1st Thessalonians Chapter One Commentary by
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Verse 1. "Paul and Silvanus
and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace."
At the time this letter was written,
Thessalonica was the principal seaport of the Roman province
of Macedonia. Thessalonica, named after the half-sister
of Alexander the Great, was within sight of Mount Olympus and
it was a very prosperous city. The Romans had conquered
Macedonia in 168 BC, and Thessalonica, its capital, had a population
of about 200,000. It still exists today and is now called
Salonika. Many Jews lived in Thessalonica and a large
number of Gentiles there had converted to Judaism. Many
of those converts to Judaism (called "God-fearers") had come
to Jesus Christ because of Paul's preaching when he visited
them (Acts 17:10 & context). It is thought he was in Corinth
at the time he wrote this letter, and it was likely written
and sent in 51 AD.
Notice that Paul did not call himself
an "apostle" when he wrote to the believers in Thessalonica;
likely because his status as an apostle was never called into
question by them. He did not use the title in addressing
the Philippians for the same reason. He strongly insisted
that he was an apostle when he wrote to the Corinthians and
to the Galatians because there were those among them who were
opposed to him, his office and his teachings. "Silvanus
and Timothy," Paul's companions, also contributed to
the writing of this letter, and all three hoped that "Grace...
and peace" would come to all who
hear and read it.
Verse 2. "We give thanks
to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;"
When Paul the Apostle used the plural
in this verse ("We," "our"),
he was referring to himself, "Silvanus
and Timothy," as in Verse One. The letter is attributed
on Paul, but to take the opening statement of Verse One literally,
THREE men were the writers of 1st Thessalonians. Including
the names of the other two was not a mistake as some expositors
have felt. Paul, in the power of the Holy Spirit, said
"we," and that was precisely what
he meant.
An honest, open observer would look
at the church today, and in comparison with the church of Paul's
time, would conclude that we are weak from the perspective of
faith, hope and love. Those in different denominations
don't seem to LOVE other groups very much if at all. If
the average Christian has HOPE, it's probably for a new car,
and our FAITH is easily damaged if we don't get what we want.
Paul and his companions did not have the good life that most
now do, but they had faith in the Lord and gave "THANKS...
ALWAYS," not only for themselves,
but also for others - they truly cared for those they served.
Verse 3. "constantly
bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness
of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God
and Father,"
One thing we should all note about the
Apostle Paul is his lack of jealousy. Others were often
envious of him and the office he held, but he did not respond
in kind. He was PLEASED by the "work...
faith...
labor... love...
steadfastness... (and)
hope" of the Thessalonians and
was quick to praise any and all who were involved in honest
service for our Lord.
Notice how Paul links certain words
in these verses. Their "faith"
was described as a "work" and "love"
can be a type of "labor."
"Hope" keeps us steady and all
is done "in our Lord Jesus Christ,"
who is "in the presence of our God and
Father." Everything about you is exposed and open
to God and to those to whom He reveals you, but that's a good
thing because He loves you - He will keep you and your reputation
safe in His hand.
Verse 4. "knowing, brethren
beloved by God, His choice of you;"
Notice the wonder of God's love, which
He brings to you and me. When we come to God, we tend
to think it is our decision. In a way it is, but even
deeper is the reality of this verse: it is "His
choice of you" that leads to your salvation. Paul,
the writer of the letter to the Thessalonian people, revealed
that truth in many ways. Those who trust in Christ are
"the chosen of God" (Colossians
3:12).
Peter, who walked with the Lord on this
earth for years and was wonderfully changed by the power and
love of God, called us a "chosen race,
a royal priesthood..." (1 Peter 2:9). So many in
this world are rejected by those who should love them.
So many gifts of the Holy Spirit in individual Christians are
ignored by the body of Christ. Take heart, for God the
Father loves you so much that He sent His Son (John 3:16).
Not only for the world, but what's most important in your case
is that Jesus was sent with you in mind. REJOICE - for
He has chosen YOU, who are "beloved by
God."
Verse 5. "for our gospel
did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the
Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what
kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake."
There is "power"
in the "gospel" (good news) about
our Lord. "Power" here is
a form of the Greek word "dunamis,"
which denoted physical or moral power in action, and especially
in this context it was about the power of the Holy Spirit of
God in doing the miraculous through ordinary people like you
and me. Our Christianity is more than sermons and Bible
studies, though they can be very helpful; it is about the power
of God.
"Full"
in this verse is the same word used in Mark 8:19, where it spoke
of "many baskets full of fragments"
of bread. "Conviction" is
the Greek "plerophoria," which
meant that the Thessalonians had complete assurance and total
confidence that the words Paul spoke about our Lord are utterly
true. That is the kind of faith the Lord plants deeply
into our hearts - that we will KNOW the truth of God's Word.
Thank You, Lord, for choosing me.
Thank You for Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. Thank
You for giving me Your Holy Spirit, that I may know the truth
of God's Word. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio
Bible Study - 1 Thesselonians 1:6-10
Verse 6. "You also became
imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in
much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,"
All of us are "imitators"
of someone or something. You can see the truth of that
statement by our choices in clothing. Everyone, consciously
or not, is looking to others in what to wear, what to say, and
for our decisions in life. We choose a certain type of
sandal or tennis shoe, not because we really like them, but
because that type of footwear is "in style" at the moment.
The very words we speak are not ours, but reflect the popular
words of the time and place in which we live.
But not all imitation is negative.
Paul, in this verse, is praising the Thessalonian Christians
BECAUSE they became "imitators"
of Paul, of his companions, and especially - of "the
Lord." And like the Lord had done, Paul and the
others "emptied" themselves of
their own wants and desires (Philippians 2:5-8). The "Word"
of God had become everything to them. When they imitated
Paul, they were looking to the Lord in him. The "tribulation"
of this verse involved the unbelieving Jews who persecuted Paul
and his companions, ultimately causing them to leave Thessalonica
altogether (Acts 17:4-10).
Verse 7. "so that you
became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia."
When Rome conquered Greece, they divided
it into two Roman provinces, "Macedonia"
and "Achaia." Macedonia was
the northern province and Thessalonica was its capital.
The port city of Corinth was the capital of Achaia, to the south.
Many Roman citizens from Italy lived in Thessalonica and the
place also contained a thriving Jewish colony. Paul's
experience in Thessalonica is described in Acts 17:1-9.
Note that the Thessalonian Christians
had become an "example to all the
(other) believers" in Greece.
People everywhere pretend that they do not notice others, looking
away so that we don't think they see, but all are noticed far
more than we know. Bad behavior is seen and copied by
others, but so is the good. The Thessalonian Christians
exhibited faith, hope and love in abundance (Verse 3), and even
though communication was more difficult at that time than it
is now, the news about their faith had spread all over the Greek
world.
Verse 8. "For the word
of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has
gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything."
The Greek word for "sounded"
in this verse referred to the sound of a trumpet or thunder.
This verse does not necessarily mean that the Thessalonians
sent out evangelists and missionaries to all of Greece and to
other parts of the Roman Empire. It means that their faith
was so notable in its sincerity that others heard about it and
many of them wanted such faith for themselves. The Thessalonians
were "contagious" in a very good way.
This verse makes a lot of sense.
The key cities in Greece at that time were Corinth and Thessalonica,
two great commercial centers. In today's world, it MATTERS
what happens in centers of trade, such as New York, Beijing,
Sydney, Moscow and London. In many parts of the world,
people look to such places and emulate those who live there.
The Thessalonian Christians had a pure, simple, wonderful faith
in the Lord that others saw and they wanted to have that kind
of faith, too.
Verse 9. "For they themselves
report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true
God, "
The Greek and Roman empires were "modern"
in many ways and yet primitive in others. The same can
be said about the cultures in which we live today. Communication
in the area of the ancient Mediterranean Sea was surprisingly
quick and accurate. Something that happened in one part
of the Roman Empire would soon be heard, hundreds of miles away.
They loved the "news" about what was "happening;" just as much
as we do.
As it says in Verse 8, Paul had no need
to tell others about the faith of the Thessalonians because
everybody had already heard about them. Many people in
that city, both Jews and Gentiles, had dramatically turned away
from worshipping "idols" and placed
their faith in the "living and true God."
They TRUSTED in Jesus Christ and were filled with His Spirit.
YOU are encouraged to do the same. It will not only bless
your life beyond your expectations, but you will become "contagious."
Others will hear and they will want Him, too.
Verse 10. "and to wait
for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that
is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."
In Christian circles, a lot is said
about faith, and that is good, for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
is as necessary to us as food is to a starving man. Much
is also said about love, and that is wonderful because honest,
sacrificial love, where you place another person's needs ahead
of your own, is extremely rare on this planet. The lack
of it is the cause of many of our local and national tensions,
and without it, we are headed for war.
The other needed ingredient in life
is called "hope," which in this verse is defined as, "to
wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."
People everywhere are tense and worried about the future.
"What will happen?" they wonder. Part of the "package"
we receive in Christ is an inner certainty of His return to
this earth. No matter how bad life may be right now, we
trust in Jesus, the one "who rescues us
from the wrath to come." There is a "happy ending"
for those who believe in the Lord.
Lord Jesus, we trust in You. Fill us with faith,
love, and Your Holy Spirit, who makes all things possible.
Give us a sure hope in Your soon return to this world.
Let others see You in us and let them want You, too. In
Jesus Name. Amen.
