The Epistles of St. Paul to the

Thessalonians

Thessaloniki• Founded in 315 B.C.

• Named after the sister of Alexander the Great

• Greece's second largest city

• Capital of the Macedonian region

• Church established by St. Paul during his 2nd missionary trip

• Born in Tarsus

• ~ 40 A.D. meeting with Christ

• In the desert for 3 years

• Began to Preach in Damascus, then Jerusalem, then Tarsus

• 14 years later, he went back to Jerusalem

• Went with his uncle, Barnabas, to Antioch

• 1st Trip ~ 46-48 A.D. (No Letters)

• Council of Jerusalem, ~ 50 A.D.

• 2nd Trip ~ 50-52 A.D. (~2 Letters)– …,Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth,…– Companions: Silas & Timothy– Spent ~ a month in Thessalonica (Acts

17:1-4)

• 2nd Trip ~ 50-52 A.D. (~2 Letters)– St. Paul sent Timothy back to

Thessalonica to check on them, and he went ahead to Corinth

– Church of Corinth Problematic– Upon the arrival of Timothy to Corinth, St.

Paul sent 1 Thessalonians– A few months later, St. Paul sent 2

Thessalonians

• 3rd Trip ~ 53-57 A.D. (~4 Letters)– Church of Corinth Problematic

• From Ephesus, St. Paul sent them “1 Corinthians” answering 10 problems

• Some started to doubt his “Apostleship”, so he sends “2 Corinthians” defending his Apostolic rights

– Heresy of “Judaizers”• St. Paul sent “Romans” & “Galatians” to refute

this heresy– Supported by the council of Jerusalem, ~ 50 A.D.

• Three feasts to celebrate in Jerusalem– Passover– The feast of Tabernacles (or Booths)– The feast of Weeks

• St. Paul returned to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Weeks– Arrested in the Temple– False charge of bringing a gentile into the Temple– Dragged outside & beaten

• On the way to the Roman barracks, St. Paul asked to speak to the people, addressing them in Hebrew, Acts 21

• Inside the barracks, St. Paul said “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?” Acts 21:25

• St. Paul asked to go to Rome• Waited 2 years in prison, Acts 23-26• In Rome, he wrote: “Ephesus”, “Philippians”,

“Colossians”, “Philemon”

Free from PrisonFree from Prison

St. Paul writes to Timothy in Ephesus

& Titus in Crete A great “apostasy” occurs

from Christians of Jewish

origin: St. Paul writes to them

“Hebrews”Christ is the Messiah of the Old

TestamentFaith is the foundation of

Christianity, Hebrews 11

Back to PrisonBack to Prison

St. Paul writes his “Farewell” epistle to Timothy Martyred in Rome by

the sword ~ 68 A.D. St. Peter martyred in

Rome by crucifixion

~ 68 A.D.

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians 5 Chapters Each ending with emphasis on the 2nd Coming Theme: Encouragement for Perseverance

2 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians 3 Chapters Major emphasis on the 2nd Coming Theme: Encouragement for Maturity

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

“Cheer-Up”Thessalonians' Faith is Alive

“Work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” 1 Thess 1:3

How St. Paul delivered it to them“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but

also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake” 1 Thess 1:5

How they received the Faith“You became followers of us and of the Lord, having

received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit” 1 Thess 1:6

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

“Cheer-Up” (Continued)

You are not alone “Even after we had suffered before and were

spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict” 1 Thess 2:2

“You also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us” 1 Thess 2:14-15

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

“Cheer-Up” (Continued)

You are doing good“For you, brethren, became imitators of the

churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus” 1 Thess 2:14

“we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire” 1 Thess 2:17

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” 1 Thess 2:19

“Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love” 1 Thess 3:6

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

Now What?

“Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God” 1 Thess 4:1 (NKJV)

“Brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more” 1 Thess 4:1 (NIV)

“Concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you” 1 Thess 4:9

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

Quick summary of “Personal Instructions”

“Abstain from sexual immorality” 1 Thess 4:3

“Each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” 1 Thess 4:4

“no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter” 1 Thess 4:6

“Concerning brotherly love … increase more and more” 1 Thess 4:9-10

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

Quick summary of “Personal Instructions” (Continued)

Focused & Orderly Life “Aspire to lead a quiet life” 1 Thess 4:11 “Mind your own business” 1 Thess 4:11 “Work with your own hands” 1 Thess 4:11

Be Happy “Comfort each other and edify one another, just as you

also are doing” 1 Thess 5:11

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

Quick summary of “Church Instructions”

“Recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord … esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” 1 Thess 5:13

“Warn those who are unruly” 1 Thess 5:14

“Comfort the fainthearted, Uphold the weak, Be patient with all” 1 Thess 5:14

“See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all” 1 Thess 5:15

“Rejoice always” 1 Thess 5:16

1 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians

Quick summary of “Church Instructions” (Continued) “Pray without ceasing” 1 Thess 5:17

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thess 5:18

“Do not quench the Spirit” 1 Thess 5:19

“Do not despise prophecies” 1 Thess 5:20

“Test all things; hold fast what is good, Abstain from every form of evil” 1 Thess 5:21-22

2 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

More encouragement to persevere “Patience and faith in all your persecutions … that

you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God” 2 Thess 1:4-5

Clear-up misunderstandings about the 2nd Coming

2 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 2

Most Important Chapter on Eschatology The Day of the Lord

“If anyone says to you,

‘Look, here is the Christ!’

or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it” Mark 13:21

“They will see the Son

of Man coming in the

clouds with great power and glory” Mark 13:26

2 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 2

The Day of the Lord“That Day will not come unless the falling

away comes first” 2 Thess 2:3

“And the man of sin is revealed” 2 Thess 2:3 “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is

called God or that is worshiped” 2 Thess 2:4 “He sits as God in the temple of God” 2 Thess 2:4

May or may not be the temple of Solomon

“What is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time” 2 Thess 2:6

2 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 2The Anti-Christ

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” Matthew 24:24

“As you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come”

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?” 1 John 2:22

“This is the spirit of the Antichrist” 1 John 4:3

Revelation 13Revelation 13The Anti-Christ

“Beast coming up out of the earth” Rev 13:11

“had two horns like a lamb” Rev 13:11

“spoke like a dragon” Rev 13:11

“exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence” Rev 13:12

“causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” Rev 13:12

“performs great signs” Rev 13:13

“Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” Rev 13:18

2 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

“withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us” 2 Thess 3:6

“If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” 2 Thess 3:10

“do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” 2 Thess 3:15

“do not grow weary in doing good” 2 Thess 3:13

Summary of the Pauline EpistlesSummary of the Pauline Epistles

Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus,

Philemon Hebrews

Christ is our Righteousness Christ is our Richness Christ is our Comforter Christ is our Liberator Christ is our Life Christ is our Joy Christ is our Everything Christ is our Eternity & Glory Christ is our Teacher &

Example Christ is our Redemptive

Intercessor

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