First and Second Thessalonians Read online

  The letter is addressed to the church of the Thessalonians. In all of Paul’s other letters, with the exception of 2 Thessalonians, Paul describes the church in terms of its location. For instance, in 1 Cor 1:2 he writes “to the church of God that is in Corinth.” When writing to the Thessalonians, however, Paul describes the church in terms of the people who belong to it. His words could be paraphrased, “to the church that is made up of people who live in Thessalonica.”

  Paul describes the church of the Thessalonians as being in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Only here and in 2 Thess 1:1 does he describe Christians as being “in God,” usually preferring to speak of being “in Christ” (Rom 6:11, 23; 8:1–2; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 3:26). What does it mean for the church to be “in” God? The Greek could indicate that the Thessalonian church was brought into being by God the Father and the Lord Jesus. The Greek preposition en (“in”) could also indicate that the church has its location in God and in Jesus. Regardless of how the phrase is translated, it is clear that God the Father and the Lord Jesus are responsible for the existence of this new church. The words “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” also show that for Paul those who are “in Christ” are also “in God.”3 A few verses later Paul gives thanks for the empowering work of the Holy Spirit, which has enabled the Thessalonians to become imitators of the apostles and of Jesus by rejoicing in suffering (1 Thess 1:4–6). Even though Paul does not manifest in his letters the fully developed doctrine of the Trinity that will be formulated and defined in later centuries, it is striking to note that in the very first chapter of what is arguably his oldest surviving letter, he speaks of God the Father (1:1); the Son Jesus, who was raised from the dead and who will return (1:10); and the Spirit, who empowers the Thessalonians to rejoice in the midst of suffering (1:5–6).

  The words grace to you and peace are a celebrated example of Paul’s ability to rethink everything in light of the gospel. As noted in the introduction, letters in Paul’s day usually began with this formula: “the Writer, to the Addressee, greetings [chairein].”4 Paul changes the word “greetings” (chairein) to the related noun “grace” (charis) and adds the traditional Jewish greeting “peace.” In so doing, Paul indicates from the very first line of the letter that this is no ordinary correspondence between friends. The love between Paul and these new converts springs from God’s generosity.

  BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

  “Church” (ekklēsia) in Scripture

  What does Paul mean when he speaks of the “church” (Greek ekklēsia) of the Thessalonians? In Paul’s day, ekklēsia was a common word referring to a congregation of people. It could describe official assemblies, but it was also used to describe crowds, as in Acts 19:32, where ekklēsia refers to a confused jumble of people in Ephesus who “had no idea why they had come together.”

  The word ekklēsia is common in the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures known as the †Septuagint (commonly abbreviated LXX, the Latin numeral for seventy) as a translation of the Hebrew word qahal, meaning “assembly.” The term is commonly used to refer to the assembly of the people of Israel, called “the ekklēsia of the Lord” or “the ekklēsia of the people of God” (see LXX Deut 23:1–2; Judg 20:2; Ps 21:26 [ET 22:26]). For Paul, whose mind was drenched in the language of the Septuagint, the word ekklēsia would have called to mind the assembly of God’s elect. Paul uses ekklēsia to refer to the local Christian communities (1 Cor 16:1), as well as the Church universal (1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6). Paul describes the Church as the body of Christ, arguing that the diversity of roles and gifts are necessary just as a human body needs many different but complementary parts (Rom 12:4–5; 1 Cor 12:12–31). Echoing Old Testament imagery of God as the husband of Israel (Hosea 2:2, 14–23; Jer 2:2), Paul also depicts the Church as the bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2–3; Eph 5:25–32) and as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16–17; Eph 2:19–22).

  Reflection and Application (1:1)

  While preaching on the first verse of 1 Thessalonians, St. John Chrysostom discusses the extraordinary honor of being the church (ekklēsia) that is “in” God. Chrysostom was a native Greek-speaker who understood that the word ekklēsia was common in Paul’s world: “For there were many assemblies [plural of ekklēsia].” To be an ekklēsia in God “is a great honor—nothing is equal to it!” Chrysostom also sees this description of the church in Thessalonica as a challenge to his own congregation, warning that those who live in sin reject God’s embrace: “May it be, then, that this church also be so called. . . . [But] if someone is a servant of sin, he cannot be called ‘in God.’”5

  Thanksgiving (1:2–4)

  2We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen.

  OT: Deut 7:7–8; Ps 34:2

  NT: 1 Cor 13:13; 2 Thess 1:3; 2:13

  Catechism: theological virtues, 1812–19

  [1:2]

  After the greeting, Paul’s Letters usually include a word of thanksgiving to God and a description of how he prays for the addressees. His letter to the Galatians omits the thanksgiving—it seems that Paul was in no mood to thank God for them. In contrast, here we see Paul overjoyed at the Spirit-empowered reception of the gospel by the Thessalonians. The thanksgiving section of this letter goes on through verse 10 and then starts again in 2:13, finally coming to a conclusion, arguably, at the end of chapter 3. As the letter progresses, we learn why Paul is so effusive in his thanksgiving to God. Though they are a very young community—perhaps only a few months old—they are already manifesting the joy of the Holy Spirit as they experience persecution (1:6).

  How is it possible for Paul to give thanks to God always and to pray for the Thessalonians unceasingly? Though there is an element of hyperbole here, these words should not be dismissed as mere exaggeration. For Paul, prayer is not cordoned off into certain parts of the day or certain days of the week. One’s whole life is to be lifted up to God in prayer through the Spirit (Rom 8:26; 12:1). He asks the Thessalonians to “rejoice always,” “pray without ceasing,” and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:16–18). This is not to say that Paul recommends spending every moment reciting a prayer—as if that were possible. Rather, for Paul, prayer and life are coextensive. Every moment is to be caught up in praise to God. As Col 3:17 puts it, “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

  [1:3]

  The opening thanksgivings in Paul’s Letters serve a double purpose. They encourage the recipients by informing them of Paul’s prayers on their behalf, but they also indicate the subjects that Paul is going to develop over the course of the letter. In this sense, the thanksgivings are almost like a little table of contents.6 For example, Paul begins 1 Corinthians by thanking God for the spiritual gifts that have been given to the Corinthians (1:4–7). This becomes a major topic in the letter (chaps. 12–14). Philippians begins with thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (1:3–5), a subject to which Paul returns repeatedly (2:25–30; 4:10–20). Here in 1 Thessalonians he thanks God for their work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope. This is probably the first occurrence of the trio of faith, love, and hope in Christian literature, and it anticipates much of what Paul goes on to discuss.

  LIVING TRADITION

  The Life of Prayer

  The Catechism notes that the unending prayer of which Paul speaks is strengthened by having certain times set aside for prayer.

  Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart: “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.”a But we
cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration.

  The Tradition of the Church proposes to the faithful certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish continual prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian’s life of prayer. (2697–98)

  a. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. theo., 27, 1, 4: PG 36,16.

  What does Paul mean by “work of faith”? In a homily on this passage St. John Chrysostom offers a helpful explanation: “What is ‘the work of faith’? That nothing turns you away from your constancy. . . . If you believe, suffer all things” without falling away.7 The Thessalonians had responded to the gospel with faith, but since then they experienced hard times (1 Thess 1:6; 2:14; 3:3), and Paul was worried that their faith would be shaken (3:2–5). When Timothy returned from visiting them, Paul was overjoyed to learn that they continued to trust in God in their suffering (1:6; 3:6–10). Paul gives thanks to God that the Thessalonian Christians’ faith continues to manifest itself in works, and he prays for the opportunity to visit them again and strengthen their trust in God even more (3:9–10).

  BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

  “Work” (ergon) in Paul

  The expression “work of faith” may sound strange to those accustomed to thinking of work and faith as opposites for Paul. In Galatians and Romans Paul does contrast “works of the law” to “faith of Christ,” but he frequently uses the word ergon (“work”) in a positive sense. In Galatians he goes on to describe the life of faith as “faith working through love” (5:6; see also 6:7–10, 15). Elsewhere he speaks of the work of Christian leaders like himself (1 Cor 3:13–15; 9:1; 16:10; Phil 1:22), declaring that work that is done well will receive a “wage” from God (1 Cor 3:14). Like Jesus, he teaches that God will repay everyone at the final judgment according to their works (Rom 2:6–7; 2 Cor 5:10).a He calls his churches to do obedient work (Rom 15:18), to excel in “the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58), and he praises a coworker for doing “the work of Christ” (Phil 2:30). He promises that God will make it possible to “share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8 NRSV), which in context refers to sharing money with others.b There are numerous other examples.c In this letter he asks the Thessalonians to hold their church leaders in high regard “on account of their work” (1 Thess 5:13), and in 2 Thessalonians he prays that God would strengthen them for “every good work [NABRE: “deed”]” (2:17; see also 1:11). Clearly, a simple work/faith antithesis is a caricature of Paul’s theology. How can we determine what Paul means in each particular instance? I suggest using this diagnostic question: Is Paul speaking here of work that is the result of God’s grace empowering the believer, as in 1 Thess 1:3, or is he speaking of work that sets itself up against God’s grace, imagining that God owes us something, as in Rom 4:2–5?

  a. For a good example of this in Jesus’s teaching, see Matt 16:24–27; 25:31–46.

  b. Though this passage refers to the collection for the poor of Jerusalem, 2 Cor 9:13 shows that Paul is concerned with giving to all who are in need.

  c. See Eph 2:10; 4:12; Col 1:10; 1 Tim 2:10; 3:1; 5:10, 25; 6:18; 2 Tim 2:21. Paul also speaks of “work” in the sense of manual labor (1 Thess 4:11).

  The phrase “labor of love” in contemporary English refers to work done because of the pleasure derived from the task, such as meticulous detailing of a cherished old car. Paul’s use of the phrase, however, could be paraphrased “acts of love.” It refers to the deeds the Thessalonians have done because of the love they have been given by God. Timothy returned from Thessalonica with the happy news that they were manifesting love (1 Thess 3:6). It is likely that they have provided for one another financially (4:9–10). They have also endured in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ and his return in glory despite experiencing hardships (3:1–10; 4:13).

  [1:4]

  Paul’s use of the word brothers (NRSV: “brothers and sisters”) is so familiar that it would be easy to miss its significance. The most common meaning of the Greek word for “brother” (adelphos) was the same as the English word, but it could also be used to refer to more distant relations (1 Chron 23:21–22), fellow Hebrews (Exod 2:11), or fellow members of various other kinds of religious or political groups.8 In the teaching of Jesus, the primacy of biological relations is challenged when he defines those who do the will of God as his mother, sisters, and brothers (Matt 12:49–50; Mark 3:34–35; Luke 8:20). When Paul calls Gentiles his “brothers,” as here, it suggests that the bond between Christians transcends ethnic dividing lines.

  The language of family is more important in 1 Thessalonians than in any other of Paul’s Letters. The occurrence of the word “brothers” dwarfs its use in every other letter, occurring at an average of once almost every four verses. First Corinthians, which is often noted for its family language, mentions “brothers” only once every eleven verses. In 1 Thessalonians Paul also compares his relationship with them during their short time together to a nursing mother cherishing her dear children (2:7) and to a father with his sons (2:11). Being torn away from the Thessalonians has left Paul “orphaned” (see 2:17), but when they were together Paul was like a little child (2:7).9 He also exhorts them to “brotherly love” (see 4:9–12). And of course God is called the Father and Jesus is his Son. This dense web of familial language reminds the Thessalonians that they have been “adopted”—as Paul would put it in later letters (see Rom 8:15, 23; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5)—into the family of God.

  Paul gives thanks because the Thessalonian Christians were chosen (eklogē) by God. The only other time that Paul uses the word eklogē is in Rom 9–11 while discussing how God chose Israel from all the nations. It is striking that he uses it here to describe a congregation that consisted of former pagans. This shows that God’s election has extended beyond the boundaries of Israel to embrace the nations as well. Paul’s language of the Thessalonians being both loved and chosen by God echoes Moses’s explanation of Israel’s election in the book of Deuteronomy:

  It was not because you [Israel] are more numerous than all the peoples that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you; for you are really the smallest of all peoples. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn to your ancestors, that the LORD brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. (Deut 7:7–8 [italics added])

  As Gordon Fee puts it, “The point, of course, is that Israel did nothing to deserve God’s redemption from slavery and election as his people; it was God’s doing altogether.”10 Just as divine love is the root cause of Israel’s election and subsequent deliverance from Egypt in the exodus, so too it is divine love that has brought the Thessalonians into the family of God.

  Reflection and Application (1:3–4)

  This mention of faith, love, and hope is probably the earliest written occurrence of what later Christian tradition would identify as the three “theological virtues.” This triad appears again in 5:8 and in Paul’s subsequent letters (Rom 5:1–5; 1 Cor 13:8–13; Gal 5:5–6; Col 1:4–5). Faith, love, and hope are known as theological virtues because they are gifts from God that make it possible for “Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity” (Catechism 1812). Though Paul does not use the phrase “theological virtue,” this is a deeply Pauline insight. Paul describes faith as a gift from the Spirit (Gal 5:22) that comes through the word of Christ (Rom 10:17). Hope comes by God’s grace (2 Thess 2:16) through the Spirit (Gal 5:5). Love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5; Gal 5:22) and compels us to live no longer for ourselves “but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:15).

  Though faith, hope, and love are pure, undeserved gifts from God, it would be a mistake to
conclude that they require no effort on our part. To think so would be to fail to recognize just how good these gifts are. When faith, love, and hope are received, they become truly ours. As Charles Cardinal Journet puts it, “God gives us, in Christ, the power to assent to him.” Yet “it is my own assent. . . . At times it will have caused me real anguish, will have entailed victory over my passions—it is indeed my own. But it is due even more to God than to me, and the first thought that will come to my mind will be to say, ‘Thanks be to you, my God, for having given me the power to answer your call; to you be the glory.’”11

  Joy in Suffering (1:5–8)

  5For 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. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the holy Spirit, 7so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For 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.

  NT: Matt 16:21–28; 1 Cor 4:15; 11:1; Eph 5:1

  Catechism: the Holy Spirit, 686–747

  [1:5]

  The thanksgiving that began in verse 2 continues in verse 5. Paul gives thanks to God because the Thessalonians were chosen by God, and in verse 5 Paul explains how he knows this. A paraphrase of verses 4–6 will help illuminate Paul’s point: