Christians are people who are excited about the future. It’s easy to see all the things that aren’t working well around us. Anyone that’s paying attention can find bad things; no religious perspective is required. Religious folk, though, often do have a heightened sensitivity to bad things because they have some idea of holiness. God reveals a standard and that means that not only do men hurt other men, they are rebelling against God when they do. Add to that, that men who reject God often reject men who believe in God, and they don’t have to play by the rules of kindness or forgiveness. So Christians often do have a better appreciation for how bad it is.

But Christians are the only ones with good reason for believing that a better day is coming. Christians are the only ones with legitimate hope.

Probably the most dominant idealogical idol in Western civilization today is Darwinian evolution. Evolutionists believe in a future of progress, but at what cost? The cost is death, theirs and everyone and everything around them. An evolutionist hopes in an idea, an idea that has not actually made too much progress so far, and an idea that doesn’t care about anyone’s participation in the future. A materialistic view of the world can’t give hope for you in the world to come.

The ancient pantheons put forward quite a polytheistic show, but for all their focus (or superstition) on the supernatural there was never one trustworthy, powerful, and loving god to be found. The idols of men hated men, or at best left them alone. The gods saw men as slaves or pawns for their own amusement. The Roman Empire, of which the city of Thessalonica was a part, recognized hundreds of gods, gods who quarreled out of petty jealousies or hungry power-plays.

In a polytheistic (many gods), pluralistic (all the gods have relatively the same value) system there is no true hope in a better future, no certainty that you could earn, let alone keep a god’s favor, or that that god wouldn’t then be defeated by another god. A god also might just change his/her mind. Gods were capricious, selfish, the product of the vain imaginations of sinful men. So there was no standard, no dependable revelation that explained who the god/gods were and what they expected.

Without a standard there could be no certainty. Without certainty, any idea that the future could be better was more likely to come from delusion than dependence.

That’s part of what makes the apostle Paul’s statement so consequential in the first part of his letter. Not only did he know it, but all of Greece (the region of Achaia) and Macedonia (modern day Bulgaria and Albania) knew well that the Thessalonian Christians turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Getting out of the system made headlines. And so did their hope. They received the word of the Lord and that caused them to wait for his Son from heaven. The hope was certain because God raised His Son from the dead. 1 Thessalonians is one of the most eschatological books in the Bible (along with Daniel and Revelation), meaning that it is concerned with “last things” or the end times. Every chapter refers to Jesus’ coming or the day of the Lord.

The church in Thessalonica needed hope because things were bad. It probably shouldn’t surprise us, not just because men are wicked in a post-Genesis 3 world, but because Paul had to write to the believers in Thessalonica because he had been run out of Thessalonica. Luke gave the account in Acts 17. On Paul’s second missionary journey his team came to Thessalonica 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.” (Acts 17:2–3)

And “some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few leading women” (verse 4). But the reception wasn’t entirely positive.

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “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.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. (Acts 17:5–9)

They couldn’t find Paul so they arrested his host. Then “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea” (verse 10). Even then, “when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds” (verse 13). So Paul and Silas were sent by sea to Athens (verse 15).

While in Athens he was still concerned for the new church in Thessalonica so he sent Timothy to check on them (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5). Timothy could get in unnoticed, possibly because he wasn’t with Paul and Silvanus when they first brought the gospel, and could encourage them in Paul’s place while also gathering info for Paul. The first letter to the Thessalonians is the result of Timothy’s report back to Paul, having met up in Corinth. Note the greeting in verse 1: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.

That’s a little context to the epistle, but why are we leaving the Psalms and coming here? Don’t we need more Old Testament? Haven’t the Psalms been profitable? Yes, all of the above, and we’ll aim to begin Genesis around the middle of January. We could have kept on in Psalms until them, but I was struck by three things.

First, Paul writes to encourage the believers in light of their troubles and questions. We are not as young of a church as the Thessalonians were when Paul wrote to them, but we are still young. And while we may not face the same kinds of persecution, it is better to prepare, when possible, beforehand. It’s better to build an ark before the rain. We will be better equipped and enabled to endure affliction with joy.

Second, Paul writes to encourage the believers with truth out of personal care and affection for them. When he expresses his concern for them, he speaks of himself as a nursing mother (2:7) and as a father (2:11). He said “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” (2:8). Paul went so far as to call them his glory and joy (2:20).

I have grown disappointed with truth-ministry men that open the Bible but don’t open their hearts. I mean, ministry and teaching that congratulates itself on distributing facts rather than distributing facts for the sake of developing fellowship. Whether it’s a pastor, or peer to peer discipleship, we will be better equipped to engage others for Christ in a more Christlike (incarnational) fashion.

Third, Paul writes to encourage the believers with truth about Christ’s coming again. Isn’t that what our advent season intends to do? We celebrate Christ’s first coming during these next four weeks of December. We remember the Son of God’s humility to take flesh and go to death and His exaltation by way of resurrection. But the gift of Christmas is only half-opened if we only look back. Christmas—done right—teaches us to hope. It increases our desire for His second advent. 1 Thessalonians fits the season in this way, and I think it will be a bright strand of lights that wrap all around our holiday hope.

One other thing: I aim to cover about a chapter each Lord’s Day. I usually prefer paragraphs. To me this seems like steering a snow sled at 150 miles an hour; not advised because if it crashes, there’s no protection. Plus, it can be hard to enjoy the scenery if you’re constantly concerned about crashing. Where is the fun in that? But this will be a good challenge. It may never happen like this again, we’ll have to see. But it will give us exposure to another part of the Bible together and I think that it will remind us of many reasons to be thankful.

Speaking of being thankful, after addressing the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and after greeting them unlike secular letters, with Grace to you and peace, Paul takes his sweet time expressing his thankfulness to God for the. He gives thanks for the salvation and the example of the Thessalonian church in chapter one.

Thanks for Their Salvation (verses 2-5)

First century letters often included an expression of thanks near the front and Paul’s letters are no different. Even though he had been burdened for how they were handling persecution, he had much to be encouraged about.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because 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. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5)

Whenever Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy prayed, they gave thanks for the Thessalonian church. For the first time (since 1 Thessalonians might be the first inspired Pauline letter c. AD 50-51, or the second letter after Galatians) Paul used what would become a typical triad: faith, love, and hope. Here he emphasizes more the effect of those virtues: work, labor, and steadfastness. Faith was not only internal, “work produced by faith” (NIV). Love was an affection that motivated labor, strenuous and difficult work, “labor prompted by love” (NIV). And their hope kept them going. It enabled them to endure, “your endurance inspired by hope” (NIV). Though he had known them less than a year, God was clearly at work among them.

God, in fact, was the ultimate cause of their salvation (as He is for any and everyone). For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you. He elected them out of love. That was obvious because of the word’s effect among them. The word and power and Holy Spirit and full conviction were not how the Thessalonians received the gospel but rather how the gospel was proclaimed. That’s why Paul comments about the integrity of the preachers at the end of verse 5. God was at work and the preachers recognized it.

Thanks for Their Example (verses 6-10)

Paul was thankful both for the depth and breadth of their testimony. The depth included their joy in affliction, and the breadth included their testimony going everywhere. Their imitation of joyful endurance turned into something imitable by others.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For 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. For 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 1:6–10)

Verse 6 starts with And you (the same in the Greek text) with the pronoun brought forward to stress the switch in subject while maintaining the theme of thanksgiving.

The life change stood out. They gave up one way of life for another. And they learned the right way by watching: You became imitators of us and of the Lord. Though he mentioned men first, we know from other letters that Paul wasn’t putting himself in a position equal with Christ, but rather that he represented Christ. His example was the immediate one, but Christ’s was the ultimate. Those around us, especially those around leaders, will become what they behold, ready or not.

Paul might have pointed out any number of changes but it was how you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit that first evidenced the imitation. From one angle, salvation is about a better life now, one that can explain and give meaning to trouble, enabling a man to give thanks in “every circumstance,” though salvation is not getting us out of trouble in the present life.

Their reception of the word turned into a resounding reputation, it sounded forth or “rang out” (NIV) and gone forth everywhere. Their imitation became worthy of being imitated. Everywhere Paul went people told him about the Thessalonians before he could tell them. All throughout the region, believers, and probably unbelievers, knew what was happening in Thessalonica, so that we need not say anything.

Three things were part of the report: first, how they received the apostles (especially compared to the angry Jews, see Acts 17). Second, how they gave up idols and turned to monotheism. Thessalonica was full of idol worship. The Via Egnatia, the main Roman road from the east to west in Macedonia, went through the Vardar Gate in the city which had the Sons of Zeus stamped on it. Inscriptions were found to Apollo, Aprodite, Athena, Isis, Heracles, Dionysus, Poseidon, Pan, and more. These were part of the way of life, even on some of their money. Worship of idols was also part of politics, as when Caesar required worshiped as a god.

To add one more god to a person’s or family’s pantheon was no cause for concern. Rather, the Christians abandoned those gods who were considered to be patrons of both their families and city. (Gene Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary)

The third part of the report covered how they began to have real hope, to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The future is only better for those on one side of history: those who serve God and wait for Jesus, having believed the gospel, who are working and laboring from faith and love. The hope that makes steadfast belongs to the church because everyone else faces a future of God’s wrath. Christians are encouraged by their promised deliverance, but also in knowing that the unrighteous will be judged.

Conclusion

In chapter one we’ve seen the threads of work, of joy amidst affliction, of imitation, and of hopeful steadfastness in light of Christ’s coming. These threads continue through the rest of the letter. We’ll see even more of the context for the letter in chapters 2 and 3 as Paul explains why he’s writing before the doctrinal and behavioral concerns in the last chapters.

For us, we can be encouraged by the example of the Thessalonian church, and even become an example for others. There are so many ways, even during December, for us as Christians to be offended or overwhelmed, and especially joyless. But our preparations to celebrate Jesus’ coming to Bethlehem ought to help us prepare for His second advent. Christians alone have reason to be truly happy and truly hopeful, because we have turned to the living and true God.