1 Thessalonians 1

When Jesus Christ comes

1 the Thessalonians

Ian Mackervoy

About the letter

1. The writers

This letter is from Paul, Silas and Timothy. From these three, the *apostle Paul was the main author. We do not know how much of the letter Silas and Timothy wrote. But all three of them were in agreement with what the letter contains.

2. Time of writing

This letter may be the earliest of the letters of Paul that we have. Paul and his friends wrote it between AD 50 and AD 53. That is about 20 years after Jesus died and rose again to life.

Paul was on his second main journey in which he spread the good news about Jesus. He and his friends were in the city of *Corinth when they wrote the letter. We can be sure about this, and about the date, from the letter and the book of the Acts.

1 Paul had to leave Thessalonica and he went to the city of *Beroea. From there, he went to the city of *Athens (Acts 17). From *Athens, he went to *Corinth (Acts 18:1). Silas and Timothy arrived from *Macedonia and were with Paul in *Corinth (Acts 18:1-5). Then Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see what was happening with that church (1 Thessalonians 3:5). They wrote this first letter soon after Timothy had come back to join Paul and Silas in *Corinth (1 Thessalonians 3:6).

2 Silas and Timothy were with Paul when they wrote the letter (1 Thessalonians 1:1). Silas was only with Paul on his second main journey. So, we know that they wrote the letter during that journey.

3 The ruler in *Corinth was a man called Gallio. The *Jews there, who were against Paul, brought him in front of Gallio (Acts 18:12-17). They accused him of breaking the law. Gallio was the ruler for one or two years, and that was between AD 51 and AD 53. As Paul was in *Corinth for about 18 months, the date of the letter must have been in the period AD 50 to AD 54.

3. Purposes of the letter

Timothy came back to *Corinth with news about the church at Thessalonica. He told Paul and Silas that the church was strong but that there was much *persecution. Some people were saying bad things about Paul and his friends. These people claimed that Paul’s intentions were false. Then the Christians had many questions and were in need of more teaching. So the purposes of the letter included:

1 To express the joy that the writers felt and to give thanks to God for the good news that Timothy brought.

2 To tell the Thessalonians how much they loved them. And to tell them that they cared about them. The writers wanted to encourage them as they tried to live for the *Lord Jesus.

3 To answer the false things that the *Jews and other people had said about Paul and his friends. These people said that Paul had come to make a profit from those who believed his message. They said that the message was not from God, but that Paul had made it up. They said that the fact that Paul had not come back showed that he did not really care about the Christians.

4 There were questions about Christians who had died. They wanted to know what would happen to those Christians when Jesus came to earth again. The authors wrote about this (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and taught some more about the return of the *Lord Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).

5 To teach that those who trust in God must not be guilty in matters to do with sex (1 Thessalonians 4:4-8). Such *sins were common in the city in which they lived.

4. The plan of the letter

Chapter 1

Greetings from Paul, Silas and Timothy 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Thanks and prayer to God 1:2-

How the Thessalonians accepted the good news about Jesus 1:5-

Chapter 2

How Paul and his friends came to Thessalonica 2:1-

Their attitude to the people at Thessalonica 2:5-

How they lived among them 2:9-

Thanks to God for the *response of the people at Thessalonica 2:13-

Desire to visit them again 2:17-

Chapter 3

Why Paul and Silas sent Timothy 3:1-

Joy at the news that Timothy brought 3:6-

Prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica 3:11-

Chapter 4

How you ought to live 4:1-

How you should love each other 4:9-

About those who have died 4:13-

Chapter 5

When the *Lord will come 5:1-

Respect those who lead you and work for your benefit 5:12-

Various Christian duties 5:14-

Prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica 5:23-

Greeting and blessing 5:25-28

Chapter 1

Greetings from Paul, Silas and Timothy 1:1

v1 From Paul, Silas and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica. You belong to God the Father and to the *Lord Jesus Christ. May God give you his grace and peace.

Verse 1 This letter is from Paul, Silas and Timothy. We can see that Paul is the main author because the style is so much like that of his other letters. In some of these, he joins the names of those with him, in the greeting. Those letters are from Paul alone. But in this one, the use of ‘we’ shows that it is also from Silas and Timothy. They may have helped Paul to write the letter. Or they may have read and approved what he wrote or dictated.

They wrote to the church in Thessalonica, that is, to the Christians who met together in that city.

The *Greek calls it ‘the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the *Lord Jesus Christ’. This means that the church, which is the company of those who believe in Christ, belongs to God and to the *Lord Jesus. God started that church by the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul and his friends brought the message about Jesus Christ but the power was from God.

The greeting is a request that God will give to them grace and peace. Grace is the blessing of God, for his people. He gives it because he is kind. They do not deserve it. But God gives them his blessing because he loves them.

The word ‘peace’ often means that there is no war. That is not the meaning here. This peace is in the heart and the mind. It is a sense of inner health and of being at one with God.

Thanks and prayer to God 1:2-4

v2 We always thank God for you all. When we pray to him, we always pray for you. v3 We speak about you to our God and Father. We remember how you show your *faith by what you do. You work hard for other people because of your love. Your hope in our *Lord Jesus Christ is firm. v4 Now we know, Christian brothers and sisters, that God loves you. He chose you to be his own.

Verse 2 Paul, Silas and Timothy thank God for the Thessalonians. They thank God for what he has done. God has saved them from their *sins and given them a new life with himself. Since the time when they first trusted in God, he has helped them to grow as Christians. So, every time that Paul and his friends pray, they always ask God to bless and help the Christians at Thessalonica.

Verse 3 When Paul and his friends pray, they remember three things about these Christians. These are their *faith, their love and their hope. What they believed had an effect on how they lived. They did good things because they loved other people. They were strong because they had a hope in the *Lord Jesus.

When Paul and his friends spoke about the good news of Jesus, these Thessalonians accepted it as true. They gave themselves to God and trusted him for their lives. The result of this was that they changed the way that they lived. All the people could see that they had changed. They were different from what they had been before. This change was sure evidence of the *faith that they had in God.

They loved God for what he, in his love, had done for them by the *Lord Jesus. Their love for God showed itself in love for other people. Because of this, they wanted to share the love of God with them. So they worked hard. They spread the good news about Jesus. And they did all that they could to help those in need. All that they did was evidence of their love both for God and for other people.

We often use the word ‘hope’ where there is a doubt. We do not know whether what we hope for will happen. The Christian hope is not like that. Christian hope is to be certain about something. God has said that something will happen. And we are certain that it will happen. He has promised that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth. The Christian hope looks forward to that time. This hope gives them strength, courage and patience to live while they wait for Christ to come.

Those who did not believe in the *Lord Jesus attacked these Christians. But they overcame in all the troubles because their hope in the *Lord was firm.

Verse 4 Paul and his friends know that God chose these Christians at Thessalonica to be his own people. They are sure about this because these Thessalonians believed the message and trusted in the *Lord Jesus. The writers could see the change in them. The new life that comes from God caused this change.

*Salvation is something that only God can give. Nobody can earn it by what he or she does. This is why Paul and his friends are thanking God for these brothers and sisters (other Christians). God loved them and chose them. God gave to them the new life that can never die. God had chosen them to be his own people.

How they accepted the good news about Jesus 1:5-10

v5 The good news about Jesus, which we brought to you, was not only in words. There was power in that good news and the Holy Spirit spoke to you. You knew that it was the truth. And so, you accepted it. You also know how we lived while we were with you. We lived for you and for your benefit. v6 You followed our way of life and that of the *Lord. Because you received the good news about Jesus, you suffered much. But you received it with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.

v7 So you became a model for all those who trust in Jesus in *Macedonia and *Achaia. v8 The word of the *Lord sounded out from you. It is not only in *Macedonia and *Achaia, but people everywhere have heard about your *faith in God. There is nothing, then, that we need to say. v9 This is because those people speak about the welcome that you gave us when we came to you. They tell how you turned to God from *idols. And they say that you now serve the true God who lives. v10 You wait for his Son to come from heaven. That Son is Jesus whom he raised from death. And he rescues us from the anger of God that is coming.

Verse 5 Paul and his friends *preached the *gospel of Jesus Christ to the people at Thessalonica. But they insisted that the effect that the message had was not the result of their words. No matter how clever the words were, they could not have caused such a great change in the lives of those who believed. There was a power in the message that was much greater than the words. The Holy Spirit worked, both in those who declared the good news and in those who heard it.

When Paul, Silas and Timothy spoke the good news, the power of God was working. The Holy Spirit took what they said. And he applied it to the hearts and minds of the listeners. The Holy Spirit showed them that they should *repent of their *sins and trust in the *Lord Jesus Christ. As they did this, God forgave their *sins. And he gave them the new life that will never end.

Their *faith came by the power of God and not by human work. The Holy Spirit gave them the confidence to believe the *gospel. And he helped them to believe that God had given them new life.

Those who were against the good news accused Paul and his friends of false intentions. They said that Paul himself might have believed a false message. They claimed that he came and *preached a lie for personal gain. What Paul and his friends said was false; they had made it up themselves. There was also talk that Paul and his friends behaved badly as well. So, Paul, Silas and Timothy had to reply and deny all these false stories. They had to show that their intentions were good. And they had to show that they had done nothing wrong.

If Paul and his friends had not lived good lives, the people would not have accepted what they said. They *preached the good news not only in words but also in their lives. How they lived agreed with the message that they spoke. The Thessalonians were sure about the truth because they knew the kind of men that Paul, Silas and Timothy were.

Paul, Silas and Timothy did not live for themselves while at Thessalonica. They lived for the people and for their benefit. They were there to show them the truth, which is the good news about Jesus Christ. It was their desire that the men and women should have the chance to trust the *Lord Jesus. They wanted them to have new life. God gives this new life to those who love the *Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 6 The Christians at Thessalonica had seen how Paul and his friends lived while they were with them. They had heard how the *Lord Jesus had lived while he was on the earth. They had changed. And now they lived as Paul’s team had done and as the *Lord had done.

They had accepted trouble just as the *Lord Jesus, Paul and his friends had done. To suffer was to them a normal part of the Christian life. They were happy to suffer because of the good news about Jesus Christ. They told the good news about the *Lord Jesus Christ even when it caused trouble for them. Those who did not believe the good news opposed them. They made them suffer much because they believed in the *Lord Jesus Christ.

These Christians at Thessalonica received the good news with much joy, even when they had to suffer. They had a deep joy. This is the joy that the Holy Spirit gives.

Verse 7 The Christians at Thessalonica lived like Paul, his friends and the *Lord, so they too had become a model for other people. They were a pattern for all in *Macedonia and *Achaia who believed. They showed real courage and even joy as they suffered for being Christians. They were not afraid but continued to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

News about what had happened to these Christians at Thessalonica and the message that they *preached had reached all of *Macedonia and *Achaia. The country called Greece was in two parts, *Macedonia and *Achaia. Thessalonica was in *Macedonia. Paul and his friends wrote from *Corinth, which was the principal city of *Achaia.

Verse 8 They spread the good news of the *Lord so that all could hear it. It was like the clear noise of a loud musical instrument or of the sound of bells. The good news spread out from them in all directions. They had received the good news but they did not keep it to themselves. By what they said and by how they lived they made sure that other people knew about the *Lord Jesus Christ.

News of their *faith in God had reached not only *Macedonia and *Achaia but many other places as well. It may be that this news spread as people travelled through Thessalonica. Paul and his friends must have heard about it from people that they met in *Corinth.

Paul, Silas and Timothy did not need to tell anyone about their time in Thessalonica. Those whom they met in *Corinth had already heard all about it. The story of the Christians at Thessalonica was the subject of much talk.

Verse 9 When Paul came to Thessalonica, he taught for three weeks in the *synagogue. He explained and proved that the Christ had to suffer and die. He told them that Jesus is the Christ. And he told them that that Jesus came back from the dead. Some of the *Jews believed it and many *Greeks as well (Acts 17:1-4). Those that believed welcomed Paul, Silas and Timothy. They believed the *gospel with joy and were eager to follow Christ. This had such an effect that those who had been there talked about it. The news spread everywhere and it reached as far as *Corinth.

The first people to believe in the *Lord Jesus had been *Jews or *Greeks who believed in God. Then many more who had trusted in *idols joined them. These turned away from their *idols and believed in Jesus Christ.

They had come to serve the living and true God. The word ‘serve’ means to do everything that God says. But, unlike the people who have to be slaves, they chose to serve God. God does not force anyone to be his servant. Because they trusted in God and knew his love for them, they wanted to obey him. They gave themselves to him.

God is alive, in contrast to the *idols, which had no life in them. God is true (which means genuine) because he is the only real god. There are many false gods but none can compare with the one true God.

Verse 10 The *Lord Jesus Christ is now with God in heaven. One day he will come from heaven to the earth again. The Thessalonians loved him and wanted to see him come in all his *glory. Those who wait for him want to be ready for him to come. They will try to live as he wants them to live so that they will be ready.

About 20 years before Paul came to Thessalonica, Jesus died and rose again from the dead. It was God, the Father, who raised him from the dead. This action of God proved that Jesus had completed the work that he came to do. Jesus had come to show us what God the Father is like. He came to die for our *sins so that God could give to us a new life with him.

God is so holy that he is angry at *sin and is against all that is evil. The time will come when he will judge all people. He will punish them for all the *sins that they have done. But Jesus rescues all those who love him from the anger of God. God put all our *sins on Jesus, and God punished him for them. This means that God can forgive our *sins and we can go to be with him for always.

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words)

apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
Corinth ~ a city in Achaia.
Achaia ~ the southern part of present day Greece, see Macedonia.
Macedonia ~ the northern part of present day Greece; see Achaia.
Beroea ~ a city in Macedonia.
Macedonia ~ the northern part of present day Greece; see Achaia.
Achaia ~ the southern part of present day Greece, see Macedonia.
Athens ~ a city in Achaia.
Achaia ~ the southern part of present day Greece, see Macedonia.
Macedonia ~ the northern part of present day Greece; see Achaia.
Macedonia ~ the northern part of present day Greece; see Achaia.
Achaia ~ the southern part of present day Greece, see Macedonia.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
persecution ~ the actions of enemies of God who hurt people because they believe in Christ.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
response ~ the action in reply to an appeal.
Greek ~ the language that Paul and his friends used to write this letter.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
salvation ~ the result of God saving us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
Achaia ~ the southern part of present day Greece, see Macedonia.
Macedonia ~ the northern part of present day Greece; see Achaia.
idols ~ objects of worship instead of God.
worship ~ the act of showing honour to God (or an idol) with praise, thanks and respect.
preach ~ to speak out the message from God and to teach his word.
gospel ~ the good news that God saves people from sin through Jesus Christ.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
repent ~ to change one’s mind and heart, to turn away from sin and turn to God. To turn one’s mind and heart away from sin is to repent.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
synagogue ~ the place where the Jews met to worship God.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
worship ~ the act of showing honour to God (or an idol) with praise, thanks and respect.
idols ~ objects of worship instead of God.
Greeks ~ the people in the country called Greece.
glory ~ great honour and beauty.