A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

Three men. A simple greeting to a group of people that they barely knew.

These men arrived uninvited, interrupted their lives and vanished. When I say they interrupted their lives, I mean it in only in the most drastic way.

This group of people, I assume, were peaceful, law abiding folk, seeking to know about the God of Israel, for they were adherents to the synagogue Paul and his ruffians entered. After only one message, hearts started changing. One message my friend. No extended argument or debate – the message struck hard and deep, with such force that those who resisted it resorted to violence. How pitiful.

For those who believed, they were under instant resistance, enduring much affliction, as we will read in a later verse. Two sabbaths later, Paul and his buddies are gone.

Now what? No one to guide or encourage. Very minimal teaching has been provided, when compared to other churches that had been started. Some of the churches had Paul as a teaching apostle for years!

Not the Thessalonians. Two weeks, maybe three and they had been effectively abandoned.

Abandoned by those three men, not out of want, but forced to move on. Abandoned if they had placed their faith in the apostles. Yet the church soldiered on, exhibiting faith love and hope. They had caught the message of the resurrected Savior and were moving on with it.

Paul expressed three wishes or prayers for this fledgling church.

Grace

That which is partnered with joy, delight, loving kindness, favor, bounty and benefit. For grace to be provided means the recipients are the benefactors of Another, and that is Paul’s prayer, not that they may receive it, but that they realize they have it.

Grace is a merciful kindness to those recipients, a full dose of the sweetness and gentleness of God to a needy people.

Peace

Peace is not the absence of violence. Peace is not the absence of war, although there may be a link.

Peace in the first century spoke of a wholeness of life, of a harmony within and between people and God. There can be national peace – that is no war between nations, and yet the turmoil and upheaval inside a soul can be devastating. Let us not reduce peace to a simple visual understanding of actions of violence.

Peace is a tranquil state of the soul, even in the midst of uncertainty and upheaval. This is the Thessalonians state, for they lived amongst those who erupted their city for the sake of quelling the small group from advancing. They were, in their enemies minds, worthy of destruction.

And Paul sends peace.

Grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom it is obvious these folks followed!

Grace and peace to you my friend!

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