Reflections on the Apostle Paul’s Letters to the Thessalonians

There are five questions that need to be answered before we begin dealing with the specific contents of this first letter. First, “Why did Paul feel there was a need to start a church there?” Possibly it was chosen because he had a strategy to plant the gospel in such a vital place as a seaport to the Aegean Sea, and because it was a crossroad for a major land route as well. Though presently the area is contained within the country of Turkey, in Paul’s time Turkey was made up of the provinces of Moesia, Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace. Thessalonica sat in the center of these land areas, and trade from far and near would pass through it. That means Paul planted the seed of Christ in a place where Christ’s message would travel far beyond where he was able to take it personally. That’s not a bad plan for church planting even today. The second question is, “Who made up the church there?” Again, according to St. Luke’s account in Acts, and from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians itself, those who believed as a result of his ministry were truly an eclectic group. “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women” (Acts 17:4). “…for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God” (I Thessalonians 1:9). A third question would be, “How long were Paul, Silas, and Timothy there?” We know that they were there for at least three weeks, but it may possibly have been a bit longer since Paul had time to work at his trade and built such a strong church that it bothered the Jews there greatly. Look at the following verses from Acts 17:2 and 17:5: “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” “But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas to bring them out to the crowd.” It most likely wasn’t much longer than what is listed in scripture, however, because of the fierce persecution Paul faced there. As we continue with our questions about Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica, a fourth question that we need to ask is, “Why did Paul write such a letter?” Perhaps it was because he was there such a short time before being driven out, and because he was concerned about the welfare of the church in his absence. He eventually sent Timothy back to Thessalonica (3:1–3) from Athens to see how things were going there. “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in the faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.” When Timothy returned with his report, Paul wrote this letter to affirm their success in the Lord and to strengthen them in their spiritual walk. He knew that new converts need instruction and training, and he wanted to supply what was missing in their faith. “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (I Thessalonians 3:13). He also wrote to correct some misunderstandings concerning the second coming of the Lord, but we will deal with those particular passages in the coming days. A fifth and last question that needs to be answered before we begin this study is, “From where and when did Paul write this letter?” Most likely it was written from Corinth after Timothy and Silas returned and reported about the progress of the church in Thessalonica to him. Paul had traveled to Berea, Athens, and finally Corinth after leaving Thessalonica (Acts 17:10–15). We know the date was around AD 50-52 because he was brought before Gallio, the governor of Corinth, during his time there (Acts 18:12–17). Paul stayed in Corinth a total of eighteen months, and ancient records show that a governor’s term was only one to two years, and that Gallio began his administration there in the summer of AD 51. “So, Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God” (Acts 18:11). We never know how God is going to direct the path of those who pledge themselves to His service, but we know that when the Lord is in it, fruit will be abundant in the long run.