Introduction to First Thessalonians
This is the first of six lessons taught at our evening service from First Thessalonians. Each person received a copy of each lesson. I didn't talk about everything in each lesson. I simply highlighted the main points and encouraged those in attendance to continue their study with the notes beyond the class.
1. Location and Background of the Thessalonian Church.
Being a seaport city of ancient Macedonia, Thessalonica was ideally situated for commerce. It possessed an excellent harbor. The great "Via Egnatia" (Egnatian Road) ran through the city. This overland military road connected Thessalonica to the city of Rome and to the countries at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. These factors made Thessalonica an ideal place from which to spread the gospel as it would have a constant stream of travelers to and from all parts of the Roman Empire. Macedonia was divided into four districts and the city of Thessalonica was the capital of the second division. A Roman Governor was located there. At the time Paul preached the gospel in the city, it was under Roman control. (Note: Thessalonica is one of a few ancient cities that still exists today, being the second largest city of modern day Greece. It boasts nearly a million inhabitants. Its modern day name is Thessaloniki or Salonica. Source: Wikipedia)
When Paul entered ancient Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, it was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, and a small but influential contingency of Jews. The idolatry of the age was very much present in the worship of many gods. Jupiter, particularly, was renowned. Thessalonica had its own amphitheater where gladiator shows were exhibited for the entertainment of the citizens. It also boasted a circus for public games. Several of the local religions of the area (the worship of Dionysius and Orpheus) practiced sexual orgies. Both were fertility cults, expressing themselves in various forms of sexual abandon. Paul would admonish the Thessalonian Christians: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality." (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Public and private morality was at low ebb.
The Jews had at least one synagogue in the city, which became the site of Paul’s first preaching there. The account of this first contact is found in Acts 17:1-15. It should be read carefully.
2. Planting of the Church at Thessalonica
Paul and Silas, just released from a Philippian jail where the jailer had been converted (Acts 16), left Philippi, passed through Amphiopolis and Apollonia, and came to Thessalonica. As was his custom of preaching to the Jews first, Paul went to the local synagogue and reasoned with the attendees concerning the Messiahship of Jesus for three Sabbaths. A few of the Jews believed, and a much larger number of the God-fearing Greeks, along with a number of women who held prominent positions in the city. It is not certain how long Paul and Silas stayed in Thessalonica. Some feel that it wasn’t much longer than the three weeks spent teaching in the synagogue. Others suggest that three weeks hardly seems sufficient time to see a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks converted. (See Acts 17:4) At any rate, the Jews, spurred by word about the impact of these preachers on their city and others, stirred up a riotous mob and came to the house where they were staying, the home of one of the new converts, a man named Jason. Not finding Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and a few of the other new Christians before the city magistrates and accused them of insurrection against Rome. Jason and his associates were released after posting a bond, and the brethren sent Paul and Silas away secretly at night. The two evangelists went on to Berea and found a much warmer reception among the attendees of the synagogue there. It wasn’t long, however, until the hostile Jews of Thessalonica got word of their presence in Berea and traveled there to stir up the crowds in that city. Silas and Timothy remained in Berea (Timothy was with Paul in Philippi and Thessalonica, apparently, but isn’t mentioned in the text until Paul left Berea.) Paul was conducted by the brethren to Athens were he sent a message back with them for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. Timothy seems to have done so for a short time. Paul preached at Athens, on Mars Hill, his well known sermon, "To an Unknown God." The reception was mixed. Concerned for the welfare of the new church at Thessalonica, Paul sent Timothy back to strengthen and encourage them. He then left Athens and went on to Corinth where, apparently, he wrote both First and Second Thessalonians to minister to the new Christians back in that city.
3. Time and Place of Writing First Thessalonians.
Paul remained in Athens only a short time. Apparently neither of the Thessalonian letters was written while he was there. The reasoning for this is as follows: From 1 Thessalonians 3:2 we learn that Paul dispatched Timothy to return to Thessalonica while he was in Athens. In 1 Thessalonians 3:6 he speaks of Timothy’s return to him before the epistle was written. From Acts 17 and Acts 18:1&5 we learn that Timothy did not return to Paul until he had left Athens and gone to Corinth where he remained for a year and a half. At the time of the writing of the letter, Silas and Timothy were with Paul (see 1 Thessalonians 1:1). Thus, we conclude that the epistle was written during Paul’s stay in Corinth. This would place it about the year A.D. 52 or 53. It is the earliest of Paul’s letters that we have. The Second Thessalonian letter was probably also written from Corinth less than a year later.
4. Canonicity of First Thessalonians.
That the letter is the authentic writing of Paul is quite verified. It is referred to by Ignatius (110 A.D.), and by Polycarp (70-156 A.D). Irenaeus quotes from it (130-190 A.D.), as does Cement of Alexandria (195 A.D.), Origen (225 A.D.), and others. Turtulian (200 A.D.) quotes it twenty times. All of these were well known writers in the early church who viewed Paul’s writing in this letter as inspired by God.
1 Thessalonians is listed in the Muratorian Canon (after 150 A.D.), in that of Marcion (about 140 A.D.), and Laodicia (364 A.D.). These are ancient lists of books that were accepted by the early church as inspired New Testament Scripture.
5. Circumstances and Design of First Thessalonians.
The church at Thessalonica was made up of converts from among the Jews, Greek proselytes, and prominent women of the city (see Acts 17:4). A number of the members appear also to have been converted from idolatry (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Though Paul and Silas had been greatly opposed by many in the city, those who made up the new church had "received from us the word of God’s message for what it really is, the word of God." (1 Thessalonians 2:13) The following circumstances seem to be those that prompted Paul’s writing of this letter:
A. The warm way in which the Thessalonian Christians had embraced the gospel amid great tribulation caused Paul to want to give them further instruction. (See 1:5-6; 2:8-9, 13, 17-20)
B. The zeal with which they not only embraced the gospel, but also spread it. (See 1:8)
C. The trials that they had faced and were facing at the time of the writing. (See 2:2, 14; 3:3, 5, 13)
D. Certain things they did not understand regarding the second coming of Jesus. (See 4:13-5:4)
E. The attempted discrediting that had taken place after Paul’s departure from the city, caused by those who wanted to stop the progress of the gospel. (See 1:5; 2:1-16)
F. The danger of some of them falling back into the sins that that they had been involved in before their conversion. (See 4:1-7)
G. The need to promote respect for those who devoted their lives to teaching them. (See 5:12-14)
6. Outline
The following is a suggested outline from the contents of the letter. You may wish to outline the book yourself after a careful study.
 | Greeting (1:1) |
| Commendation (1:2-3:13) |
| Exhortation and instruction (4:1-5:28) |
B. Understanding the Lord’s Coming (4:13-18)
C. Miscellaneous matters of Christian conduct (5:12-22)
| Concluding prayer and orders (5:23-28) |
6. What can be gained by this study? Here are a few suggestions:
| A greater confidence that the gospel can spread even in very difficult circumstances. |
| The realization that ancient wickedness was as bad (or even worse) than it is in our modern day. |
| An appreciation for the dedication of the early apostles and evangelists. |
| A better understanding of the nature and place of the letters of the New Testament. |
| An appreciation for the strategic value of the book of Acts in understanding the letters. |
| The knowledge that Christianity has always faced opposition. |
| A sense of camaraderie with a church of Christ separated from us not by miles but by years. |
| A better understanding of the Second Coming of Christ. |
| A better understanding of some important aspects of Christian behavior.
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