Faith takes work.
Second only to Corinth as the commercial center of Greece, Thessalonica thrived as a free city under Rome allowed to levy its own taxes, mint its own coins, and appoint local magistrates (see Thessalonica’s profile at Acts 17:1).
Judging from his comments in this letter, the apostle Paul probably felt greater affection for the church at Thessalonica than for any other congregation (1 Thess. 2:7, 8, 11). The Christians there did more than just talk about the gospel—they acted on it, emulating what they had seen in Paul, Silas, and Timothy. The threesome had worked hard to demonstrate an exemplary lifestyle when they brought news about Jesus to the city (2:9–11; 2 Thess. 3:7–9). Their embodiment of Christ’s message persuaded many Thessalonians to believe (Acts 17:1–4), and even the unpersuaded recognized a power in the messengers, calling them men who had “turned the world upside down” (17:6).
For a time the gospel did cause radical change in Thessalonica. But after the apostles left and things quieted down, the new believers were forced to learn a fundamental reality of the faith: lasting change takes work. As the Thessalonian Christians matured amidst a city filled with immorality, greed, and idolatry, Paul held them accountable for long-term progress. He urged his readers to keep hope alive by reminding them of how he had faithfully worked among them (1 Thess. 2:9). They too should keep on working rather than allowing themselves to burn out in doing good (4:11; 5:12–14; 2 Thess. 3:6–13).
The work that Paul called the Thessalonians to achieve was the everyday work of making a living and maintaining a home—an outward day-to-day toil that would bring about inner work. As the Thessalonians went about their everyday responsibilities, the Lord was building their character, a “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” (1 Thess. 1:3).
Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians assert that Paul is their author. He wrote both letters from Corinth (1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Acts 18:5). The first was produced shortly after he left Thessalonica following an uprising of Jews and local troublemakers (17:1–7). Timothy had stayed with the new congregation and brought Paul an encouraging report of the young church’s steadfast faith (1 Thess. 3:6). Paul responded to this happy news by composing 1 Thessalonians around A.D. 51.
Key Verses in 1 Thessalonians
• “Remembering … your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” (1 Thess. 1:3).
• “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3).
• “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).
• “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16–18).
• “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19).