Ancient Greeks and Romans had a drastically different view of what was allowed sexually. The good news is the Gospel has redefined sex for the entire world and in its sunrise has protected the most vulnerable in a society.
Paul has to leave the new church quickly and has concerns about tough things he had said to them. Did they accept them? Reject? Were they mad at him? He sends Timothy and gets a refreshing answer to his relational doubt.
The church at Thessalonica is a model of church success. This leads to the big question: why? At the end of Chapter 2 we get the answer. It is God’s Word, Suffering, War, and the Win.
Paul leaves Thessalonica after only 3 weeks and into that vacuum of leadership comes accusations leveled against him. He uses chapter 2 to defend how he ministers and gives us a brilliant path to follow.
Everyone needs examples. The Thessalonian believers were able to look at Paul, Silas and Timothy and then through difficulty, repentance, patience and God’s word they became the models for the entire region.
The oldest written document of the New Testament is 1 Thessalonians. It gives us the oldest foundational principles of the church. 1 Thessalonians begins by turning the clock back to remember how the gospel saves and changes pagans.