Reference: Thessalonians, First Epistle To The
Hastings
THESSALONIANS, FIRST EPISTLE TO THE
1.Occasion and date.
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But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a noteworthy miracle has been performed through them is apparent to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. read more. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any one in this name."
The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. read more. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed.
And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I do not know. read more. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace and peace to you.
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, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
But we were gentle among you, like a mother nursing her little children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. read more. For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless we behaved toward you believers; for you know how, as a father with his own children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to live a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men,
who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.
hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.
hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last. But since we were taken away from you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face. read more. For we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, again and againbut Satan hindered us.
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone,
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; read more. for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you; and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, read more. so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Finally, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. read more. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that is, that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to take his own spouse for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that no man transgress and wrong his brother in this matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to do so more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone. But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. read more. Then we who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Now as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. read more. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," then destruction will come upon them suddenly as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we ask you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
But we ask you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. read more. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophecies. But test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Smith
Thessalo'nians, First Epistle to the,
was written by the apostle Paul at Corinth, a few months after he had founded the church at Thessalonica, at the close of the year A.D. 62 or the beginning of 53. The Epistles to the Thessalonians, then (for the second followed the first after no long interval), are the earliest of St. Paul's writings --perhaps the earliest written records of Christianity. It is interesting, therefore, to compare the Thessalonian epistles with the later letters, and to note the points of These differences are mainly
1. In the general style of these earlier letters there is greater simplicity and less exuberance of language.
2. The antagonism to St. Paul is not the same. Here the opposition comes from Jews. A period of five years changes the aspect of the controversy. The opponents of St. Paul are then no longer Jews so much as Judaizing Christians.
3. Many of the distinctive doctrines of Christianity were yet not evolved and distinctly enunciated till the needs of the Church drew them out into prominence at a later date. It has often been observed, for instance, that there is in the Epistles to the Thessalonians no mention of the characteristic contrast of "faith and works;" that the word "justification" does not once occur; that the idea of dying with Christ and living with Christ, so frequent in St. Paul's later writings, is absent in these. In the Epistles to the Thessalonians, the gospel preached is that of the coming of Christ, rather than of the cross of Christ. The occasion of this epistle was as follows: St. Paul had twice attempted to re-visit Thessalonica, and both times had been disappointed. Thus prevented from seeing them in person, he had sent Timothy to inquire and report to him as to their condition.
Timothy returned with more favorable tidings, reporting not only their progress in Christian faith and practice, but also their strong attachment to their old teacher.
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is the outpouring of the apostle's gratitude on receiving this welcome news. At the same time there report of Timothy was not unmixed with alloy. There were certain features in the condition of the Thessalonian church which called for St. Paul's interference and to which he addresses himself in his letter.
1. The very intensity of their Christian faith, dwelling too exclusively on the day of the Lord's coming, had been attended with evil consequences. On the other hand, a theoretical difficulty had been felt. Certain members of the church had died, and there was great anxiety lest they should be excluded from any share in the glories of the Lord's advent. ch.
2. The Thessalonians needed consolation and encouragement under persecution. ch.
3. An unhealthy state of feeling with regard to spiritual gifts was manifesting itself. ch.
4. There was the danger of relapsing into their old heathen profligacy. ch.
Yet notwithstanding all these drawbacks, the condition of the Thessalonian church was highly satisfactory, and the most cordial relations existed between St. Paul and his converts there. This honorable distinction it shares with the other great church of Macedonia, that of Philippi. The epistle is rather practical than doctrinal. The external evidence in favor of the genuineness of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians is chiefly negative, but this is important enough. There is no trace that it was ever disputed at any age or in any section of the Church, or even by any individual till the present century. Toward the close of the second century from Irenaeus downward. we find this epistle directly quoted and ascribed to Paul. The evidence derived from the character of the epistle itself is so strong that it may fairly be called irresistible.
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For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these afflictions. You yourselves know that we have been destined for this.
so that no one would be unsettled by these afflictions. You yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.
For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;
for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you in return for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God,
For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you in return for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you; read more. and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
that each one of you know how to take his own spouse for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the heathen, who do not know God; read more. and that no man transgress and wrong his brother in this matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. read more. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.