1 Thessalonians 1



1 Thessalonians 1                                                                        1 Thessalonians 1    1 thessalonians 1    1 Thessalonians 1

Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians pertain to the returning of Christ. They are believed to be some of Paul's earliest writings. Some scholars think these books were the first to be recorded in the New Testament, which would in itself in itself give them important.
 
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Silvanus, or Silas, means wood or woody in the Greek.
  • This introductory verse is a little different than in most of the gospels, as it is addressed directly to the church in Thessalonians, and you'll notice both the Father and Son are specifically mentioned.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
  • Paul always mentioned his people and his churches in his prayers and was the only teacher who often requested prayer for himself.
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
  • The word election means called.
  • They were called of God.
  • This is something we deal with here in modern times.
  • God either calls someone (He elects them) or you don't reach them.
5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
  • You know the reasons we were among you, and our teaching wasn't only in words.
  • You saw the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, as we witnessed to you and you knew that power certainly was of God.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit:
  • Our teaching even brought you trouble.
  • Even as it does today when we exhort people to the truth, which is our duty.
7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
  • Their belief was an example to many.
  • Macedonia, In Greek means the extended land, so that could mean a great deal.
  • The word Achaia itself means trouble.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
  • Regardless of where they went, they spread the word of God.
9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
  • These people that the Thessalonians had reached were proof to Paul that the Thessalonians had stopped their paganistic worship of idols and now truly served God.
10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
  • Jesus our Saviour, who because of our belief, washed away our sins, thereby delivering us from the wrath of God.
  • Again these two books have to do with the returning of Christ.
 
Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
 
  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
 
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25
 
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