Bible Commentaries
1 Thessalonians 1

Verses 1-13

VII

EXPOSITION

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3:13.

We shall follow a full and extended analysis that takes cognizance of everything in this letter. In that analysis the first thing that we consider is the salutation: "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace." It was customary in ancient times for a salutation to introduce two matters. The Romans particularly had that habit.

In this salutation the first question is, Who saluted? The answer is, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, who co-labored in the establishment of this church. The next question is, Whom saluted? "The church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Note (speaking of the Greek word ekklesia, which is rendered "church") that there were three ecclesias in Thessalonica at one time: First, the Jewish synagogue; second, the Greek ecclesia – that civil body which managed the affairs of the city. To these two that are already there a new ecclesia comes, a new congregation having a new business, giving a new atmosphere, and that is the church or ecclesia of God the Father. But when it adds "and the Lord Jesus Christ," that separates it from the Jewish church. That also separated it from that civil business body, the Greek ecclesia.

Is this the first letter ever written to a Christian church of which we have any knowledge? Before answering, read Acts 15. James’s letter precedes it in order of time, but it was not addressed to a church.

The next item in the letter is the salutation proper, "Grace and peace." If one will pass rapidly over the letters of Paul, he will find that he followed the Oriental custom of salutations. Nearly all the time he brought in "grace and peace" and sometimes added "mercy." It is interesting to take the beginning of all his letters and see how in writing them he salutes them in that way. It was the grace of God that secured their salvation, and through their justification they found peace with God.

The next division is the thanksgiving. That commences at 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 – a most marvelous thanksgiving: "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father." Here it would be interesting to take up the letters of Paul and notice his custom, right after the salutation, of putting in a thanksgiving if he had anything to be thankful for. Trace that through his letters and see if he does not, as here, in wishing grace and peace to the people to whom he writes, first seek out the ground of thankfulness that he has toward God concerning them. There was one letter that he wrote in which he omitted the thanksgiving – the letter to the churches of the Galatians. They had taken the back track to such a fearful degree that Paul, when he wrote to them, left out the thanksgiving.

Notice in the second place the extent and broadness of his thanksgiving here. It exceeds any that we find anywhere else: "We give thanks unto God always for you ail," all the way and all the time. When he wrote a letter to the Corinthians and put in his thanksgiving he could not give thanks for everyone of them, for one of them had been guilty of an awful sin, and of others of them he said that, even weeping, he must say that they were enemies of Christ.

Paul says to these Thessalonians, "Every time I pray for you I thank God for you; and second, every time I remember three things about you, your work of faith, your labor of love, your patience of hope, I also thank God for you." Notice Paul’s trinity of Christian graces – faith, hope, and love. He brings that out in his letter to the Colossians and again in 1 Corinthians 13:13: "But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love." Here compare the three heathen graces, which may be found in Anthon’s "Classical Dictionary," with the three Christian graces, and tell wherein the Christian graces are superior to the heathen graces.

Notice the work of faith, Greek ergon, the labor of love, kopos, and the endurance of hope, hupomone. I am inclined to think that these Thessalonians through their faith had done some miraculous work that we do not know anything about. When we read Hebrews II we see the great work that faith did, and each one has a particular work: "By faith Enoch was translated . . . by faith Abraham . . . by faith Noah . . . by faith Rahab . . . ," etc. Each one performed some mighty exploit, an ergon, or work – "the work of faith." This being singular,ergon, I am inclined to think that there was some explicit exploit rendered by these Thessalonians to which Paul refers when he says, "Every time I remember your work of faith I am thankful." Just what the particular work was I do not know. It was a work of faith in the Roman amphitheater when the brave Christian woman preferred to be cast to the wild beasts rather than abjure her faith. These Thessalonians were very much persecuted after they had professed the Christian religion, and there may have been some signal incident of persecution. Anyhow, faith that does not work is not worth a cent. These are the three things that every time Paul thought of the Thessalonians he was thankful about.

Now we come to a new topic, beginning with 1 Thessalonians 4:4: "Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as you know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake. And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit; so that ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to Godward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come."

"I am thankful," says Paul (mentioning three reasons why he is thankful), "every time I pray; every time I remember the three things; every time I know that you are elected, I am thankful."

Let us consider somewhat the matter of election. It is something that may be known. He says he knew it. Once I helped to ordain a man for whom I conducted the examination. I asked the questions just as fast as I could fire the shots at him: "What does election mean?" "To choose." "Who chooses?" "God." "When?" "Before the foundation of the world." "Unto what?" "Salvation." "In whom?" "In Christ."

"Was this election based on foreseen repentance and faith, or did repentance and faith result from the election?"

This was the thing that Paul was discussing: "I am thankful, brethren, because I know you are elected. You are chosen of God unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth in Jesus Christ."

That being the doctrine of election, -that God chose those people in eternity, yet Paul here in time could find out. So what are the tokens or signs that one is elected? These tokens are of two kinds: signs to Paul, the preacher, and signs in them, or the evidence that they are the elect. When he saw these signs he knew they were elect. How important that thing is for us. Our articles of faith say it is our privilege and duty to ascertain whether we are elected. We ought to find out whether we have been chosen of God. There is a way to find out: "How that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance."

I heard a man once quote that to show that these Thessalonians had assurance because they had faith. He is not talking about their assurance but his assurance – that he (Paul) preached not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. From this he argued: "I come to a place to preach. Do I find that I can preach there? Do I feel drawn to preach there? Am I impressed in my heart that the Lord has a people to call out? Does it impress me so that when I go to preach I feel that the power of the Holy Spirit is with me? If I can feel these things, that is a token that somebody there belongs to the elect."

But that does not locate the elect. It shows that they are there, but not which ones. But these are the signs in them: "Ye received this word which I preached, not as from men, but as God’s word, or the manner in which you listened to me; second, your conversion: ’Ye turned unto God from idols to serve the living and true God.’ "

Notice next: "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come." In other words, "When I see how you heard me, from what you turned, to what you turned, that patient waiting for the risen Lord, that you had faith in him, the patience of hope – hope which takes cognizance of the second coming of Christ, your waiting under great afflictions, I know that you are elect."

Another token is, "You became imitators of the church of Judea in suffering affliction and persecution. If when you were persecuted you had fallen away and said, If being a Christian is to walk this hot road I will turn back and seek the shade,’ " then, he would have known that they were not the elect, but since they heard his preaching as the word of God, turned from idols and patiently waited for the coming of the Lord, who was to deliver from the wrath to come, and since while waiting they followed the footsteps of Christians elsewhere, imitating these Christians in bearing up patiently under the persecutions to which they were subjected, he had that assurance. For instance, Jason whom they arrested and took before the magistrate and put under bond to keep the peace, they would have put to death if they had had the power. "Jason, does this prejudice you against the religion you profess?" John Bunyan tells how Christian and Pliable came to the Slough of Despond, and they both fell in the mire, and Pliable began to say, "Is this the great road you are talking about to the great country you are going to? I am going back to the country I came from." As we look at him we know that he was not elect. But if this other man, though sinking in the Slough of Despond, finally pulls out, covered with dirt, yet with his face toward the heavenly city, that is a token that he is elect.

Still another token: "So that ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia." That is, they became an example in all Greece and Peloponnesus. "For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to Godward is gone forth." When we want to consider the question of election, here we have it.

God does not permit us to climb a ladder and go into his secret archives and turn the pages and see if a man’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. But he does permit us to know whether we are elect or whether anybody else is elect.

When this knowledge comes to the missionary that the men to whom he preaches are elect, then he is thankful, as Paul says, "knowing your election."

We come now to the next ’item in the full analysis. The fifth general head is, "The Reminder of the Past." What is it he reminds them of? See 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2: "For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain; but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict." In other words, "Now, you know when I got there from Philippi, so bruised from those stripes received from the lictor’s rod, and weak from imprisonment, brethren, ye remember how boldly I came to you and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was not scared. I was not discouraged on account of receiving punishment at the hands of the lictors in Philippi. I had no idea of turning back."

Here are some negative things to which he wants to call our attention, and what a pity that every preacher could not say this: "For our exhortation is not of error [he brought them no heresy], nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; . . . not as pleasing men, . . . for neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness; nor seeking glory of men." Let us get these "nots." He is reminding them of things when he was with them before, calling their attention to his manner of entering in and preaching to them; that wherever he went and preached, he didn’t preach a heresy; that he didn’t go in uncleanness as the teachers of the heathen did, using their influence over their disciples to bring them to shame; not in guile; not to make money; not, indeed to please. "I am not seeking your pleasure, nor flattering you." How hard it is to keep a preacher, when he sits down by some member of his church, from saying a few flattering words. Paul calls their attention to the fact that when he preached among them he did not use flattery.

Let us see what he did: "But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children; how gentle she is!" Paul says, "I was not rough, affectionately desirous of you." "I was with you in affection." "Willing not only to impart the gospel to you, but my own soul. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail, that we might not be a burden to you, working every day and night." They were heathen; it was missionary ground, and they knew nothing about the principles of missionary support. If he had demanded a salary of these heathen, he never would have gotten them. That is why we have to pay a missionary a salary. They are going where there are no churches and where the very mention of compensation turns the people away that we want to convert.

Notice again: "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblamably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe; as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children."

When I get to reading Paul, it digs me up by the roots, so that I feel like I have never done the right kind of preaching and did not have the right kind of spirit.

The next thing is his impeachment of the Jews, 1 Thessalonians 2:14: "For ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even -as they did of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and please not God, and are ’contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always; but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost." That is a fearful indictment against his people, and every word of it is true.

From 1 Thessalonians 2:17 on to the end of 1 Thess 3, he reminds them of the things since he left them. He goes on to show that since he left them he had continually desired to come back, and twice tried to come back, but Satan hindered him, and in order that something might be added to their faith, he was willing to be left alone at Athens in order that Timothy might go back and supply what was lacking in their faith. So on through 1 Thess 3.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the salutation of this letter, verbatim, who saluted, and whom saluted?

2. What are the three ecclesias at Thessalonica, and what the distinguishing characteristics of each?

3. Was this the first New Testament letter written to a church?

4. What two things does Paul, according to Oriental custom, introduce in this salutation, and why?

5. What was Paul’s habit as to what followed the salutation of his letters, and what notable exception?

6. Show the extent and broadness of this thanksgiving, and how Paul was limited in some other thanksgivings in his letters.

7. What Paul’s trinity of Christian graces, and wherein are they superior to the heathen graces?

8. What did Paul remember in the Thessalonians which furnished a ground of thanksgiving, and what the meaning and application of these things?

9. What is election, who elects, when, unto what, in whom, and what the relation of election to repentance and faith?

10. Show how Paul knew of their election of God, (1) from signs in him, and (2) from signs in them.

11. What is the literal meaning of conversion, and what illustration of it in this letter?

12. What are the characteristics of Paul’s preaching while at Thessalonica, and what the characteristics of their reception of his preaching?

13. What claim does Paul make for his life among them?

14. Describe the terrible indictment Paul brings against his own people in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16.

15. Give an analysis of 1 Thess 2:17-3:13, pointing out its principal teachings.