Maybe we do not all always feel this way, but most Christmastides are pretty happy with the general state of our individual ecclesias. Quite a few of us live in areas where we even have a choice of ecclesias to attend, so surely the one we do attend (for personal reasons, innocent or not) is, in our eyes, mostly good. In this initial exposition of the first chapter, it is my argument that the proper context of the letters to the Thessalonians is that of Paul’s reaction to an ecclesia of remarkable faith and action. If we are curious about what God’s words might be to our ecclesias, granting we are considering our ecclesia to be generally clean of any major faults, Thessalonians would be a pertinent letter to read. Paul has a simple, powerful, repeated message in first Thessalonians, “wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thess 1:10) this is, and should be, our principal focus is an encouraging message. A mature believer, and an established ecclesia should never let the promise of the return of Christ to the earth leave their minds.
Introduction to Thessalonian Ecclesia
Paul’s initial visit to Thessalonica took place during his second journey, in response to the Macedonian call of Acts 16: 9. Our record there of his stay in Thessalonica is fairly short at nine verses, and it seems his time there was also short at about three weeks. There was a synagogue in Thessalonica and “And Paul went in, as was his custom (cp Acts 13:5), and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,” (Acts 17:21). This did not go over well with the local Jewish leaders though, who tried to attack Paul and sacked the house of Jason in the process. Paul is sent away immediately (Acts 17:10) and it seems plausible that some of these Jews continue to chase him through the next few chapters of Acts. Still, even in so short a period, we are told that “…some of them [the Jews from the synagogue] were persuaded…and many of the Greeks and not a few of the leading women” (Acts 17:4). Surely as Paul says in 1 Thess 2:1, “our coming to you was not in vain.”
With this background of how little time Paul spent in Thessalonica, especially compared to some of the other ecclesias, his motivation for writing to them becomes clearer. Encouragement and further instruction in the Hope of the coming Kingdom of God was needed.
In writing this letter, Paul is also reacting to an encouraging report from Timothy. We read: “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news ofyour faith and love…” (17 hess 3:6). Timothy had been left in Berea (Acts 17:14), Paul’s next stop following Thessalonica, and is thought to have rejoined Paul in Corinth, which is thought to be where Paul writes 1st Thessalonians in about AD 52, with 2nd Thessalonians following six months later.
1 Thessalonians Chapter 1: You became an example to all
Paul begins the letter to the Thessalonians in his classic style, blessing with “Grace to you and peace.” in verse 1, as well as his admission that “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,” in verse 2. But, beyond these fairly standard signatures for Paul, within the rest of the chapter we can see a true fondness for the Thessalonian ecclesia. The Thessalonian brothers and sisters must have been so well convicted of the gospel and practiced in their beliefs to cause Paul to glow so lovingly about them.
In verse 3 he remembers their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Initially it is a struggle to define a difference between “work” and “labor”, and the Greek definitions of the original words are not particularly enlightening. It is beautiful to pair the ideas of “work” and “faith” as they are often pitted against one another in our conversations about James and other writings. Paul describes the Thessalonians’ work coming from their faith, which shows them as true living works. “Labor of Love” is an idiom in our language today for a lifelong passion, which is a comfortable enough place to leave that phrase in ascribing it to the ministry of the Thessalonians. “Steadfastness of hope” has to be one of the best combinations of descriptors for a group of believers’ hope. To have a hope that is unwavering and unflagging is a high goal. Psa 33:18, 22 show that a steadfast love is what the Lord shows us, and we should hope in it.
Verse 3 also has an interesting parallel to Hebrews chapter 6. “Work of faith” can be found in Heb 6:1, “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” Then labor of love in verse 10, although here the word “work” is used: “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” And then finally “steadfastness of hope” in verse 18 and again: “so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain” (Heb 6:19).
The gospel came to the Thessalonians “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1Thess 1:5) and the ecclesia “became imitators of us and of the Lord” (verse 6). Paul describes the ecclesia as becoming “an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” in verse 7 and then again:
“For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything”(1 Thess 1:8).
What high praise Paul shows the Thessalonians with this introduction, truly a description of a group of Bible believers that we should strive to be like. The word we have translated as “sounded” in verse 8 is translated the same in almost all versions, but the root of it is “echoed” which is another commendation of the Thessalonian ecclesia. Paul describes them as echoing the word of the lord, giving the idea of a clear copy and no distortion with their own message. The ecclesia was imitators of God and echoed his word. Certainly an excellent model for us and our ecclesias to have.
Ecclesias and individuals from all around “themselves report concerning… how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (verse 9 and 10). The faith, love, and hope of the Thessalonian ecclesia as well as their imitation and echo of the character and word of our Lord was told to Paul by many believers and not only Timothy. In verse 10, with the first direct mention of the return of Jesus, Paul has also delivered his thesis statement for the letter. The return of Christ is the clear theme of 1st Thessalonians, mentioned directly in: 1:10; 2:10; 3:13; 4:13-17; and 5:1-4,23. It is also the theme in 2nd Thessalonians, mentioned throughout in the same way.
To focus on the return of Christ is the clear overriding point of this chapter and this letter. How true and good it is that we should always be looking forward to that time, and keeping our lives in context with the plan of our Almighty God.
By spending time looking up and looking forward we can even keep our minds from causing temporary problems for ourselves. To keep ourselves and our ecclesias focused on that glorious day we can find the comfort and peace of God. The Thessalonians were praised as examples to all the believers in their area, and then they were told to wait for the Lord. What higher calling can there be? As our Lord himself said: “Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Wait for the Son from heaven. Wait for him, wait for him, wait for him.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One