The gospel was carried to Thessalonica by Paul and Silas. Some of the Jews, a great multitude of Greeks, and many chief women believed; but Paul and Silas had soon to leave the city. (Acts 17:1-101Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 5But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. 10And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. (Acts 17:1‑10).)
Paul wished to visit them again soon, but Satan hindered him (1 Thess. 2: 17, 18); he therefore sent Timothy to confirm and encourage them (1 Thess. 3: 2), and was comforted by the news Timothy brought of their faith and love.
The epistle is principally occupied with the development of the early and fresh affections in the newly converted saints at Thessalonica—affections consequent on the relationships in which the grace of God and their own belief of the gospel placed them, and which connected their faith with the blessed expectation of the Lord's return. The details of the Lord's coming, as regards the dead and the living saints, are contrasted with “times and seasons” and “the day of the Lord”.
There is a progressive order in the way the apostle sets forth the truths concerning the Lord's coming. In 1 Thess. 1, it is simply ‘waiting for God's Son from heaven.’ In 1 Thess. 2, truths are set forth, leading to the saints being Paul's crown and joy at the coming of the Lord. In 1 Thess. 3, truths as to their responsibilities that they may be blameless at the coming of Christ with his saints. In 1 Thess. 4, are given the details of the Lord's coming for His saints in connection with the resurrection of the “dead in Christ”. And in 1 Thess. 5, the 'day of the Lord' in reference to the world.
This is held to be the first epistle by Paul; it was written during his stay at Corinth, about A.D. 52. (Acts 18:1-111After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 2And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18:1‑11).) This was soon after the conversion of the Thessalonians, when they were in all the freshness of christian life.
1 Thess. 1
Unto the assembly of [the] Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ (so addressed doubtless because they were young in the faith: cf. 1 John 2:13-2713I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 18Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:13‑27); and had mostly come out of idolatry, and now acknowledged but one God and one Lord: cf. 1 Cor. 8:66But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)).
Paul gave constant thanksgiving for them, as he remembered their living faith, love, and constancy of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father.
They were beloved of God, and Paul knew their election (their faith, hope and love gave evidence of this); for the gospel had come to them in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.
They had become imitators of the apostles and of the Lord, being persecuted, and had themselves become models for others.
Those that had heard of their faith testified to the effect of the gospel as brought by the apostle to the Thessalonian saints who were characterized by having turned from idolatry to God, to serve Him, the living and true God, whose love had given an object for their hearts in His own blessed Son, whom they awaited from heaven.
1 Thess. 2
Paul reminds them, that though he had been so ill-treated at Philippi he was bold in God to preach at Thessalonica, being approved of God for this ministry.
The apostles were gentle with the converts, as a nurse would cherish her own children, yearning over them, and willing to lay down their lives for them.
They could appeal to God how piously and blamelessly they had walked before them; and entreated them, as a father would his own children, that they should walk worthy of God, who was calling them to His own kingdom and glory.
They thanked God because the Thessalonians had in simple faith received the glad tidings as the word of God; and this worked in them that believed. The Thessalonians had become imitators of other assemblies, for they had suffered from their heathen countrymen, as the assemblies in Judaea had suffered from the Jews.
Paul had greatly desired to visit them, but Satan had hindered him through the persecution which the Jews had stirred up, but though separated from them in person, it was but for a moment; and the affection which had tended them as a nurse and father looked to their being his hope and crown of rejoicing in the presence of Jesus Christ at His coming. They were his glory and joy (Paul and the Thessalonians would be together, and be happy at the coming of the Lord, an additional thought to their waiting for the Lord, as in 1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)).
1 Thess. 3
Paul rehearses that he had felt constrained because of this separation to send to them Timothy to confirm and encourage them, and was comforted by the good news he had brought of their faith and love, adding, "for now we live if ye stand firm in the Lord."
1 Thess. 4.
The Thessalonians were exhorted to walk as the apostles had taught them, and to please God.
They were again exhorted to continue in brotherly love. (Love is of God.)
He first speaks of the saints that had fallen asleep, which fact may have troubled the Thessalonians, who were not looking for death, but for the Lord to come. They feared that these would lose their place in the kingdom by not being alive when the Lord would come; but they were to believe that as Jesus died and rose again, so them which sleep through Jesus will God bring with Him in the day of His power and glory.
The revelation is how the saints who may be alive when the Lord comes will not go before those that are asleep. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with an assembling shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then those that are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds (as Christ at His ascension) to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall they ever be with the Lord. And they were told to encourage one another with these words. (This is called the rapture,'the catching away' of the saints, and says nothing of our coming with the Lord, as in 1 Thess. 3:1313To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13).)
1 Thess. 5
The day of the Lord is quite different from the rapture: it is a time of judgments on man. The language changes from “we” to “they” and “them”.
The Thessalonians needed not to be written to concerning the times and the seasons, for they knew that the day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night, and it would be destruction to the world without escape.
The saints were already of the day, and sons of light (and would not be overtaken by the day of the Lord). Therefore they were exhorted to watch and be sober, putting on as a breastplate faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation: they would not pass through the wrath (1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)), but would obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, whether they were alive watching or had fallen asleep. Therefore they were to encourage and build up one another.
They were not to hinder the action of the Holy Spirit in their midst.
Counting on Him “who is faithful” the apostle desired for them that the God of peace Himself would sanctify them wholly (the whole man: it does not say “perfectly”, which will be only in the glory); and their whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
Greetings follow, and a charge that the epistle be read to all the holy brethren.