Word

Paul's opening in 1 Thess follows his traditional pattern of addressing the recipients of his letters. His opening includes a greeting, thanksgiving, and prayer report. Paul, remembering the Thessalonians in prayer, attributes the effects of the gospel in the Thessalonians' lives. In verse 4, Paul asserts that God made their election sure or chose them. In verse 10, Paul climaxes by noting that Christ rescued them all from the coming wrath. In both cases, these actions represent the power of God and Christ through the divine workings of the gospel.

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians during his stay in Corinth. This location can be inferred from his mention of Athens in 3:1 - 2. According to Acts 18:11, Corinth is the city visited, where he resided for a lengthy period of time. In addition, Paul wrote the letter upon Timothy's return from Thessalonica. Paul sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage the church as their missionary work was abruptly disrupted when the Jewish officials evicted them from the city. Timothy's report brought good news to Paul and this letter details Paul's heartfelt response to the church.

What would Christians' lives be like, if we devoted ourselves to living out the Word of God? In this devotion, we would remove anything in our lives that did not match up with the Word of God. For instance Gal 5:16 – 25 provides a comparison of behavior for those who walk by the Spirit versus the flesh. The flesh embodies sin and does not confirm to those belonging to Christ. In Christ, those passions and desires of the flesh have been crucified.

Acts 17:1-9 describes Paul's and Silas' missionary journey to Thessalonica. This journey occurs in the macro-context of Paul's deliberate Gentile ministry, where he embarked on his second missionary journey. Prior to Paul's and Silas' arrival, Luke describes their hardships in Philippi, where they endured beatings and imprisonment. It is after their journey to Thessalonica, where Paul and Silas receive fertile ground for the gospel in Berea.

Acts 17:1 – 9 identifies Paul's and Silas' journey to Thessalonica. They do not waiver in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, despite being imprisoned prior in Philippi. In verse 2, Luke identifies Paul's custom of entering Jewish synagogues to reason with them. This custom parallels to Luke 4:16 of Jesus' custom of entering the synagogue on the Sabbath. The usage of the verb, ἔθω or custom occurs in both passages to describe this customary action. The verb occurs two more times in the New Testament.