1 Thess 1:1-10 – Paul encourages by the power of the gospel.

Tuesday March 21, 2023

Theme of Thessalonians (1 & 2): Encouragement for believers to live godly despite persecution and pain.

As we study the book we will find the ways in which Paul does this. We never see in Paul or in any of the other writers what people think are encouraging but are only platitudes: “You can do it!” Nor does Paul or the other writers ask the how they’re doing or how their feeling. What Paul wants for them is what God wants for them. Paul is a messenger and then he gets out of the way. Paul wants to know how the gospel has succeeded, not only in saving you (its most important work) but in also transforming you. The gospel packs enough truth within it that these truths about love and sacrifice and endurance will change your way of thinking and way of life.

The Thessalonians have only been saved a few months and their whole manner of life has been changed according to faith in what they know and the love that has been poured out upon them through the Holy Spirit. It seems that they even love their persecutors already.

1Th 1:1-10

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you [your election before the foundation of the world]; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example [model] to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

First we have Paul’s usual opening salutation, followed by thanksgiving and prayer (though this is his first biblical letter).

There are three players in this epistle and all three show up in the opening paragraph.

Three players in Thess.

Paul and his.

Gospel

Thessalonians.

Out of the three, it shouldn’t surprise us that the gospel is front and center.

The gospel is the good news. That is literally what the Greek word means. It is the good news that God sent His Son into the world in order to save the world. It is the good news that man cannot work for salvation, but that salvation is a free gift given to anyone who has faith that Jesus Christ died for them on the cross and is their Savior. When Christ died our sins were poured out on Him and when we believe in Him as our one and only Savior, His perfect righteousness is poured out into us. That good news contains within it the faith, love, sacrifice, endurance, and hope of our Lord. [Repeat: faith, love, sacrifice, endurance, and hope of Jesus our Lord. And all of this is done in the face of the greatest pain and suffering. We cannot imagine for a second how painful and difficult it was for Him through those hours. In fact, the pain began to rise within Him days before His trials ensued.]

Let’s begin with Paul and his fellow workers. They spoke the gospel and lived the gospel.

Mat 15:8

'These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

1Th 1:5

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

He further explains their behavior in much more detail in chapter 2. What kind of men did they prove to be? They behaved like the gospel.

The good minister of the gospel lives the gospel.

Faith, works, love, endurance, hope, sacrifice.

The gospel is not effective in word only. The gospel is power, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the full conviction in the hearts of its communicators of its effectiveness on those who believe it.

Since the gospel is about Christ’s love, sacrifice, endurance, and hope, the communicators of it are far more effective when they themselves possess divine love, who sacrifice their lives for the gospel’s sake, who endure all things (even enemies), and who hope all things (exude joy and expectation of the coming Lord no matter how hard things get).

1Ti 1:15; 4:7

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, … discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

1Ti 6:11-12

But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith;

Let’s look at the Thessalonians. Remember, they have been believers for only a matter of months.

1Th 1:2-4

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

Thessalonians:

Work of faith: the work that faith in God’s word produces.

Jam 2:17

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

1Th 2:13

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

In the next sentence, Paul says that their faith in God’s word gave them endurance in suffering. And in chapter 4.

1Th 4:1

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

Thessalonians:

Toil of love: they loved one another and their enemies.

The Christian life is a labor of love.

The Lord told us that we are blessed when we are persecuted for His name’s sake. He told us to let the light in us shine so that others will see our good works. He told us that His disciple, His minister was to be extraordinary and love our enemies, do good to them, give to them, and pray for them. If we do, we would be like Him, and human who lives like God. “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” We actually commit to it and reach ahead for it by faith knowing we have God within us.

The Greek word means labor or toil. It a noun that refers to a laborer in their agricultural economy. A workman who is not ashamed but is actually loving the work that he does. We work in our Father’s fields, in His vineyards, and the work is often tiresome, but the joy of love is in that work. The crop you will see is what Paul was seeing practically everywhere he went, because the gospel was alive and powerful, he saw people’s hearts changed. Our crop is people. Not buildings or programs or schools, but changing people from tares to wheat.

Thessalonians:

Endurance of hope: God will deliver us from tribulation.

In the tribulation we have joy of the HS.

The Lord is returning in glory.

1Th 1:6-7

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

The word “example” can also be translated “model.” They modeled what the gospel really is. Because of their work of faith, toil of love, and endurance of hope, they became evangelists to their surrounding country without even having traveled there.