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John 8:32


 

First Epistle to the Thessalonians           

 
1 Thessalonians The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians.

The first letter to the Thessalonians was likely the first of Paul's letters, probably written by the end of A.D. 52, making it, so far as is now known, the oldest extant Christian document (almost all scholars hold that the gospels were written over a decade later). It was written after Timothy had returned from Macedonia, relating the state of the church in Thessalonica (Acts 18:1-5; 1 Thes.  3:6). For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with only the final two chapters spent addressing issues of doctrine, almost as an aside. 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.

The church is believed to have been composed almost exclusively of gentiles. This would reflect the ethnic and religious makeup of Thessalonica, and is supported by Paul's brief remark in 1:9 that they "turned to God from idols," a remark that would have made little sense to make to a Jewish audience. Paul was concerned because of the infancy of the church. He had only spent a few weeks with them before leaving for Athens. In his concern, he sent his delegate, Timothy, to visit the Thessalonians and to return with a report. While, on the whole, the news was encouraging, it also showed that important misunderstandings existed concerning Paul's teaching of Christianity. Paul devotes part of the letter to correcting these errors, and exhorts the Thessalonians to purity of life, reminding them that their sanctification is God's will for their lives.

Paul gives thanks for the news about their faith and love; he reminds them of the kind of life he had lived while he was with them. Paul stresses how honorably he conducted himself, reminding them that he had worked to earn his keep, taking great pains not to burden anyone. He did this, he says, even though he could have used his status as an apostle to impose upon them.

 


 Chapters  
Chapters of the Bible  1 Chapters of the Bible  2 Chapters of the Bible  3
Chapters of the Bible 4  Chapters of the Bible  5   







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