in all we do. Despite the culture that surrounds us today, we must be encouraged with Christ’s soon return. We have no need to fear for our loved ones who have entered the next stage of life by crossing the threshing floor of death. These will be raised from the dead to meet Christ in the air first. Then we which remain will meet Christ in the air. We must also continue in prayer and rejoicing. Worshipping the King.

The Thessalonian church was set in the heart of Roman society, but remained faithful to Christ. We have an example to follow in their faithfulness, remaining pure and holy. Paul signs off by telling them to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 The 5:21 KJV). This may have been because of the Berean church which he had just left. Paul was impressed by their diligence in searching the scriptures, and not accepting any wind of doctrine that happens to blow through town. He encourages the Thessalonians to do the same, and encourages the modern Apostolic Pentecostal to do the same.

Footnotes

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