Who wrote 1 Thessalonians, and when?
Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy. About AD 50–51, from Corinth; one of Paul’s earliest letters.
1 Thessalonians was written by Paul together with Silvanus (the Silas of Acts) and Timothy, the team who had planted the church. Paul is the main voice, but the letter often says we, and the three men are named together in the opening line. Almost all scholars accept the letter as genuine and place it among the very earliest Christian writings we have. Paul wrote it from Corinth, on his second missionary journey, soon after Timothy returned with news from Thessalonica (see Acts 18:5). Most scholars date it to about AD 50 or 51, only around twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Who was 1 Thessalonians written to?
The church in Thessalonica, capital of Macedonia, only months old and facing opposition.
The readers were a new church in Thessalonica, the capital and largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia, on the main road between Rome and the east. Paul had preached there for only a few weeks before a riot forced him to leave (see Acts 17:1-10). The believers were mostly Gentiles who had turned from idols, plus some Jews. Almost as soon as they became Christians, they faced hostility from their neighbours and were cut off from their founder. Paul feared the pressure would crush them. Then Timothy reported that their faith and love were holding, though some had questions about holiness and were grieving over members who had died before Jesus returned.
What was happening at the time?
Paul had to leave Thessalonica after only a few weeks because of a riot. He worried whether the new believers would survive, sent Timothy, and wrote this letter on hearing they were standing firm. He reminds them of his conduct among them, urges holiness and brotherly love, and answers their grief over members who had died: the dead in Christ will rise first.
Why was 1 Thessalonians written?
To encourage a persecuted young church in holiness and hope in Christ’s return.
Paul wrote to encourage a young, suffering church and to answer its questions. He reminds them how they welcomed the gospel and how he lived among them, partly to defend himself against critics who said he had run away. He urges them to keep growing in holiness and love, and to work quietly with their hands. Above all he comforts them about the dead: those who have died in Christ will rise first when Jesus returns, and the living and the dead will be together with him. In the wider story of the Bible, 1 Thessalonians shows how the hope of Christ's return, promised in the Gospels, gave a small community the strength to live faithfully under pressure.
How to read 1 Thessalonians today
This is a short, warm letter and a good first Pauline letter to read. Read chapters 1 to 3 to feel the affection between Paul and the church, then chapters 4 and 5 for the teaching. Chapter 4:13-18 is the passage to slow down on, especially if you are grieving. Chapter 5:16-22 gives short instructions worth memorising. Watch for the three words faith, love and hope, which frame the whole letter. Do not build a detailed timetable of the end times from chapters 4 and 5; Christians read those passages in different ways, and Paul's own point is comfort and readiness. As you read, pray for a hope in Christ's return that changes how you grieve and how you live today.
The key verse in 1 Thessalonians
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Passages worth knowing in 1 Thessalonians
- 1 Thessalonians 1
A model church
They turned from idols to serve the living God.
- 1 Thessalonians 2
Paul’s ministry among them
Gentle as a nursing mother.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Walk to please God
Sanctification and quiet work.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The coming of the Lord
Comfort one another with these words.
- 1 Thessalonians 5
The day of the Lord
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.
The main themes of 1 Thessalonians
- Faith, love and hope
- Persecution
- Holiness
- The return of Christ
- Comfort in grief
An outline of 1 Thessalonians
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving and Paul’s relationship with them | 1–3 |
| Holy living and the Lord’s return | 4–5 |