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Thessalonica was a Macedonian city on the Aegean Sea, west of Philippi. Paul’s rst Letter to the Thessalonians is of great importance, not only because of the teaching it contains but because it is the earliest of all his extant letters. It was composed around 49 AD, perhaps even as early as 40 AD, just a few years after the cruci xion of Christ. That makes I Thessalonians the oldest Christian writing
in the Bible.
Paul had preached the Gospel in Thessalonica, but various di culties (we get a sense of these challenges both in the letter and in Acts 17) forced him away. Concerned about the edgling community, Paul sent Timothy there, only to learn that the new Christians’ faith was strong in spite of persecution. Paul is overjoyed at this evidence of the work of the Spirit in their midst and writes a letter lled with thanksgiving to encourage them to keep the faith.
1:5
Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the Gospel came to them not only in words—the teaching he handed on to them—but also in signs, manifestations of the power of Holy Spirit. What would these “signs” have looked like? Perhaps we can get a sense from reading the description of the Pentecost event
in Acts 2:1-13.
I. ADDRESS
1Greeting.
1* a Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.
Thanksgiving for Their Faith. 2We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasinglyb 3calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope* of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen.c 5For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy Spirit and [with] much conviction. You know what sort of people we were [among] you for your sake.d 6And you became imitators* of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great a iction, with joy from the holy Spirit, 7so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.e 8For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and [in] Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.f 9For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true Godg 10and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from [the] dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.h
II. PREVIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE THESSALONIANS
2Paul’s Ministry Among Them.
1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our reception among you
was not without e ect. Rather, after we had su ered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi, we drew courage through our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much struggle.a 3Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4But as we were judged worthy* by God to be entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts.b 5Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with attering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6nor did we seek praise from human beings, either from you or from others,c 7although we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle* among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
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 THESSALONIANS -
* [1:1] On the address, see note on Rom 1:1–7.
* [1:3] Faith. . .love. . .hope: this, along with 1 Thes 5:8, is the earliest mention
in Christian literature of the three “theological virtues” (see 1 Cor 13:13). The order here stresses eschatological hope, in line with the letter’s emphasis on the Lord’s second, triumphal coming, or parousia (1 Thes 1:10; 2:12, 19; 3:13; 4:13–5:11; 5:23).
* [1:6] Imitators: the Pauline theme of “imitation” (see 1 Thes 2:14; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; 2 Thes 3:9) is rooted in Paul’s view of solidarity in Christ through sharing in Jesus’ cross and in the Spirit of the risen Lord.
* [2:4] Judged worthy: Paul regards “worthiness” not as grounded in one’s own talent or moral self-righteousness but in God’s discernment of genuinely sel ess attitudes and actions (see 2 Cor 10:17–18).
* [2:7] Gentle: many excellent manuscripts read “infants” (nēpioi), but “gentle” (ēpioi) better suits the context here.
Paul among the Thessalonians
by Giulio Bonasone
CHAPTER 1
a. [1:1] Acts 15:40; 16:1–3, 19; 17:14–15; 2 Thes 1:1–2.
b. [1:2] 2 Thes 1:3.
c. [1:4] 2 Thes 2:13.
d. [1:5] Acts 13:52; 17:1–9.
e. [1:7] 2 Thes 1:4; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1 / 2:14; Phil 3:17.
f. [1:8] Rom 1:8.
g. [1:9] Acts 14:15; Gal 4:8 / 4:5.
h. [1:10] Rom 2:1–16; 5:9; 13:4 / 5:9.
CHAPTER 2
a. [2:2] Acts 16:19–17:10.
b. [2:4] Gal 1:10.
c. [2:6] Jn 5:41, 44; 1 Cor 10:31; 2 Cor 4:17.
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