09/25/2022 – Day 210 – I Thessalonians 1 – 3/ “May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.”
Both the themes and bible footnotes today come from my Apologetics Study Bible:
Themes in Thessalonians
“Thessalonicca, Macedonia’s largest and most important city, was a wealthy commercial center at the intersection of major transportation routes. Religiously, the traditional Greek cults and philosophies and various Egyptian and mystery religions were well represented, and there was a Jewish community and synagogue (Acts 17:1), in the city. In addition, city leaders fostered local devotion to the imperial cult in order to solidify good relations with Rome and the Cabers cult to foster civic unity. To attack either cult was virtually to attack the city itself. In such an environment, preaching the gospel (which proclaimed allegiance to Jesus as Lord and King) was tantamount to treason.
In A.D. 49 Paul, Silas, and Timothy came to Thessalonica. Paul’s proclamation about Jesus the Messiah attracted ‘some of the Jews, some ‘God fearing Greeks’, (Gentiles attracted to Judaism who attended the synagogue services but stopped short of full conversion), and ‘a number of leading women’ (Acts 17: 2-4). Other converts came to faith directly from paganism (1 Thessalonians 1:9). These new believers soon encountered hostility (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14). The conversion of leading women of the community inevitably brought the new teaching to the attention of civic leaders. Charges were soon brought against the converts, and Paul, Silas, and Timothy had little choice but to leave town for the sake of the new congregation.
In these circumstances two concerns weighted on Paul’s mind: that the young congregation might collapse in the face of hostile pressures and that his behavior might be misunderstood to the detriment of the Gospel. Paul therefore tried to return to Thessalonica quickly, but that proved impossible (1 Thessalonians 2:18). So Paul sent Timothy back instead to strengthen and encourage them (1 Th 3: 1-2). When Timothy returned to Paul, who was by then in Corinth, he brought welcome news: the congregation was not only standing fast and faithful in spite of persecution but was even growing in faith and love (1 Th 3: 6-7). This is the setting of I Thessalonians.”
“2: 14-16. The accusation that Paul was guilty of anti Semitism (because he accused the Jews of killing Jesus) misunderstands the text. Paul – a Jew himself – was not speaking of all Jews but only of that small minority in Judea involved in anti – Christian persecution. Furthermore, logically Paul could not have meant ‘all Jews’ because many of those who followed Jesus (including himself) were Jews. Paul taught that our sins are the reason Jesus died; we all share responsibility in his death (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Galations 1:4; 1 Timothy 1:15).”
“2: 17 – 3:6. The remarkable correlation between 2: 17-3:6 and Acts 17: 1-16 with 18: 1-5 confirms the historical value of acts, which adds details to Paul’s comments. Paul and his companion came to Thessalonica from Philippi (Acts 17:1; cp. 1 Th 2:2). Forced out of Thessalonica (Acts 17: 5-10; cp. 1 Th 2: 17-18), they went to Beroea (Acts 17:10). From there Paul went on alone to Athens (Acts 17: 14-16; cp. 1 Th 3:2-3) and eventually traveled to Corinth (Acts 18:1), where his companions rejoined him (Acts 18:5; cp. 1 Th 3:6).”
Soli Deo Gloria! We finish Thessalonians next Sunday with chapter five and six.