Welcome back once
again to Daily Bread! Get out your letter opener, because today we’re
opening up another letter written by Paul. This is his first epistle to the
people of Thessalonica, a city that Paul visited on both his second and
third missionary journeys.
This is a
relatively short letter from Paul, but don’t let the brevity of his words
diminish from the importance of them.
Paul and two of
his closest companions, Silvanus and Timotheus, also known as Silas and
Timothy, are collectively writing this letter, so let’s open it up right
after this little Daily Bread Crumb. You may have noticed that back in
Paul’s day, it was proper to sign a letter at the beginning of it, instead
of at the end, as we do today. This seems strange to us, but when you stop
and think about it, it makes more sense than the other way around. When you
receive a letter, you always go to the end of it to see who it’s from
anyway, so why not just sign it at the beginning and save your reader the
bother?
From Paul,
Silvanus and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians, which is of God
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you and peace, from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to
God always for all of you, keeping you in our prayers, never forgetting your
work of Faith and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the sight of God our Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your
calling from God.
For our Gospel
(Good News of Jesus) didn’t come to you in word only, but also in power, and
in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of people we
were among you for your sake (benefit). And you became followers of us and
of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction (troubled times),
with joy of the Holy Ghost (happy to learn of the existence of the Holy
Spirit): So that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and
Achaia. Because from you, news of the Lord spread out not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place. Your Faith toward God is already
reported abroad, so that we don’t need to speak any thing. For they
themselves (people from other nations) tell us how you welcomed us and how
your turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait
for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, which is Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come.
You bet it must
have been talked about. That area of the globe was well known for
worshipping idols, so for them to openly accept Jesus the way they did,
probably raised a lot of curiosity in other nations, and Paul sounds quite
pleased about it, too. What a great reward that must have been to Paul and
his friends, to go to different nations to tell the Good News, and instead,
people were telling them that they already heard how the people of
Thessalonica had readily believed when the Gospel was brought to them. You
could probably imagine it like a teacher, who’s class was prepared for the
topic that was going to be taught and was eager to learn all about it. Not
all sitting around with negative attitudes, closed minds and mental blocks,
but with their little light bulbs shining in their brains and that anxious
to learn determination.
Come on back soon,
and we’ll share the next chapter of Paul’s first letter to the
Thessalonians, right here at Daily Bread.
