1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1:1

I. SALUTATION (1:1) The Letter opens with the names of three men who had been accused of turning the world upside down. The charge was intended as a slander; it was actually a tribute. Paul was the author of the Epistle. Silvanus and Timothy were traveling with him at the time, so he included their names. Silvanus is probably the same as the Silas who sang a duet with Paul in the prison at Philippi (Act_16:25). Timothy is the young brother from Lystra who had joined Paul just before the trip to Thessalonica (Act_16:1). The letter was written to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The word we translate as church was used at that time to describe any kind of an assembly, so Paul wants to make it clear that this is not a heathen assembly but one that is related to God as Father and to Jesus Christ as Lord. The greeting grace … and peace embraces the best blessings that anyone could enjoy this side of heaven. Grace is God’s undeserved favor in every aspect of our lives. Peace is the unruffled quietness which defies the crashing, crushing circumstances of life. Grace is the cause and peace, the effect. Paul repeats the dual divine names as the co-equal source of the blessings, this time putting the possessive personal pronoun our in front of Father.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

II. PAUL’S PERSONAL RELATIONS WITH THE THESSALONIANS (1:2-3:13) A. Paul’s Commendation of the Thessalonians (1:2-10) 1:2, 3 Whenever Paul prayed he mentioned the Thessalonians. (Are we as faithful in remembering our Christian brothers and sisters?) And it was always with thanks that he prayed for them, remembering their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. Their work of faith probably refers primarily to their conversion to God. This description of faith as a work reminds us of the time some people asked Jesus, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent (Joh_6:28-29). In this sense, faith is an act or deed. But it is not toil by which a man earns merit or in which he can boast. In fact, it is the only work that man can perform without robbing Christ of His glory as Savior and without denying his own status as a helpless sinner. Faith is a non-meritorious work by which the creature acknowledges his Creator and the sinner acknowledges his Savior. The expression work of faith also includes the life of faith which follows conversion. In addition to their work of faith, Paul remembered their labor of love. This speaks of their service for God motivated by love to the Lord Jesus. Christianity is not a life to be endured for duty’s sake, but a Person to be served for love’s sake. To be His slave is perfect freedom, and love for Him makes drudgery divine. Compared to love, the profit motive is a cheap, tawdry inducement. Love for Christ draws forth service that the dollar could never inspire. The Thessalonians were living testimonies to this fact. Finally, Paul was thankful for their patience of hope. This speaks of their steadfast waiting for Jesus. They had been undergoing persecution as a result of their valiant stand for Christ. But no cracks had appeared in what Phillips calls their sheer dogged endurance.The place of remembrance is indicated by the phrase in the sight of our God and Father. As Paul entered the presence of God in prayer, he rehearsed the spiritual birth and growth of the saints and breathed out his thanksgiving for their faith, love, and hope. 1:4 The apostle was assured that these saints had been chosen by God before the foundation of the world. But how did he know? Did he have some supernatural insight? No, he knew they were among the elect by the way they had received the gospel. The doctrine of election teaches that God chose certain people in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph_1:4). It does not teach that He chose some to be damned. If men are finally lost, it is because of their own sin and unbelief. The same Bible that teaches election also teaches human responsibility or man’s free choice. God makes a bona fide offer of salvation to all people everywhere. Whoever comes to Christ will find a warm welcome. These two doctrines, election and freedom of choice, create an irreconcilable conflict in the human mind. But the Bible teaches both and so we should believe both even if we can’t harmonize them. We do not know who the elect are, and so we should carry the gospel to all the world. Sinners should not use the doctrine of election as an excuse for not believing. If they will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God will save them. 1:5 By our gospel Paul does not imply a different message from that of the other apostles. The contents were the same; the difference was in the messengers. The Thessalonians had not treated the message as a mere religious lecture; they had, of course, received it in word, but not in word only. It was in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance that it came to them: (1) In power. The message worked in their lives with supernatural energy, producing conviction of sin, repentance, and conversion. (2) In the Holy Spirit. This power was produced by the Holy Spirit. (3) In much assurance. Paul preached with great confidence in the message. The Thessalonians accepted it with much assurance as the word of God. The result in their lives was full assurance of faith. Paul now reminds them of his own conduct while he was with them. He not only preached the gospel, but lived a consistent life. The best sermon is a holy life. 1:6 Thus Paul could say, You became followers of us and of the Lord. One would have expected him to say of the Lord and of us, mentioning the Lord first. But here he is giving the order of their experience. Their first introduction to the Lord Jesus was in the life of the apostle. It is sobering to think that people are supposed to be able to see Christ in us. We should be able to say with Paul, Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (1Co_11:1). Notice that they received the word with affliction and joy. This is how they had imitated the Lord and the apostles. Externally there was affliction; internally there was joy. It is an unusual combination! For the man of the world, it is impossible to experience joy and affliction simultaneously; to him, sorrow is the opposite of joy. The Christian has a joy of the Holy Spirit that is independent of circumstances; to him, the opposite of joy is sin. The affliction they endured was the persecution which followed their conversion. 1:7 The Thessalonians became model Christians. First of all, their example of joy in the midst of persecution was an example to believers in Macedonia and Achaia, that is, to all the Christians in Greece. 1:8 But their testimony didn’t stop there. They became reproducing Christians. Like ripples in a pool, the word of the Lord spread out in ever-widening circles: first in Macedonia and Achaia, then in every place. Soon the news of their faith toward God became so widespread that Paul didn’t have to speak about it; the people already knew. We are not intended to be termini of our blessings, but channels through which they can flow to others. God shines in our hearts so that the light might shine out to others (2Co_4:6, JND translation). If we have really drunk the water of salvation, then rivers of living water will flow forth to those around us (Joh_7:37-38). 1:9 It was a matter of common conversation that when the apostle and his colleagues went to Thessalonica, they had received a royal welcome. Also it had become a matter of common knowledge that a startling transformation had taken place in the lives of many people. They had turned to God from their pagan idols and had yielded their will to God as bondslaves. Notice that they turned to God from idols, not from idols to God. It wasn’t that they had become fed up with their idols and then decided to give God a chance. No, they turned to God and found Him so satisfying that they dropped their idols. It’s that look that melted Peter, It’s that face that Stephen saw, It’s that heart that wept with Mary, Can alone from idols draw. Ora Rowan Let us never lose the sense of thrill and awe that is implicit in this account. Two men go into a heathen city with the word of the Lord. They preach the gospel in the power of the Spirit. The miracle of regeneration takes place: men and women become so enraptured with the Savior that they abandon their idols. Next you have a local assembly of believers praising God, living lives of holiness, bravely enduring persecution, and winning others to Christ. Truly the Lord’s service is the prince of callings! 1:10 Not only were the Thessalonians serving the living and true God (in contrast to idols which are lifeless and false), but they were waiting for the Lord Jesus. Notice the details of their expectation:

1. The PersonHis Son2. The Placefrom heaven3. The Pledgewhom He raised from the dead4. The Precious Nameeven Jesus5. The Prospectwho delivers us from the wrath to comeThus we have in verses 9 and 10 the three aspects of the Thessalonians’ experience: Turning (compare work of faith, v. 3) Serving (compare labor of love, v. 3) Waiting (compare patience of hope, v. 3) G. R. Harding Wood analyzes them as follows: Followinglooking to God Servinglooking on the fields Waitinglooking for Jesus The Thessalonians were waiting for God’s Son from heaven. This implies the possibility of His coming during their lifetime, in fact, at any moment during their lifetime. The imminent return of the Lord Jesus is the Christian’s hope. It is found in many passages of the NT, of which the following are a few: Luk_12:36 And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master.Rom_8:23 … waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.1Co_11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.2Co_5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.Gal_5:5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.Phi_3:20 We also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.Phi_4:5 The Lord is at hand.Tit_2:13 Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.Heb_9:28 To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.Jam_5:7-9 Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord … for the coming of the Lord is at hand … the Judge is standing at the door.1Pe_4:7 But the end of all things is at hand.1Jo_3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.Jud_1:21 … looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.Rev_3:11 I am coming quickly! Rev_22:7 Behold, I am coming quickly! Rev_22:12 And behold, I am coming quickly … Rev_22:20 Surely … quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!The Christian knows that he may be required to pass through death, but he also knows that the Lord may come at any moment and that, in that event, he will enter heaven without dying. No prophecy of the Scripture needs to be fulfilled before the coming of Christ for His people. It is the next great event in God’s program. We cannot be looking for the Lord’s return at any moment if some event or period of time has to intervene. The pretribulation Rapture position is the only one that permits the believer to look for Christ’s coming today. Other views force abandonment of the imminency of His return. The One we look for is Jesus, our Deliverer from the wrath to come. This description of the coming Savior may be understood in two ways:
2. He delivers us from the eternal punishment of our sins. On the cross He endured the wrath of God against our sins. Through faith in Him, we have the value of His work reckoned to our account. Henceforth there is no condemnation for us because we are in Christ Jesus (Rom_8:1).
3. But He also delivers us from the coming period of judgment when the wrath of God will be poured out on the world that has rejected His Son. This period is known as the Tribulation and the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Dan_9:27; Mat_24:4-28; 1Th_5:1-11; 2Th_2:1-12; Rev. 6:1-19:10).