1 Thessalonians: Waiting for His Son from heaven

Where 1 Thessalonians sits

In the story

Act VI, Church · The Journeys, c. AD 48–57

In the Bible

New Testament · Letters · book 52 of 66

Before it in the story

Galatians

After it in the story

2 Thessalonians

One of Paul's first letters, written on his second journey a few months after the church was founded (Acts 17–18); it shows what Paul taught new converts about the Lord's return, and leads straight into the second letter.

1 Thessalonians summary

Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy, writes from Corinth to a church he had to leave after a short stay: three Sabbaths in the synagogue and, it seems, some weeks or months among the Gentiles (Acts 17:2; Phil 4:16). At Thessalonica the gospel came in power and in the Holy Spirit; some Jews, many God-fearing Greeks and many former idolaters believed, and a riot drove the missionaries out by night (Acts 17:1–10). Paul, blocked from returning, sent Timothy back from Athens, and Timothy has now come to Corinth with good news (3:1–6; Acts 18:5). The first half of the letter (1–3) is thanksgiving and personal history: the church's work of faith, labor of love and steadfast hope; how they turned to God from idols to serve Him and to wait for His Son from heaven (1:9–10); how the apostles came, not with flattery or greed, but gentle as a nursing mother and firm as a father (2:1–12); how the church received the message as the word of God and suffered for it (2:13–16); and how Paul longed to see them and was revived by Timothy's report, ending in prayer for love, holiness and the Lord's coming (2:17–3:13). The second half (4–5) is instruction: holiness in sexual life, brotherly love and quiet work (4:1–12); comfort for those grieving believers who have died, for at the Lord's one public coming the dead in Christ will rise first and the living will be caught up with them to meet the Lord, and so be with Him for ever (4:13–18); watchfulness, since the day of the Lord will come like a thief on the unready but not on the sons of the day (5:1–11); and a life together of respect, patience, joy, prayer and discernment (5:12–22). It closes with a prayer that the God of peace will keep them blameless at Christ's coming, for He who calls them is faithful (5:23–24). Every part ends with the Lord's coming in view.

1 Thessalonians in context

Written by

Paul, writing with Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, the companions who planted the church with him (1:1; Acts 17:1–15); Paul is the main voice, as the singular shows (2:18; 3:5; 5:27)

Written to

The church of the Thessalonians in the capital of Macedonia: some Jews and many God-fearing Greeks and former idolaters (1:9; Acts 17:4), suffering at the hands of their own countrymen (2:14)

Setting

Corinth, soon after Timothy came back from Thessalonica with news of the church (3:6; Acts 18:1–5), a few months after Paul had been driven out (2:17)

When

c. AD 50–51, early in Paul's eighteen months at Corinth (Acts 18:11), a stay dated by Gallio's term as proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12; from AD 51). One of Paul's earliest letters; only Galatians may be earlier.

Why

To thank God for the church's faith, love and hope; to answer doubts about the missionaries' motives by recalling how they lived among them; to strengthen believers under persecution; to urge holiness, love and quiet work; and to comfort them about believers who had died, teaching that at Christ's one public coming the dead in Christ will rise and all His people will be gathered to Him for ever.

Themes of 1 Thessalonians

• The Lord's coming
• The word of God at work
• Chosen and called
• Faith, love and hope
• Suffering for the gospel
• Holiness
• A pastor's heart
• Love and quiet work

Key verses in 1 Thessalonians

• 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10

  For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

• 1 Thessalonians 2:13

  And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

• 1 Thessalonians 3:13

  so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3

  For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;

• 1 Thessalonians 4:14

  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10

  For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24

  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

1 Thessalonians chapter by chapter

Part 1 · Thanks for a church born in trouble 1:1–3:13

1. 1
   1 Thessalonians 1: From idols to the living God

   Paul thanks God for a church He chose and changed: they turned from idols to serve God and await His Son.

2. 2
   1 Thessalonians 2: Not the word of men, but of God

   Paul recalls his visit: no flattery or greed, but a mother's gentleness and a father's care; they received God's word.

3. 3
   1 Thessalonians 3: Timothy's good news

   Paul sent Timothy from Athens; his good report of their faith brings joy, and Paul prays to see them.

Part 2 · How to live while you wait 4:1–5:28

1. 4
   1 Thessalonians 4: We will always be with the Lord

   Live holy lives and love one another; the dead in Christ will rise when the Lord descends to meet His people.

2. 5
   1 Thessalonians 5: Sons of the light and of the day

   The day of the Lord will surprise the world, not believers: stay awake and sober, and build one another up.

See the outline of 1 Thessalonians