Archived Daily Manna | Rejoice Fellowship | A mission to release people to rejoice in the world.

Message: We have finished the first Pauline epistle, using Daily Prayer’s original translation. I hope it was as rewarding for you as it was for us, and I also hope we have contributed some to the body of scholarship on the epistle. Our book on Acts (see the ad on this page, lol) has done well enough for me to consider publishing another “Bible in Ten Minutes a Day” book (it’s a lot of work!), but 1 Thessalonians is way too short for its own volume. So, we have to decide whether to move on the 2 Thessalonians next, or Galatians. (I have to decide before tomorrow!) To finish up our study of 1 Thess., I have repeated the most famous sentence as our Scripture reading. Today’s Notes will be a recapitulation and summary of the epistle as a whole. Summary of 1 Thessalonians Greeting. Paul uses a form of greeting that we will see (with increasing complexity) in all of his letters. Thanks for the Faithfulness of the Church. Paul is effusive in his praise of the Thessalonian church. He and his companions—Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy—had been run out of town after only a few weeks, and the Thessalonians have done a remarkable job of holding to the true Gospel and living a Christian life, in spite of constant persecution. Their example is effectively promoting the Gospel, for word of their lives has spread throughout Macedonia, and beyond. Paul’s Courage Comes from God. Paul shows that he could not have carried on by human courage, but has been lifted up by God for his mission. (We learn from the Book of Acts that Paul had, in fact, been severely treated in Philippi just before he came to Thessalonica.) The Pure Spirit of the Gospel Message in Thessalonica. Paul recounts at length his own exemplary behavior while he was in Thessalonica. He does not do so to brag, but as “implied hortatory,” that is, he is giving them instructions about how to act without using an imperative tone. The primary characteristic he seeks to encourage is to live with a pure motive of serving Christ. The Sinfulness of the Jewish Authorities. Paul compares the afflictions of the Thessalonians to the persecution of Christians by the Jewish authorities in Judea, and he is quite harsh in his assessment of the Judean persecutors. Paul’s Strong Affection for the Thessalonian Church. Paul waxes eloquent about his love for the Thessalonians. He discusses the reasons he has been unable to visit them, the visit from Timothy as his proxy, and his hope to see them soon. Christ’s Followers Must Live in Purity, Honor and Love. Beginning in Chapter 4, Paul becomes more directly authoritative. He tells the readers to eschew sexual immorality —and especially, not to lead another astray — but to love one another unreservedly. He implores them to live quietly and mind their own affairs, so as to be a model for others and, perhaps, attract people to Christ. The Dead Will Be Raised. Paul straightens out concerns that those who had already died might not share in the glory of Christ’s second coming. Prepare for The Day of the Lord. He first tells them to stop trying to guess when the Day of the Lord would come, and to ignore any and all rumors that it was imminent; it could be a thousand years away. They should live in a state of preparation, alert and sober, living in the sunshine of Christ, as opposed to those who live in the darkness of ignorance, for the latter will be taken by surprise and suffer God’s wrath. Christian Conduct and Benediction. Paul ends the letter with another set of instructions about how to live: those who are idle and undisciplined, spending their days “meddling” and speculating on theological matters different from what he had taught them, should be chided and even cast out; yet, not as enemies, but with love and concern. He ends the letter with the famous and beautiful quote, given in today’s Scripture. In short, the letter deals with three primary issues. First, Paul’s praise and love for a church that is doing well and attracting outsiders to Christ. Second, specific information about how and when the Day of the Lord would come. And finally, encouragement to live quiet productive lives, in holiness and purity, despite the persecution they might suffer.