1 Thessalonians 1

Overview:

Theme: Second Coming of Christ in Comfort Faith 12 times; Joy 7 times; Love 6 times; Comfort 6 times Key Scripture: 4:3 Time of Writing: 50-51 A.D.

Chapters 1-3: Congratulations for their Notorious Faith Chapters 4-5: Teaching on Sanctification and Christ's Return

Purposes: 1. To correct mistaken views and establish the doctrine of the second coming of Christ 2. To exhort the believer to display the three chief Godly virtues: faith, hope, and love 3. To confirm the purity of Paul's ministry among the Thessalonians

Messages: 1. The coming of Christ for his people is a comfort to those who look and patiently wait for him. 2. The doctrine of the second coming is a great incentive to holiness. 3. The Lord's return will be as a thief in the night to those that are in darkness, not to those that are in the light.

theosu

Paul's memory of the Thessalonians encourages him since he remembered the testimonies coming from their church and how God encountered and sustained them despite severe sufferring.

v.3

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Their love produced labor. There are two different ancient Greek words for work: ergon and kopos. Ergon “may be pleasant and stimulating,” but kopos “implies toil that is strenuous and sweat-producing.

hiebert kopos is used in this verse

v.5

because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

See more in preaching#Spurgeon on 1 Thessalonians 1 5 1Thess1 v 5.

By this we may know our election, if we not only speak of the things of God with out lips, but feel their power in our hearts, mortifying our lusts, weaning us from the world, and raising us up to heavenly things. Unless the Spirit of God comes with the word of God, it will be to us a dead letter. Thus they entertained it by the power of the Holy Ghost.

matthewhenry

The holy life of a preacher goes far to confirm the truth of the religion which he preaches, and is among the most efficacious means of inducing them to embrace the gospel.

barnes

v.6

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

v.8-10

The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.