Background of Thessalonians

Good day to all. Starting this week, we will delve into the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, a book of five chapters. Today, we will examine the first chapter of First Thessalonians, with the theme Becoming an Example to Believers. The background is that Paul came to Thessalonica and shared in the synagogue for three consecutive Sabbaths. Afterward, some people began to seek to arrest him. Although Paul only stayed for a little over two weeks, during this time, he lived in the house of a believer who had recently come to faith. At that time, the local Jews wanted to seize Paul, but Paul escaped.

Then Paul arrived in Athens, and he was very concerned about those Thessalonians who had come to faith less than a month ago. What was the state of their faith? When Paul fled, the situation was quite dire. Therefore, he sent Timothy and Silas to check on the situation in Thessalonica. Unexpectedly, these people were fine and their faith was very firm. Timothy brought this good news back to Athens. After receiving it, Paul penned the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. These individuals believed in the Lord, were persecuted, but ultimately nothing happened, and instead, they spread the gospel to other places.

The believers in Thessalonica experienced a harrowing persecution just two weeks after coming to faith. As a result, nothing happened, and these people were instead very joyful. They also raised some questions to Paul, and after Timothy brought these questions back, Paul wrote the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. Everyone has a rough understanding of the background of this book, which can be found in Acts chapter 17, which briefly describes what Paul experienced in Thessalonica.

Knowing That You Are Chosen

How do we know? Because of these people's faith, they experienced the power of God and became an example to believers. The Thessalonians thus became an example to believers. The most important point is that they are chosen.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

This passage speaks of the gospel coming to them, the Spirit of God manifesting power in that place, and explaining this logic clearly. The Thessalonians became an example to believers because of their faith. They received the gospel through faith, and the gospel manifested the power of God. We must know that the gospel is received through people's faith. The logic is: Jesus Christ rose from the dead, manifesting power.

At that time, some people in Thessalonica may have had problems, such as being sick, and quite seriously. Just as Paul arrived in Thessalonica, he preached to them the doctrine of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. After they believed, they may have experienced deliverance or healing. These people were originally in the Jewish synagogue but had not experienced the great power of God. As soon as Paul preached the gospel, they immediately experienced it. So Paul said:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

How did we live? Proclaiming the power of God, not with flowery words, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, manifesting the power of God. So Paul said: You are chosen, otherwise how could such a thing happen? Everyone must know that if a person is chosen, he will definitely see the wonderful works of God.

So brothers and sisters must know that your experience of God's work is not sudden, but because you are chosen. Every believer among us will experience the power of God. So brothers and sisters should begin to imitate the example that Paul has set. When we evangelize, we must not simply rely on wise and tactful words, but must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.

You Received the Joy Given by the Holy Spirit

When a person becomes an example to believers, he will definitely have joy from the Holy Spirit within him. The joy that comes from the Holy Spirit is not at other times, but when you encounter difficulties, you will find that there is a wonderful thing about this person, which is peace and joy. Receiving the joy given by the Holy Spirit is because they believe and become an example to believers.

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

The Thessalonians experienced Paul's sharing for three Sabbaths, and then came to faith in just over two weeks. After believing, they experienced the power of God, and then they had great faith in God. As a result, persecution came. The local Thessalonian Jews were jealous of Paul and wanted to arrest him. That night, in order to avoid causing trouble for these Thessalonians, Paul fled.

This escape is actually difficult to explain. And after he left, because they wanted to arrest Paul, Paul left, and Jason and those few who had just come to faith were arrested. After being arrested, they were released on bail and awaited investigation and trial. A person who has just come to faith for two weeks will feel very conflicted in his heart after experiencing such a thing.

That was precisely Paul's concern. He felt that if he just ran away like that, was that faith? It did not seem like faith. You should stand firm and strong there, daring them to arrest you. But Paul left, and then he was concerned about Jason and those new believers in the local area.

As it turned out, although these people were arrested, they were filled with joy because they had received the joy given by the Holy Spirit, so they continued to believe. Brothers and sisters, we must know that after a person believes in the Lord, encountering persecution is the best time for you to practice your faith. The Thessalonians practiced their faith at this time, relying on the Holy Spirit, depending on God by faith, receiving the truth, imitating the Apostle Paul, and also imitating the Lord Jesus, and as a result, they were very joyful.

I believe that for our brothers and sisters, if you start believing in the Lord, it is normal to encounter some difficulties. Each difficulty is an opportunity to manifest God's power through faith. We believe in the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. When Timothy and Silas went to Thessalonica to visit them, they told Timothy and Silas, It is very amazing that we experienced these things, and we are very joyful. Paul once again used these words to explain that they had become an example for believers.

So brothers and sisters, you must know that if you are a person who truly has faith and receives the truth, you must know how great God's power is. We especially need the kind of faith that the Thessalonians had. And then they began to preach the Gospel everywhere. It is possible that these people not only did not stay in Thessalonica, but also ran from Thessalonica to nearby Macedonia and Achaia. I do not know through what connections, they went to the local church and shared the miracles they experienced in Thessalonica.

You Also Began to Proclaim the Lord's Message

If you think about it carefully, is this not very divine? The Thessalonians had just believed in the Lord for two weeks when they experienced a persecution. Then they were protected by God and received joy from the Holy Spirit, as if nothing had happened. Then they went to the nearby areas to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and this became an example for believers. They shared with everyone how they experienced God and His works, how they had faith in God, and how they had forsaken idols and turned to God.

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

They even forgot how Paul had encountered some persecution and fled. Do you not find that very interesting? These Thessalonians proclaimed what they had experienced to everyone, how their confusion was solved through faith, and how they had forsaken idols and turned to God, and so on.

For example, when Paul went to that place to preach the Gospel, he encountered families who worshiped idols. They happened to be encountering some problems, huge problems, either disasters or illnesses. Then they invited Paul to see their family, and the family gladly received him and abandoned their idols.

Then the family was set free and healed. This kind of thing was manifested like a miracle in that place. As a result, it spread far and wide, and eventually these people abandoned their idols, experienced the power of God, and wanted to serve the true and living God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. What did they begin to preach when they proclaimed the Lord's message? They proclaimed how they had forsaken idols, been healed, experienced the power of God, and lived with the hope of eternal life.

Paul, in just three Sabbaths there, spoke about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead and the hope in eternity. He explained that they had experienced disasters and illnesses because they had worshiped idols in the past and incurred God's wrath. While experiencing these things, Paul taught them to wait for Jesus Christ to come from heaven, that is, the one who was raised from the dead who saves us from the coming wrath. He told everyone to forsake idols and serve God, waiting with the hope of eternity, waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Thessalonians believed in the Lord with incredible speed, turned around very quickly, and their faith was very firm, so they became an example for believers. I find that kind of believing in the Lord quite astonishing. What can we do in two weeks or three Sundays in the church? Actually, there is very little that can be done.

The Thessalonians were really blessed, but their understanding of God's word was actually superficial. What else could it be but superficial in three weeks? But God was still manifesting wonderful works among them. So Paul said that they had become an example for believers, not because they were so good in understanding, but because they were really good in faith, very faithful, still joyful when they encountered persecution, and believed that the Lord Jesus could solve problems when they encountered difficulties.

In this process, some Thessalonians may have reached their time to die. They prayed, but instead of getting better, they died. So they brought such questions back to Paul. In the later chapters, Paul gave a detailed explanation of their confusion and encouraged them to build their foundation on the word of God.

The simple faith of the Thessalonians was very good. But later, in the Book of Acts, it was said that the people in this place did not like to study the Bible very much. This was their shortcoming, but their faith was really beyond imagination. So since we have believed in the Lord, we must have faith, and at the same time we must desire the word of God.

May God bless everyone!