First Thessalonians

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Paul on his second missionary journey, accompanied by Silas, visited Thessalonica. The conversion of some Jews, of a great multitude of Greeks, and of many chief women led to an assembly being gathered there. Paul soon left them, hoping to revisit them within a short time, but Satan hindered him. Fearing as to their firmness under persecution, he sent Timothy to confirm and encourage them. He was cheered by the news which Timothy brought of their faith and love, and wrote the First Epistle from Corinth, about A.D. 52, and somewhere about a year after his visit to them (Acts 17:1-11). As to date it is the first of Paul’s Epistles.

1 Thessalonians. This is mainly occupied with the development and direction of living affections in the newly converted saints to whom Paul wrote. The coming of the Lord has a place of much importance in it, being mentioned in every chapter. The address is to “the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” The apostle gives thanks in respect of their faith, love, and hope, which gave evidence of their election of God. Their faith God-ward had been noised abroad, indeed they were ensamples, or models, to all around. They had turned from idols to serve the living and true God; and they waited for His Son from heaven, even Jesus, their deliverer from coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 2. The apostle reminds them that though persecuted at Philippi, he had nevertheless been bold to preach the gospel to them. He had been gentle with them as a nurse with her children, and willing to impart even his life also. He recalls how blamelessly he had walked before them, and that he had preached in such a way that they had received his testimony as the word of God, which wrought in them effectually so that they were in consequence persecuted by the heathen, as the saints in Judea had been by the Jews, who had killed the Lord Jesus. Greatly desiring to see them, Paul could assure the Thessalonian saints that they would be his joy and crown of boasting before the Lord Jesus at His coming. This is the second allusion in the epistle to this event, and goes further than that in 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Here the blessedness of the saints being gathered together is referred to.

1 Thessalonians 3. Paul, in his anxiety for them, had sent Timothy to confirm and encourage them, and was greatly relieved by the news which Timothy brought of their faith and love, saying “now we live if ye stand firm in the Lord.” He prays for them that their love might abound, and their hearts be kept unblamable in holiness before their God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus with all His saints. Here the “appearing” of the Lord is spoken of, when it will be shown who are unblamable. The affections of the saints one to another, and the holiness inseparable therefrom, are connected with the third mention of the Lord’s return, where it is noted that He comes with all His saints (compare 1 Thess. 1:10: 1 Thess. 2:19-20).

1 Thessalonians 4. Exhortations are given as to walk. Fornication (so common among the heathen) was especially to be guarded against. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 refers to the same subject as touching the wife of a brother. They were also to attend to their own business and to work, walking in good repute towards those without: a needed exhortation, as we see by 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 a difficulty is solved, into which the Thessalonians had fallen in regard to those of their number who had fallen asleep. The Lord’s return to reign was so truly part of their faith, that they thought that those who had died had lost the blessings of the kingdom, being ignorant of the details which are now given them by the word of the Lord. Here we learn that at the Lord’s coming, with an assembling shout, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then, in company with those saints who are alive, they will be caught away in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, prior to coming with Him in glory. They were to encourage one another with those words.

It is this which is often called the Rapture, or catching away of the saints, and it is the proper hope of the church. Christ coming for His saints is distinct from His coming with His saints, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14. If 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 be read as a parenthesis, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, which speaks of God bringing with Jesus those who have slept through Him, is linked with 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 Thessalonians 5. The day of the Lord here spoken of, which is connected with judgment on man, is quite distinct from the Rapture. The language changes from “we” to “they” and “them.” The day of the Lord will come upon the world as a thief in the night, whereas the saints are of the day and sons of light. They are exhorted therefore to watch and be sober, and to put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. They were not called to wrath (compare 1 Thess. 1:10), but to obtain salvation whether alive or sleeping. Exhortations follow and greetings close the epistle.

2 Thessalonians. Silvanus, or Silas, being with Paul when this epistle was written, leads to the conclusion that it, as well as the First Epistle, was sent from Corinth during the eighteen months that Paul abode there, Acts 18:11; its date may be A.D. 52 or 53.

There is evidence in this epistle that the minds of the saints had been disturbed, apparently by a feigned letter or message from Paul, saying that the day of the Lord was present: this supposition may have been strengthened by the persecution they were passing through. Paul sets them right as to this. Christians often misinterpret this Second Epistle, and think that Paul was showing the Thessalonians that they were wrong in expecting the Lord. This mistake is made because the distinction is not seen between the Lord coming for His saints (which is the Christian’s proper hope, and is intended to give them the character of a waiting people), and the day of the Lord which is connected with judgment (compare Isa. 13:6-13; Joel 2; Amos 5:18-20). The Thessalonians were right in expecting the former, but were wrong in thinking that the day of the Lord was (not “at hand,” but) “present,” as 2 Thessalonians 2:2 should read, as may be seen by the translation of the same word (ἐνίστημι) in Romans 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22.

After the introduction the apostle thanks God for the growth of their faith and love, but he does not add hope here, as in the First Epistle, for their hope had received a check. Their patience and faith in tribulation were a token that they were counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they also suffered. God would punish those who troubled them. He will take vengeance on those who know not God, and on those who have not obeyed the gospel.

2 Thessalonians 2. The apostle proves that the day of Christ could not be present, because

1, the Lord had not come, and they had not been gathered to Him, as explained in the First Epistle; and

2, the Antichrist had not been revealed, the man of sin, the son of perdition: the one whom the Lord will, when He returns, consume “with the brightness of his coming.”

Though the Antichrist will be only a man, he will exalt himself against all that is called God, and will sit down in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (compare Rev. 13:11-18, and Dan. 11:36-37). The mystery of lawlessness was already at work, but its full development was hindered, doubtless by the existing order of government and the presence of the Holy Spirit as a divine Person on the earth. When He is gone and the church with Him, the lawless one will be fully revealed as after the working of Satan, with miracles and wonders and unrighteous deceit in them that perish, who would not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonians, for God had chosen them to salvation. He prays that their hearts might be encouraged.

2 Thessalonians 3. The apostle asks for their prayers. He had confidence that the Lord would establish and keep them. They were to withdraw from every brother who walked disorderly, and did not obey the apostolic injunctions. He commands the disorderly to work, so as to eat their own bread. The apostle commends them to the Lord of peace to give them peace always by all means, and that He might be with them. The benediction closes the epistle.

Bible Handbook:

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 (ch. 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 chapter 1, it is simply ‘waiting for God’s Son from heaven.’ In chapter 2, truths are set forth, leading to the saints being Paul’s crown and joy at the coming of the Lord. In chapter 3, truths as to their responsibilities that they may be blameless at the coming of Christ with His saints. In chapter 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 chapter 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.

Chapter 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: see 1 John 2:13-27; and had mostly come out of idolatry, and now acknowledged but one God and one Lord: — 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 Spirit, 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.

Chapter 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 Judea 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 chapter 1:10).

Chapter 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 fast 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 chapter 4:15-18, but the manifestation of the saints when the results of responsibility will appear).

Chapter 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 (ch. 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. (See 2 Thess. 3:11-12.)

Verses 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. (See note to 1 Corinthians 15: 52.)

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 ch. 3:13.)

Chapter 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 (ch. 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. Compare the armour here for these saints recently converted with the full armour in Ephesians 6 where the conflict is with spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenlies. Here it is for sons of light who watch.

They were to esteem very highly those that took the lead among them (though not holding an official place: see 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.

Verses 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.

First Thessalonians

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