Dr. Paul’s First Contemporary History to the Thessalonians
Introduction:
Dr. Paul from Corinth sends this Letter back to Thessalonica for those in Jesus’ Kingdom. He is elated by their submission and service to Jesus and His Cause. He had left Timothy and Silas in Berea (after he left Thessalonica), who later met him in Athens. He then sent Timothy and Silas to Thessalonica (and likely Silas on to Philippi) for follow-up, as he had practiced his entire service to Jesus’ Kingdom, since Antioch. They all met again in Corinth and Dr. Paul sent a Letter to Thessalonica by Timothy. It appears that that Letter was after the first one, (which is 2 Thessalonians). This was between A.D. 51-52.
Dr. Paul as a contemporary historian relates to his time with them and mentions that while he evangelized out of Corinth, he came to cities that they (the Thessalonian congregation) had already taught the Good News. This had not been mentioned in other of Dr. Paul’s Histories, as the practice of new citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom. Jerusalem, though, under persecution was the 1st example of such activity. Also, Antioch sent out Dr. Paul and Prof. Barnabas, after they became stable. And in the future Ephesus would be the base of much evangelism throughout Asia. And in those cities, he would plant, train and organize many congregations of Jesus’ Kingdom. Thessalonica was in just a few months engaged in establishing new works, as Dr. Paul discovered, when he came to evangelize those new cities, as he worked out of Corinth. This Letter mentions those actions and the other does not. Whether it is persecution in Thessalonica or mission outreach, still Paul ran into the results after establishing a base in Corinth and goes to the areas outside of Corinth. Thus, it was much more likely that the 1Thessalonian Letter was actually the 2nd Letter to them from Corinth.
Date: A.D. 51-52
Letter:
(1st) Paul and Silas and Timothy, to the congregation of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you all and peace. {1:1}
(2nd) Always we thank God for every one of you, making mention of you in our prayers, always remembering: your work of ‘the Faith’, and labor of ‘the Love’, and steadfastness of ‘the Hope’ in our Lord Jesus Christ. Before our God and Father, you all still knowing, brothers, having maintained being beloved by God, that you all are chosen people. Because our Good News did not come to you in speech only, but more so, also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you are still aware of what kind of men we were among you, for your sake. You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having embraced the Message from the Holy Spirit in much suffering, with joy. {1:7}
You all became a model to all those believing in Macedonia and in Achaia. The Message of the Lord has sounded out from you, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but more so, in every place, ‘the Faith’ of you toward God still rings out, so that we have no need to say anything. They, themselves are reporting what kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned toward God from idols to serve the true and living God, and to wait for His Son out of heaven, Whom He raised out of the dead, even Jesus! Who Himself delivers us out of the coming wrath. {1:10}
Brothers, you yourselves are aware that our entrance among you was not in vain. But more so, after we had suffered, and had been violently abused, at Philippi, as you are aware, we were bold in our God to speak God’s Good News to you all in severe anguish. We did not appeal to you deceptively, or impurely, or dishonestly; but more so, as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but more so, God! Who is constantly testing our hearts. We, too, did not come to you with flattering speech, as you are still aware, or under a cover of greed. God is witness! We did not seek praise from men, either from you or from others, though we could have been burdensome as Christ’s messengers. But more so, we were gentle in your midst, as a nurse caring for her own children. Since we have such a kindly feeling for you, we were pleased to share with you not only God’s Good News, but more so, our own souls also, because you became very precious to us. You remember, brothers, our labor and wearisome toil, towards you all, working night and day, not to burden any of you, we proclaimed God’s Good News to you. You and God are witnesses: how holy and upright and blamelessly we were among you who continue believing. You are still aware how we worked with each one of you, as a father with his own children: encouraging you, and comforting, and testifying unto you all, that you should walk of the manner of the God, Who called you into His own Kingdom and Splendor. {2:12}
We thank God constantly that, when you received God’s Message, which you heard from us, you received it not as a human message, but more so, as it really is, God’s Message, which works in you who believe. You became imitators, brothers, of God’s congregations in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, because you suffered the same things by your own countrymen, as they did by the Jews. They killed both the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and persecuted us harshly. They displease God, and are opposed to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved. They always fill up the measure of their sins, and wrath has at last come on them. {2:16}
(3rd) Brothers, though we have been separated from you for a time (in face, not in heart), we have striven more diligently with intense desire to see your face; we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, indeed more than once), and Satan hindered us. What is our hope or joy or crown of exultation before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? You are our glory and joy. Therefore, when we could hold off no longer, we thought it good to be left alone in Athens, and sent Timothy, our brother, and God’s fellow worker in the Good News of Christ, to strengthen and to encourage you in ‘the Faith’ of you all, that no one be shaken by these troubles. You yourselves are still aware that we ourselves are appointed for such, for even when we were with you, we were telling you beforehand that we were to be troubled, even as it happened, and you are still aware. Consequently, when I could hold off no longer, I sent to know ‘the Faith’ of you, whether perhaps the tempter had tempted you, and our labor had been unto vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought the good news to us of ‘the Faith’ and the Love of you all, and that you have a fond remembrance of us always, yearning to see us, even as we also were you; for this reason we were encouraged, brothers, about you, in our every trial and trouble, by ‘the Faith’ of you. Now we live as you must stand fast in the Lord. What thanks can we render to God concerning you, because of all our rejoicing because of you before our God, fervently praying night and day to see your face, and to complete the things lacking in ‘the Faith’ of you? May our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way toward you, and may the Lord make your love unto one another, and unto all, to increase and overflow, even as ours unto you, that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints, amen. {3:13}
(4th) Finally, brothers, as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God, even as you are walking, we ask and implore you in the Lord Jesus that you may abound even more. For you are aware, what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. This is God’s Will, even your god-like dedication: that you yourselves are to abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you is to know how to gain control over his own body in god-like dedication and honor; not in passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who are not aware of God; not in wronging and taking advantage of his brethren in the matter. Remember, we told you before, and warned, that the Lord is the avenger in all these things. God has not called us into impurity, but more so, in holiness. Therefore, he who rejects, does not reject man, but more so, God! Who, remember, gives His Holy Spirit to you all!
Now concerning strong affections for others, you have no need that anyone should write to you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another, and indeed you are doing it toward all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, that you abound even more. Also, make it your aim to live quietly, and to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we charged you, that you may walk respectfully among those outside, and may need nothing. {4:12}
(5th) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, that you not be grieved as the rest, who have no hope. If we completely trust that Jesus died and arose, so also, God will bring with Him the ones who have fallen asleep in Jesus. This we say to you by the Lord’s instruction: we who are living, who remain until the Lord comes, will by no means go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. The Lord Himself, with a shouted command, at the archangel’s voice and God’s trumpet, will come down from heaven, and the dead ones in Christ will themselves arise first. Then, we who are living, the ones who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord! Therefore, you all must comfort one another with these words. {4:18}
Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you do not need that anything be written to you, because you yourselves accurately are still aware that the Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. When they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then destruction comes on them suddenly, as birth pains to a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. {5:3}
But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief, for all of you are children of light and children of day; we are neither of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest, but more so, we should stay awake, and should remain alert. They who sleep, sleep at night; and they who are drunk, are drunk at night. But we should, who are of the day, be self-controlled, ourselves having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
God has not destined us unto wrath, but unto the gaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore, we must encourage one another, and must build each other up, even as also you are doing. {5:11}
(6th) Now we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and are ruling over you in the Lord, and warning you. You all are to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. You all must be at peace among yourselves. And we beg you, brothers {rulers}: you must warn the disorderly, you, yourselves must encourage the despondent, must support the weak, and must be patient with all. It is imperative that you {rulers} see that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but more so, you must always seek that which is good, both unto one another, and unto all.
You all must rejoice always. You must pray constantly. You must give thanks in everything, because this is God’s Will in Christ Jesus in regard to you. You must not extinguish the Spirit. You must not count inspired Messages as nothing. You must test everything and must hold fast to what is good. It is imperative to turn away from every form of evil. {5:22}
May the God of peace, Himself completely set you apart and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who has called you is dependable, and He will do it.
Brothers, you must pray for us. You must greet all the brothers with a sacred kiss. I am putting you under oath before the Lord, that this Letter be read to all the brothers. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.