1_Thessalonians 1: First letter of Paul in New Testament?

1_Thessalonians 1: First letter of Paul in New Testament?

The letters of Paul in New Testament are placed from the greatest to the least. Many people believe that 1 Thessalonians were the first letter of Paul that survived in the New Testament. It was written around 50 -51 AD, less than 20 years after the resurrection. In this blog, we will read the letters of Paul chronologically.

This letter must have been written during Paul’s second missionary journey. In Acts 17, Paul preaches in Thessalonica. It was a great city in a road connecting Rome to Byzantium (Via Egnatia). It was also a port. It was a "civitas libera", free city. The Thessalonians supported the right side on the civil wars and they were allowed to govern themselves. The message of the gospel declaring Jesus as King, Jesus as Lord, was very offensive to them in general. Paul preached but had to flee from the city. He got news from the converted Thessalonians and wrote a letter to them. He said:

2-5 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.

Some missionaries want to gain souls to Jesus and stop there. Here, Paul wrote a letter to guide the Thessalonians in their new life with Jesus, in a empire hostile to another Lord, but Caesar.