Books 52 and 53
The Book Of 1st Thessalonians
Who wrote the book of 1st Thessalonians: Paul
When was it written: Approximately 51 A.D.
Paul wrote his first letter to the Christians of Thessalonica following his short stay there during his second missionary journey. The congregation in Thessalonica was young. They had turned their backs on paganism to follow Christ. But their new¬found faith came at a price—the persecution and ridicule of their families and friends.
What’s more, the conversion from paganism, which worships many gods, to Christianity, which recognizes only the one true God, meant that these people changed their entire way of thinking and their entire way of life. They were upending generations of indoctrination for something many would not accept. They went from believing…
The gods and goddesses had to be appeased and sacrificed in order to gain their favor
Reincarnation and/or varying forms of spirit worlds upon physical death
Human sacrifices were often necessary (in many cases, but not all)
Sexual acts with temple prostitutes or even animals were acceptable as a form of worship to believing…
That there was only one God and that his son, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins
Our acceptance of those beliefs should be reflected by our willing obedience to God as an expression of gratitude for that sacrifice
1st Thessalonians overview for new Christians
We know from Paul’s accounts of his missionary journeys that he was not able to spend nearly as much time with the Christians in Thessalonica as he wanted to. His inability to devote more time to one-on-one discipleship made him somewhat anxious.
He did not want to see their faith choked out by the pressures of their family and friends who didn’t accept their coming to the truth. So in order to help the church in Thessalonica hold on to and grow in their faith, Paul wrote this letter and the letter of 2nd Thessalonians.
The main focus of this first letter to the Thessalonians is the second coming of Jesus Christ. I believe Paul takes this approach because of the importance placed on the spirit world in paganism.
He wants to reassure them that the reward they will receive for their faithfulness is far greater than anything they could have believed possible in their former way of thinking.
What we learn from 1st Thessalonians
We are to continually pray for, encourage, teach, and mentor one another—especially those who are new to the faith. (1:3 and 2:11-12)
We are to be a living example to others—Christians and non- Christians/ (1:7-8)
We aren’t meant to be people-pleasers. We are meant to be God-pleasers. (2:4-6)
God has provided the Holy Spirit to enable us to live faithful, obedient lives. ((3:12-13)
We are to honor God with our bodies. (4:3-8)
We are to be humble, and self-sufficient vs. depending on others to support us, and be people of integrity so that our lives will be an example of who Christ is. (4:11)
We learn that those who have died a physical death will be raised back to life and be judged before those who are alive at the second coming of Christ. (4:13-18)
No one but God knows when the day of judgment will be, but that’s okay—it’s nothing we need to worry about as long as we are in Christ. (5:2-11)
We are to have a strong work ethic, treat people with respect, live peacefully, be an encourager, and help those in need. (5:13-15)
We are to be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks in ALL circumstances because we know God will make everything good in his time. (5:16-18)
We are to test all teachings against the Word of God and run away from anything evil. (5:21-22)
Christian living lessons from 1st Thessalonians chapters
The Book Of 2nd Thessalonians
Who wrote the book of 2nd Thessalonians: Paul
When was it written: Approximately 52 A.D.
The book of 2nd Thessalonians is one of the shortest books in the Bible—only forty-seven verses total. The book is Paul’s second letter to the Christians at Thessalonica and is a follow-up to the first.
If you remember, other than reminding the people to be prayerful and obedient, Paul’s main focus in the first letter was to relate to them what we know about the second coming of Jesus. He basically repeated Jesus’ message (as written in the gospels) about the ‘procedures’ of the final judgment.
He Told Them That:
No one but God knows the day or time it will take place
That the dead will be raised back to life and be judged first, followed by those who are alive at the time of his return
That those who are declared saved before God will spend eternity in heaven and that those who are not saved will spend eternity in hell
In reading this letter, however, the people in Thessalonica misunderstood Paul. Or rather they assumed that the second coming of Jesus was imminent. In fact, we know from what Paul writes in this second letter that many of them had stopped working and going about their daily lives just to wait for Jesus.
And so the purpose of this second letter is to clear up that misunderstanding.
1st Thessalonians chapter summary and key takeaways
What We Learn From 2nd Thessalonians
God is a just God. He will reward those who are faithful and righteous in him and will pay back trouble to those who are not. (1:6-10)
We aren’t to be deceived or become unsettled or worried by those who say they know when the day of judgment will be. (2:1-4)
We are to be on guard against Satan and constantly depend on God to protect us from Satan’s schemes. (3:3)
We are to work hard and honor God by serving him and others. (3:10-13)
We are to hold one another accountable for obeying God. (3:14-15)