INTRODUCTION
TO
1
& 2 THESSALONIANS
AUTHOR AND DATE: These
letters to the believers at Thessalonica were written by the apostle Paul, a
man who once persecuted Christians with a vengeance but was dramatically
converted when the risen Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. The
first letter to the Thessalonians was written around A.D. 51 while Paul was
ministering in Corinth, and the second letter was most likely written while he
was still there since he remained in Corinth for 18 months. This was probably the second letter from Paul
that is included in the canon of Scripture since his letter to the Galatians
was written circa A.D. 49-50.
RECIPIENTS: In the Roman
Empire, some cities were allowed to govern themselves. Thessalonica was one of
these “free cities.” Paul had
successfully ministered in the synagogue and among some Hellenistic Jews and
wealthy women seeing many come to believe in the Lord Jesus as the promised
Messiah. However, others were antagonistic, not believing and perhaps even
fearing this new Gospel message, and he had been forced to leave the city. He
wrote this first letter after Timothy had spent time in Thessalonica and
returned to Paul with a good report about the believers there. The second
letter addressed some problems the growing church was experiencing with
persecution and false teachers.
PURPOSES OF THE FIRST LETTER:
·
Chapter 1 – Encourage believers
·
Chapter 2
o
Clear up false claims
o
Comfort the persecuted
·
Chapter 3
o
Trials
o
Paul encouraged by their faith
·
Chapter 4
o
Purity a Priority
o
Love and Work Heartily
o
Future events clarified
·
Chapter 5
o
Prophetic events
o
Instructions for the familyship
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