PERSEVERE WITH FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Key verse: 3

NIV

1 Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.(D)

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

2 We always thank God for all of you(E) and continually mention you in our prayers.(F) 3 We remember before our God and Father(G) your work produced by faith,(H) your labor prompted by love,(I) and your endurance inspired by hope(J) in our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God,(K) that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel(L) came to you not simply with words but also with power,(M) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know(N) how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us(O) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering(P) with the joy(Q) given by the Holy Spirit.(R) 7 And so you became a model(S) to all the believers in Macedonia(T) and Achaia.(U) 8 The Lord’s message(V) rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.(W) Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned(X) to God from idols(Y) to serve the living and true God,(Z) 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven,(AA) whom he raised from the dead(AB)—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.(AC)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
  2. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 9, 14, 17; 3:7; 4:1, 10, 13; 5:1, 4, 12, 14, 25, 27.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the (B)Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

(C)Grace to you and peace.

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example

2 (D)We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly[a] (E)mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before (F)our God and Father (G)your work of faith and labor of (H)love and (I)steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, (J)brothers[b] loved by God, (K)that he has chosen you, 5 because (L)our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and (M)in the Holy Spirit and with full (N)conviction. You know (O)what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And (P)you became imitators of us (Q)and of the Lord, for (R)you received the word in much affliction, (S)with the (T)joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord (U)sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth (V)everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of (W)reception we had among you, and how (X)you turned to God (Y)from idols to serve the living and (Z)true God, 10 and (AA)to wait for his Son (AB)from heaven, (AC)whom he raised from the dead, Jesus (AD)who delivers us from (AE)the wrath to come.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 Or without ceasing
  2. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO 1 THESSALONIANS

“Living in the Light”

In this wonderful epistle (which is Paul’s first epistle written around 51 A.D.), Paul simply plants faith, love, and hope in the church in Thessalonica.

In Acts 17, at the busy, large seaport of Thessalonica, Paul preached in the synagogue on 3 Sabbaths and evangelized many Jews and Gentiles, including some prominent women. When some other jealous Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and started a riot, he left for Berea, and then Athens. Wanting to help the new believers, Paul tried twice to return but was hindered. Instead, he sent Timothy, who brought back a glowing report of their standing firm.

In this epistle, Paul responds to doubts and questions they had regarding Jesus’ Second Coming and what would happen to their loved ones who had already died. The letter is divided into 2 parts: thanksgiving and instruction. The letter also contains 3 prayers, one at the beginning, one in the middle and one in the end. Through the study of this epistle, we learn how Paul gives basic instructions to new Christians on how to live in the light of Jesus’ Second Coming with faith, love, and hope. We learn how to be godly, to grow in grace, to be sanctified, to live with hope in Jesus’ return, and to live in community with other believers.

His prayer and instruction were the keys to helping this vulnerable, new church to grow spiritually. Let’s learn from Paul’s example and go back to the basics of raising new disciples and church planting.

Paul greets the young church officially on behalf of Paul’s team of leaders. He encourages them with Jesus’ grace and peace, assures them that they are constantly in his prayer, and acknowledges their dedication to the Lord. Their faith, love and hope were a model to other believers. Often, we struggle alone in the spiritual battle and feel no one knows or remembers us. Paul knew this about the Thessalonians, and this was his impetus to begin his letter writing to churches, known as the epistles.

Paul reminds them how they came to faith. The underlying truth is that God loved and chose them. They believed the Word, and the Holy Spirit worked powerfully in them with conviction. They turned away from polytheism, accepted the one true God, and imitated Paul’s way of life joyfully.

The Thessalonians, some of high status, were new Christians. Though they were vulnerable and had much to lose, they endured fiery persecution, shared the message, and waited for Jesus' Second Coming. Their story inspires us today. Our simple faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and our hope in his resurrection challenges this post-Christian era. To endure trials, we must live in the light of Jesus’ Second Coming as they did.

Prayer: Father, empower us with your Spirit to believe your words, to joyfully overcome trials with faith, love and hope, and to share the gospel.

One Word: Persevere with faith, love and hope