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The Thessalonian Christians

Wayne Galloway
05/02/21 - Sunday Morning Worship

The Thessalonian Christians

1 Thess. 1:1-10

 

Introduction:

 

1.  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time and visit some of the churches of the first century?

2.  Would their struggles be the same as ours?  How would they see the world?  What would their faith mean to them?  How would they be responding?  What would they teach us that we could bring forward into our world?

3.  There is some sense in which we can go back and visit with them through the eyes of N.T. writers and the letters that they wrote to and about them.

4.  That is what I want to do in this study as we visit the church at Thessalonica.

5.  First, let’s go back and consider their beginning described in Acts 17.  Second, consider them as objects of thanksgiving in Paul’s prayers (1 Thess. 1:1ff; 2 Thess. 1:3ff) and third, observe the comfort that Paul gives them in light of their anticipation of the coming day of the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thess. 1:3ff).

 

Discussion:

 

I.  The congregation began with opposition (Acts 17:1-9).

 

    A.  Paul and Silas began in the synagogue of the Jews.

         1.  They reasoned from the Scriptures for three Sabbath days.

         2.  In this synagogue the Scriptures were recognized as the authoritative revelation from

              God.  This was the ideal place to begin, or so it would seem.

         3.  The Scriptures spoke of the coming of the Christ (Messiah). 

              a.  What passages they used are not identified.  On Pentecost Peter had quoted Joel

                   2, Psa. 16:8-11; 2 Sam. 7:12ff; Psa. 110:1.  We do not know if they used these

                   texts or others.

              b.  But Luke is quite clear on what it was that they were teaching.  They were

                   “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from

                   the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’”

              c.  Their enemies give voice to what they are teaching from their perception in 17:7: 

                   They are “saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

       B.  Some were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas.  Among them were God-fearing

            Greeks and a number of the leading women.

       C.  But there was a division in the synagogue (note vs. 5-8).

             1.  The Jews became jealous.

             2.  Evidently it was not about the teaching, but about Paul and Silas and people

                  joining them.  It was a relational and emotional issue that created a problem. 

                  Division is generally not about a particular teaching, but about such things as fear,

                  control and jealousy.

             3.  These Jews presented it to the world as if it was a political issue (v. 6-7).  It was

                   not!

             4.  They used wicked men to create a mob and attacked the house of Jason.  Maybe

                  they thought Paul and Silas were staying at Jason’s house?  They dragged Jason

                  and some others before the city authorities.  They were able to bond themselves

                  “out of jail.”

              5.  Paul speaks of the opposition in 1 Thess. 2:1-2,13-16.

              6.  Later these same Jews found out that the word of God had been proclaimed in

                   Berea, they went there, agitating and stirring up the crowds (Acts 17:13).

        D.  We can only imagine what things were like afterwards in the synagogue at

              Thessalonica.

              1.  If Jason and these others went back the next Sabbath it must have been stressful.

              2.  Some of you have been through divisions.  You know something of the difficulty.

              3.  Maybe the new Christians met in Jason’s house or at some undisclosed location.

              4.  Probably some were uncertain about what to do.  Would they join the believers?

                   Would they stay with the synagogue Jews?

        E.  It is clear that Paul and Silas were preaching Jesus as King.  They were preaching the

             kingdom of God.  Namely, that Jesus was the Messiah, that he had suffered and been

             raised from the dead and was now king in a spiritual kingdom.

 

Application:  What insights do we gain from our initial visit in Thessalonica?

 

1.  We learn something about their approach to the Scriptures.  They regarded Scripture as the authoritative revelation of God.  This is a point reiterated by Paul as he wrote to them in 1 Thess. 2:13.  It was not just the O.T. Scripture that was regarded as the word of God.  They included what they had heard from Paul about Jesus being the Messiah as the word of God.  Is this the way you regard Scripture?

 

2.  We learn something about the dynamics of evangelism.  It involves explaining and giving evidence and persuading that Jesus is the Christ.  In this case it involved a period of study over three weeks.  Are you patient enough as a teacher or student to meet together and study for such a period?  It takes some time to understand about Jesus.

 

3.  Jealousy, division, difficulty, injustice, attack, false accusation and unfair penalties were imposed on these Christians.  If indeed, you were able to travel back in time and visited this congregation in these few weeks of their beginning what would your report be when you returned to Fort Logan?  That you did not want to go back?  That they were involved in a mess?  Should we try to support a preacher there?  Should we try to send someone to encourage them?  (cf. 1 Thess. 3:2).  Do you think the situation is too dangerous?  Would you be willing to go?  Were you to write a letter to them what would you say?

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  There are many things to be gained from our initial visit with Thessalonica.   We will continue our considerations in another lesson.

2.  A question faces you, as you consider the Scriptures and the evidence for Jesus as the Christ.  Do you believe He is the Messiah?  Do you believe He suffered and rose from the dead?  Do you believe He is King?  Are you willing to make Him the King in your life?

 

II.  The Thessalonian Christians were the objects of Paul’s thanksgiving (1 Thess. 1:1ff; 2 Thess. 1:3ff).

 

     A.  Paul commends them in 1 Thess. 1:1ff.

          1.  He thanks God for them.  What?  Are they not upsetting to the community?  He says

               they became imitators of us and of the Lord in tribulation (6). 

          2.  He commends them for their work (3).  They had become an example to other

               believers (7) as they sounded forth the word (8).

          3.  They had received the word in power (5).  Cf. 1 Thess. 2:13-16.

          4.  He commends their faith, hope and love (3).

          5.  They had turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God (9). 

               a.  Now we have observed that Paul and Silas had gone into the synagogue and

                    taught there.  How could it be said they had turned to God from idols?

               b.  Perhaps the congregation has been an influence on the Gentiles of the city. 

                    Perhaps those who were identified in Acts 17 as God-fearing Greeks had

                    previously turned from idols to serve God following in the Jewish tradition.  They

                    had now recognized Christ as the Messiah.  Or perhaps they had turned from the

                    idolatry of these Jews in the synagogue who elevated themselves above the truth

                    of the kingdom.

               c.  There are sophisticated forms of idolatry.  Some are focused on money, power,

                   selfish ambition, obsession with work, sports, TV, various addictions,

                   superstitions (cf. Eph. 5:5).

           6.  They were waiting on the return of the Son of God from heaven (10).

                a.  The coming of the Son of God would bring them relief from their suffering.

                      (More on this in the next lesson.)  Wrath is coming on the sons of disobedience,

                      but the Christians could rejoice in having been rescued.  Cf. Rom. 5:9.

                b.  But now they would continue to wait and endure suffering (1 Thess. 3:1-5).

                c.  Like those souls crying out under the altar in Rev. 5:10 and like the congregation

                     at Symrna tribulation was part of their experience (Rev. 2:10).  Cf. James 1:2; 1

                     Pet. 4:12ff.

       B.  Paul continues his giving of thanks for them in 2 Thess. 1:3ff.

            1.  “Your faith is greatly enlarged.”  Faith is like a living organism, unless it is nurtured,

                 cultivated, stimulated it tends to stagnate, rather than thrive.  Were we able to

                 travel back in time to the time this letter was read before the congregation how

                 would we hear its message?

            2.  “The love of each of you toward one another grows ever greater.”  Love, like faith,

                 is something that needs nurturing, cultivating and stimulating.  Otherwise it too

                 grows stagnant rather than thriving.  We need each other (Heb. 10:24).  And we

                 need to figure out ways to effectively stimulate this love.  Assembling together

                 facilitates this.  But what we do when assembled is critical too.  It is not just about

                 meeting together as if the object was to meet together.  The object is to stimulate

                one another.  And this text calls on us to give consideration to how we can

                stimulate one another.  So when you assemble have you thought to whom and how

                you are going to contribute?  And it is not just accomplished in assemblies.

                Their love had grown greater because they were considering how to stimulate love.

           3.  “We speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and

                faith in the midst of your persecutions and afflictions which you endure” (1:4).

           4.  God is going to right the wrongs that they are suffering.  He will afflict those who are

                afflicting them and He will give them relief (1 Thess. 1:5-12).

     

Application:

 

1.  On our second visit to the church at Thessalonica we hear again about their suffering and about their afflictions.  We hear promises of deliverance, but not yet.  What would our reaction be to such letters?  Are these the kind of letters that we would have written to this congregation?

 

2.  As we visited this congregation and heard these letters of Paul would our love for him grow?  Does he understand something of their suffering?  Is he “laying down the law” or supporting them in suffering through what they must?  Has he considered how to stimulate them to love and good deeds?  How is he doing it?  Read 1 Thess. 2:7-8, 11-12.

 

3.  For whom are you thankful?  For what?

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  The Thessalonians had realized a need for changed.  They had turned to the true and living God from idols.

2.  Now they are an example to other believers.

3.  Paul is thankful for them. 

4.  Are there changes that you need to make, that will result in others being thankful for you?

 

Reading:  2 Thess. 1:3-10a

Introduction:

 

1.  On two previous occasions we have gone back in time to visit with the church at Thessalonica.

     a.  We visited them during the time of Paul and Silas’ first visit when they went into the

         synagogue and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures about

         Jesus being the Christ.

     b.  We visited again after this and heard Paul’s letter read as he expressed thanksgiving for

          them.

2.  Now we visit them again.  Again Paul has written to them.  His message is largely a message of comfort but contains some