Chapter One
Opening Greeting
1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
This epistle begins by first identifying the senders, Paul, Silvanus (a reference to Silas, considered to be his given name and Silas being less formal), and Timothy. Although the content, like all of Paul’s epistles, are his words. The recipients were the believers in Thessalonica. He calls them the church in God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ a unique recognition of their union with God, Paul then extends his usual greeting of grace and peace.
Principles loom here to impact our own prayer. First, it is important to be experiencing transforming grace in one’s own life as Paul was if we are to pray grace for others. However, we will always be needing to know more of grace as life goes on since we are far from sinlessly perfect. So we cannot wait to be finished products before we feel ready to pray for others.
Second, keep in mind that in whoever the answering God in grace transforms, His peace can give tranquility. He changes us by the sufficiency of His grace, and in this calms us by the adequacy of His peace. Grace, like a player running interference, clears the way for peace. Third, where we read in brevity only of prayer for grace (1 Thessalonians 5:28), the grace is not alone. Peace which has already been joined with grace always comes too when grace has its proper grip on the heart.
Third, we need vigilance against letting prayer for grace and peace become a meaningless saying we spin off our tongues to sound right.[1]
In Recognition of their Faith and Being an Example to Others
1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was diligent in his prayers as he undoubtedly regularly prayed for everyone he ever encountered, but we know through his epistle writings that he prayed especially for the people he taught and accepted Jesus. Here he notes that he constantly mentions the believers in Thessalonica in his prayers, which begin with thanking God for them, and then he remembers their works of faith, labors of love, and their unwavering hope in Jesus. A work of faith can describe a great number of actions that a believer can do that promotes and supports kingdom activities. When those actions are motivated out of love for God and others, they become truly a labor of love. And then when they never waver from the truth and believe that their efforts are beneficial and therefore continue working that demonstrates their steadfastness. This “three-part memory” of the Thessalonians was important and uniquely special to Paul.
1:4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
Paul offers evidence of God’s love and that God had chosen (Greek eklogēn, chosen as an instrument of usefulness) them, with the fact that the gospel not only came to them in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction (Greek plērophoria, completely certain, absolutely sure). What they witnessed of how God was working through them was sufficient for Paul to write, “For we know…” (Greek eidotes, in context knowledge from God).
This reference of being chosen often raises the question of predestination (click here to read an examination of the subject of election and predestination).
Paul notes that they knew what they taught was true as the manner of their lives proved. For example God calls believers to be: truthful (John 8:32; 16:13; 18:37; Romans 1:25; Ephesians 4:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 13; James 5:19; 1 John 1:8; 3:19; 2 John 1:1-2, 4; 3 John 1:8); humble (Luke 18:14; Romans 12:16; Colossians 3:12; James 4:6, 10; 1 Peter 3:8; 5:5-7); patient (Romans 12:12; 2 Corinthians 1:6; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1; 2 Timothy 2:24; James 5:7-8); generous (2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:11; 1 Timothy 6:18-19); peaceful (Romans 12:18; 1 Corinthians 7:15; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 5:21; Colossians 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:22; Hebrews 12:14; James 3:17-18); doesn’t boast (1 Corinthians 5:6; 13:4; James 3:14); gentle (Galatians 5:23); caring (Romans 12:13, 20; 1 Peter 3:8); loving (Romans 12:9; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:8); compassionate (Colossians 3:12); praying (Romans 8:26; 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2-4; Jude 1:20); and live in harmony (Romans 12:16), just to name a few attributes.
1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Another obvious attribute of a believer is the transition from serving the needs of oneself to serving God and others. This transition is called sanctification as believers slowly become more like Jesus. Paul notes that the people of Thessalonica imitated them and Jesus as they received the Word of God and applied it in their own lives with the help of the Holy Spirit, despite the severe suffering it caused them. In turn, they became models of Christian behavior for believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia (all of modern-day Greece). Paul further notes that their example of faith in God had spread even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, to everywhere! As they have encountered people that already knew Jesus, so they did not need to preach anything. They were told how the Thessalonians had turned from idol worship to serving the living and true God who was raised from the dead and now speak about how they look forward to His return, to rescue them from the wrath to come.
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[1] Rosscup, J. E. (2008). An Exposition on Prayer in the Bible: Igniting the Fuel to Flame Our Communication with God (p. 2356). Lexham Press.