First Epistle to the Thessalonians

The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book of the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

The first letter to the Thessalonians was likely either the first or the second of all Paul's letters, written approximately 50-52 C.E. It was written after Timothy had returned from Macedonia, relating the state of the church in Thessalonica (Acts|18:1-5|49}}; 1 Thes. 3:6). For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with the final two chapters spent addressing issues of doctrinem especially the question of Christ's coming. Paul's main purpose in writing is to encourage and reassure the Christians there. Paul urges them to go on working quietly while waiting in hope for the return of Christ.

Summary

The letter begins with a salutation from its authors—Paul, Silas, and Timothy—and thanksgiving. The fact that the Thessalonians "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God," gives the writers particular joy (1:1-10). It the proceeds to recount past interactions with the Thessalonian church. The authors emphasize their physical labor and self-sufficiency: "We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." The church is praised for is endurance of persecution of pagan authorities, which the writers compare with the Judean church's treatment by the Jews. Paul had hoped to visit the church personally but was prevented from doing so by "Satan." (2:1-20) Timothy's visit to the Thessalonian church as Paul's emissary is recounted, and he has "brought good news about your faith and love." The authors express their fervent wish to come themselves again to Thessalonika soon (3:1-13).

Here Paul and his co-writers turn to the real reasons for their writing. First and foremost is the issue of sexual immorality. Church members must control their own bodies God calls Christian to a holy life, and sexual sins will be punished. Moreover, members of the church must work with their hands with your hands so as to "win the respect of outsiders" and "not be dependent on anybody." Finally, Christians must not mourn for those who have died, but should have confidence in the resurrection of the dead. (4:1-18) In a famous passage, members are advised to encourage each other in this hope and in expectation of the Second Coming of Jesus:

The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (4:16-17)

The time of these events remain unknown, for Christ will come "like a thief." It is therefore incumbent on Christians to remain watchful and self-controlled, like spiritual soldiers, putting on "love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (5:1-11) The membership must respect the local leaders "who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you." A final warning is given against idleness, followed by an admonition to kindness, joy, love, prayer, and the avoidance of evil. The letter closes with several benedictions (5:12-28).

Authenticity and significance

The vast majority of New Testament scholars, critical and traditionalist alike, hold 1 Thessalonians to be authentic, with dissent from this position being minuscule at best. It is of great interest to scholars since it is perhaps the earliest New Testament writing, providing a revealing first-hand glimpse into the real life of the early church. Paul's oft-expressed emphasis on the principle of Christian freedom is noticeably missing from the letter. The Thessalonian church, comprises almost exclusive of Gentiles, faces no temptation for the "Judaizers" Paul battles in other letters. The problem here is not that the Thessalonians follow a slavish obedience to the Mosaic law that contradicts their freedom in Christ. It is that they too free and are not committed to the commandments against adultery and fornication. Paul thus does not need to remind them—as he does the Galatians—that they are no longer under the law. He needs to remind that sexual sin will be punished. Whether the Thessalonians' libertinism was due to a particular heresy, as was the case in some other cities, is not clear. They may simply have been influenced by the relative laxity of pagan moral standards compared to the Jewish context of the Judean churches.

Paul's praise for the Thessalonians' endurance of persecution is also revealing. Although he gives few details, he mentions that the Thessalonians have been treated by their countrymen in a similar way to the manner in which the Jews of Judea treated the Judean church. He tells as in that context that "we were cast out

External links

• Epistles to the Thessalonians entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Online Bible at GospelHall.org

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This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

Preceded by: Colossians

Books of the Bible

Succeeded by: 2 Thessalonians

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