The Model Church: Thessalonians
Chapter One
As we begin our study of the Thessalonian church we need a backstory from Acts 16-19 giving us insight into the Apostle Paul’s experience with this Jewish and Gentile city. He and Silas had suffered great persecution in Philippi where a church was planted and now the Holy Spirit directed them to go to Macedonia via a vision. You can’t argue with that!
These evangelists fled to Thessalonica, the capitol of Macedonia, at the Spirit’s direction where they preached in the synagogue first, as Paul always did, reasoning with the Jews from the Scriptures that Jesus was Messiah for whom they were waiting. As you can imagine the Jewish community felt threatened and jealous at many turning to Christ and they instigated a mob-riot to drive them out. They were ‘turning the world upside-down’ (Acts 17); now that’s a model church.
After the ministry team left this new group of believers, Paul sent Timothy to check on their faith walk and when he returned Paul wrote to them. This letter is possibly the first recorded pastoral letter which is full of commendation and encouragement sprinkled with great doctrinal truth, especially the Return of Christ.
It’s vital to know that Mt. Olympus is located there, where the worship of Zeus, the ‘king of the gods’, was practiced along with much idolatry. Not only that, but trade guilds or labor unions had much power since they mandated membership and participation in their pagan festivals. These Thessalonian believers stood firm in faith in the midst of affliction, suffering, and persecution for which Paul continually commended and prayed for them.
As you read this first chapter you’ll realize Paul’s acknowledgement of their faithful work (energy) in spreading the gospel, their labors of love which caused them physical exhaustion and even personal loss, and their endurance under persecution. This is a model church.
Paul reminded them they’re chosen by God, that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ came to them not only in preaching and teaching, but in Holy Spirit power (dunamis, dynamite) building full confidence of faith. These believers, fully convinced of Jesus, became imitators of the ministry team who were imitators of the Lord. Meaning, they mimicked or followed the Lord through the example of this team and those reputations of true Christianity, turning from idols to serving the Living and True God echoed throughout the Roman world. This kind of faith, while waiting for the 2nd Coming, encouraged them to persevere knowing Jesus’ death in our place rescued them from the wrath of God: they are justified.
The Thessalonian Church is a model for all churches to follow, the Greek word is typos or type, which is like a template. Faith-filled believers who share the gospel in word and deed is a paradigm we can follow in our churches today with full confidence that what God accomplished in Thessalonica He’ll accomplish in your church if you closely follow the model. Let’s turn the world upside-down as well.
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