1 Thessalonians

Definition and Meaning

First Thessalonians is the thirteenth book of the New Testament and one of the Pauline Epistles; it comprises five chapters. In its opening, Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy send greetings together (1 Thessalonians 1:1). Thessalonica, the modern city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, was at that time the principal city of the Roman province of Macedonia.

Biblical and Historical Background

According to Acts 17, Paul founded the church in this city during his second missionary journey, but Jewish opposition forced him to leave in haste. Paul later sent Timothy to learn how the believers were faring, and, rejoicing at the news that they were standing firm in the faith, he wrote this letter (1 Thessalonians 3:1-6). It is widely held that he wrote it from Corinth around AD 50; for this reason, it is sometimes regarded as the earliest-written book of the New Testament.

The contents may be divided as follows:

• Thanksgiving for the believers' faith, love, and hope (1:3)
• Paul's defense of his own ministry (chapter 2)
• Exhortations to holy living (4:1-12)
• Teaching concerning believers who have died and the Lord's second coming (4:13-5:11)
• Final exhortations (5:12-28)

Practice in the Korean Church

First Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks," is among the most widely memorized passages in the Korean church. It frequently appears in connection with Thanksgiving, as a New Year's motto, and in framed verses on church walls. Because 4:13-18 expresses the hope of the resurrection, it is often read at funeral services and graveside committal services.

The statement in 4:17 that believers "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" is interpreted in differing ways:

• Churches and preachers who follow dispensationalism regard this verse as the basis for the rapture, in which believers are taken up before the Great Tribulation.
• Many Presbyterian, Methodist, and other theologians read it as describing a single event that takes place at the second coming.

This passage was frequently cited during the 1992 end-times controversy surrounding a prediction that the rapture would occur on a specific date, and several denominations criticized such date-setting claims. Those who oppose calculating dates in this way appeal to 5:2: "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."