THE THESSALONIANS' FAITH

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Key verse: 9b-10

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)

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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.

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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 AND 2 THESSALONIANS In Acts 17, Paul, Silas and Timothy visited Thessalonica. Paul went to the synagogue, reasoned from the Scriptures and proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. Some Jews, many Greeks and some prominent women believed the message. But many other Jews rejected the message and started a riot. Paul and Silas were forced out of the city, leaving behind many new converts. Thus, the Thessalonian church was birthed in the midst of violent persecution. Paul and Silas went on to Berea, Athens and then Corinth. Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians from Corinth around 51/52 AD. He was deeply concerned about their new faith in a very hostile environment. In these two epistles, Paul praises God for helping the Thessalonians to overcome persecution. He also encourages them to put their hope in God. Jesus' second coming is a dominant theme in both epistles. The Thessalonians are exhorted to love others, to work hard to win the respect of others and to be ready for Jesus' return. May our study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians inspire us to overcome hardship and to be prepared for Jesus' second coming. THE THESSALONIANS' FAITH 1. The gospel came with power (1-5a) Paul, Silas and Timothy thanked God for his work among the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians worked by faith, were prompted by love and endured suffering because of their hope in Jesus Christ. God loved them and had chosen them. Not only did they hear the words of the gospel, but the Holy Spirit also powerfully and deeply convicted them. 2. Model believers (5b-10) The Thessalonian Christians imitated the apostles and our Lord Jesus. By doing so and wholly embracing the gospel, they became model believers to all the other churches. Their faith and commitment to Christ were known everywhere. They had repented their idolatry to serve the living and true God. They also eagerly waited for Jesus, who rescues us from wrath, to return.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for saving us from sin in order to serve you. Help us to live as model believers as we wait for Jesus to return.

One Word: Rescued to serve Christ