The Thessalonians

In this series of Bible Backroads, we’ll check out two letters that Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica. Thessalonica is about 80 miles west of Philippi on the ancient highway known as the Via Egnatia. When Paul arrived there in about 49 AD, Thessalonica was the capital and most important city of the Roman Province of Macedonia. It was strategic and powerful, located at the crossroads of two major trade routes.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church was written in about 51 AD. The first verse indicates that it was written by Paul, with help from his co-workers, Silas and Timothy. Known as “First Thessalonians” in our Bibles, the primary purpose of the letter was to provide encouragement, express gratitude for the Thessalonians' strong faith, and address concerns and misconceptions about the second coming of Jesus Christ.

As we learned in our last adventure, Paul used the opening chapters of First Thessalonians to urge the believers to continue living in a manner that pleases God, even when faced with difficult circumstances. He particularly stressed the importance of sexual purity, self-control, and maintaining a strong work ethic.

In our last adventure, we covered the mysterious event commonly referred to as the rapture in Chapter 4 of First Thessalonians. In this one, we’ll move on to Chapter 5, where Paul wrote about the coming “Day of the Lord.”

A year or two after Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, the church in Thessalonica still had some misconceptions about the “Day of the Lord.” Basically, they thought it had already come, so they stopped with their ministry work. They were also facing severe persecution. So, Paul wrote a second letter with Silas and Timothy around 51 or 52 AD to clear up their misconceptions and encourage them in their faith.

In Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers of their salvation in Jesus Christ. He reminded them of the divine origin of their faith, emphasizing that God has chosen them for salvation and called them through the Gospel. He encouraged them to stand firm in their faith and to hold on to the teachings passed down to them by word of mouth and in writing. He concluded the chapter by praying for their comfort and strength in the face of ongoing challenges.