Dr. Paul’s Second Contemporary History to the Thessalonians
Introduction:
Dr. Paul had left Berea going to Athens. Timothy and Silas joined him there (They had stayed at Berea when Dr. Paul left.). He sent Timothy back (with Silas) and very likely he took this Letter. It appears to cover what early disciples of Jesus in a new congregation might have come up among them. But it is not certain. The Letter, usually marked “1st Thessalonians”, seems to be Dr. Paul’s next historical Letter from Corinth (this one is from Athens) and because he likely used Corinth as a base for continuing to spread the Good News to Illryicum (mentioned in his ‘contemporary history to the Roman congregation’), as he traveled and evangelized, he ran into cities that had responded to the Good News before he arrived. They were taught by saints from Thessalonica, who, most likely due to persecutions, had traveled to other cities. This would have been a little later than Timothy’s first report, or so it seems reasonable. It matters not, as they are very close to each other, except for their early evangelism of those Dr. Paul contacts in his travels. That would have been several months after his arrival to Corinth. Most often, among students, Dr. Paul’s work at Berea is mentioned, as Dr. Luke says the Berean Jews were more open to the teaching of the Messiah from the Scriptures. Dr. Paul reasoned, regularly for three weeks, proving the Messiah was to suffer, be resurrected and establish the New Covenant as the Scriptures said. He had results among the Jews in Thessalonica, but more so, among the Gentiles. The Jews were ugly and drove the team to Berea, and then Dr. Paul (alone) to Athens. Because the Jews in Berea were much more open to the examining of the Scriptures, they had a large group there, convert. Prof. Silas and Timothy stayed there to mature the new saints. After a while they left for Athens and joined Dr. Paul in his new work there. Dr. Paul mentions in his 2nd Letter (1 Thess.) that he sent Timothy and prof. Silas back to Thessalonica from Athens. Then, they returned again to Corinth, as mentioned in Dr. Luke’s history. He sent them again from Corinth to Thessalonica with the last Letter (1st Thess.). Dr. Paul will work all the way up the west coast into Illyricum (mentioned by Dr. Paul in his later Letter to the Roman congregation of Jesus’ Kingdom) and then seems to leave Timothy and prof. Silas as he travels to Ephesus with Priscilla, Aquila (mentioned in Dr. Luke’s history) and Sosthenes (mentioned in the opening of the Corinthian Letter. He was a converted leader of the Jews in the Corinthian synagogue). Dr. Paul will mention them both in later Letters, even prof. Barnabas seems to be known in the Corinthian congregation ( also, prof. Peter and Apollo). It is very interesting to see how follow-up for spiritual training was accomplished among all the new congregations, but do not forget that the Apostle Paul had special gifts, allowing the Holy Spirit to also work and teach, as He Willed to do so. The standard was: daily, much OJT and finally evangelist and elders from among each congregation. It was a zealous, ambitious, and orderly Plan for saturation of every area and village in the Roman Empire and beyond.
Date: A.D. 51
Letter:
(1st) Paul and Silas and Timothy, to the congregation of Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you all and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. {1:2}
(2nd) We are obligated to thank God always for you, brothers, as is proper, because ‘the Faith’ of you all grows abundantly, and the love of each one of you increases unto one another. We ourselves are boasting about you among God’s congregations, because of the patient endurance and ‘the Faith’ of you all in all your persecutions and troubles which you are enduring. These are evidences of God’s righteous judgment, that you are to be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, for which you are suffering.
Indeed, it is right for God to repay trouble to those troubling you, and provide relief to you along with us, who are troubled, when the Lord is revealed from heaven with the angels of His power in flaming fire. He will punish those who do not know God, and who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer eternal ruin, and exclusion from the Lord’s face, and from the splendor of His might, when He comes to be honored among His saints, and to be admired in the Day by all who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed).
We always pray this for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith with power, that the Name of our Lord Jesus may be honored among you, and you in Him, according to the Grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. {1:12}
(3rd) Now, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being gathered together to Him, we beseech you, brothers, that you not be quickly shaken in mind, nor be alarmed (either by a spirit, or by a message, or by a letter as from us), as though the Day of the Lord has come. No one should deceive you in any way, because the apostasy will come first, and the man of lawlessness (the son of destruction) will be disclosed. He opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or an object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Do you not remember that, when I was still face-to-face with you, I was telling you these things? Now you understand that which is restraining him, so that he might be disclosed in his own time, for the mystery of lawlessness is already working, but only until he who now restrains is out of the way. Then the lawless one will be disclosed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay by the breath of His mouth and will destroy by the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to Satan’s working, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with every deceit of wrongdoing in those who are perishing, because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. On account of this, God sends to them a working of error, that they should believe the lie, in order that they all might be judged who believed not the Truth, but more so, enjoyed wrongdoing. {2:12}
And we are obligated to thank God always for you, brothers, dear to the Lord, because God has chosen you as ‘firstfruits’ unto salvation in consecration by the Spirit, and in the belief of the Truth. He called you to this, through our Good News to the gaining of the splendor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers, you all must stand fast, and must hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether through speech, or through our Letter.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and God our Father, who loved us, and gave eternal encouragement and good hope through Grace, encourage your hearts, and establish you in every good work and word. {2:17}
(4th) Finally, brothers, you all must pray for us, that the Lord’s Message may run and be honored, even as with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for ‘the Faith’ is not in all. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you must do and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.
Now we command you, brothers, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not after the tradition which you all received from us. You yourselves are aware, how you must imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you, neither did we freely eat anyone’s bread. But in labor and wearisome toil, we worked night and day, so as not to burden any of you. It is not that we do not have the right, but that we might make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. When we were with you, we commanded you, that if anyone does not desire to work, neither he must be allowed to eat. We hear, that certain ones, among you are walking disorderly, working at nothing, but more so, are busybodies. Now we command in the Lord Jesus and exhort such people as these, that they should eat their own bread, working quietly. {3:12}
And you, brothers, do not tire in doing what is excellent. If anyone does not obey our Message through this Letter, you all must take note of him, and do not associate with him, that he may be made ashamed. However, do not count him as an enemy, but more so, you must admonish him as a brother. {3:15}
(5th)May the Lord of peace Himself give you the Peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul, with my hand, which is the sign in every Letter, so I write. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.