The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 8, 2021

The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.

1 Thessalonians 1:5a

Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Thessalonica was located approximately two hundred miles north of Athens, and the church was founded by Paul during his missionary trip that is described in Acts 16 & 17. It seems Paul spent a short amount of time in Thessalonica, but apparently made deep and lasting friendships with the new disciples, as the warmth of his letters, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, attest. Some scholars believe 1 Thessalonians may have been written within a few weeks after Paul left there, and it was certainly written within a year and probably while Paul was in Corinth.

As I read verse 5a, quoted above, I immediately thought of Paul’s assertions in Romans 8. In the opening verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul affirms the disciples there belong to God the Father and our Lord Jesus. In verse 5a, Paul affirms the work of the Holy Spirit in forming Christ within us:

 “. . . you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16)

These passages also affirm one of my favorite verses, one we looked at on May 25, 2021:

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13, emphasis mine).

My Takeaway: Because of God working in the disciples in Thessalonians, Paul affirmed their faithful work, their loving deeds, and the enduring hope they had because of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v.3) I pray that those of us seeking the life in Christ as our way of life, will also be so affirmed.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.