THE FIRST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS
Lesson 1
Introduction and Chapter 1:1-2:12
Paul's Greeting and His History with the Community
Holy God of Glory and Truth,
In remembering the brave early Christians of the churches
founded by Your Servant Paul, we renew and ratify today the vows of our
Baptism. We renounce Satan forever, his works and his influences. We give
ourselves entirely to Your Son, the Incarnate Word, to carry our crosses after
Him all the days of our lives. We resolve to be more faithful to Him,
following the example of the great Saint Paul. Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord, to
guide us in our study of St. Paul's letter to the Christians in Thessalonica as
we, like them, struggle to rise above the sinful influences of a pagan society.
We pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+ + +
When they took
the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they reached Thessalonica, where
there was a synagogue of the Jews. Following his usual custom, Paul joined
them, and for three Sabbaths he entered into discussions with them from the Scriptures,
expounding and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the
dead, and that "This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I proclaimed to you." Some of
them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so too, a great number of Greeks
who were worshipers, and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews became
jealous and recruited some worthless men loitering in the public square, formed
a mob, and set the city in turmoil.
Acts 17:1-5a
Background
After their first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-28), Saints Paul and Barnabas returned home to their faith community in Antioch, Syria to tell the community of their great successes in founding mostly Gentile Christian communities on Cyprus and the Roman Provinces in Asia Minor. However, they found themselves in the midst of great controversy. Some Jewish-Christians, representing themselves as coming with authority from the mother church in Jerusalem, were telling the Gentile-Christians that unless they became Jews first and submitted to circumcision, they would not find salvation.
The church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas as their representatives to the Apostles in Jerusalem to resolve these issues concerning the conversion of Gentile-Christians. The Apostles called the Church's first great council, the Council of Jerusalem in 49/50 AD. On the way to the council, Paul probably wrote the first of his letters, sending a letter to the mostly Gentile Christians in the churches in Galatia.1 At the Council of Jerusalem, the Apostles resolved questions concerning the requirements for Gentile converts entering the Church (Acts Chapter 15). At the end of the Council of Jerusalem, some representatives of the Council accompanied Barnabas and Paul back to Antioch with a letter expressing the Council's decisions concerning Gentile converts and to reassure Gentile-Christians (Acts 15:22-35).
With the issues concerning Gentile converts resolved, Paul suggested to Barnabas that it was time to make a second missionary journey. However, Paul and Barnabas could not agree on whether or not John Mark, Barnabas's cousin, should accompany them (Acts 13:13; 15:37-38). Barnabas decided to take John Mark with him to visit the faith communities they founded on Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas (Silvanus) to accompany him to strengthen churches founded in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:36-41). A young Christian named Timothy, the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, joined Paul and Silas at Lystra. Since Timothy's mother was Jewish, which under the Old Covenant Law of Moses made Timothy a Jew, Paul had Timothy submit to the Old Covenant ritual of circumcision. Paul did this so Timothy could preach effectively to the Jews who would accept Timothy as one of themselves (Acts 16:3).
Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveled through Phrygian and Galatian territories, but the Holy Spirit prevented them from continuing into the Province of Asia. During the night at Troas, Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man imploring him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Paul sought passage to Macedonia at once (Acts 16:8-10). The journey to Macedonia would be the first missionary effort into Europe.
Paul and his missionary team founded a Christian community in Philippi. The Jews, however, jealous of Paul's success among their Jewish brothers, brought charges against Paul and the others, accusing them of disrupting the city and advocating customs not lawful for Roman citizens to adopt or practice (Acts 16:20-40). After being imprisoned for a time, Paul and his team were released and made their way to Thessalonica, an important seaport and the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. Located on the Via Egnatia, the main road from Rome to the Eastern Empire, the city was within viewing distance of Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek gods, and therefore home to many pagan temples.
Preaching in the Jewish Synagogue for three successive Sabbaths (Acts 17:2), Paul founded a Christian community in Thessalonica made up of Jews and Gentiles before he again experienced opposition. The leaders of the local Synagogue became jealous of Paul's success among the Jews and organized a riot. After only being in the city for a short time, his opponents forced Paul and his team of evangelists to leave the city (Acts 17:1-9).
Paul continued his missionary journey through Greece, first going to Berea, about 50 miles to the west. But he was soon driven from Berea, leaving Silas and Timothy there to work with the new Christian community. He traveled to Athens about 200 miles to the south and sent word back to Berea for Silas and Timothy to meet him there (Acts 17:14-15). Concerned about the fledgling church in Thessalonica, when Silas and Timothy joined him Athens, he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to continue teaching the newly baptized Christians. Paul and Silas continued to Corinth where Timothy rejoined them, bringing word that the Thessalonian Christians were bravely enduring persecution, and some of them had died.
It was at Corinth that Paul met Aquila and his wife Priscilla who became life-long friends, and he established a church in their home (Acts 18:1-4, 26; 1Cor 16:19). Paul probably wrote his First Letter to the Thessalonians in Corinth in c. 50/51 AD. After his forced exodus from Thessalonica and the news of their suffering that Timothy brought, Paul became even more concerned about the community. He wrote a letter to commend and encourage them, offering consolation for their members who had died in Christ. He urged them not to focus on their present earthly sufferings but on Jesus' glorious Second Advent in the future.
The theme of Christ's Second Coming reoccurs throughout Paul's two letters to the Christians of Thessalonica. The letters provide some of the most in-depth descriptions of the Second Coming of Jesus found in the New Testament. The letters promise that when the Christ returns, He will reveal Himself from Heaven in His majesty and glory with His angels and divine fire, calling all baptized believers, living and dead, to join Him in resurrected glory.
| Biblical Period | #12 The Kingdom of the Church | |||
| Covenant | The New Covenant in Christ Jesus | |||
| Focus | Paul's greeting and review of the past relationship | Paul's instructions for future growth | ||
| Scripture | 1:1------------------2:1--------------------4:1-------------------------5:12----------5:28 | |||
| Division | Paul's greeting and thanksgiving for the community | Paul's ministry among them | Specific exhortations | Final greeting and conclusion |
| Topic | Encouragement in a time of affliction | The "Day of the Lord" | ||
| Looking back | Looking forward | |||
| Location | Probably from Corinth | |||
| Time | Circa 50/51 AD | |||
| Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2018 | ||||
Principal divisions of the Letter:
The theme of the letter is the need to be constantly ready for Christ's return, while in the meantime continuing to live out the Gospel in doing God's work on earth.
Chapter 1: Paul's Greeting, Thanksgiving, and Prayer
1 Thessalonians 1:1 ~ Greeting
1 Paul, Silvanus,
and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.
In the majority of St. Paul's letters, his greeting follows a standard form with only slight variations. The three basic elements, also found in this letter:
Paul's co-senders are Silvanus and Timothy. Silvanus is the Latin
version of the Aramaic name Silas. Paul calls him Silvanus in several letters
(2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1), and Peter also refers to him by his
Latin name, Silvanus (1 Pt 5:12). Timothy is a Greek name.
Question: Who was Silvanus? See Acts 15:22-35, 36-41; 16:10,
19-24, 37; 17:1-15; 18:5; 1 Pt 5:12.
Answer:
Question: Who was Timothy? See
Acts 16:1-3; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4;
Rom 16:21;
1 Cor 4:17; 16:10-11;
2 Cor 1:1;
Phil 1:1; 2:19-22;
Col 1:1;
1 Thes 1:1; 3:2;
2 Thes 1:1;
Phlm 1;
1 Tim 1:2-3; and
2 Tim 1:5, 7.
Answer:
Question: What is missing from Paul's greeting to the church at
Thessalonica that is present in the greeting of his letters to the Christian
churches at Roman, Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus, and Colossae?
Answer: Paul does not announce his apostolic authority in his
greeting.
In the greeting of his letter to the Galatians, Paul announced that he wrote as an "apostle" of Christ and vigorously defended his claim to apostolic authority. It was a letter probably written the year before this letter.1 He also announced his apostolic role in the greetings of all his other letters except his letter to the Christians at Philippi and his letter to Philemon. The letter to the Philippian Christians was a letter that did not concern doctrinal issues; it was a letter expressing Paul's thanks for sending material support while he was in prison. He also did not claim apostolic authority in the greeting of his letter to Philemon requesting a favor. See the greetings in Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, 1 Timothy 1:1, 2 Timothy 1:1, and Titus 1:1 where Paul asserts his apostolic authority as a representative of the Church.
We do not know why Paul failed to mention his apostolic authority as a representative of the Church in his first two letters after the Council of Jerusalem. He will use the word "apostle" in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 when he writes, ...nor did we seek praise from human beings, either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ. However, he uses the word "apostles" in the sense of its literal meaning in Greek as "one sent," since they were "sent" by Christ to preach the Gospel like all Christians (c.f., Mk 15-16).
We can only speculate as to why Paul did not claim authority to teach as an official representative of the Church in these two letters. One possibility is that in Galatians 1:17-19, Paul vigorously defended his apostleship, suggesting that, like the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus, he was also personally chosen by the Christ in his conversion experience (Acts 9). And, he also made several highly critical and divisive remarks about St. Peter and his leadership over the Church to the mostly Gentile Galatian Christians (Gal 2:11-14). They were remarks that were harmful to Peter in his role as the Vicar of Christ who was working to hold Jewish and Gentile Christians together. The criticism that Peter didn't support Gentile Christians was without merit as Peter's verdict at the Council of Jerusalem demonstrated. Perhaps Paul's prideful outburst against Peter was reported, and Paul was disciplined. Perhaps, in his contrition, he did not claim any apostolic authority in the two letters to the Thessalonians, but later his authority was restored.
grace to you and peace.
Paul gives the community a blessing at the end of his
greeting. It is Paul's typical blessing found in all of his letters. The only
exception is the Letter to the Hebrews that the Church Fathers attributed to
St. Paul and which was probably the written copy of a homily he delivered to
the Jewish-Christians of the Jerusalem Church. It is a standard Christian
greeting found in all Paul's letters and also appears in St. Peter's first letter to the
Church (1 Pt 1:2), in St. John's second letter (2 Jn 3), and in the glorified Jesus'
greeting to St. John in the Book of Revelation (Rev 1:4).
The only difference in Paul's greetings from a traditional Greek letter is that he does not use the customary Greek greeting chara or chaire, meaning "joy" or "rejoice." Instead, he substitutes the Greek word charis. Biblical scholars suggest that Paul intentionally substitutes the Greek word chara with charis, a word with the distinctive meaning and understanding of the Hebrew word hen, meaning "grace," a gift of God. The New Testament writers used the international language of Greek to write their letters, but all their concepts were Hebrew, and so they adapted Greek words to convey the Hebrew into distinctively Christian concepts. And then, to the greeting giving the blessing of God's grace, Paul adds the Greek word for "peace," eirene, which reflects the typical Semitic greeting of peace that is shalom (i.e., see 2 Mac 1:1; Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19, 21, 26). It is a greeting repeated in our priestly greeting at Mass when the priest repeats the words of Jesus' post-Resurrection greetings and says "Peace be with you" (Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19, 21, 26).
In his greeting of grace and peace, Paul gives what Jewish-Christians would have recognized as an echo the ancient priestly blessing for God's holy people Israel in Numbers 6:24-26, May Yahweh bless you and keep you. May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you [give you grace]. May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace (NJB). If Paul does intend to echo the priestly blessing, then "grace" represents God's covenantal grace revealed in Jesus Christ and "peace" is the deep and abiding peace that comes from the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. It is a blessing that would have appealed to a mixed congregation of Christian Jews and Gentiles who are one Body in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 ~ Thanksgiving for the Faith of
the Thessalonian Christians
2 We give thanks
to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor
of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and
Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved
by God, how you were chosen [elected]. 5 For
our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of people we were among
you for your sake. 6 And you
became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction,
with joy from the Holy Spirit, 7 so
that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded
forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God
has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God 10 and
to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers
us from the coming wrath.
2 We give thanks
to God always for all of you...
It was common for Paul to open his letters with an
expression of gratitude to God for those receiving his letter (i.e., Rom 1:8; 1
Cor 1:4). Paul assures the Thessalonian Christians that he and the other
members of his missionary team pray for them continually.
3 calling to mind
your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
Question: What three theological virtues does Paul
mention in verse 3? See CCC 1813; love in action defines the word "charity."
Answer: Paul writes that in his prayers, he
recalls the community's work in faith, love, and hope.
Verse 3 is the earliest mention of the three "theological
virtues in Christian writings," usually expressed as "faith, hope, and love/charity."
Paul's order of faith, love, and hope stresses the eschatological hope
associated with Christ's Second Coming which is the focus of his letter.
Question: How do the three works Paul mentions
prepare the Thessalonians and us for Christ's return?
Answer: The visible work of our faith in Christ,
expressed by the love we demonstrate in good works in His name, prepares us for
the hope of His return.
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul also writes about these virtues in an eschatological (end times) context. However, he presents the list of virtues in a form that has become familiar to us as "faith, hope, and love/charity": At present I know partially; then I shall know fully as I am fully known. 13 So faith, hope, love remains, these three, but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:12b-13). Faith, hope, and love are three interrelated aspects of Christian life.
Question: How does Paul write that the
Thessalonian Christians demonstrate these virtues?
See 1:5, 6, 9, 10; 5:9 and 4:9-10.
Answer: The Thessalonians have already
demonstrated these virtues:
When Christ returns, all other charisms (gifts of grace) will become unnecessary, but faith, hope, and love will remain.
... in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and
Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved
by God, how you were chosen [elected]. 5 For
our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and [with] much conviction.
Notice that in these verses Paul invokes the three
persons of the Most Holy Trinity, naming Jesus (God the Son), God the Father,
and God the Holy Spirit. This is the order of divine revelation in Jesus'
mission in the New Testament. First, Jesus revealed Himself in His earthly
mission as the Son of the Divine Father. Then, God the Father acknowledged the
Son three times, speaking from Heaven at Jesus' baptism (Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22), at the Transfiguration event (Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35), and on the Wednesday
of Jesus' last week in Jerusalem when He announces that "His hour has come" (Jn 12:28). Finally, the completion of the divine mission is when God the Father and
Son send God the Holy Spirit to the Church at the Jewish feast of Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-4).
In verse 4, Paul reminds the Thessalonian Christians that they are united in the divine family of the Most Holy Trinity. God the Father adopted them into His family through their divine election as sons and daughters (1 Thes 1:4; 5:9; Rom 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; Eph 1:4-5; 2 Pt 1:10; CCC 759) through their baptism by the Holy Spirit (1:5; 4:8). It is His promise to unite them to Himself and all their brothers and sisters when He raises their bodies from the dead at the end of time when Christ returns in glory (1:10; 2:12, 19; 3:13; 4:13-5:11). In the meantime, God unites all Christians as one family through Jesus' gift of the Sacraments, especially through the Eucharist in which Christians share in the life of the glorified Jesus Christ (CCC 2014).
5 For our Gospel
did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and
[with] much conviction.
The Gospel is more than a proclamation. God reveals His
power through the Gospel to save sinners who accept it in faith (Rom 1:16). It
is an entirely new economy of salvation through the gift of God the Holy Spirit
in Christian baptism and the conviction of those who believe in the promises of
Jesus Christ.
6 And you became
imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with
joy from the Holy Spirit, 7 so that
you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded
forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God
has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.
The Thessalonian Christians' grace in affliction is a
model of faith for the other Christian communities in Macedonia and Achaia.
These were two Roman provinces that correspond to northern Greece and the
region of western Greece situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese
peninsula. Like Paul and his missionary team, the Thessalonian Christians
experienced persecution for the sake of the Gospel. However, they should
accept their suffering as a joyful sign of blessing and approval from the Lord
(Mt 5:10; 1 Pt 3:14), making the believer more like Christ and His Apostles
(1 Pt 2:21;
1 Thes 3:3-4).
Concerning suffering for the sake of the Gospel, Paul wrote the Romans: The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him (Rom 8:16-17).
9 For they
themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God...
Verse 9 suggests most of the Thessalonian Christians were
Gentile converts who abandoned their pagan idols for the one, true God.
However, there were also Jewish-Christians in their community who were from the
local Synagogue (Acts 17:4). Paul's reference to "the living and true God"
expresses the traditional Jewish criticism of pagan worship. Pagans worshiped
lifeless, man-made idols (Ps 135:13-18; Tob 14:6; Jer 10:6-10; Hab 2:18-20).
Yahweh is the only "living God." The Old Covenant profession of faith in
Deuteronomy 6:4 remains the foundational profession of monotheism in the New
Covenant Church, Yahweh our God is the one, the only Yahweh (NJB). In 1
Corinthians 8:6 Paul writes ... yet for us there is one God, the Father, from
whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through
whom all things are and through whom we exist. Also see Paul's teaching on
this subject in Acts 14:15; 17:22-31, and CCC 212.
10 and to await
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from [the] dead, Jesus, who delivers us
from the coming wrath.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul preaches revolves
around two central doctrines:
Verse 10 is the first of five references to the Parousia or Second Coming of Christ that is the theme of Paul's letter (also see 2:19; 3:13; 4:16; 5:23). "The coming wrath" refers to the Last Judgment and the full force of God's power released on sin, evil, and those who have committed evil acts. In the Old Testament, it is called "the Day of Yahweh" and "Day of the LORD."2 St. Peter described that fearful day in 2 Peter 3:10, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out. The wicked will suffer eternal death in their eternal separation from the love of God in punishment for their unrepented sins. This eternal death is the "second death" in Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14 and 21:8. The first death is physical death and the second death is the failure to win eternal life. However, Jesus will deliver all who believe in Him from the wrath of God and bring them to everlasting life (Mt 25:32-40; 2 Thes 1:7-10; Rev 20:6).3
Concerning the Last Judgment, the Church teaches:
Also see CCC 1038-41. By rejecting the grace of God's gift of salvation through Christ Jesus in this life, a person passes judgment on him or herself. The stubborn refusal to accept Christ as Lord and Savor can even result in condemnation for all eternity by continuing to reject the Spirit of love in passing over the threshold of life into death and divine judgment.
Chapter 2: Paul's Previous Relationship with the Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ~ Paul's Ministry among the
Christians in Thessalonica
1 For you
yourselves know, brothers, that our reception among you was not without effect.
2 Rather, after we had suffered and
been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi, we drew courage through our
God to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle. 3 Our exhortation was not from delusion or
impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4 But as we were judged worthy by God to be
entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human
beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts. 5 Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you
know, or with a pretext for greed, God is witness, 6 nor did we seek praise from human beings,
either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as
apostles of Christ. 7 Rather, we
were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. 8 With such affection for you, we were determined
to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so
dearly beloved had you become to us. 9 You
recall, brothers, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to
burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how
devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers. 11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a
father treats his children, 12 exhorting
and encouraging you and insisting that you conduct yourselves as worthy of the
God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
In verses 1-2, Paul recalls the treatment he and other
Christians received when they were at the Macedonian city of Philippi.
Question: Read Acts 16:16-40 concerning the events
in Philippi and the response of the city's political officers. What happened
to Paul and his friends?
Answer: Paul healed a slave girl of demon
possession who had brought revenue to her owners through her utterances that
were believed to be prophetic. Her owners, angry that their profit from her
was gone, seized Paul and Silas and brought them before the local authorities,
accusing them of "advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans..." (Acts 16:21). They were stripped of their clothes, beaten, and thrown into prison.
Paul and Silas were not discouraged, but sang hymns in prison. An earthquake
freed them, but they did not run away. Instead, they shared the Gospel of
salvation with their prison guard, and when he accepted Christ, they baptized
him and his entire family. They were released from prison by the magistrates
and told to leave the city.
we drew courage through our God to speak to you the
Gospel of God with much struggle.
God gave them the courage they needed to preach in Philippi,
to witness to the prison guard, and to come to Thessalonica to continue
preaching the Gospel.
3 Our exhortation
was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4 But as we were judged worthy by God to be
entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human
beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts. 5 Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you
know, or with a pretext for greed, God is witness...
Paul may be defending himself and his missionary team
from accusations made by detractors. He testifies that despite their
hardships, they continued at all times to live and work in a matter that was
above reproach, only seeking to please God, who is the only true judge over
their behavior (also see verse 10).
6 nor did we seek
praise from human beings, either from you or from others, although we were able
to impose our weight as apostles of Christ.
Paul refers to himself, Silvanus/Silas, and Timothy as
those sent by Christ to share His Gospel. The New Testament uses the word
"apostles," meaning "one who is sent," in several ways:
In this verse, it appears Paul is using "apostles" to define their mission as those "sent" by Christ to proclaim the Gospel and not stressing any ecclesial authority.
Question: In this passage, what two symbolic
images does Paul use to describe his ministry team's work among the
Thessalonians?
Answer: They treated the new Christians gently
like a nursing mother and also like a father who encourages his children to
have good behavior.
Like a loving mother, they made every effort to meet the needs of the infant community, and like a father, they tended to their moral and spiritual formation.
In verses 9-10, Paul writes that because of their labor among the community they were entitled to financial and material support (c.f., Lk 10:7), but they waved this right so they would not be a burden to the community. It was Paul's practice to support himself by his trade as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3).
11 As you know,
we treated each one of you as a father treats his children, 12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you conduct yourselves as worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom
and glory.
God, the Divine Father, calls the Thessalonian Christians
to become His children who will receive a divine inheritance in His heavenly
Kingdom. Those who enter into a covenant relationship with God the Father in
the Sacrament of Baptism will receive the fullness of His grace in the heavenly
Kingdom. However, those who prove themselves unworthy of His calling will not
inherit eternal life. St. Peter wrote in his first letter to the communities
of the Universal Church: Like obedient children, do not act in compliance
with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be
holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, "Be holy
because I am holy" (1 Pt 1:14 quoting Lev 11:44a, 45b).
Questions for discussion or reflection:
What is the Gospel to you?
How is it more than words and doctrine?
How do you put the Gospel of Jesus Christ into practice in your life?
Endnotes:
1. Paul's Letter to the Galatians was probably his first
letter because he discussed the unresolved issues concerning Gentile converts
that were decided by Peter and the Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-12). Paul's letters to faith communities are placed in the New Testament
canon according to length with his Letter to the Romans place first because it
is the longest, and his Letter to Philemon is the last because it is the
shortest. Hebrews, which is unlike any of Paul's other letters, follows
Philemon. Some even dispute that Paul wrote Hebrews. The letter lacks both a
greeting and a conclusion, probably because it was a homily delivered to the
church in Jerusalem that was copied and sent out to the Christian communities.
2. For other Scripture references to the day of Yahweh and the day of God's wrath, see Job 21:30; Prov 11:4; Mal 3:19-23; Is 26:20-27:1; 33:10-16; Jer 46:10; Amos 5:18-20; 8:9; Lam 2:22; Ez 22:24; Zeph 1:15; and Jesus description of the Last Judgment in Mt 25:31-46; 2 Pt 2:9-10 and the description of the Last Judgment in Rev 20:11-15.
3. In addition to Paul's references to Jesus' Second Coming, see other references in Jam 5:7, 8; 2 Pt 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 Jn 2:28.
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2018 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references for this lesson (* indicates Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
1:3 (CCC 1813-1829)
1:4 (CCC 759)
1:9 (CCC 212)
1:10 (CCC 442*)
2:13 (CCC 104*, 1349*)
2:14-15 (CCC 597*)