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 17:1-10.)
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 18:1-11.) 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 2:13-27; and had mostly come out of idolatry, and now acknowledged but one God and one Lord: cf. 1 Cor. 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. 1:10).
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."
Paul thanked God on their behalf, and prayed that his way might be directed unto them, and that the Lord would make their love to increase towards one another, as his did towards them; and that thus in all the freshness of divine affections their hearts might be established unblamable in holiness before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints (not here the rapture, as in 1 Thess. 4:15-18, but the manifestation of the saints when the results of responsibility will appear).
1 Thess. 4.
The Thessalonians were exhorted to walk as the apostles had taught them, and to please God.
Fornication, so common among the heathen, was specially to be guarded against (1 Thess. 4:6 refers to the same subject as touching the wife or sister of a brother).
They were again exhorted to continue in brotherly love. (Love is of God.)
They were to be quiet, attend to their own business, and work, walking reputably towards those without, that they might have need of nothing (cf. 2 Thess. 3:11-12).
1 Thess. 4:13-18 contain a special revelation to Paul respecting the rapture of the saints.
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. 3:13.)
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. 1:10), 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 to esteem very highly those that took the lead among them (though not holding an official place: cf. 1 Cor 16:15) for their work's sake. Exhortations follow.
They were not to hinder the action of the Holy Spirit in their midst.
1 Thess. 5:20, 21 should be joined: Despise not prophesyings, but prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
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.