1 THESSALONIANS 1:9-2:12 | SESSION 3 | DR. RANDY WHITE

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1 THESSALONIANS 1:5–10 – THE GOSPEL’S POWER AND THE THESSALONIANS’ EXEMPLARY RESPONSE

Verses 5-8, see session 2

1 THESSALONIANS 1:9 – BLACK

• Turning from Idols to the Living God (v. 9)

• Believers throughout the region reported how the Thessalonians had turned to God from idols.

• Historical Challenge

• Acts 17 only records Jews and devout Gentiles responding—no mention of pagan idolaters.

• Likely refers to previous conversion from paganism to Judaism prior to Paul’s arrival.

• Jewish Proselyte Language

• “To serve the living and true God” echoes:

• Jeremiah 10:10

• Daniel 6:20

• Acts 14:15

• This is not typical Pauline gospel language (cf. Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 3:24).

• Problems with a Pagan-Conversion Reading

• Paul's brief three-week stay makes a large-scale pagan response unlikely.

• Suggesting a separate group risks:

• Divorcing this group from the Acts 17 audience (forcing a disconnect).

• Assuming a dominant, undocumented group—an argument from silence.

• Theological Implication

• Paul is describing their religious history in Jewish categories, not introducing mystery truth.

1 THESSALONIANS 1:10 – BLACK

• Waiting for the Son and Deliverance from Wrath (v. 10)

• The Thessalonians also waited for God's Son from heaven, reflecting Jewish Messianic expectation.

• Prophetic Expectation

• Jewish hope included a coming Son (Psalm 2; Proverbs 30:4; Daniel 7:13; Hosea 11:1 / Matthew 2:15).

• Parenthetical Identification

• “Whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus” is likely parenthetical.

• Paul identifies the Son as Jesus without requiring that full understanding at the time of their initial turning.

• Wrath to Come

• Likely refers to the Day of the LORD (Zephaniah 1:14–15), not hell or general suffering.

• Deliverance is prophetic (Joel 2:32)—survival through wrath, not rapture out of it.

• Distinct from Mystery Deliverance

• The mystery program (1 Thessalonians 4:17) promises rapture before wrath—not survival during it.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 speaks of deliverance in the prophetic context, reinforcing the Jewish framework.

• Grammar of “Delivered Us”

• ῥυόμενον – present-middle participle: “delivering us”

• KJV renders it “delivered us” to reflect certainty and completed assurance, not necessarily timing.

• Present participles in Greek often express timeless, settled truths:

• Ephesians 2:8–9 – “by grace ye are saved”

• 1 Peter 1:5 – “who are kept by the power of God”

PAUL’S MINISTRY IN THESSALONICA (VV. 1–12)

1 THESSALONIANS 2:1 – BLACK

• Paul appeals to the Thessalonians’ personal knowledge of his visit.
• The word “vain” (kenos) means empty, ineffective—not poetic futility like Ecclesiastes.
• Despite only being there three weeks (Acts 17:2), his visit was fruitful and lasting.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:2 – BLACK

• Paul had just been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:22–24).
• He still preached boldly in Thessalonica, despite recent persecution.
• The gospel came “with much contention,” referring to external opposition, particularly from the synagogue (Acts 17:3–4).
• The phrase “gospel of God” refers to the message about Jesus as Messiah, as in Romans 1:1–4—prior to the full revelation of the gospel of grace.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:3 – BLACK

• Paul’s exhortation was not from deceit (PLANĒ), impurity (AKATHARSIA), or guile (DOLOS).
• This likely responds to slander after his sudden departure (Acts 17:5–10).
• Jewish opponents may have accused him of being a fraud.
• Also responds to the Greco-Roman context of exploitative traveling speakers.
• Paul distances himself from manipulation and self-serving ministry.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:4 – BLACK

• Paul was entrusted with the gospel by God, not men—indicating divine authority.
• His ministry was governed by pleasing God, not man.
• This explains his freedom of movement and his pattern of going to the Jew first, out of love (Romans 9:1–3).
• Cross-references: Galatians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 5:9–11, Philippians 1:20–21.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:5 – BLACK

• Paul did not manipulate with words or hide greedy motives.
• “Cloke of covetousness” = a pretext for personal gain.
• Traveling philosophers often exploited crowds; Paul was not one of them.
• Modern ministry can still face this temptation, though regular pastoral work often guards against it.
• Paul calls God as witness to his sincerity (cf. Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Philippians 1:8).

1 THESSALONIANS 2:6 – BLACK

• Paul did not seek recognition from the Thessalonians or anyone else.
• He could have asserted apostolic privilege but chose not to.
• His apostolic authority was real but rarely emphasized—he led with gentleness, not status.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:7 – BLACK

• Paul uses the image of a nursing mother to describe his care and affection.

• This metaphor is intimate and relational, not doctrinal.

• Important interpretive caution:

• Metaphors illustrate, but they do not define doctrine or ecclesiology.

• Example: 2 Corinthians 11:2 is a metaphor of Paul as a matchmaker—not a basis for “bride of Christ” theology.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:8 – BLACK

• Paul and his team loved the Thessalonians so deeply they were ready to give their lives.
• “Souls” (psyche) here refers to their very lives.
• Remarkably, this bond formed in only three weeks—proving that spiritual trials can accelerate closeness.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:9 – BLACK

• Paul reminds them that he worked hard to avoid being financially burdensome.
• Likely continued his trade of tentmaking.
• This pattern (working while preaching) was his consistent practice (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:8).
• Paul did not treat ministry as a business—he labored physically while preaching the gospel.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:10–12 – BLACK

10. HOLY, JUST, AND UNBLAMEABLE BEHAVIOR

• Paul appeals to both human and divine witness for the integrity of his conduct.
• His behavior was morally upright, spiritually sincere, and publicly blameless.

11. EXHORTING AS A FATHER

• Paul shifts from the nursing mother image to that of a father instructing his children.
• He exhorted, comforted, and charged each believer personally—individual discipleship, not impersonal messaging.

12. WALK WORTHY OF GOD

• The purpose of his exhortation: that they would live lives that reflect their divine calling.
• God had called them to “His kingdom and glory.”
• This kingdom refers to the future, physical, fraternal kingdom of Israel—not a spiritualized church-age reality.
• Especially relevant given that 1 Thessalonians is likely the earliest New Testament book, reflecting pre-mystery doctrine consistent with Old Testament expectation.