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1 Thessalonians

Paul had taught about Jesus being the Messiah in the synagogue of Thessalonica for less than a month before the threat of violence caused him to leave (Acts 17:1 – 10).  He received news of the development of the faithful there months later (Acts 18:5), resulting in his writing of 1 Thessalonians.  Paul commented on those reports (1:2 – 4) of their faith, love, and hope and their appropriate responses to those concepts: work, labor, and patience.  Especially when separated by time and distance, the faithful need to build up one another in like manner.

“Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4)  “Elect” is interchangeable with “chosen.”  The sequence of being chosen by God is (1) God called, (2) some responded with faith, and (3) God chose those who responded.  The reason for using the concept of “chosen” is to put the initiative on God who planned and called long before we considered diligently seeking Him.  If God were to cause pre-selected individuals to respond, then His calling of all people would be deceptive.  The call is for all.  Anyone can respond.

The first Christians of Thessalonica responded to evidence: the miraculous powers of those who brought the message plus the character of those same people and the verifiable report of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:5 – 10) despite tremendous opposition.  The Good News was not of physical comfort but of reality, in all its harshness, which produces a life-changing joy.  Further, even amidst such difficulty, these new Christians spread that message immediately over considerable distance.  The modern church must have similar responses.

Paul reminded the faithful of Thessalonica of the behavior among them of himself, Silas, and Timothy, which was so different from leaders of other movements and causes (1 Thessalonians 2:1 – 12).  They were bold despite physical challenges and opposition, consistent, straightforward, transparent, affectionate, and free of charge.  Certainly, Paul’s crew could have obtained a larger response and a comfortable living through eloquence and authority, but that was not in keeping with the message.  The modern church needs to review their own tactics.

Paul expressed to the faithful of Thessalonica how valuable they were to him (1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 20).  Paul’s motivation was relationships, not just truth or doctrine.  He found his joy in the successes of the faith of others.  Paul’s “victory parade” (glory) was displayed in those relationships.  The faithful are so vitally connected to one another that the “family” is their embodiment of the value of life. 

Paul wrote to the faithful of Thessalonica partly to ease their worries about Paul (1 Thessalonians 3:1 – 7).  While together, violence threatened, so Paul left.  At his next stop, he was tracked down by the same opposition from Thessalonica, so he had to move on again.  After that, the immediate danger was less, but times were hard.  Paul confirmed to them that this was expected, and that his worst experience was being worried about their progress in faith.  Paul rejoiced upon hearing of their growth.  This family concern should be fundamental today as well.

Paul encouraged the faithful of Thessalonica to continue to mature (1 Thessalonians 3:8 – 13).  His methods were (1) to pray for their growth, (2) to plan for further face-time, (3) to focus on seeking what is best for others (love), and (4) to become confident that God held them blameless.  Holiness emerges from a blameless heart, whereas guilt focuses on failure and produces a downward spiral because confidence (hope) becomes stunted.  The modern church should learn from Paul’s method of rejoicing over growth and the development of selflessness.

Because the faithful come into the church from their various cultures, they unwittingly drag those cultures with them into the church, creating havoc.  Many activities are considered acceptable in those various cultures which God finds offensive or counter productive.  Paul’s example was holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:1 – 8).  He reminded his readers that the faithful are reserved for godly purposes (sanctified), so immorality (as God defines it, not culture) is inappropriate.  Passion should arise from selflessness and connectedness.

Paul reminded the faithful of how selfless concern and brotherly love play out in real life (1 Thessalonians 4:9 – 12).  Selfless concern is deposited in the hearts of the faithful by God (Romans 5:5), which provides the ability to accomplish those “lower” forms of love.  Attaining this goal may seem to require heroic measures, but Paul revealed its simplicity: “to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, to work with your hands…that you may walk properly toward those outside and that you may lack nothing.”  This simple life appeals to and attracts outsiders.

Death of loved ones is a common experience, bringing with it understandable grief.  In response, Paul provided a review of the confident expectation of the faithful that they will rise again on the last day (1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:3).  Whether a faithful person physically dies or is still on earth on the last day, all the faithful will be raised and changed, reunited permanently.  Those without this knowledge have no such hope, so grief has no cure.  Of course, no one has any insight into when that resurrection day will happen, but the faithful are comforted by its certainty.

Treat each moment as though it were your last.  Paul provided the attitudes and tools for attaining a life without regret (1 Thessalonians 5:4 – 11).  First on Paul’s list was self-control, which would be daunting except for the promise that such will be developed by the indwelling Spirit who is given to all the faithful.  Focus on developing selfless concern, mutual trust, and confident expectations that God will accomplish what He has promised, not failures.  Remember that God came to earth to pay off everyone’s debt to justice.  Build up others, don’t tear down.

Among the faithful, different people need different support systems (1 Thessalonians 5:12 – 15).  Everyone needs to recognize that the faith of some is more mature than one’s own, so let them lead.  Disputes over leadership destroy peace.  Some will lack initiative and need a push to get started.  Those having a rough time need comfort.  Those with fear of the unknown need a hand to hold.  Patience is always necessary.  Revenge is a common reaction to evil, but never fitting.  Pursue what is best for all.

“Rejoice always.”  Sounds challenging.  How do we accomplish it?  (1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 22)  Keep up a running conversation with God all day.  The thanksgiving part will bring joy, as will the knowledge that God will handle your requests in the best way for all.  No one has the answer to every question about God.  Don’t just listen until something is not right and throw it all out.  Instead, keep the good parts and rejoice for that new nugget of wisdom.  Walk away from the many opportunities for evil.  Rejoice that you had enough sense to avoid it.

1 Thessalonians 1:5, “Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sakes.”  Certainly, Paul could present many instructional lessons about the things of God.  But he did not rely solely on his teaching.  While the modern faithful cannot match Paul miracle for miracle, demonstrations of superhuman character through the indwelling Spirit are just as powerful to the observer.  The character of the faithful establishes the facts.

1 Thessalonians 1:8, “From you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place.  Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.”  Those who had turned to the One True God in Thessalonica had received only minimal instruction (Acts 17:1 – 16, 18:1 – 5) before they themselves began to spread the good news they had received.  These were neither well-trained missionaries nor products of seminaries.  The message was simple and they were excited.  That should be enough

1 Thessalonians 2:9, “You remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.”  Paul and company did not solicit funding for the purpose of spreading the gospel, nor did they extract funds from those whom they taught.  They made their own living through manual labor, then taught about Jesus in their few off hours.  Breaking every time-tested rule for business expansion, the early Christians took the gospel to the whole world in one generation.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 – 20, “What is our hope, or joy, or rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy.”  Paul’s confident expectation of being accepted by God, his joy of life, was founded upon those who had become Christians as a direct result of his teaching.  Church-goers who are “just trying to get to heaven,” whose joy derives from their own successes of faith, have missed the point.  Even if not self-deceived, they cannot seem to rise above themselves, whereas true faith thinks only of others.

1 Thessalonians 4:1, “We urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.”  The faithful are expected to grow.  Being accepted by God is not a benchmark to be attained, but a continuous transformation.  Those who have stopped growing have died.

1 Thessalonians 4:3, “This is the will of God, your sanctification,” which means “reserved for godly purposes.”  The specific example in the context is sexual immorality.  In Paul’s day and in every age, the “passion of lust” has been the norm for the outside world, and it always leaks into the faithful through clever excuses and fatalistic thinking.  God promised that they could overcome themselves through the indwelling Spirit (a down-payment to all the faithful).  Confidence in God’s promise of transformation makes impossible purity happen.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 – 12, “You should aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”  Christianity is spread as the outside world observes the contentment, simplicity, and mastery of life among the faithful.  The outsiders want to know how such peace can be found in a broken world.  At that point, the faithful have the foundation from which to speak.

1 Thessalonians 4:13, “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”  Certainly, the faithful grieve the loss of their fellow faithful, but they grieve only their own temporary separation, not a permanent one.  Those who have expectations based on this broken world will be disappointed.  The faithful have a confident expectation of being reunited in a new and perfect place that will never break nor wear out.

1 Thessalonians 5:2, “You yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”  Jesus (Matthew 24:36 – 44) and Peter (2 Peter 3:10) used the same figure of speech.  No signs will precede the end.  Speculation about such things diverts the message into self-deception.  The point by each inspired writer was to be ready at all times.

1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”  Within the church, the faithful correct one another as a sign of their love for one another.  Not that those with problems will be rejected by God, but so that they can overcome themselves and be transformed into the character of Jesus by the indwelling Spirit.  This is done with kindness and gentleness (2 Timothy 2:24).  The strong in faith focus on making the path easier, not harder (Hebrews 12:12 – 13).

1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always.”  Joy in this broken world may seem an unrealistic expectation.  The key for the faithful is to focus on that which brings joy: all debts to justice being paid by Jesus; being trusted again by God despite previous spiritual bankruptcies; the gift of the indwelling Spirit who develops their character, understanding, and wisdom; and a loving, trusting, trustworthy eternal family.  With these in the forefront, the discomforts of life become just minor inconveniences.

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”  The descriptor, without ceasing, is used only here in the New Testament, and rarely in the literature of the time, so the meaning may be elusive.  However, a letter from a dock worker in Alexandria to his family in Ethiopia gave an example.  He had caught a cold in the dampness of the docks and coughed “without ceasing.”  That’s how often to pray.  A friend used the illustration that prayer was like waking in the morning and calling God on your cell phone.  Then, just don’t hang up until bedtime.

1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit.”  Two factors hinder people from taking advantage of the promised transformation by the indwelling Spirit.  First, we like to do things for ourselves, perhaps to better hide our shortcomings along the way, or perhaps we want to maintain our individuality by doing it “my way.”  Second, we have trouble accepting that the superhuman abilities to overcome ourselves are real.  Either way, we quench the Spirit, which is the down payment toward the purchase of our faith at Judgment.

1 Thessalonians 5:20, “Do not despise prophecies.”  Certainly, God stopped appointing prophets around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Zechariah 13:2, Daniel 9:24, 1 Corinthians 13:8). However, the faithful today can still “despise” prophecies by pushing aside their uncomfortable messages with excuses like, “It’s confusing,” or “Things have changed.”  God is the master communicator, so nothing in the Word is too difficult for a faithful person.  People make rules that must change over time; God is smarter than that.

1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”  God encourages us to be skeptical and to demand evidence.  Unfortunately, sometimes we go too far when we find one mistake so throw out the whole thing.  Sometimes we listen for the point of difference just so we can reject the whole person.  Paul recommends listening, evaluating, and keeping the good parts.  The various denominations might find a road to unity by adopting this inspired mindset.  Espouse and adopt what other groups do well.  The weak parts will die of starvation.