Introduction to Thessalonians

     We begin our study in the book of I Thessalonians. There is a debate as to which of Paul's epistles was the earliest. Many theologians of bygone eras believed that the letters to the Thessalonians were the earliest while many recent theologians believe that the letter to the Galatians is the earliest. The view of those who stand for Galatians being the earliest epistle is based on the argument that what Paul writes in Galatians 2:1-10 corresponds with what takes place in Acts 11:27-30. However, it would seem to me that what is written in Galatians 2:1-10 better corresponds with what takes place in Acts 15. Since Paul speaks in Galatians 2 of what takes place in Acts 15 as being in the past, the epistle must have been written after this meeting, probably around 56 AD. Whereas the date of the writing of Galatians is debated, the date of the writing of I Thessalonians is rather well known.
    Paul traveled through Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. He stayed three weeks in the city with a believer named Jason and during those three weeks Paul reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue concerning Jesus. God allowed Paul to see much fruit in those three weeks. Acts 17:4 tells us, "And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." The unbelieving Jews did not take kindly to Paul's message though,  and ran him out of town. From Thessalonica Paul went to Berea, where again he was forced out of the city for preaching the gospel. From Berea Paul traveled to Athens and from Athens he went on to Corinth.
     Paul penned the letter to the Thessalonians during his stay at Corinth. Paul, along with Timothy (also known as Timotheus), and Silas (also known as Silvanus) were in Corinth in AD 51. Silas and Timothy had come from Thessalonica to meet Paul at Corinth and upon the good report that these two men brought, God inspired Paul to write I Thessalonians. Listen to what Paul says in I Thessalonians 3:6-8. "But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." This church brought much rejoicing to the Apostle Paul and though there is some instruction in the epistle much of it is encouragement and edification. Paul said of the church at Thessalonica, " ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing" I Thess. 1:7b-8). So we have in Thessalonica a church that is a great example, and that with God's help we will learn much from in the coming weeks.

     Let me share with you briefly (okay, probably not briefly) just a little about the city of Thessalonica. The city of Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia situated on the most coast of the Aegean Sea. Boasting a population of about 200,000 people, Thessalonica was  a thriving metropolis.


With thermal springs drawing tourists from abroad, a large naval base in its harbor, and the Via Egnatia running through the heart of the city, Thessalonica was a well-connected and influential city throughout all of the region of Macedonia. There have been little archaeological excavation done of the ancient city of Thessalonica due to the fact that the city of modern-day city Salonika of sits atop the ancient city. However, in 1962, renovations to a bus station done in 1962, revealed an ancient forum dating to the first century AD housing a bathhouse and mint.

The Via Egnatia was the most prominent east-west route in the Roman Empire stretching from the western coast of modern-day Greece all the way up to modern-day Istanbul. It connected Thessalonica to all of Macedonia.

   

The modern day city of Salonika with the Mediterranean Sea in the background

Ruins of a 1st Century AD bathhouse & mint discovered by excavators in Salonika.

     One final note of interest about the city of Thessalonica. In Acts 17:6, Luke said that Jason was brought unto the "politarches" (translated "rulers" in the KJV) of the city of Thessalonica. Because the word was not found in any other Greek literature, the authenticity of the book of Acts was continually questioned by critics. However, in the 19th century, the ruins of the Vardar Gate were discovered. The Vardar Gate spanned the Egnatia Way as it entered the city of Thessalonica to welcome travelers. On the Vardar Gate was an inscription bearing the term "poleitarchounton" which is a variant form of the word "politarches". In other words, the very city of which Luke wrote bore the only extant evidence of this word in Greek literature. (Subsequent discoveries of the usage of the word have been found.) Thus Luke's account in the book of Acts was proven to be historically accurate.

Vardar Gate inscription bearing the word "politarches"