1 Thessalonians

¹For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. ²But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. ³For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, ⁴but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. ⁶Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. ⁷But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ESV

Paul had one purpose in life: To share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as he possibly could. It was the commission given to him by Jesus that fateful day on the road to Damascus. He had a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ and his life would be dramatically and unalterably changed from that day forward. Jesus told Ananias that Paul was “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15 ESV). And Ananias would later tell Paul, “The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-15 ESV).

And ever since that day, Paul had faithfully fulfilled His commission, in the face of intense opposition and even increasing threats on his own life. He fully understood the nature of his calling and the inherent risk associated with his ministry. He told the believers in Colossae:

I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known. – Colossians 1:25 ESV

Now, he was writing to the saints in Thessalonica, reminding them that his arrival in their city and his preaching of the gospel among them had not been without difficulty. In fact, prior to entering their city, he had been forced to flee from Philippi, where he had faced unwarranted attacks from the Jewish community. And his reception in Thessalonica had not been much better. After being accused of fomenting political insurrection, he and Silas had been forced to escape during the dead of night.

But Paul reminds his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica that he had not shirked from his God-given responsibility to share the gospel.

…we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. – Thessalonica 2:2 ESV

Paul wasn’t bragging. He was simply reinforcing the need for believers to practice their faith with resilience and confident assurance, even in the face of opposition. Paul’s life was proof that the Christian life was anything but easy. His calling by Christ had not resulted in a life of ease and comfort. Christ had even predicted that’s Paul ministry would be marked by suffering. He had informed Ananias concerning Paul: “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16 ESV). And Jesus had kept His word. Paul had suffered. But he had also served faithfully. And he expected the Thessalonian believers to do the same.

And Paul insists that his ministry to them was not based on anything immoral, unethical, or incorrect. He had preached the truth concerning Jesus Christ, nothing more and nothing less. He was not an insurrectionist. He was not a political activist. He was a God-ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ – “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV). And Paul took his divine commission seriously. He did what he did, not out of greed or in an attempt to flatter and win the approval of men. He wasn’t out to win friends and influence enemies. He was obsessed with sharing the life-changing message of faith in Christ. And if it led to false accusations, undeserved persecution, and even death, Paul was perfectly okay with those outcomes.

Paul told his brothers and sisters that he did what he did out of love. He cared for them deeply and was willing to sacrifice everything for their spiritual well-being, telling them, “we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV). So, when Paul told the Roman believers, “give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable” (Romans 12:1 NLT) – he meant it. And he modeled it.

He told the believers in Philippi that the sacrifice of his life on their behalf was well worth it. “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17 ESV). Later on in his life, he wrote to his your friend, Timothy, encouraging him with the example of his own life.

Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. – 2 Timothy 4:5-7 NLT

Paul could have had a much easier life. He could have taken the path of least resistance, preaching what people wanted to hear and promoting a non-controversial message that brought him popularity, not persecution. But that wasn’t Paul’s style. His commitment to the cause of Christ would not allow him to dilute the message or avoid the inevitable controversy it caused.

Paul was well aware of the fact that the gospel message was controversial. He had seen the kinds of reactions it garnered.

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 NLT

The gospel was powerful and the preaching of it elicited strong reactions among those who heard it. Some received it gladly, while others responded in disbelief and even violent resistance. Paul had experienced the joy of watching many embrace the good news of the faith in Christ with open arms. But he had also felt the searing pain that came from being flogged and even stoned, all for sharing the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But for Paul, it was all worth it. Which is why he reminds his readers, “our coming to you was not in vain” (1 Thessalonians 2:1 ESV). His efforts had produced the intended results. The church in Thessalonica was growing and thriving. Yes, the believers were facing difficulty and experiencing opposition, but Paul wanted them to know that these things were to be expected. It all came with the territory. The enemy hated what Paul was doing, but he couldn’t stop it. Satan could attempt to muster all the forces of darkness against Paul, but he would not succeed in his efforts to thwart the spread of the gospel. As Jesus promised Peter, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).

Jesus had made it clear that the powers of hell would come against the church. But He also assured Peter that those powers would fail and His church would prevail. And Paul assured the Thessalonian church that he declared “the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict,” fully confident that it would take root and grow – unabated and undiminished in its impact on the world. But the conflict is real nonetheless. The opposition is not a figment of our imagination. The gates of hell stand diametrically opposed to the gospel message. The forces of the enemy are intent on destroying all that Jesus Christ died to make possible. He wants to rob believers of their joy, their effectiveness, and their confidence in Christ. But Jesus assures us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV). We have the gospel of God in the midst of conflict. The gospel doesn’t make the conflict go away. It produces it. But it also provides us with the means of achieving victory over it.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

¹To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

²We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ⁹For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 ESV

The city of Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and enjoyed prominence and influence because of its strategic location along the Via Egnatia, a major Roman highway that linked the eastern and western parts of the kingdom. Paul’s first visit to the city took place during his second missionary journey, not long after his release from confinement in Philippi. Luke records the arrival of Paul and Silas in Thessalonica in the book of Acts.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. – Acts 17:1-4 ESV

While Paul and his companions had a dramatic impact on the city, they also ruffled a few feathers. Luke goes on to tell us that the local Jews became jealous and incited a mob against Paul and Silas. Things got so bad that a local believer named Jason was dragged from his home and accused of harboring insurrectionists. The local Jewish leadership accused Paul and his companions of spreading rebellion against the Roman government.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” – Acts 17:6-7 ESV

Fearing for their lives, Paul and Silas escaped under cover of darkness and headed to the city of Berea. But even with their abrupt and clandestine departure, they had left their mark on the Thessalonians. Paul eventually sent his young protege, Timothy, back to Thessalonica, in order to minister to the fledgling congregation there.

Paul’s greeting to the believers in Thessalonica reflects his love and concern for them. No doubt, he felt frustrated that he had been forced to leave so suddenly, leaving them without proper spiritual education and direction. But the opening paragraphs of his letter reveal that he had been encouraged by news of their continued growth. He compliments them on their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV). The way they were living their lives gave ample evidence to Paul that they had been called by God and had experienced the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. He assures them of their calling because “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV). Their lives had been changed and the message of the gospel was spreading throughout their community. In spite of the rocky start it had received. The animosity of the Jewish community most certainly did not subside with the departure of the missionaries. And Paul alludes to the ever-present reality of ongoing persecution the new believers faced, stating, “you received the word in much affliction” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ESV).

The circumstances surrounding their acceptance of the good news had been anything but good. The Jewish converts to Christianity had been ostracized by their fellow Hebrews. Any Gentiles who decided to accept the gracious offer of salvation through Jesus Christ would also have faced strong opposition and even persecution. And yet, Paul states that, by their actions, they “became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” (1 Thessalonians 1:7 ESV). Word had spread. News of their faith had made it well beyond the borders of Thessalonica and even beyond beyond Macedonia and Achaia. In fact, Paul informs them, “your faith in God has gone forth everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV). Their reputation for godliness in the midst of difficulty had been a source of encouragement to believers in cities as far away as Jerusalem.

And what was it that people were saying about the believers in Thessalonica?

…they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. – 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV

What a testimony of God’s redeeming power. His Spirit had done a work among them, leading them to walk away from their former ways of life and to replace their false gods with worship of the one true God. And notice that their focus was not just on their salvation, but their future glorification, when Jesus returns for His bride, the church. Their focus was on eternity, their deliverance from the wrath to come. That means that they didn’t live expecting to have their best lives in this age, but in the age to come. They didn’t demand that God give them as easy life, free from pain and suffering. They were willing to wait for God’s future glorification and to put up with any present suffering they may encounter in this life.

Paul wrote of this future glory in his letter to the believers in Rome.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently). – Romans 8:18-25 NLT

The Thessalonian believers were guaranteed a place in God’s eternal kingdom. But in the meantime, they lived their lives in such a way that their faith was visible and recognizable to all those around them.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

The Gospel of God in the Midst of Much Conflict

Steadfastness of Hope