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I Thessalonians
Paul wrote this on his second missionary journey in the South of Greece when Timothy brought him the news that the Church in Thessalonica was very confused on a number of doctrinal issues.
Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia in Greece. It was famous as a wealthy city and had a great seaport.
This epistle is Eschatological (references future things - prophesy) in nature - Second Advent or the rapture. This is the only Pauline epistle without any Old Testament citations and indicates the Church in Thessalonia is probably a purely 'Gentile' church. It is FILLED with doctrine. And, it discusses the oral teaching of the apostles - which had divine authority until the canon was completed.
I and II Thessalonians were Paul's first letters. They are both Eschatological in nature. Eschatological means "a belief or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second Coming, or the Last Judgment."
In the introductory paragraph, Paul uses a number of Greek words that are technical in their use. Each is very important for the mature believer to understand.
Chapter
1
1a~~
Paul {Saul Paulus of Tarsus}
and
Silas
{Silvanus - a member of Paul's missionary team and
a scribe mentioned in I Peter 5:12}
and
Timothy
{Timotheos - another member of Paul's team. Timothy
was a pastor-teacher and initially "weak". Paul had
to deal stearnly with him but he grows into being a
very mature believer and leader of the early Church},
unto
the church of the Thessalonians
to
your advantage
which
is in God the Father
and
through the Lord Jesus Christ.
1b~~
Grace [charis]
be
unto you,
and
peace [eirene],
from
God our Father,
and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Note: Charis means grace. It is the word from which we get charisma. Technically, it is used to represent God's plan for mankind. The word represents "all that God can do for humans because of the Work of Jesus Christ on the cross". We do not earn it or deserve it. It is given to us freely . . . as a gift without strings. It is given to all of those who freely choose FOR God. He calls to all of us, "Come to me." Those who say "Yes" receive His grace and are in His Plan of Grace.]
[Note: Eirene means peace. But there are a number of types of peace. The main "peace" is that now possible between a perfect God and His creation that became imperfect. So, this type of "peace" was that "bought" by Jesus Christ on the cross. The second type of "peace" is inner peace. This is the type of peace that God always has had and always will have. He never changes (immutable). Two of the benefits of becoming a spiritually mature believer are inner peace and inner happiness. The third type of peace is between peoples and nations. There is a time for peace and a time for war. Both are part of God's perfect timing and will be with us until the Second Advent of Christ.]
2~~
We keep on giving thanks [eucharisteo]
to
The God {dative of dignity}
always
for you all,
constantly
making mention of you
in
our prayers.
[Note: Eucharisteo is the Greek word for giving thanks. It is the word from which we get Eucharist. The ritual of the Eucharist is actually giving thanks to God for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. It is a solemn ritual that should never be entered into out of fellowship. Please use I John 1:9 and restore your fellowship before entering into the Eucharist.]
3~~
Always remembering habitually [adialeiptos]
{means to pray with the rapidity of a hacking cough}
your
production from the source of faith,
and
labor of love [agape],
and
patience of hope
in
our Lord Jesus Christ,
in
the sight of God and our Father.
[Note: Love is actually a LEARNED trait. When people toss it around without understaning what it means, it is worthless. In the Greek of the New Testement, there are two completely different words both unsually translated "love" - a horrible error. Agape is the word used for "impersonal love". It means to "agape" others based on who and what YOU are - regardless of who they are. This is the type of love Jesus said when He said we are to "love" each other. If you are a spiritually mature person, then you share the Virtue of God. And, you can love others based on that type of love. For all that agape love is, please see I Corinthians 13:4 and following.]
[Sidenote: The second Greek word for love is phileo. Phileo is the personal type of love based on who and what the characteristics are of the object of love. Only God can be loved this way without disappointment. Eventually your object of love will show his or her imperfection. At that time it is important to switch to the agape type of love. If we can truly imitate God and forgive our loved one, then we can return to using the phileo type of personal love for them once more. That usually just takes time.]
4~~
"Knowing from experience" [oida] . . .
brethren
[adelphos] . . .
{adelphos - brother - fellow "family members" in the
Family of God}
"loved
in the past by God with the result
that
we are loved by God forever" . . .
[agape - perfect passive participle form - means the action
participle happens before the action of the main verb. It is
perfect which means it goes on forever]
your
election/choice.
[Note: Again the Greek has a number of words for "knowing". Oida means "to know from experience". It is the type of knowledge that comes from seeing, hearing, or otherwise experiencing.]
[Note: The doctrine of election is a mature doctrine. Theologians disagree. Here is my understanding: 1) God is sovereign and He has the right to First Choice. His choice is given. He desires that ALL be saved (I Timothy 2:4). Now I Timothy 2:4 is referring to the desires of the Deity of Jesus, but all Deity have always agreed in everything. So, if One member of the Godhead desires this, all members of the Godhead agree. 2) Verses tell us that ALL are not saved. So there must be another criteria involved in election. 3) God is Omniscient. That means He always has known the knowable. He always has known who would "hear His call" and respond positively. 4) So, technically . . . chronologically . . . God's choice of Jesus (and us through Him) came first. But, practically, God chose us because He knew we "would" eventually choose Him from our own free will.]
5a~~For
our gospel/'good news' [euaggelion]
did
not come to you in word only,
but
also in power . . .
even
the power of the Holy Spirit [pneuma] . . .
and
"full assurance/conviction" [plerophoria].
[Note: Euaggelion is made up of eu and aggelion. The double g in the Greek is an "n" in the English. Therefore, "angelion" means "message". An "angel" is a "messenger". Eu is the Greek prefix meaning "good". The "gospel" literally means "good message". Our being sinners is NOT a good message! The fact that Jesus paid the price for our sins and we now can be saved IS good news. That is the message mature believers emphasize when they correctly "give the gospel".]
[Note: Plerophoria here means to stand firm in the faith which has set you free. It means to never think you have to apologize for being a Christian. Evangelize with the power and confidence that is supplied to you by the Word and God the Holy Spirit.
[Note: Pneuma is the Greek word for "spirit". It is used consistently throughout the New Testament originals. Where "ghost" is found in the KJV, it is just a minor translation error. "Ghost" should be used to translate the Greek word "phantasma" - which is the word we transliterate "phantom").]
5b~~Just
as you know what kind of men
we
became among you for your sake.
[Note: In the following verses, we learn that the kind of men they became were teachers of doctrine. They taught students who eventually became teachers themselves. Indigenous peoples respond best to people of their own race and culture. It is best for foreigners to teach local teachers who then teach their own people.]
{The
EXAMPLE Church - Learn Doctrine - Teach Teachers
who teach others- Verses 6-8}
6-7~~
Having received the Word
{Paul taught them doctrine - they were his students}
in
the sphere of much pressures {adversity}
accompanied
by the inner happiness {joy}
from
the ultimate source of the Holy Spirit . . .
you
became imitators of us and of the Lord . . .7~~
with
the result that
you
were a 'blueprint'
{a pattern or mold to follow - copy me in my study
as I copied Christ - then apply}
to
all who believe, to their advantage,
in
Macedonia and Achaia.
8~~For
. . . from the ultimate source of you
{they taught people who taught people who taught others} . . . you
trumpeted out the word of the Lord
in
the past with results that go on forever . . .
not
only in Macedonia and Achaia but also . . .
in
every place . . .
{they Turned the World upside down - Acts 17:6 - World Wide
Evangelism}
your
faith to God-ward {eyes on the Lord} is spread abroad
so
that we do not have a need to speak any thing.
{Note: Paul taught the Thessalonians doctrine. They taught people who taught people on and on. Paul was now in Corinth and the towns around that area and kept running into believers! He asked them who gave them the word and the line went from this trader to this traveler until the source came back to the Thessalonians and Paul was thrilled with their evangelistic work!}
9~~For
they themselves {the converts from Thessalonica}
keep
on reporting to us
what
manner of entering in {to Christianity}
we
had unto you . . .
and
how you {The Thessalonians}
turned
to God from idols
to
serve the constantly living and true God.
{Note: These converts were reporting that Paul was their spiritual grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.}
10~~And
to wait with eager anticipation for His Son . . .
out
from heaven . . .
{2nd Advent of Christ}
Whom
He raised out from the dead . . . even Jesus . . .
{referring back to the 1st Advent of Christ}
Who
delivered us "out from" the wrath about to come.
{Church will be raptured before the Tribulation}
{Note: The 'wrath about to come' is the Tribulation. God delivers us "OUT OF" troubles or "OUT FROM troubles". Daniel was saved out OF the lion's den but he did go into it. However, here the Church is delivered "out from" the Tribulation - the Church will not enter into the Tribulation at all. So, this verse clearly states that the rapture of the church will be before the Tribulation begins.}
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