How Paul came to Thessalonica, what he did there, how long he remained, and what were the circumstances of his departure, is briefly told us in Acts 17:1-7. This was the second place of Paul's labor in. Europe. The first was at Philippi, a city of Macedonia. (Acts 16:11-40.) Having been "shamefully treated" there, he moved on to Thessalonica, still in the district of Macedonia, and there "waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict." Paul was a stormy-petrel. At every place whither he went with his gospel he raised trouble. He came to quiet and peaceful communities, stayed a little while, and left them in riot and uproar, often departing by flight and by night. Now what better proof could we have that Paul was a troublemaker? As they said of him and his companions in Thessalonica, "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also," so it was. Steer clear of Paul and of men of Paul's spirit, all who prefer repose to truth, who value their accustomed slumber and so-called "peace" above light and salvation! Yet Paul came not with strife and bluster. He did not assail and condemn. Paul's message, though straightforward was ever humble and kind, and gentle ("we were gentle in the midst of you," 1 Thess. 2:7.) He did not come in the capacity of a prosecuting attorney: he was Christ's ambassador of peace. He preached the gospel of the grace of God, the word of reconciliation. Why then all the fuss? Ah--there was another, an unseen one who knew quite well what this would mean to his kingdom, and who stirred up all his servants and henchmen (of whom the disobedient Jews always seem to have been the most willing) to resist the work of Paul by every means. We remember Christ's warning: "Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." (See Matt. 10:34-36.) In Thessalonica, as in other places, the devil raised all possible opposition and persecution, and so after a very short stay, Paul had to leave his new converts in the midst of much turmoil and tribulation.

      The account in Acts 17 indicates that Paul's sojourn in Thessalonica was about three or four weeks. As usual he went first to the synagogue of the Jews (his gospel was ever [1] "to the Jew first, and also to the Greek") and "for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures, opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ." (Acts 17:2, 3.) The Jews at Thessalonica were of a low and vicious disposition (in contrast with the nobler Jews at the next town, Berea, Acts 17:11); and the chief success of Paul's work at Thessalonica seems to have been among Gentiles. (1 Thess. 1:9.) Do the "three sabbath days" measure his work among the Jews only, and did he perhaps afterward spend an unmeasured time preaching to Gentiles? We have no intimation of that in the record. Four weeks at the utmost appears to have been the length of time Paul spent in Thessalonica. But this epistle shows how great was the wealth of truth which Paul imparted to the Thessalonians during this brief time! He taught them about the one true and living God; of Jesus--that He is Lord, Christ, the Son of God; that He died for us, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming again, and that Christians are to wait for His returning; that the Day of the Lord would come upon the world like a thief; and that before it the Man of Sin would be revealed (this he taught them at his first visit, 2 Thess. 2:5). Concerning the Holy Spirit also, as given to Christians (1 Thess. 4:8); and the manner of the Christian life (4:1f.)--faith, hope, love, prayer, thanksgiving; and that with it all they must reckon upon afflictions (3:4). And certainly with this he also taught them all that was needed to instruct them as to work and worship. Yet for all that, there was much more needed; and Paul prayed "night and day exceedingly" that he might be permitted to see them again and to perfect what was yet lacking of their faith. (3:10.)

      This first epistle to the Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul's letters; in fact the earliest of all the New Testament writings. Up to this (excepting only the circular letter sent out from Jerusalem, Acts 15:22-29) no word of inspired New Testament teaching had been written. This epistle grew out of Paul's great concern for his Thessalonian converts. He had left them in the throes of persecution. Will they now hold out? They were so young in the faith, and babes in Christ, and the trial was so hard--will they stand the test? In his intense love for them he could not endure the uncertainty and anxiety. So he chose to remain in Athens alone, and let Timothy go to Thessalonica and see how things were going there. Timothy went and saw; then rejoined Paul in Corinth, and brought him a report that over-filled his heart with gladness and gratitude to God. So from Corinth he wrote this epistle to his beloved Thessalonians. (See 1 Thess. 3:5-9; Acts 18:5.) [2]

THE ADDRESS AND SALUTATION

      He does not inscribe himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. They knew quite well that he was Christ's ambassador (see 2:6). In all the other epistles, except "Philippians" and "Philemon," and the anonymous epistle to the Hebrews, he announces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ; sometimes, as in "Galatians" with great emphasis, and always with some explanatory word attached to the claim. But in writing to the Thessalonians there was no special need of asserting his apostleship. Though Paul alone was the writer, he associates Silvanus (that is, Silas) and Timothy with Himself in the salutation. Very remarkable is his word concerning "the church of the Thessalonians--that it is "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Also in 2 Thess. 1:1.) That reminds us of the deep saying in Col. 3:3--"for ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." So high a place does the apostle assign to a humble church, composed of humble people. Is it not still true? And would not the recognition of the fact elevate all the church's thoughts and ways?

GOD'S ELECT

      In these lessons it is not the purpose to bring out the meaning of every word and phrase, as in a commentary; but only to note high points and the general scope of the teaching. Yet it is really difficult to pass by the many wonderful, helpful, needful, beautiful things which lie all along the path. Here do you notice (in v. 2) that Paul thanks God for them, i. e., for the Thessalonian brethren. That at does not mean that [3] he thanks God on their behalf. He does that; but this means more: he thanks God for them. They are God's good gift--God's new creatures in Christ Jesus, the work of His hands, as it were, a present from God to Paul and to all other Christians and to their community, and to all the world; a blessing in the midst of the earth. Do you say now like Festus, "Paul, thou art beside thyself"? But Paul was not mad--he speaks words of truth and soberness. Instead of pulling down these high truths, and flattening them out to a commonplace level, we do well to accept them in all their force and meaning, and realize their significance for our own lives and conduct.

      Mark again--Paul remembers their "work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father." Faith, hope, love, these three; and all three were manifest in Thessalonica: faith working by love; hope holding on in patient continuance; love giving itself in self-sacrificing toil and labor. This was some of the fruit which the gospel had already borne in Thessalonica; all of which proved these Thessalonian brethren to be truly "God's elect, holy and beloved."

      Election--which certainly has to do with Predestination and Foreordination--is one of those high points in God's revelation around which many fierce storms of controversy have raged. The extreme of predestinarian doctrine taught that God, before the foundation of the world, chose a certain number of men and angels for salvation; and foreordained another number to damnation (all, allegedly, to His glory)--and that that number is so certain and definite, that it can neither be increased nor diminished; and that this foreordination was without regard to any consideration of faith or good works as leading thereto. Well, if such be the case, what could man do or say to avert predestined fate? One extreme begets another. The other side reduced it all to a mere matter of man's choice, ability, and volition. On the one side men wove their inferences and conclusions around the statements of God's word and evolved a system of helpless fatalism; while on the other side they denied and explained away all scripture references that spoke of election, foreordination, and predestination, making them mean absolutely nothing. But in all their disputations the harmony between "the Divine Sovereignty" and "Man's Free Agency" they were unable to find.

      It is good to be a simple Christian, to be unhampered by party-ism, creed, or human philosophy, and free to take all the word of God teaches just as it stands.

      The Thessalonians were God's elect. Paul knew their [4] election (v. 4). He based this knowledge upon certain evidence. How did he know it? (1) Because the gospel came to them. And that is something. Not all are so favored. (2) The gospel came to them very impressively and with strong appeal--"not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance." (3) It came to them through the instrumentality of great and good men (1:5; 2:10). How much the effectiveness of the message depends on the character of the preacher! What great good fortune it was that the word of salvation came to the Thessalonians at the hands of such true servants and under such favorable circumstances! Was all that accidental? Or did God have a hand in this? But there were more proofs of their election: (4) they received the word (v. 6); and they received it not as the word of men, but (as in truth it is), the word of God (2:13). (5) They became imitators of the men who brought the gospel to them; and in turn they became examples to others. The word of the Lord sounded forth from them throughout all Macedonia and Achaia. All these were marks and evidences of their election.

      But this Bible doctrine of election does not release either the preacher or converts or the unsaved sinner from responsibility. Else Why Paul's anxiety over these elect in Thessalonica? Listen: "When we could no longer forbear we thought it good to be left behind in Athens alone, and sent Timothy . . . to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith . . . . . For this cause, I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain." (1 Thess. 2:1-5.) There was nothing fatalistic in Paul's doctrine of election. Hence all the exhortations, pleadings, and warnings (yea, "with tears," Acts 20:31) by which he sought to save these "elect" folk from failure, and to bring them safely through. (Comp. 2 Tim. 2:10.)

WAITING FOR CHRIST'S RETURN

      Every chapter in this first epistle to the Thessalonians ends with a reference to the Lord's return from heaven. In the first chapter it is verses 9, 10.

      "For they themselves [the people round about who had heard of Paul's work in Thessalonica, and of the conversion of these Thessalonians] reported concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come."

      We note here first of all that Paul had preached the Second Coming of Christ. It was included with his gospel; and be preached it not to mature saints, or to Christians alone, but in his message to the world. For these Thessalonian [5] idolaters forsook their idols and turned to God with twofold purpose: (1) to serve the true and living God; (2) to wait for His Son from heaven. They must have heard Paul proclaim that Jesus Christ died for their sins; that God raised Him from the dead; that He ascended to heaven; that He is there now, that He is coming back again, that his people are to wait for Him, and that He would deliver them from the wrath that is to come upon the world. All that is evident on the face of this. But what sort of preaching is this? Certainly of a different tone and content from the sort we are generally used to. What preachers present the doctrine of Christ's return from heaven with such emphasis to hearers of the world--so that they would turn to God to serve Him and to wait for His Son from heaven? Can it be said that even those who have turned to God to serve Him, Christians, today, are waiting for His Son from heaven? Is it not time to revise and readjust our doctrine to the apostolic pattern?

      Concerning that "wrath to come," and our deliverance from it by the Lord's return from heaven, we shall hear more later on.

      The Marvellous Power of the Gospel. What the gospel cart do was more clearly seen at Thessalonica than among us. The contest there (as also today in heathen lands) was marked and wonderful, and set all the country talking about it. Among us there is a generally higher standard of life and conduct (which itself is due to the indirect influence of the gospel); and also there is a low level of average Christianity. But in Thessalonica the power of the gospel was manifest in the radical change that came over the lives of those converts.

      It is good for us to know that back of our reception of the gospel is the electing purpose of God. All who hear and believe and become Christians are God's elect--elect according to the foreknowledge of God unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ. (1 Pet. 1:1, 2.) It also involves a responsibility and an obligation. All the elect are debtors to their fellow-men; and they must also take heed to make their calling and election sure. (2 Pet. 1:10.) [7]

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