Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction to the Reading

This morning we are beginning a new preaching series looking at Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, that is the church in Thessalonica.

And just before Ian comes up to read for us, I want to give you just a bit of the background to this letter and to this church.

It’s all too easy to imagine that New Testament cities belong to ancient history and are too distant from us and our experience.

But Thessalonica would be like a lot of cities and towns we know today – a place with a long history, built in a location with good sea and road transport links, with a thriving economy, and with everything on offer for those who could afford it.

It’s all too easy to imagine that New Testament cities belong to ancient history and are too distant from us and our experience.

But Thessalonica, like a lot of cities today was a place with a long history, built in a location with good sea and road transport links, with a thriving economy, and with everything on offer for those who could afford it.

Click this map1 to launch in your browser or search ‘Thessalonica’ on a map of the New Testament world.

Thessalonica—modern Thessaloniki, or Salonica—was, and is, a thriving seaport in northern Greece, roughly 200 miles north of Athens.

It was a free city with an independent government, and was a centre for the Roman imperial cult.

It was also a site of many temples which were dedicated to the service of many deities.

Thessalonica was a free city with an independent government, and was a centre for the Roman imperial cult.

It was also a site of many temples which were dedicated to the service of many deities.

Paul came to Thessalonica after preaching in Philippi, where he had been beaten and thrown in prison before pointing out that he was a Roman citizen.

He then made his way west to Thessalonica to preach there.

You can read of all of thins in .

help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.’

On arriving in Thessalonica, following his usual pattern, Paul spoke in the synagogue (17:1-3).

He had some success among the Jews there, but also among non-Jews, as verse 4 records: ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.’

Now, at this point you’ve got to wonder, has Paul got this vision?????????

While they were there the enjoyed some success, but the Jews who had opposed them in Thessalonica heard about it and went to stir up trouble for him there and Pau

On arrival, and following his usual pattern, Paul spoke in the synagogue (17:1-3) and we are told that in response to his preaching ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.’

()

It’s interesting to note that Paul’s preaching was perceived as subversive, as we read in verse 7: ‘They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’

Paul had obviously said enough for people to make the connection between a cruci ed Messiah and a reigning Lord, whose lordship encompassed every area of life.

The gospel was somehow seen as a potential threat to the religious, economic, and political status quo.

But then some of the Jews who had not taken kindly to Paul’s message hired a mob to attack the house where Paul was staying.

Paul wasn’t there so instead the owner of the house, a man named Jason, was dragged to the local authorities with charges of treason and trouble-making.

He was then required Jason to hand over a sum of money as a deposit which he would forfeit if there was any further trouble.

So, for the sake of Jason and the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul and his companions left for Berea, then Athens and then on to Corinth, where Paul stayed for around two years - indeed it was probably while he was there that he wrote this letter.

e

Much of what Luke tells us in Acts is re ected in the letter itself.

Paul writes about them being opposed, and yet preaching the good news about Jesus with boldness and power, and about the Thessalonians, mostly non-Jews (so presumably Paul spoke in places other than the synagogue), turning from their idols to God and joyfully receiving the good news in spite of harassment (1:4-10).

There can be little doubt that their rejection of the claims of the imperial cult and their refusal to continue taking part in the city’s cults and their associated guilds would mean the new allegiance of the young Thessalonians Christians would be seen as a political and social offence.

We can see in Acts that Paul’s stay in Thessalonica was not long, possibly as little as three weeks and probably just a few months at the most.

After leaving, Paul was desperate to see them but he couldn’t return to the city.

The people who had opposed him in Thessalonica actually followed him to Berea and chased him away from there as well.

Eventually, he sent Timothy back to check on them (which we’ll see when we get to Chapter 3).

Had they left Jesus and gone back to their idols?

Had they caved in under persecution?

Had they lost hope?

Much of what Luke tells us in Acts is reflected in the letter itself.

Paul writes about them being opposed, and yet preaching the good news about Jesus with boldness and power, and about the Thessalonians, mostly non-Jews (so presumably Paul spoke in places other than the synagogue), turning from their idols to God and joyfully receiving the

good news in spite of harassment (1:4-10).

There can be little doubt that their rejection of the claims of the imperial cult and their refusal to continue taking part in the city’s cults and their associated guilds would mean the new allegiance of the young Thessalonians Christians would be seen as a political and social offence.

On arriving in Thessalonica, following his usual pattern, Paul spoke in the synagogue (17:1-3).

He had some success among the Jews there, but also among non-Jews, as verse 4 records: ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.’

suggests their visit was only three weeks long.

In reality it may well have been longer, though perhaps not by much.

But it was long enough for Paul to instruct the Christians and to work among them (and Paul says in that he received aid from the Philippians more than once while he was in Thessalonica).

However long it was – three weeks or a few months at the most – after leaving for Berea and then Athens, Paul was desperate to see them, but was prevented from doing so.

Eventually, he sent Timothy back to check on them (see 3:1-2).

Had they left Jesus and gone back to their idols?

Had they caved in under persecution?

Had they lost hope?

But all was not well, as Luke goes on to say (17:5-9).

Some of the Jews in Thessalonica hired a mob to attack Jason’s house where Paul was staying.

Since Paul wasn’t there, Jason was dragged to the local authorities with charges of treason and trouble-making.

The city authorities required Jason to hand over a sum of money as a deposit which he would forfeit if there was any further trouble.

So, for the sake of Jason and the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul and the others left for Berea and then Athens.

suggests their visit was only three weeks long.

In reality it may well have been longer, though perhaps not by much.

But it was long enough for Paul to instruct the Christians and to work among them (and Paul says in that he received aid from the Philippians more than once while he was in Thessalonica).

However long it was – three weeks or a few months at the most – after leaving for Berea and then Athens, Paul was desperate to see them, but was prevented from doing so.

Eventually, he sent Timothy back to check on them (see 3:1-2).

Had they left Jesus and gone back to their idols?

Had they caved in under persecution?

Had they lost hope?

It’s interesting to note that Paul’s preaching was perceived as subversive, as we read in verse 7: ‘They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’

Paul had obviously said enough for people to make the connection between a crucified Messiah and a reigning Lord, whose lordship encompassed every area of life.

The gospel was somehow seen as a potential threat to the religious, economic, and political status quo.

Timothy brought back ‘good news’ (3:8).

They were suffering, yes, but their faith, love, and hope were thriving.

And they were missing Paul as much as he was missing them.

Paul says he wants to see them even more, but writes a letter as a substitute for visiting them.

And he writes with thankfulness and joy the letter we now know as 1 Thessalonians.

Timothy brought back ‘good news’ (3:8).

They were suffering, yes, but their faith, love, and hope were thriving.

And they were missing Paul as much as he was missing them.

Paul says he wants to see them even more, but writes a letter as a substitute for visiting them.

And he writes with thankfulness and joy the letter we now know as 1 Thessalonians.

Having been in Corinth for a while by this point (), Paul probably wrote the letter from there, in or around AD 50.

Much of what Luke tells us in Acts is reflected in the letter itself.

Paul writes about them being opposed, and yet preaching the good news about Jesus with boldness and power, and about the Thessalonians, mostly non-Jews (so presumably Paul spoke in places other than the synagogue), turning from their idols to God and joyfully receiving the

Introduction

During the past few weeks

So here we have this letter, sent by the Apostle Paul to the young church in Thessalonica.

So what is it about?

Well he has heard from Timothy that they are doing well, in spite of persecution, and so much of the letter is taken up with encouraging them to continue in living out the gospel and instilling in them a hope for the future.

In many ways this letter ties in perfectly to our new vision statement and through it we’ll see again these themes of ‘Living, Serving and Sharing the Good News of Jesus.’

In our reading this morning we can see that the Thessalonians have been living out their faith, sharing in fellowship, and active in service.

And there is a clear progression through these things.

By rooting their lives in God, they are a people who are inspired by a shared hope in Jesus, and through them we are told that ‘the Lord’s message rang out’ from them.

What a great reputation they seem to have.

What a great reputation they seem to have.

Throughout this chapter Paul is talking about the Church and the Gospel.

In the first half of the chapter he shows that the church is created by the gospel, and then in the second half he shows that the gospel is spread by the church.

The gospel then creates more churches and the gospel is spread yet further.

This letter shows us that God’s plan for ongoing evangelism in the world, is through local churches just like ours.

And so as we go through this passage we’re going to consider three questions about the church.

What makes it?