1 Thessalonians
The origins of the Thessalonian church
Following his dream of the man of Macedonia Paul, with Silas, Timothy and Luke, left Asia Minor and moved westward into Europe (Macedonia). He preached in Philippi and after a riot he headed for Thessalonica, Ac.17:1. The city was a major centre in the Empire, on the Via Egnatia, the Roman highway to the East, with a beautiful harbour. It was therefore a key trading centre for Macedonia and was later to become the capital of the whole province. Luckily, in the second civil war, the city sided with Anthony and Octavian and so, following their victory, was given the status of a free city.
When Paul arrived he initially attended the local Synagogue preaching there for "three sabbath days". In the meantime he gained employment to see him through his stay, a period of around a month. The success of the mission prompted the Jews to seek out Paul and deal with him. A riot resulted and the home of Jason, where Paul was staying, was set upon. Only Jason was found, and he was dragged before the local authorities (the politarchs). They sought to accuse Paul and the Christians of treason, but as there was no proof of their guilt, Jason and his friends were bound over in general terms, and required to keep the peace. Paul and Silas were sent quickly away to Beroea.
Purpose of the letter
After further troubles Paul was forced to leave Beroea. Leaving Silas and Timothy behind, he went to Athens where his ministry made little impact. He then went to Corinth, by which time he was somewhat dejected. After visiting the new churches in Macedonia, Silas and Timothy came to Paul in Corinth. They brought word of the new church in Thessalonica, pointing out its weaknesses, but reporting that the new believers were standing firm. Paul was overjoyed and wrote to the believers affirming their progress in the faith while seeking to correct some of the problems that had emerged.
Part of the difficulty Paul faced was the slander directed toward him by the strong Jewish community in the town. They sought to align Paul with the many wandering preachers who prayed off the gullible for a living. Thus Paul writes to refute these slanders. The believers in Thessalonica were also under pressure from elements of the secular society. He therefore writes to encourage his friends to stand firm in their trial.
On the theological front there was some confusion concerning the second coming of Christ. They thought it was imminent, yet some of their number had died. Did this mean that those who have died will miss out on the coming day of glory? Some believers had given up their job to wait for the coming day, and were now busybodies and idlers. There was also some speculation over the date of Christ's return, a further issue that Paul had to deal with.
The enthusiasm of some of the church leaders was wearing thin and so Paul touched on the issue of respect for those over us in the Lord. He also was aware of sexual immorality in the church, and so addressed this issue as well.
The Date of writing
Paul writes soon after Timothy and Silas join him in Corinth, cf. 1Thess.3:1f, Ac.18:5. Acts 18:12 refers to the proconsul Gallio who via an inscription at Delphi, refers a question to Emperor Claudius on his 12th year as a tribune, and thus enables a dating at 52AD.
Structure
i] Greeting, 1:1
ii] Prayer of thanksgiving, 1:2-4
iii] Personal defence (an apologia), 1:5-3:10
iv] Prayer, 3:11-13
v] An exhortation to Christian living, 4:1-12
vi] Concerning the second coming of Christ, 4:13-5:11
vii] General exhortations, 5:12-22
viii] Conclusion, 5:23-28
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