1 Thessalonians 1:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

NIV: Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

NASB: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

CSB: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.

NLT: This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give you grace and peace.

KJV: Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

NKJV: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As was customary in the first century, Paul identifies himself at the beginning of his letter. At one time Paul had tried to destroy Christianity, but the Lord converted him on the road to Damascus and commissioned him to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1–19; Galatians 1:11–23). His faithfulness to that commission had taken him to Thessalonica, where he preached the gospel and a number of people believed. Silvanus—also known as Silas—and Timothy were with Paul when he preached in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4, 10, 14) and were with him as he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Silas, Paul's missionary companion, had been imprisoned with Paul at Philippi (Acts 16:19–40). Timothy, also Paul's missionary companion, was from Lystra. His mother was Jewish, but his father was a Gentile. He joined Paul in missions after Paul circumcised him (Acts 16:1–3).

Paul addresses his letter to the church of the Thessalonians, believers who were joined by faith to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The term "Lord" indicates that Jesus is as much God as the Father is. The name "Jesus" is from the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning "God is salvation." The title "Christ" translates the Old Testament term, "Messiah." Meaning "Anointed One."

Paul greets the Thessalonian church with a combination of Greek and Hebrew salutations. "Grace" conveys a sense of God's favor, and "peace" conveys a sense of well-being. Well-being results from God's grace at work in a person's heart.

First Thessalonians 1:1–3 identifies the writer as Paul, along with two missionary companions, Silvanus and Timothy, as he addresses the church at Thessalonica. Paul sends his greetings and expresses his gratitude for the way his readers were responding to the gospel. He specifically mentions three excellent qualities his readers exhibited: their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope. The believers demonstrated the pattern of grace that Paul describes in Ephesians 2:8–10. God's grace had saved them when they put their faith in Christ instead of endeavoring to be saved by their own efforts, and the same grace had produced in them the good works God had intended to produce in their lives.

First Thessalonians 1 records the apostle Paul's greetings to the Christians at Thessalonica. Thessalonica was the second city Paul preached in, after receiving a call to present the gospel in Macedonia. Philippi was the first city in Europe to receive the gospel from Paul. Both churches received a letter from Paul, but 1 Thessalonians, written around AD 51, was among the earliest of Paul's New Testament letters. In the first chapter, he expresses his gratitude for the Thessalonian believers' spiritual progress, and gives a brief background of what had happened during his visit to their city. He commends them for their spread of the gospel, their exemplary faith, and their turning from idols to serve the true God and to wait for Jesus' return.

The first chapter of 1 Thessalonians is mostly praise for these believers, from the apostle Paul. Paul is clearly delighted to hear that they have grown in their faith and begun to spread the gospel. Chapter two will continue reminding the Thessalonians about their prior experiences with Paul, and it includes more of his praise for their excellent efforts. Later chapters will address the questions lingering in the minds of these passionate Christians. Of particular interest, among these, are concerns related to the return of Christ. Paul will also address some areas where the church needs to improve, spiritually.

The apostle Paul's second missionary journey included a visit to the prominent Greek city of Thessalonica. This stood alongside a major land route and boasted a busy seaport. A number of individuals believed Paul's message (Acts 17:1–4), but an angry mob forced Paul to leave the city after his brief stay. Later, while in Athens, Paul received a glowing report: the believers at Thessalonica were growing spiritually and serving God fervently. However, they had questions about the Lord's return, including what happens to a believer who dies before that day. And, as all churches do, they had some areas in which they were falling short. In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, written about AD 51, he addresses these developments. Paul expresses gratitude for the Thessalonian believers' spiritual progress, and frequently makes references to Christ's impending return.