1 THESSALONIANS LESSON 1


     There is, in my opinion, no doubt at all that the letter to the
Thessalonians was written by Paul. Thessalonica was a seaport city.
It was actually located in the Macedonian area. This might have been
the largest city in Macedonia. The seaport made it a large city.
Thessalonica was a mixture of Greeks and Romans. Many Jewesh
merchants headquartered here as well.

     In Thessalonica Paul's main subject to the people was the
resurrection of Jesus Christ and His second coming. Paul was
definitely the founder of the church in Thessalonica. It was on his
second journey that Paul founded the church. There was not as much
resistance from the Jews here, as in some of the other areas. Let me
say there was much persecution here, but not from Judaizers in the
church.

     It is believed that this is the first of the letters of Paul to
be written. It is also believed that Paul wrote this from Corinth. It
was written somewhere around 50 A.D. Give or take a year or two.

     Now let us get right into the verse by verse study of the book of
Thessalonians. I Thessalonians 1:1 "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,
unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and
[in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God
our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

     This is a typical Pauline greeting to these people he loved so
well. In Corinthians Paul was defending his right to lead them and he
reminded them that he was an apostle, called of God. He does not call
himself that here, because he knows these people already believe that
he was called of God to do this work. He feels that no explanation of
who he is, is necessary.  Silvanus is the same person as Silas. We
know that Paul had high regard for him. They had been imprisoned
together for the gospel of Jesus. Of course, Timotheus is Timothy. It
was not unusual for them to be with Paul. Timothy was an understudy of
Paul.  It seems that both Timothy and Silas had helped Paul in the
founding of the church at Thessalonica. Paul is very proud of this
church. He feels they are grounded in the Truth of the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. We have mentioned in other lessons that there is a
message in the name "Lord Jesus Christ". Jesus means Jehovah Saviour,
Christ means Messiah, the Anointed One. To call Him Lord means that
you have turned your will over to Him. Paul wishes unmerited favor for
them {grace}. If they know the King of Peace {Jesus Christ} they have
perfect peace. Grace and peace are free blessings poured out on
mankind by the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

     I Thessalonians 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all,
making mention of you in our prayers;"

     Paul never stopped being concerned about the churches that he had
begun. He prayed for them regularly. Paul had very little to reprimand
them for, he gave thanks to God for them.

     I Thessalonians 1:3 "Remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"

     It appears from the praise that Paul has for the church at
Thessalonica that he is very pleased with their faithfulness to
Christianity. We see the main things that are important in the
faithful Christian in, faith, hope and love. I Corinthians 13:13 "And
now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of
these [is] charity."  Charity, here is agape, which means God's kind
of love. These three, faith, hope and love sum up a Christian. We have
faith in Jesus, love His people as he would, and have hope of our
resurrection in Him.

     I Thessalonians 1:4 "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of
God."

     Because of the faith, love, and hope in the previous verse, God
has predestined us to the election of sonship in Him. We had to
activate our will and have the faith, love and hope. He elected us to
be His because of our decision. Paul says here, there is no question
about it, you belong to God.

     I Thessalonians 1:5 "For our gospel came not unto you in word
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;
as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

     Paul was not a man of just words, but of deeds as well. His deeds
proved to all that he truly believed the words he brought to them.
Paul's power to heal, his power to preach, and his power to endure
persecution came from the power of the Holy Ghost within him. Paul is
assured that he does not have to explain who he is or what he stands
for to these people. They believe in the work of Paul. The "we" in
this indicates that Timothy and Silas are known of them, also.

     I Thessalonians 1:6 "And ye became followers of us, and of the
Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the
Holy Ghost:"

     Paul, does not mean that these people became Paulites. They were
Christians. They followed Paul because he showed them the way to
follow Christ. We know from the book of Acts that Paul was so
persecuted here, by the Jews, that Paul had to depart. This was not
Jews, in the church. They were Jews who did not believe in Christ.
They were not Judaizers. It is so strange that the greatest growth in
the church is in time of persecution. The joy, they experienced, then,
was not experienced because of things that happened around them, but
the opposite. This joy was from within, in spite of the persecutions
around them.

     I Thessalonians 1:7 "So that ye were ensamples to all that
believe in Macedonia and Achaia."

     This is just saying that this church was doing so well that the
other churches could look to them as an example of how the church was
to function.

     I Thessalonians 1:8 "For from you sounded out the word of the
Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your
faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any
thing."

     Paul, is saying here, that their good works speak for them
wherever it is known of them. It seems that the gospel had spread from
this city to other cities. We do not know whether people off the ships
in the harbor came to church and carried the good news of their faith
in God to other areas or whether they actually sent ministers forth
with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do know that the verse above
speaks of a spreading of the Word of God by these Thessalonians to
other places, some quite far away. Paul, is just saying, it is a well
known fact of how you are spreading the true Word of God. He, also,
says, it was not necessary for him to carry the good news about them.
The good news of their faith and work in God had spoken for itself.

     I Thessalonians 1:9 "For they themselves shew of us what manner
of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God;"

     Not only does Paul not have to tell the other churches about
Thessalonica, but the people in the other churches are telling Paul.
This had been a society of idol worshippers, but when the Truth was
presented to them, they had turned from idol worship, to the worship
of the One True God. We had spoken earlier in this lesson how Paul had
been empowered by the Holy Ghost. It seems that this church at
Thessalonica had been filled with this same power. These people were
bearing fruit for Jesus, because they were filled with the Holy Spirit
and power. They were living and ministering to others through the
power of the Holy Ghost.

     I Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come."

     Paul felt that the coming of the Lord was very near. Of course it
was for him, because none of us live much beyond one hundred years
old. It is near for each of us, whether we are part of those physical
dead who rise first, or whether we are those living who will be
changed in the twinkling of an eye. We shall rise, because He arose.
Our hope is of the resurrection in Him {Jesus}. Notice, we are
delivered from the wrath to come, not the tribulation to come. The
wrath of God occurs the last three and one half years of the great
tribulation period. When the wrath of God falls on this earth at the
end of the Gentile age, we Christians will be standing around the
throne of God in heaven. Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb." The tribulation was going on and we are taken
out of it. The wrath falls on the unbelievers. Ephesians 5:6 "Let no
man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."  Noah was not
delivered from the flood, he was delivered in the flood. We are not
delivered from tribulation, but in the tribulation. We are saved
completely from the wrath of God. Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being
now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
The Son from heaven, of course, is Jesus Christ our Lord. Notice, that
Paul brings up the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. This
letter is about the hope of the resurrection that Christians have
because Jesus arose, and also the second coming of Christ. Jesus is
the Resurrection and the Life.










































                     1 Thessalonians 1 Questions


1.  Who wrote this letter?
2.  Where was Thessalonica located?
3.  What nationality was it made up of?
4.  What was Paul's main subject in this letter?
5.  When had Paul founded this church?
6.  Was this an earlier letter or later letter of Paul's to the
    churches?
7.  Where was Paul when he wrote this letter?
8.  When was it believed that the letter was written?
9.  Who was the other 2 with Paul that Paul mentions in the first
    verse?
10. Why did Paul not mention in this letter that he was called of God
    to be an apostle?
11. What is another name that we know Silvanus by?
12. Which one of these men was an understudy to Paul?
13. What are some of the reasons Paul is proud of this church?
14. What message is in the name, "Lord Jesus Christ"?
15. Grace and peace are ______ blessings poured out on mankind by the
    Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
16. What kind of prayers did Paul pray for them?
17. What are three very important things to be found in a Christian?
18. Because of the _____, _______, and ______ God has predestinated
    them to election of sonship in Him.
19. Paul was not a man of just words, but what?
20. Where did Paul's power to heal, to preach, and to endure
    persecution come from?
21. These people were not Paulites, but ____________.
22. What type of joy is spoken of in verse 6?
23. Who were they ensamples to?
24. What spoke for these Thessalonians and made it unnecessary for
    Paul to speak for them?
25. This had been a society of ________ ____________.
26. They turned from the idols to the __________ ___.
27. What empowered them to minister to others?
28. How do we know we will arise?
29. We are delivered from the _______ to come.
30. Quote Revelation chapter 7 verse 14.
31. Who does the wrath of God come on?
32. Noah was not delivered ____ the flood, but ___ the flood.
33. What justifies us?
34. _______ is the Resurrection and the Life.