The Faithfulness of the Thessalonian believers – 1 Thessalonians 1 v 1 – 3

This morning we begin a series of studies on Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica, and whilst we will focus upon the opening three verses, the words of which have much to teach us, it’s always good at the beginning of any series too spend some time thinking about the background to, and reason for the letter, as it will help us to understand why it’s as relevant to God’s people today as it was to those living 2000 years ago

Each New Testament book has a special theme or message that is uniquely its own. For example, Galatians is the freedom letter; Philippians is the joy letter; Colossians lifts up the supremacy of Christ; and Paul’s first and second letters to the church in Thessalonica centre upon the return of Jesus Christ to rapture his church, and how his impending return should affect our lives and our churches.

Every chapter of 1 Thessalonians concludes with a reference to Jesus’ return. In verse 10 of Chapter 1 we read, ‘And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath’.

In verse 19 of Chapter 2 we read, ‘For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?’

In verse 13 of Chapter 3 we read, ‘May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones’.

In verse 17 of Chapter 4 we read, ‘After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever’.

And in verse 23 of Chapter 5 we read, ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’.

As we journey through this letter, we will see that Paul did not look upon the doctrine of Christ’s return as a theory to be discussed, but as a truth to be lived out.

As one commentator wrote, ‘Paul’s two letters encourage us to live in the future tense since Jesus is coming when we least expect Him’.

The return of Jesus then is the central theme of Paul’s first and also his second letter to the Thessalonian church, but as I said a moment ago, before we dig into the letter, I want to spend a few moments on the backdrop or context to both the church and the letter and Paul’s reason for writing it in the first place.

When Paul was converted at his supernatural encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was radically transformed by Jesus who appointed him as an Apostle to the Gentiles. The Greek word for Apostle’ means ‘messenger; one who is sent’, so Paul’s Apostleship involved him travelling around the Roman world, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone who would listen, and establishing churches in the various cities he visited.

The Book of Acts records how Paul undertook three missionary journeys. The first, which is recorded in Chapters 13 & 14, tells of how Paul, along with Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, John Mark who many believe was the author of Mark’s Gospel, and Barnabas, sailed to the island of Cyprus, and how from there, they travelled around Asia Minor which today is modern day Turkey planting churches in various cities throughout Asia Minor.

A year later, Paul set out on his second trip which is recorded in Acts Chapter 16, and on this occasion, Paul and Barnabas were joined by Silas and Timothy. For reasons unknown, John Mark decided not to continue with Paul and Barnabas.

And his third missionary journey is recorded in Acts Chapters 18 – 21. In those chapters we read how Paul travelled through Galatia which was and still is located in north West Turkey, and visited the churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch which he had planted 5 years earlier during his first missionary journey. It was also during his third missionary journey that Paul planted the church in Ephesus.

Now with regard to the church in Thessalonica, this was planted by Paul during his second missionary journey, and when you read the account in Acts Chapter 16, it was God who directed Paul specifically and intentionally to Thessalonica.

We are told by Luke that as Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy travelled around Asia Minor or Turkey they tried to enter the province of Bithynia, but they were stopped from doing so by the Holy Spirit.

Instead, they were directed by the Holy Spirit to the coastal city of Troas which is also located in North West Turkey, and it was while they were in Troas, that Paul was given a vision from God in which he saw a man begging him to come to Macedonia which is a region located in Northern Greece– Acts Chapter 16 verses 9 & 10.

Without hesitation, Paul and his travelling companions boarded a ship and sailed to Macedonia, and in doing so, it resulted in the Gospel entering ancient Europe for the very first time. By directing Paul to Macedonia, God was ensuring the Gospel spread beyond Asia.

Upon reaching the Macedonian port city of Philippi, Paul and his companions remained there for a while which resulted in the church in Philippi being established, and after instructing Luke to remain in Philippi, Paul, Silas, and Timothy headed West and journeyed through a number of cities, until they reached the seaport city of Thessalonica.

Now 2000 years ago, not only was Thessalonica an important crossroads for East-West travel, but it was also a strategic centre for trade and commerce. So, anything of significance that took place in Thessalonica – which would have included the preaching of the Gospel and its results- would quickly spread around the Ancient World.

After arriving in Thessalonica, we read in Acts Chapter 17 how as was his custom, Paul immediately went to the Jewish synagogue located in the city whereupon he spoke from the scriptures about Jesus. Luke writes, ‘As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures’.

The Greek word Luke used for ‘reasoned’ also translates as ‘to conduct a discussion’. Paul’s purpose for entering the Synagogue in Thessalonica was to ‘hold a discussion’ with the Jews about Jesus using the Old Testament Scriptures which would have consisted of the Law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets, and in verse 3 of Chapter 17 Luke records how Paul’s discussion centred upon 3 key areas.

The first was on how ‘the Christ had to suffer’. The second was on how, ‘the Christ had to die and be raised from the dead’. And the third was on how ‘Jesus is the Christ’.

Who Jesus was, how He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, and what His suffering, death, and resurrection meant both for the Jews and the world, was at the heart of Paul’s discussions, and in verses 4 to 10 of Chapter 17, Luke describes the impact of what Paul had to say about Jesus upon his audience.

In verse 4 we read how some accepted what Paul said. Luke wrote ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women’.

But in verses 5 – 10 we read how others angrily rejected what Paul said. Luke records how the Jews became so jealous of Paul that they formed an angry and hostile mob which led to a riot in the city.

Filled with rage, the mob then made its way to the house of Jason where Paul and Silas were staying, presumably to inflict harm upon them, but after receiving a ‘pledge’ from Jason that there would be no more trouble, Paul and Silas were allowed to remain in Jason’s house.

Whilst there were many who were convinced by Paul’s discussions and who believed what he said about Jesus, there was also many who were unconvinced and who violently opposed Paul.

In the end, Paul and Silas decided it wasn’t safe to remain in Thessalonica, and we are told by Luke how during the night, they left Jason’s house and travelled to the coastal town of Berea a few miles down the coast from Thessalonica, and upon reaching Berea, Paul entered the local synagogue where once again he ‘reasoned’ with the Jews about Jesus.

Despite the fierce opposition to Paul in Thessalonica, it nevertheless resulted in the formation of a small congregation consisting of some Jews, some God-fearing Greek Gentiles, and a number of professional women who would have been business women. Just as God had planned, the very first church in Europe – the Thessalonian church – was born.

However, like many of the churches Paul planted, because they were young and inexperienced in the faith, and because they were very vulnerable to the pagan society that surrounded them, they needed spiritual and doctrinal guidance and encouragement from Paul, and this came to them a few months later in the form of his letters known as 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

The purpose then of Paul’s two letters to the church in Thessalonica, was to encourage them to stand firm in the face of persecution from the enemies of Christ; to remind them of the foundational doctrines of their faith; to reassure them that Jesus will return to Earth for His church; and to also reassure them of the glorious future that awaits them.

So that folks, is the backdrop to and reason for Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, and now I want to turn to the letter itself beginning with verse 1 which centres upon Paul introducing himself, Silas, and Timothy to the church which is unique to his letter.

In Paul’s letters to the churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse, he opens by describing himself as either an apostle, a servant, or a prisoner. But here, he introduces himself by name only, which points to how Paul enjoyed a close and intimate relationship with the believers, and also how he regarded them, along with Silas and Timothy, as his equal in the service of the Lord.

Although Paul was an Apostle, he felt there was no need to appeal to his title to prove his Apostleship or to formerly set himself apart from his companions or the church in terms of gifting and service.

He wanted them to know that even though he was their spiritual leader and guide, he stood WITH them and NOT over them which, for me, is a sobering corrective to people’s veneration of men like the Pope and the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, and also so-called Christian celebrities.

Although I am your Minister, and although I carry the title Reverend, it does NOT mean I am above you in anyway, or that you are to treat me differently. Yes, I have been appointed by God to be your spiritual leader and Pastor, and yes, I would expect respect from you as your spiritual leader and Pastor.

But at the same time, I am also your brother in Christ, and as your brother, I am, like Paul, also standing with you and NOT over you. Brothers and sisters, we are a family, and we are also a team, which means regardless of my status and title, we work for the Lord, and we serve the Lord, as a team.

Now as I said at the beginning, although we are going to concentrate this morning upon the first 3 verses, contained within those verses are 8 very familiar, but deeply meaningful words, that I want to unpack.

During my preparations for this morning, one commentator I read drew upon a book in which the author suggests that too many of us rely on trite words and phrases. He argues that we should begin using different alternatives so that we don’t rob expressions of their meaning. And the commentator suggested this also applies to biblical terminology.

He suggested that because of our familiarity with some of the words and phrases within the Bible, especially the 8 words contained within Paul’s opening introduction which are Church, God, Jesus, Grace, Peace, Faith, Love, and Hope, it is easy to lose sight of the significance of their meaning.

Now whilst I’m not arguing for new words, I agree with the commentator that if we want to deepen and strengthen our faith, and also our walk with the Lord, we do need to recapture the stunning significance of those words – which is exactly what I what to now do.

The first word then that Paul uses is the word CHURCH. In our culture today, the word ‘church’ is almost always associated with a building, but from a biblical perspective, that is NOT what the church is.

In verse 1, Paul directs his introduction to the ‘church of the Thessalonians’. The Greek word Paul used for ‘church’ is ‘Ekklesia’ which translates as ‘an assembly’ or ‘called out ones’. It is also defined as, ‘a gathering of citizens called out by a herald from their homes into a public place’.”

Paul is writing to ‘a gathering of people’, and again from a Biblical perspective, the purpose of their gathering is to meet with God, to worship God, to learn about God, to fellowship with God and with one another, to serve God and one another, and to witness about God to one another and to an unbelieving world.

In the Bible, the ‘church’, is the people of God, who are also described as ‘the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head – Ephesians 1 v 22  & 23. The church or the Body of Christ therefore is made up of people who believe in Jesus.

Now biblically, we may regard the church in two ways – the UNIVERSAL church, and the LOCAL church. The ‘Universal’ church – which Paul touches upon in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 verse 13 – consists of believers from all around the world, and the ‘local’ church – which Paul touches upon in Galatians Chapter 1 verses 1 & 2 – consists of believers who are located in a specific location like Galatia, Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, Rome, and of course Thessalonica.

As believers who are located in Hadleigh, we are the local church. God has placed us here to be his light, His witness, and His presence in this location. But at the same time, we also belong to the Universal church – the worldwide church.

Whilst the building we meet in is known as the church, biblically, it is you and me – the Ekklesia – who are the church. And it is through us – the church – that Jesus wants to make Himself known to all.

The second word Paul uses is ‘God’ who is also our Father. God the Father is the first person of the Holy Trinity that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So by referring to God as ‘Father’, Paul is reminding us that as His redeemed people, we have a personal relationship with God the Father who regards us as His children, who lavishes us with unconditional love, who forgives, provides, and protects us, and who will one day receive us into His eternal heavenly Kingdom.

Friends, God is our Father. In fact, we are told by Paul in Romans Chapter 8 that He is our ‘Abba’ father which is an Aramaic word that literally means ‘Daddy’. And because He is our Abba Father, it means you and I as His children, can trust Him totally and completely.

The third word is Jesus, who Paul describes as ‘Lord’. Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and of course it is the Son who became a human being in the person of Jesus.

Jesus is His earthly name, so as the people of God, we worship and follow a real, historic person who was born, who lived, who died, who rose again from the dead; who ascended back into Heaven from whence He came; who sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us; who will return to rapture His church; and who will return again after the Great Tribulation, the climax of which will be His final judgement of all His enemies, both human and spiritual.

Now contrary to what many people think, Christ is NOT His second name. The term ‘Christ’ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah which also means ‘anointed one’. And the reason the Biblical writers applied it to his earthly name Jesus, is to show how Jesus is the Messiah; the anointed one’ who the prophets of Old prophesied about.

So instead of saying Jesus Christ, we should really be saying ‘Jesus the Christ’, which is exactly what Peter said in Matthew 16:16, when he declared before Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if we call Him Jesus Christ or Jesus the Christ. What does matter is that we believe Jesus is the Christ – the Messiah – and that we are to acknowledge Him as the Christ.

With regard to applying the term ‘Lord’ to Jesus, Paul is reinforcing how Jesus has absolute authority over our lives. The Greek word Paul used for ‘Lord’ means ‘one who has supreme authority’.

The bottom-line folks, is we should only call Him Lord if we are serious about living under His leadership and authority. Jesus is Lord, and if we profess Him as Lord, then we must give Him Lordship over our lives.

The next two terms – ‘grace’ and ‘peace – combine expressions from both Gentile and Jewish customs. Gentiles greeted each other with ‘grace’, the Greek word for which is ‘Charis’, while Jews greeted each other with ‘peace’ the Hebrew word for which is ‘shalom’.

With regard to ‘grace’, it was very common for letter writers in the first century to begin by first identifying themselves, which would then be followed with the name of the recipients, and a formal greeting to the recipients.

Today, we would greet each other with something like, ‘hello’; good morning; how are you’; but back in Paul’s day, it was common practice to greet people by expressing ‘charis’ – grace – to them, and as we know, it is the word ‘charis’ that Paul uses in respect of God’s grace’.

God’s grace refers to the UNMERITED favour and kindness of God towards us. Because of our sin, we are undeserving of God’s grace.

But because of our faith in Jesus, God willingly bestow His grace upon us. So by greeting the church with ‘charis’, Paul is essentially expressing God’s kindness and favour, albeit unmerited because of their sin, to be upon them.

With regard to ‘peace, as I said, the word Paul used is the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew word ‘shalom’ which has both an external and internal element to it. Because of God’s grace, we can be at peace with Him, we can live in peace with each other, and we can experience the inner peace that surpasses human understanding.

The final 3 words – faith, love, and hope – are, you may recall, 3 of the primary gifts of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Paul enters into a lengthy discussion on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in verse 13 he wrote: ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love’.

With regard to faith, Paul’s emphasis is upon ‘work produced by faith’, which echoes James teaching In James Chapter 2 on how faith without works or deeds is dead. James writes in verse 17, ‘In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’.

Now unfortunately, some Christians have misinterpreted verse 17 as meaning we are saved by works of faith, but that is NOT what James is teaching. The Bible clearly teaches it is by God’s Grace THROUGH our faith in Jesus we are saved – Ephesians Chapter 2 verses 5 & 8 – but having been saved, we are to RESPOND to God’s salvation of us by undertaking good works and deeds.

As another commentator wrote, ‘We DON’T work in order to be saved; we work BECAUSE we are saved. We are NOT justified by faith PLUS works, but by a faith THAT work’s’.

With regard to ‘love’, Paul’s emphasis here is ‘labour prompted by love’. Because of our love for God and each other, it should cause us to willingly labour for God and each other. The Greek word Paul used for ‘labour’ means ‘to cut” and carries with it the idea of toil and hardship.

And the Greek word Paul used for love is “agape,” which refers to a self-sacrificing love. Out of our ‘agape’ love for God and our fellow believers, we should always be willing to give ourselves to the service of God and our fellow believers, even if it involves hardship.

I’m reminded of what Jacob said when he laboured for Laban for seven years so he could marry his daughter Rachael. In Genesis 29:20 we read: ‘So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her’.

Because of their love for God and each other, the Thessalonians were willing to labour, toil, and endure hardship. The challenge for God’s church here at Hadleigh, is do we love God and each other enough to do the same?

And with regard to ‘hope’, Paul’s emphasis here is ‘endurance inspired by hope’. In the King James version of this verse, instead of ‘endurance’, it says ‘patience’. To endure does NOT mean to passively accept something, but to demonstrate strong fortitude or patience in the face of opposition or difficulty.

The Thessalonians had remained steadfast and strong even though they were being persecuted. And the reason they did so was because of their ‘hope’ in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His return.

Biblical hope is not something vague, but rather it is rooted in the assurance of better things to come. It means you and I can look forward with hope and with total confidence to the future, because that future will involve Jesus returning to rapture His church. The Lord is coming back, and in that truth, you and I can put our hope.

Friends, as I finish, Paul wrote: ‘We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ’.

The Thessalonians were a church who were filled with love for God and each other; who out of their faith in Jesus, laboured and toiled for God and each other; and whose hope was in God and in the assurance of Jesus’ return. 

Over the last 2000 years, the Thessalonian church have set the example of what it truly means to be the church of Jesus Christ. May it be an example that we, the church of Jesus Christ that is Hadleigh Baptist, be willing to follow. AMEN.