Why Paul Wrote to the Thessalonians, Part 1
Monday, November 18
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1)
Before diving deep into what Paul aims to pass to the Thessalonians, let us get the overview. After a lengthy introduction (1:1–3:13), Paul is now ready to get to the main point of his letter. He has praised them for their faithfulness, defended his motives, shared his gratitude for their love of Scripture, and expressed His love for them.
The tone of the introduction is upbeat. If you read back through the first three chapters you will find no words of correction or rebuke. This is quite remarkable considering the relative status of the Thessalonian believers as young in the faith. Though many of Paul’s churches brought him sorrow and grief (e.g., Corinth and Galatia), the Thessalonian church was a source of encouragement and joy. Timothy’s time in Thessalonica proved to be refreshing both for the Thessalonians and for Paul. The Thessalonians were strengthened by his visit, and Paul was relieved to hear of their faithfulness (3:6-8).
Timothy’s visit revealed some issues with which the Thessalonians were struggling. At the end of chapter 3, Paul therefore prayed for their spiritual growth and for God to open a door for him to see them again (3:10-13). But until he could return, he wanted to leave them with some final exhortations in his letter. His primary intention was to clear up some of the issues that Timothy had told him about and to fill up what was lacking in their faith (3:10).
Paul transitions into the heart of his letter by providing the Thessalonians with a series of exhortations. Some of these exhortations receive merely a cursory mention while others receive a more detailed explanation. Reading through them, you get the sense that this is not the first time the Thessalonians have heard these things. They had heard them before by Paul’s statements, “as we taught you” (4:1-2). Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians was grounded in God’s truth. His commitment to a Scripture-saturated ministry should serve as a challenge to every pastor.
Doing the Word
Live to please God.
Prayer
Dear Father, I ask for grace to live in a way that please in all I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.