1. Silas and Timothy were Paul’s companions in the founding of this church.
2. Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother.
3. These letters are peculiar in that Paul does not characterize himself as an apostle, etc., as in his other letters.
4. These letters were probably written from Corinth A.D. 50 or 51.
5. 1 Thessalonians is Paul’s first letter to any of his churches.
6. Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was the provincial capital and was on the great travel route of East and West.
III. THE MESSAGE
1. The first letter is warm-hearted, personal, and contains but little theology.
2. The second letter is much like the first, but is more formal, and has more theology.
3. Some have thought that there must have been two churches-1 Thessalonians written to the gentiles, 2 Thessalonians to the Jews.
4. The first letter has more to say about the immediate coming of Christ than any of the other Pauline epistles.
5. In the first letter Paul seems to look for the second coming “any day.” In the second letter, a whole line of events is to precede the second coming.
6. Maybe Paul’s first letter had led to over-expectation about the second advent and he tries to quiet them down in his second letter.
7. Thinking Christ was coming so soon, some of the church members had quit work.
8. Paul defends himself against accusations made by his enemies.
9. Expecting the early return of Christ, they had worried about some of their number who had died.
10. Paul explains that they will be resurrected to “share in his glory.”
11. The message of these letters is “thanksgiving” and a plea for the Christian virtues.
12. In the case of the gentiles, there was always some trouble in these early churches regarding sex morality.
IV. SELECTED TEXTS
FIRST THESSALONIANS
1. Their faith well known. “Tour faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”
1 Thess 1:8.
2. Their conversion. “And how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.”
1 Thess 1:9.
3. Mutual affection. “Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
1 Thess 2:6.
4. The divine call. “To lead a life worthy of God» who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”
1 Thess 2:12.
5. Abounding in love. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men, as we do to you.”
1 Thess 3:12.
6. True marriage. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality; that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor.”
1 Thess 4:3-4.
7. Ideal living. “To aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody.”
1 Thess 4:11-12.
8. Resurrection of believers. “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Thess 4:13-14.
9. The second coming. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
1 Thess 4:16-17.
10. Comes like a thief. “For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
1 Thess 5:2.
11. Spiritual armor. “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
1 Thess 5:8.
12. Christian living. “Admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”
1 Thess 5:14-19.
SECOND THESSALONIANS
13. The second advent. “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
2 Thess 1:7-9.
14. The son of perdition. “Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
2 Thess 2:3-4.
15. The great deception. “The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
2 Thess 2:9-12.
16. The divine safeguard. “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from evil.”
2 Thess 3:3.
17. Self-support. “We did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.”
2 Thess 3:8.
18. Idleness penalty. “If any one will not work, let him not eat.”
2 Thess 3:10.
19. Persist in good. “Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing.”
2 Thess 3:13.