Thessalonians Series

January 01, 2022

After spending an uncomfortable period of time in Philippi, Paul, Silas and Timothy went to Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia.

Thessalonica’s wealth was built on a booming import-export trade, made possible by its natural harbor and location on the trade route between the Adriatic and the Hellespont.

There must have been a thriving Jewish community in Thessalonica because there was a synagogue in the city. Paul spent 3 Sabbaths there preaching and his converts included both Jews & Gentiles.

Per usual, the Judaizers became jealous of Paul’s success. They gathered a mob together, went to the house where Paul, Silas and Timothy were staying and hauled the homeowner – Jason – and others, before the Magistrates {Acts 17}:

“These men are causing trouble all over the world and have now come to our fair city. Jason has welcomed them into his home. They say there is another King (Jesus), besides Caesar and they defile imperial law”.

No evidence could be produced to back up the accusations, so, the group was released. However, knowing the trouble would continue, Paul, Silas and Timothy were sent, by night, to Berea.

Paul’s critics took full advantage of his sudden disappearance - launching a malicious smear campaign…. Sound familiar?

Paul sent Timothy to check on the believers and encourage them in the faith. Timothy brought Paul the following report:

Good news:

• The Thessalonian believer’s faith and love remains steadfast even under persecution.

Bad news:

• The Judaizers are accusing you of insincerity, having ulterior motives and being a coward.

• The members are struggling with some issues:

o Sexual immorality

o Being productive members of society

o Confusion regarding the 2nd Coming of Jesus

o Tension within the fellowship

Which brings us to My Favorite Thing About 1st & 2nd THESSALONIANS ---- The 2nd Coming of Jesus.

Of the 8 chapters that comprise both letters, 7 of them contain references to Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

There seems to have been 4 main issues troubling the believers in Thessalonica:

• The perceived disadvantage of those who had already died.

• Time setting while avoiding what it meant to live a Christian life.

• Persecution and Christian Perseverance.

• A false report that Jesus had already come.

Those who had already died {1 Thessalonians 4:13-18}

There was great anticipation among the early believers that Jesus would return any day. But as time went on and believers began to die and He did not come as expected, anxiety began to mount as to the fate of those who had died. Would they be left out of the kingdom? Would those who were still alive have some advantage over their dead loved ones?

Ancient Roman and Greek mourning practices were similar affairs:

• Dr Laurel Taylor “SmartHistory” – Roman funerals were often elaborate. Dramatic displays of mourning were performed by members of the deceased’s family. Such rituals included wailing, chest-beating, and sometimes self-mutilation. The deceased would be transported on an elaborate bier in a procession known as the “pompa”, which included mourners who were paid to wail and sing dirges.

• HD Livingston “Classroom” - Men typically did not show emotion and behaved in a formal and detached manner. The female relatives, in contrast, stood near the body, wailing and gesturing wildly, including pulling at their hair. The chief mourner was the mother or the wife of the deceased. She stood near the head and often held it in her hands in grief.

Certainly, the Gentiles, who had been converted to Christianity, would have brought these beliefs and practices with them into the community of believers, which, no doubt, would have had an influence, perhaps adding to the anxiety over the status of their deceased loved ones.

Here’s what Paul had to say in response…… Brethren, concerning those who are asleep:

• Don’t grieve like those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, therefore, we can have confidence about what will happen to those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. When Jesus returns, those who are still alive will not precede those who have fallen asleep. Jesus, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and those who have died in Christ will rise first. Those who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air - and then we shall always be with Jesus. Comfort one another with these words.

Time Setting {1 Thessalonians 5:1-11}

Time setting can be an easy trap to fall into. Humans aren’t very good with the unknown. We don’t like mystery. Question marks make us uncomfortable. Part of the reason for this simply comes down to procrastination.

At the turn of the century, I lived in Alaska. For months all the experts could talk about was the impending Y2K disaster, but it wasn’t until late December 1999 that people began to prepare – and the panic was something to behold. I mean, why rush around in August if you can wait until December?