It seems from what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 that his ministry was under attack in that city in such a way that might jeopardize the advances made there for the gospel. When it came to his actual faults, Paul appealed to God’s grace for his ministry: “not that we are sufficient in ourselves,” he wrote, “but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). Paul could also defend himself by appealing to the personal experience of church members. In the opening section of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, he points out that his was a true ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner among them. Therefore, he begins, “You yourselves know brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1).

The message of ministry: Paul’s ministry was effective because of the message that he proclaimed among the Thessalonians. In preaching this message. Paul was undaunted by the context of great affliction. He reminds his readers that “though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (v. 2). Paul’s boldness in ministry did not come from his own native courage. It was, he said, “boldness in our God,” as he preached “the gospel of God.”

We get a clear impression of the charges leveled against Paul in the denials that he makes. He insisted that his message did not “spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s day, there were multitudes of traveling religious charlatans who were notorious for the things alleged against Paul. Unlike the vain philosophers of his day, Paul did not teach error. Certainly, his Jewish opponents would have charged Paul with falsely interpreting the Old Testament. But Paul could show from the Scriptures that his teaching was true to God’s Word. Every preacher today should be able to do the same.

Finally, Paul did not teach with “any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s world, rhetoricians could be hired to argue with great eloquence for any cause, much as some lawyers today will argue any legal case for a large enough fee. But the apostle did not manipulate the Scriptures or speak with skillful cunning so as to entrap his audiences. Instead, as he insisted in 2 Corinthians 4:2, “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” Paul spoke with an integrity that should be observed by all ministers of God’s Word, as Christ’s servants rely on the power of God for salvation rather than manipulate techniques designed to allure or confuse. Paul preached his message with integrity because of his sense of obligation to God. He explained: “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (v. 4).

The motive of ministry: Not only was Paul’s message criticized in his absence, but even stronger attacks were launched against his motives. His opponents suggested that he sought the approval of men through flattery, that he was greedy for money, and that he advanced his own glory at the people’s expense. Paul answered: “For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (vv. 5-6).

First, Paul was not motivated by a desire for the approval of men, which is why he refused to flatter in his preaching. The apostle knew that it is not possible to preach the gospel faithfully without giving offense to some listeners. Yes, there are those who enthusiastically believe, but there are others for whom the gospel is “a fragrance from death” (2 Cor. 2:16). Jesus offended the Pharisees of his day by showing their sin and condemning their self-righteous works.

A second false charge leveled against Paul’s motives was that he preached out of a covetous desire for financial gain. Paul would be especially susceptible to this charge because of his zealous efforts to raise money to assist the famine-stricken believers in Judea (1 Cor. 16:1-3). “We never came,” Paul retorted, however, “with a pretext of greed – God is witness” (v. 5). The word for pretext means “cloak”: Paul did not use his ministry to conceal a true desire to lay hands on the people’s money.

A third charge against Paul’s motives was that he was aiming to increase his own glory through his ministry. He answered: “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (v. 6). The only glory that Paul sought was the eternal glory that only Christ can give.

The manner of ministry: To preserve his gospel labors, Paul defended his message, his motives, and finally his manner among the Thessalonians. Not only was he not motivated for approval, money, or self-glory, but his manner was, first, gentle among the new believers: “But we were gentle among you, like nursing mother takes care of her own children” (v. 7). We should not be surprised that Paul used a feminine analogy for his labors as an apostle, since God’s grace had touched his heart in order to expand rather than contract his range of human emotions and actions. As Paul looked on the virtues of self-sacrifice and tender love exemplified by nursing mothers, he saw an example that should inspire all of us who share the gospel.

Not only was Paul gentle in his manner, but he was also affectionate toward the Thessalonians. He wrote that he was “affectionately desirous of you…, because you had become very dear to us” (v. 8). The apostle admits that while he did not covet the believers’ money, he did desire the believers themselves, because of his love for them and his longing for their salvation. Paul realized that his preaching of truth must be combined with love.

Finally, because of his affection for the Thessalonians, Paul could point out the obviously sacrificial character of his ministry. Since the apostle and his associates desired the believers for Christ and because they had become so very dear to them, they shared not only the gospel with them “but also our own selves” (v. 8). Here again, Paul’s example of the nursing mother is instructive. Love will cause a true Christian to make a sacrificial offering of his or her life in service to Christ and His people.

Paul defended his ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner. This kind of faithful godliness was not impressive according to the standards of the world. To realize the significance of what Paul did, however, and of what we are called to do today, we may look back to his opening words in this chapter, where Paul stated that “our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1). A message of integrity according to God’s Word, motives formed by sincerity before God, and a manner that is guided by love will not fail. It will achieve, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).

Paul’s testimony regarding his ministry speaks a vitally important word to those who hear the gospel today. If the message that is preached comes with integrity from the Word of God, then it is the same “gospel of God” that Paul preached. It is God who appeals to you now with the good news of forgiveness through the blood of His Son, and God who commands you to honor Him by believing.

Our is a generation in which so many rich, high, and exalted people are crumbling under the gravity of spiritual emptiness and in which the swollen pride of man inevitably fails of its boasting. In our age, like Paul’s, how great is the need for the humblest sinner to believe, and then for every Christian to show how full and powerful a life that is offered to Jesus can be for the service of His gospel. With Paul, we may boldly claim: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Study Questions:

In verses 1-2, Paul describes his previous ministry experiences. How did these episodes affect Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians?

What are the unhealthy or ungodly motivations for ministry that Paul mentions in verses 3-7?

What motives does Paul say drive him and his companions to minister to the Thessalonians and to preach the gospel even in the midst of opposition?

Paul contrasts the godly motivations that can drive one to preach the gospel with the self-serving motivations of those who also may be in ministry. It’s easy to point fingers, but we all wrestle with these same unhealthy motivations. How do you see mixed motives at work in you when it comes to Christian service?

According to Paul, it is by receiving God’s Word in true faith that we become the Christians that God wants us to be. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Paul sketches three movements of the gospel as it progressed in northern Greece. In verse 5, he says that “our gospel came to you.” Then in verse 6, “you received the word.” Finally, Paul states in verse 8 that “the word of the Lord sounded forth from you.” This is the gospel progression that has continued throughout the church age, as the gospel has come to people who received it by faith and became in turn heralds who bore God’s Word to others. This is the progression that God intends for the gospel to follow in our lives as well.

Verses 5-7 center on the Thessalonians’ receiving God’s Word in saving faith. This stage is the key to our salvation, for when we believe the gospel in faith, we enter into Christ’s salvation and become His servants for the spread of the gospel in the world. Paul notes four characteristics of these early believers’ receiving of God’s Word: (1) they received it through human agents; (2) they received it from God; (3) they received it in great affliction; and (4) having received God’s Word, they became a model for other believers to follow.

A word received through men: Paul refers to the message about Jesus Christ as “our gospel” (v. 5). This does not mean that the apostle claimed to be the originator of the doctrines he taught. Nor did he think that the gospel’s success depended on his own strength or ability. He will refer to it in this letter as “the gospel of God” (2:2, 8-9) and “the gospel of Christ” (3:2). Paul’s gospel was not about himself but about God and His Son, Jesus, and the salvation they offer by grace and through faith. It was Paul’s gospel, however, in the sense that Paul had embraced it for his own salvation. He was relying on this gospel for his own soul’s destiny. It was also a message that had been entrusted to him. When Christ converted Paul on the Damascus Road, Jesus identified him as “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

Christians today have not received the apostolic office, but we have all been inducted as participants in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). The gospel has thus been committed to us in a way similar to how it was entrusted to the apostles. We will be effective in spreading the gospel to the extent that we embrace this calling and rely in the good news of Jesus for our own salvation blessing.

Paul makes it clear that the gospel message requires an authentic messenger to the world. He writes: “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (v. 5). It’s obvious that Paul became personally involved in the lives of the Thessalonians, since he can state that they have personal knowledge of his character and spirit. He had ministered “among” them, so that they could assess in his life the credibility of his message.

Today, increasing percentages of Christians attend churches that are so large that few attendees have personal contact with their preachers. Many other Christians depend on media personalities whom they may never meet in the flesh. When such preachers are faithfully proclaiming God’s Word, some real good will be done. But the biblical model involves heralds of the gospel whose lives are personally known by those to whom they preach. Such men are never going to be perfect, of course, but there should be a strong correspondence between their message and the pattern of their lives.

It should be obvious that true ministers of the gospel are motivated not by personal gain but, as Paul writes, “for your sake” (v. 5). Some people are reluctant to receive God’s Word from a minister’s lips until experience demonstrates his love and sincerity in ministry, after which people will receive even hard teachings from his trusted lips. Paul’s emphasis on the credibility of the human witnesses applies not only to pastors and elders but also to every other Christian. The evidence of the gospel in our lives provides an important commendation of our witness to the gospel. Hypocrisy is perhaps the single greatest deterrent to a Christian’s effectiveness as a witness, while the evidence of the gospel’s power provides a compelling testimony to the gospel’s truth.

A word received from God: Together with Silas and Timothy, Paul was a vital agent in bringing the gospel to the Thessalonians. It was not his word, however, but God’s Word that they received in faith. In his many letters, Paul insists that a divine message was committed to him directly by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that the prophets and apostles received God’s Word by means of inspiration. Inspiration refers to the process by which the Holy Spirit conveyed God’s Word to His chosen messengers. Paul’s classic statement on inspiration says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). As a result of divine inspiration, the apostles’ message is the very Word of God, written to the first Christians and faithfully preserved for us. When Paul says to the Thessalonains, “You received the word” (v. 6), urging them to welcome it gladly in the way that a treasured guest is received into the home, Paul might have said, “You embraced the Word to your heart” by receiving it gladly with faith.

Since Paul’s gospel was not a human but a divine message, we truly receive the Scriptures only when we receive them as a word from God. To receive the Bible as God’s Word is to bow before its sovereign authority, just because it is the Word of God. Some people complain that evangelical Christians worship the book instead of God. This is a false charge once we recognize that God wrote the book in order to aid us in living before Him in faith. If a king leaves instructions before he goes away, it is hardly rebellion for his servants to pay careful attention to what he has written, and when the king returns, he will surely reward those who have kept his word.

Receiving the Bible as God’s Word also means accepting its inerrancy, receiving it as without error in all that it teaches and affirms. We believe the Bible’s inerrancy not because we can harmonize every apparent discrepancy (although they all have good explanations) but because it is the Word of God and therefore is perfect. God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and sublime wisdom enable Him to declare perfect truth at all times, while His attributes of holiness and faithfulness oblige Him to speak only the truth.

We further rely on the Bible’s power as God’s Word. Paul proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Because the Bible is inspired, authoritative, and true, the Christian is not on a quest seeking after truth. Instead, the Christian has found truth by receiving God’s Word, which he or she is faithfully to believe and boldly proclaim.

A word received in affliction: Paul notes that in receiving God’s Word, the Thessalonians “became imitators of us and of the Lord” (v. 6). Discipleship is learned by imitating the example of those who have gone before us. Paul does not hesitate to tell new believers, “Be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 11:1). If as mature Christians we can sincerely tell new believers, “Watch what I do and how I live,” then we will be greatly used by God in helping fellow believers to walk in faith.

In urging his readers to follow him, Paul is not claiming spiritual perfection. His example, rather, is in receiving God’s Word, as he has urged them to do as well. Those who teach the Bible should be the most eager students of the Bible. We should be able to urge others to believe all that is taught in Scripture by receiving ourselves the whole counsel of God in obedient faith. We should lead a life that is growing in the truth and delights in God’s Word so that others will do the same.

Paul emphasizes that his readers followed his example not only in receiving the Word but also in believing in the context of “much affliction” (v.6). Paul himself had suffered very great afflictions through his service to Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:23-30), and when he first arrived in Thessalonica, he was probably still bruised from the beating he had just taken in Philippi (see Acts 16:23). Now by imitating him, the Christians were suffering similar trials. Ultimately, our example in suffering is Jesus Himself.

The word that Paul uses for affliction (thlipsis) refers to severe pressure being applied to an object. Therefore, Paul is speaking of great trouble that results in serious and harmful difficulty. Christians in the West today are most likely to suffer social rejection, the loss of valued relationships, or the limiting of career prospects because of our discipleship to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the key to knowing joy in the midst of trials, which is why Paul observes that his readers exhibited the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (v. 6). This is not to say that Christians never grieve or walk in spiritual shadows. Instead, even with tears on our cheeks we can access a joy that comes from above. This happens when we take our griefs to the Lord and receive the peace and joy that only His Spirit can give. It is God’s design that our afflictions would bring out a spiritual joy from our lives as we draw close to Christ.

How did Paul and his friends have such a mighty impact despite their earthly weakness? By preaching the gospel in God’s power so that it was received in faith by those who heard. They further influenced the world through the joy of the Holy Spirit that shone through their afflictions. We now have the privilege of following their example in having this effect on our world. Paul’s formula for the gospel’s spread is that Christ’s people are to receive God’s Word in imitation of those who brought it and then to become bearers of the same gospel message so that others may follow their example. Paul reported this as happening in and through the Thessalonians, rejoicing “that you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” (v. 7).

This calling to be an example to others is not given to only a few highly educated and gifted Christians but to all believers; it is the thrilling calling that will enable each of us to make an eternal difference, one believer and one church at a time, as we follow Christ and offer ourselves as an example to others.

Are you just now hearing God’s Word as it is preached to you? Then God calls you to welcome His gospel into your heart through faith, believing that Jesus died for your sins and offers you eternal life. Or have you long since received the gospel in faith? Then draw near to God for the joy in the midst of afflictions that will enable you to be an example to others. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 Study Questions:

The events surrounding the arrival of Paul and his companions in Thessalonica made a remarkable impression upon not only the people who heard and believed the gospel, but on people of all sorts, all around Greece and the neighboring countries. Nobody had to say, “Have you heard about those peculiar Jews who are going around talking about someone called Jesus?” What was the story that people everywhere were telling about the Thessalonians?

It has been said that the Trinity is the forgotten doctrine of Christianity. This could not be said about the apostle Paul, who structured his whole teaching of salvation around the Trinity. Paul’s opening section of thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians makes mention of each person of the Trinity and that person’s respective contributions to our salvation.

The Trinity is Christianity’s highest and greatest mystery. The Bible presents the one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As the Westminster Larger Catechism explains, they are “the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties” (WLC 9). This statement emphasizes that each member of the Trinity is equally God in every respect, yet in His personhood He is distinct and individual. To be a Christian is to relate to all three persons of the Trinity; according to Jesus, the full Christian name for God is “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).

In his teaching of salvation, Paul emphasizes the role of each of the three persons plays and the distinctive work that each provides. God the Father chiefly administers our salvation. This means that God ordains, plans, and supervises His will for our redemption. Speaking of the Father, Paul writes in Ephesians 1:11 that we have been “predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” The ultimate cause of our salvation is the sovereign plan and will of the Father.

Meanwhile, God the Son accomplishes the work of our salvation. Paul says in Ephesians 1:7, “in [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Christ’s saving achievement includes His perfect life as our representative, His sin-atoning death and glorious resurrection, His present reign on the throne of heaven, and His soon return to bring His people to glory. These are all things that Christ does for us, accomplishing a definite work for our salvation.

But there is still need for the work of God the Spirit, who plays the role of applying salvation to individual believers. How can I be included in God’s salvation? How can I know that these things are not merely true in the abstract but true for me? The answer is in the work of God the Spirit, who gives us faith and unites us to Christ.

Paul loved the Trinity which is why his exclamation of thanksgiving for the Thessalonians points to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together for us and in us. The God displayed in the Trinity is a God of unfathomable glory, who meet our every need. Our salvation rests on the sovereign authority of God the Father, who administers salvation, on the finished work of God the Son, who accomplishes salvation, and on the mighty intervention performed by God the Holy Spirit, who applies salvation to believers.

At the beginning of Paul’s thanks for the Thessalonians, he prays to “our God and Father” because of their faith in “our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). Paul then thanks the Father because faith in Christ indicates that the believers were chosen by God for salvation: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you” (v. 4). Here, Paul makes clear reference, as he so often does in his letters, to the doctrine of election.

The doctrine of election gets its name from the Greek word eklektos, which means “chosen.” The Bible’s doctrine of election declares that God chooses His people for salvation. All blessings that we enjoy as Christians are grounded in God’s sovereign election and predestination, which took place in eternity past. Paul asserts in Ephesians 1:4 that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world.” God’s eternal purpose provides the strongest, firmest ground for salvation, and it is on this foundation that Paul rests our hope for salvation.

Salvation is not caused by anything in the Christian, but because of God’s sovereign election of individuals to be saved through faith in Christ. This is good news to all who believe, for election assures us that our salvation does not ultimately rest on anything in ourselves – we who are so weak and changing, so mixed in our affections, so inconstant in our faith – but on God’s sovereign choice from eternity past. Paul’s firmest and ultimate cause for the Thessalonians’ salvation is “that he has chosen you” (v. 4).

Notice that Paul joins election to both the love of God and the brotherhood of believers: it is “brothers loved by God” who are chosen by God. The Bible consistently sees God’s love as the operative principle in election. The Lord told Israel, “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers” (Deut. 7:7-8). Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4-5, “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.” Being bound together in sovereign grace, believers are joined into the brotherhood of God’s family.

Despite the overwhelming biblical evidence for election, many Christians raise objections to the doctrine. Some argue that believing in election leads to pride, since if we believe that we have been chosen by God, we will think that we are somehow special and superior. On the contrary, the biblical doctrine of election promotes humility and not pride.

A second objection to election complains that it leads to laziness and loose living. After all, it is argued, if my salvation is caused not by my effort but by God’s mercy, then what motive do I have to press on with the difficult work of sanctification? The Bible answers by emphasizing that election promotes holiness and not license. The objection that election promotes license fails to realize that holiness is the goal for which we are saved. It is God’s purpose in our salvation that we should be holy. Paul wrote that God “chose us…that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Being ‘chosen’ and being ‘holy’ are inseparable.

A further objection to election argues that believing the doctrine discourages zeal in evangelism. Critics say, “If God predestines people to salvation, then why bother to preach the gospel?” The answer is that God ordains not merely the ends but also the means. God predestines some to be saved and commands us to preach the gospel to that end. If we do not witness the gospel, then none will be saved. But God has ordained that they will be; so He has also ordained that we would preach the gospel so that His chosen people will come to faith.

The relationship between God’s sovereign election and the preaching of the gospel is seen in Paul’s continuing thanks for the Thessalonians. In verse 3, Paul saw evidence of their faith, love, and hope as proof of their election. Now, Paul expresses confidence in their election because of the way the gospel came to them: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (vv. 4-5).

Paull see God’s sovereign grace at work in three ways in which the gospel came to the Thessalonians. First, Paul says that the gospel came to them “not only in word” (v. 5). This tells us that the gospel must first come “in word,” that is, in the form of clear, biblical teaching. Second, Paul thanks God and sees evidence of his readers’ election because the gospel did not come to them “only in word, but also in power.” When Paul speaks of power, he is not referring to the miracles that the apostles sometimes performed. Instead, he refers here to the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit with and through the Word of God to bring the spiritually dead sinner to life.

Third, Paul concludes his statement in verse 5 by asserting that the faith given to Christians by the Holy Spirit is not bare faith but one that is fully persuaded regarding Jesus Christ. Paul thus completes his thought: “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” Paul is not saying that true faith requires believers always to have complete assurance of their salvation. A true believer may often doubt his or her election, and will have ups and downs in his or her spiritual life. Paul is referring, instead, to full persuasion of Christ and His gospel that endures under trials and temptations to turn away.

In His important parable of the soils, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a farmer going about sowing seeds, with the seeds representing the Word of God (Luke 8:11). In one case, the seed fell on rocky soil, where the seed would no grow strong roots. Jesus explained that the person “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matt. 13:20-21). Paul rejoices that this example does not describe the Thessalonians. They had given testimony of their election by enduring under hardships and persecutions, so that they not only received the Word with and initial experience of the Spirit’s power but also continued persuaded in their faith and showed their salvation by refusing to give way under trials.

In thanking God for the tangible signs of his readers’ election, Paul provides us with a helpful framework for evaluating the spiritual authenticity and health of our churches and our lives. Is the Word of God going forth plainly from our pulpits and being received earnestly by God’s people? Are our evangelism and our spiritual growth based on God’s Word, instead of worldly methods and techniques? Paul presupposes that ministry must be centered on the Word. But then are there evidence of and experience of the Spirit’s power working in our lives through the Word? Is the Spirit of God bringing Bible verses to our minds so as to restrain our sin or motivate our service? Are we embracing Christian duties in the home, church, and society more freely and with a more fervent commitment? True Christians revel in the excitement of hearing and reading God’s Word, knowing the power of which the Holy Spirit attends the Word, a power that testifies to our eternal election and reveals itself through a persevering, conquering persuasion of faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 Study Questions:

What does it mean for the gospel to come in word, in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in great assurance (v. 5) in Paul’s day and ours?

How did the gospel come to you?

B

In most of the apostle Paul’s letters, the greeting is followed by an expression of thanks to God. Since 1 Thessalonians is an entire letter of thanks for the readers’ faith, Paul expresses his gratitude throughout the first three chapters. This thanksgiving begins with a long sentence that runs from 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, in which Paul rejoices over the proofs of their salvation: “For we know, brothers loved by god, that he has chosen you” (v. 4). Paul had been concerned about the reality of the Thessalonians’ faith when he was forced to hastily leave them in the midst of trials, and he thanks God for proof of His grace in their lives.

Assurance of salvation is based on biblically sanctioned evidences, and in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 Paul identifies the proofs that mark the Thessalonains as God’s elect: “your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). In doing this, Paul identifies the qualities of a healthy church and a thriving Christian life, while also noting the graces for which believers should pray to God.

Before commending the proofs of their salvation, Paul assures his readers of his fervent prayers on their behalf: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers” (v, 2). This statement is one of the many references in his letters that present Paul’s commitment to prayer. One of the keys to Paul’s prayer is the word “constantly.” Paul seems to have maintained an incessant prayer vigil for his persecuted friends in Thessalonica. Paul would have kept the practice of formal prayers at least three times a day, as he did in his former days as a pharisee. We too, would benefit from regular periods of prayer in our daily schedules. Like Paul, we should pray for a wide range of family, friends, and servants of Christ.

Moreover, our prayers, like Paul’s, should be richly adorned with thanks, realizing that, as James put it, “every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Thanksgiving is a distinctive mark of Christian prayer. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are daily filled with fervent thanksgiving to God as they think of what His grace has wrought in the lives of the Thessalonians. We too, through our faith in Christ, have ample reasons to pray continually with thanksgiving because of the saving grace that has flowed to us from the cross of Christ and from the throne in heaven where He reigns for us. As Paul writes toward the end of this letter: “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:17-18).

Paul’s opening prayer identifies the marks of grace that bear testimony to the believers’ salvation. He writes to express his joy over the report that Timothy brought back from Thessalonica, noting their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope” (v. 3). Readers familiar with Paul will recognize the threefold virtues about which he often spoke: faith, love, and hope.

The first evidence of salvation is faith as it is observed through good works” “your work of faith” (v. 3). Some Christians become alarmed whenever the concepts of works and faith appear together in the Bible. Paul makes clear in his writings that sinners are justified by faith alone, apart from any good works (Gal. 2:16). As sinners, we could never cover our guilt before God with any number of good works, since works cannot erase the record of our sin. Being imperfect, they cannot merit salvation. Instead, God justifies us through the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty of our sin on the cross and achieved righteousness for us by His perfect life of obedience. While we are most certainly not saved by works, Paul specifies that we are certainly saved to good works.

Second, Paul rejoices in the Thessalonians’ “labor of love.” Paul rejoices that the Thessalonains were willing to serve in costly ways because of the love that had arisen from their faith in Christ. Paul envisions love in labor among fellow Christians, in esteem for spiritual leaders, in concern for Chrisitians in other places, and “for all”, which includes non-Christians. The gracious love of God works in the hearts of those who receive it, so that we begin to see others as God sees them and to love them without thought of gain or cost to ourselves. Hearing of the “labor of love” among the Thessalonians, Paul rejoices at this evidence of God’s saving power at work within them.

Third, Paul notes their “steadfastness of hope” (v. 3). The hope to which he refers is not mere wishful thinking, as when we say, “I hope is snows on Christmas morning!” Rather, biblical hope is the certainty of receiving what God has promised, including forgiveness of sin and an inheritance in eternal glory. Like love, hope springs from a living faith in Christ and His Word. The result of this hope is the ability to remain steadfast in the face of present trials, knowing that by persevering in faith we will be saved. The steadfastness of Christian hope is not a grim, stoic resignation to hardship but a believing fortitude that faces trials in the certain expectation of victory through Jesus Christ.

Credible evidences are important to Christian assurance, which is why those who do not live out their faith impractical godliness and love will often be tormented with doubts about their salvation. Yet the evidences are not the source or cause of salvation. Instead, Paul explains, these are signs of God’s saving work and even of a believer’s eternal election (v. 4). With this in mind, Paul concludes verse 3 by directing his readers to look to Jesus Christ and to God the Father for security of their salvation.

Notice that the Thessalonians’ faith, love, and hope are located “in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). This reference to Jesus is especially linked to the concluding matter of hope. Since Paul is writing to new believers who are struggling with persecution and other hardships, his particular concern is that they will press on in hope. This letter goes on to emphasize that believers’ hope is grounded in the promised return of Jesus Christ to complete the salvation of His people (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Anticipating Christ’s return, they are to “encourage one another” amid the brief struggles of this life (5:11).

Paul is wrapping up his expression of thanksgiving by first relating the believers’ hope to Jesus Christ and then reminding them that God sees and is glorified by their evidences of His saving grace. In this respect, Paul emphasizes the fatherhood of God for believers, who are His children in Jesus Christ. As children, we are reminded of our responsibilities by the presence of our Father. But even more so, we are encouraged by the love, support, and provision of our Father. Just as children want their earthly father to be present for baseball, or soccer games, drawing strength and encouragement from his supportive presence, so Christians are emboldened in the work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope by their awareness of God’s love, acceptance, and provision. The Father’s presence motivates us to glorify Him through lives transformed by the grace He gives.

The record of the Thessalonians, who had only recently become believers, shows that everyone who is born again in Christ has God’s power for radical change. Trusting Christ therefore calls us to strive in God’s Word and in prayer to realize this potential and grow in God’s grace. In raising Christian children, we likewise should aspire to far more than keeping them from getting into trouble or abandoning the faith. Instead, we should minister God’s Word in confident expectation of divine blessing, setting an inspiring example through our own transformed lives and praying fervently that God will empower our children in the “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope” in Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, Paul’s example in prayer should inform our own intercessions. We should think frequently of other Christians and also of the well-being and ministry of the church, constantly bearing their needs in prayer before God. We should pray in keeping with the priorities of Christ’s kingdom, in which the things that really matter are faith, love and hope. And we should often thank God for the evidences that His saving power is at work among us.

A successful Christian is not one who has attained to a high position in society but one who has advanced in evidences of God’s grace. A rich Chirstian is not one who boasts of a great deal of money but one who abounds in faith, love, and hope through Jesus Christ. As Paul remembers the evidences of salvation among the Thessalonians, we realize that a life worth remembering is one sketched out on the canvas of Paul’s prayer of thanks.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 Study Questions:

As Paul looks back and gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians, he knows that God was indeed at work in them as the word of the gospel was preached. Why is Paul convinced that God has chosen these believers?

In verses 3-4 Paul recalls the signs of life he observed among the Thessalonian church, even in the short time he spent with them. What might an accomplishment of faith, the hard work of love or the patience of hope look like in your life or that of your Christian community?

Everyone can use a little encouragement. Encouragement is so valuable that even the apostle Paul needed it. Having recently arrived in the decadent port city of Corinth, the apostle could only have been discouraged by his recent experience as an evangelist. Landing in Greece at the city of Philippi, he had gained noteworthy converts such as Lydia and the Philippian jailer. But after a false arrest and savage beating, Paul and his colleagues were asked to leave the city (Acts 16:11-40). Moving along the Aegean coast, he next came to Thessalonica. After preaching in the synagogue there, some Jews and “a great many” devout Greeks came to faith in Christ. This success roused the anger of the Jewish leaders, who raised a disturbance against the Christians, so that once again Paul left town after only a short stay. Then Paul went to Berea and then Athens, where he preached a famous sermon on Mars Hill but once again had to leave only a small band of converts behind.

From Athens, Paul sent his young assistant Timothy back to Thessalonica to minister to the believers whom they had left there (1 Thess. 3:1-2). Shortly after Paul arrived in Corinth, Timothy returned with news that lifted Paul’s spirits: “Now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love…we have been comforted about your faith” (1 Thess 3:6-7). For we now live,” Paul exclaimed, “if you are standing fast in the Lord” (1 Thess 3:8).

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to express his joy in the believers’ faith. Based on information from the book of Acts, scholars date this letter during the year A.D. 50 or 51, making it one of the oldest New Testament documents, with only Galatians and James likely to have been written earlier. 1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s most encouraging writings, expressing his relief and joy.

First Thessalonians follows the ancient practice of first identifying the author(s): “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy” (v. 1). These opening words remind us that this book is not an abstract theological treatise, but a letter. The teaching given here is not intended for highly trained specialists but for ordinary Christians of all kinds. The letter served to bridge the gap of space between apostle and church for the sake of ministry. The same letter bridges the gap of time between Christians today and the apostles who were charged to provide the foundational teaching of doctrine and practice for the followers of Christ.

After identifying the senders, ancient letters typically stated the recipients. Paul addressed this letter: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 1). The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which has the general meaning of “assembly.” In the Greek society of Paul’s audience, this word evoked images of the great democratic assemblies in which free citizens met for shared rule. Speaking generally, an ekklesia was any body joined together for political, social, or other purposes. The Christian church is a unique kind of assembly that has turned to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s later writings will convey the distinctiveness of the church by referring to his readers as “saints,” that is, holy ones who have been separated by God for faith, godliness, ministry, and worship in Christ’s name.

Having identified himself and his partners, and then having biblically defined his audience, Paul concludes his salutation with an expression of divine blessing. Writing out the encouragement that they had given to him, Paul encourages the Thessalonians with God’s rich blessing: “Grace to you and peace” (v. 1). Paul interjects theology into all his greetings, and here he notes the two great themes of salvation: grace and peace.

When we think of the peace of Christ’s salvation, we should first think of receiving peace with God. The Bible shows that mankind’s greatest need is to be restored to a relationship of peace with the God whom we have alienated and offended by our sin. The great problem of humanity is not caused by illiteracy, disease, or bad government. Our true problem is that, having rejected God’s rule, we are at war with the sovereign Creator. Paul writes that “sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so” (Rom. 8:7). As a result of our guilt for breaking God’s law, all men and women are justly condemned under God’s wrath (Eph. 2:1-2). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul laments, with this dreadful result: “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

With the great problems of alienation and condemnation, our great need is the peace with God that Jesus came to provide. Jesus reconciled sinners to God by dying to pay the penalty for our sins, so that through faith we may be justified before God. Along with peace with God, Jesus ministers the peace of God in our hearts. Jesus gives a true and abiding inward peace, producing unity and harmony among men and women. Inner peace comes only through the resurrection power sent by the exalted, reigning Jesus Christ, who restores us to God and gives us His own peace. Peace with God comes by confessing your sin to God, trusting Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for your salvation, and surrendering your life to “the God of peace,” who will “sanctify you completely” through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23).

It is wonderful to know that we can have peace with God and especially encouraging to know that this peace comes as a gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. This is why Paul blesses the Thessalonians with the greeting, “Grace to you and peace.” It is by grace that we receive the peace of God through Jesus Christ.

One way for us to think about grace is as a description of what God is like. Grace is often defined as “God’s” unmerited favor.” This is true, but it doesn’t go far enough. Grace is God’s favor to us when we have merited His condemnation. We have earned God’s hatred and wrath, yet He causes us to be forgiven and makes us His precious children. God gives that which is most precious to Himself, His only Son, that He might remove our guilt on the cross, reconciling us to His love. The measure of God’s grace is the costliness of His gift, and in the giving of Jesus to die for our sins, God has shown Himself to abound in grace for sinners.

How encouraging it is for beleaguered Christians today, like the Thessalonians of old, to know that our salvation is the free gift of God, according to His sovereign and eternal plan of grace. We may therefore rely utterly on God’s grace, giving God all the glory for our blessings in Christ. Though we have all sinned, believers “are justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

Finally, grace is God’s power working in us for newness of life. Later in this letter, Paul will exhort the Thessalonian believers to live in a holy manner that pleases the Lord. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification,” he will announce, “that you abstain from sexual immorality” and “that no one transgress and wrong his brother” (1 Thess. 4:3-6). The Thessalonians were no longer to live in the sinful and harmful manner in which they had previously lived as unbelievers.

If you will look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Bible you will gain from Him the greatest encouragement of all as God’s grace invites you into His heavenly peace. For when you look to Jesus, the “star” of all history looks back to you with grace, revealing Himself as the Savior who died for your sins. Jesus invites you to believe in Him, to enter the church over which He is Lord, and encouraged by His grace, to extend His offer of peace to a sinful, broken world.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Study Questions:

The church in Thessalonica is probably not many months old. Already they have faced great difficulties; they have been persecuted, and some have died. By way of rooting them firmly in the gospel, Paul reminds them of what happened when he arrived and preached there. What does Paul remember thankfully about the Thessalonians?

Do you know peace with God? Are you conscious of His favor and love? Do you love Him in return, longing to do His will and know Him better?

Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica provide an enlightening snapshot of the life and concerns of the earliest Christian churches. Paul vividly remembers his first impressions of the Thessalonian Christians to whom he writes. (The story of his encounter can be read in Acts 16 and 17.) They would suddenly understand what he was saying. It would grasp their hearts and minds. Paul and his companions, explaining the gospel to them, would become excited as they saw the message take hold, make sense, and begun its work of transforming hearts and lives.

Written from Corinth within weeks of Paul’s sudden need to depart from his beloved Thessalonian converts, the letters express the apostle’s joy that these believers excel in the most important of graces: faith and love. From this perspective, 1 and 2 Thessalonians set forth a vital teaching on what makes for a good church. Paul’s converts did not have political power, financial resources, or perhaps even great numbers. Buit having received the gospel “not as the word of men but as … the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13), they possessed true spiritual riches and power. In this way these two letters, among the earliest of the New Testament, provide an excellent primer on what constitutes a healthy and thriving church, even amid adversity and with a need for continued spiritual growth. These letters are vital for every Christian who longs for a healthy and growing Christian life.

The letters to the Thessalonians are particularly known, however, for their concentrated doctrinal teaching regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Paul’s eschatology in these letters is of primary importance for those seeking a firm understanding of end-times teaching. Paul’s teaching here, reproduces in a doctrinally clear fashion the teaching of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21. Thessalonians also provides an essential doctrinal grid for approaching the book of Revelation. As such, the apostle’s clear and orderly teaching in these letters is a vital resource not only for properly understanding Christ’s return but also for inciting a joyful anticipation that agrees with the earliest Christians’ fervent desire. One of the great tragedies today is that so many Christians have been led to face the thought of Jesus’ return with fear and dread. But for Paul and his Thessalonian readers, Christ coming is nothing less than “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). This joyful expectation of Christ’s return is clearly communicated in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, so that a careful study of this material will lead to a life-and-death transformation of our hope for the future in the Lord.

These letters are among the very earliest documents we possess from the beginning of the church’s existence. They are already full of life, bubbling with energy, with questions, problems, excitement, danger, and, above all, a sense of the presence and power of the living God, who has changed the world through Jesus and in now at work in a new way by His Spirit. Those same qualities can touch us as well as we delve more deeply into them.

When the apostle Paul began his letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he recalled his first impressions of them. Thessalonica – modern Thessaloniki, or Salonica – was, and is, a thriving seaport in northern Greece, roughly two hundred miles north of Athens. Paul had come there after preaching in Philippi, further east, where he had been beaten and thrown in prison before pointing out that he was a Roman citizen.

Though Paul’s normal practice was to begin his preaching in the Jewish synagogue or place of prayer, it seems that most of the people who came to believe his message were non-Jews. For them, there was a double barrier to be crossed before they could accept the gospel. It was not only a crazy message about a man who was dead and then came to life again. It was a crazy Jewish message. Paul must have known, as he went from place to place, that most people who heard what he was talking about were bound to think him mad.

And yet the Thessalonians had not. Some in Thessalonica, as in most places he went, found that something happened to them when they listened to his message. A strange power gripped them – the power that, Paul would tell them, was the Holy Spirit at work.

What are some ways different people respond to remarkable experiences – reading an inspiring book, for example, or witnessing an uncommon event?