1 Thessalonians Chapter 1
Salutation
1:1 From Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you!
Paul was the author of the letter. The Hebrew word for Saul means "he asked for". The Greek name "Paul" means little.
Silvanus replaced Barnabus, who had left Paul in Acts 15:22, after Paul had rejected Barnabus's cousin John Mark. John Mark later rejoined Paul and wrote the Gospel of Mark. Silvanus also goes by the name of Silas. He joined Paul on his second missionary journey. Silas (Silvanus) was also a writer for Peter.
Timothy was a young man that Paul led to Christ during his first missionary journey. The name of Timothy means God-honored. His mother was Eusebius, who brought up Timothy in a godly home. Timothy's father was a pagan when Timothy was born. Paul was training Timothy to be a future elder and pastor.
The Greek word for "church is ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklaisa), meaning called-out ones. This one little Greek word destroys Arminianism, which is a false teaching that man has enough good in him to choose God and save himself. According to Romans 3:10 man is totally depraved and evil and will never seek or choose God. Therefore, God must seek and choose men. This one little Greek word proves the doctrine of election and predestination, as the church is a group of people that God emphatically called out Himself before the foundations of the world to be holy and set apart to do God's will.
Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-14) was a major trade route city on the Aegean Sea. It was the capital of Macedonia, which was once a Greek city that gave birth to Alexander the Great. During the time of Paul, Thessalonica was a free city that ruled itself under the authority of the Roman Empire. The population was over 200,000 in that day. Paul founded this church during his second missionary journey. Many of the Jewish unbelievers kicked Paul out of the city before he could finish his ministry. Therefore, Timothy was sent back to check up on the condition of the church that Paul had founded. The church was mostly Gentile. Paul was concerned about its lack of leadership. He also wanted to discuss more eschatological matters that he was not able to completely teach on his first visit. Paul had many other reasons for writing this letter, as the reader will understand as he undertakes a deeper study of the book.
The Thessalonians were in both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning that they were believers in the unity of the Triune Godhead. One cannot be an angel like the Jehovah Witnesses falsely teach, so this verse proves that Jesus is not an angel, but He is God Himself, the Second Person of the Trinity.
The Greek word for "grace" is χάρις (chars), meaning a divine favor that God enjoys giving to His children. This was the Greek greeting among friends. The Greek word for "peace" is εἰρήνη (eiraynay), which comes from the Hebrew word שָׁלום (shalom), meaning peace with God. Believers receive peace with God by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace was the Hebrew Greeting. "Grace and peace" were used in all of Paul's greetings in all of his letters.
This was Paul's second epistle. Paul wrote Galatians in 49-50 A.D. He followed up with this epistle in 51 A.D.
Thanksgiving for Response to the Gospel
1:2 We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly in our prayers,
If believers will ever count all of Paul's prayer lists, then they will find it to be quite extensive. Paul was thankful for the Thessalonians because they were a model church.
1:3 because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is a trinity consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man is made in the image of God as a trinity of body, soul and spirit. The universe that we live in is a trinity of time, space, and matter. Time is a trinity of past, present and future. Space is a trinity of height, width and length. Matter is a trinity of protons, electrons and neutrons. The three great principles that believers are to live by are the trinity of faith, love and hope.
The Greek word for "faith" is πίστις (pistis), meaning a divine gift of persuasion from God that cannot be reproduced by humans. The work of faith is believing what God reveals to us about His Son.
The Greek word for "love" is ἀγάπη (agape), meaning divine love. Unbelievers cannot possess or express divine love. Believers can possess divine love by inhaling Bible doctrine. Believers can express divine love by exhaling Bible doctrine. Believers who inhale and exhale Bible doctrine love their work in the Lord, so it is not labor. 99% of the people on the earth hate their jobs. Believers with strong Bible doctrine will possess divine love and love their ministry.
The Greek word for "hope" is ἐλπίς (ellis), meaning an expression of what is sure to come. Believers must endure in what is sure to come.
1:4 We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,
The Greek word for "know" is οἶδα (oida) meaning to grasp a spiritual truth. This participle is in the perfect tense, meaning that the Corinthians grasped this specific spiritual truth at a specific time in the past and this understanding continues forever. The Greek word for "chosen" is ἐκλογή (eklego), meaning the one who is elected or selected or chosen. The Thessalonians grasped the spiritual truth that God elected them for a certain purpose. The Thessalonians did not choose God. God chose them.
1:5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you).
The Greek word for "word" is λόγος (logos), meaning the divine expression of God. The Greek word for "power" is δύναμις (duamis), meaning divine power. The Greek word for "deep conviction" is πληροφορία (plarophoria), meaning full assurance. The Greek word for character is γίνομαι (ginomai), meaning the inner transformation of one form to another.
The Bible is a supernatural book. When one hears the gospel, one cannot believe it or understand it unless the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, ears, and heart.
The gospel did not come in merely the divine expression of God, but it came in divine power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance. The Corinthians could see the inner transformation that came about to Paul and his team.
1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.
The Greek word for "imitators" is μιμητής (mimaytais), meaning to imitate a godly role model. Suffering and affliction do not go together, unless one believes and serves Christ. The Thessalonians received the good news, even though they had to suffer to receive it. After the Thessalonians received the good news, they were transformed into third generation imitators of Christ. Christ was the first model, Paul was the second model, and the Thessalonians were the third model.
1:7 As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
The Greek word for "example" is τύπος (tipis), meaning a type that is formed by modeling and repetition, such as a stamp that marked wax or a mint which made Roman coins. Macedonia and Achaia were the two Greek provinces of the Roman Empire. The Thessalonians had become role models to the northern and southern regions of Greece.
1:8 For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.
The Greek word for "echoed" is ἐξηχέω (exaykeow), meaning to amplify the message. Paul had preached the gospel to the Thessalonians and they amplified it throughout all of Greece. Everyone in Europe was talking about the transformed nature of the Thessalonians. They were a model church that had shined their light to the surrounding regions.
1:9 For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
The Greek word for "turned" is ἐπιστρέφω (epistrephow), meaning to turn to the love and obedience of the living and true God. Idols were false gods and lifeless, but God is alive and true. They turned from dead, false idols to the living and true God. Man is so depraved and evil, that unless the Holy Spirit opens his eyes, then man will worship demons through lifeless wood and stone. Since the Jews no longer worshipped idols, this means that most of the Thessalonians were Gentiles. Everywhere that Paul traveled, people all over Greece were giving a good report about the Thessalonians.
1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
The Greek word for "wait" is ἀναμένω (anamenow), meaning to wait earnestly, actively, and intensely. Notice that the Thessalonians are to wait actively not for the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, but for the Son. The Greek word for "from the heaven" is "ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν (ek town ouranown), meaning out of the plural heavens. Notice that the heavens are genitive plural, and not singular. Notice that they are waiting for the Son to come not from heaven, but OUT OF THE HEAVENS. Jesus will return through the three heavens and the Thessalonians will meet Him outside of the three heavens. This verse teaches the immanency of Christ's return. The Thessalonians were intensely and actively waiting for Jesus to come out of the three heavens. Jesus could have returned while the Thessalonians were reading this letter!
The Son being raised from the dead shows that Jesus is deity, because He has power over death. The Geek word for "from the coming wrath" is ἐκ τῆς ὀργῆς τῆς ἐρχομένης (ek tais orgais taus erchomenais), meaning OUT OF THE WRATH TO COME. Since a Greek article is used, Paul promised the Thessalonians that they would escape a specific wrath that was to come in the future. This specific wrath is the Great Tribulation which Jesus predicted would come upon the whole earth. If the Thessalonians are living at the time before the Great Tribulation, then they will escape via the Rapture. If they die before the Great Tribulation, then they will escape the Great Tribulation, because they will be immediately transferred to be with Christ forever. Therefore, this verse proves the doctrine of imminency.