Edward Donnelly

I have entitled this study “Encouragement for New Converts.” That phrase comes from Gresham Machen in his New Testament Introduction, a vastly underrated book. He doesn’t follow the modern fashion of giving us huge lists of footnotes and bibliography, but please don’t be deceived by the simplicity of that book. That is the distillation of vast learning. It’s a very valuable book, the New Testament Introduction. So, he calls it “Encouragement for New Converts.”

These Epistles have been described as the Cinderellas of the Pauline writings. They tend to be overlooked. They are brief. They don’t have passages of enormous theological depth, and yet, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are extremely valuable for at least a couple of obvious reasons. They’re among the earliest Christian writings in existence. We don’t really know which were the first books of the New Testament to be written. The candidates, as I’m sure you know, are Galatians, James, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and you can argue back and forth about which of those books were written first, but these are among the earliest parts of the New Testament that we have. They are written to brand new Christians, people who have been converted only a few weeks, and they are written to the only one of Paul’s churches which is facing serious external pressure. So, it seems to me that that gives them a distinctiveness and a value. The Apostle is writing to brand new Christians under pressure from outside. How does he pastor them?

You remember the story—Paul and Silas left Philippi, traveled along The Great Ignatian Way, which linked the East with Italy, 100 miles to Thessalonica, the capital of the province of Macedonia. In those days it was a city of about 200,000 people. It’s less than half that size today. He preached three Sabbath days in the synagogue. I think it’s probable that he stayed quite a bit longer than that in Thessalonica. I think it’s possible that Luke doesn’t give us a complete account, and he doesn’t profess to do so. We know that Paul worked with his own hands as a leatherworker, and earned his living in Thessalonica. And we know that on at least two occasions the Christians in Philippi sent him gifts for his support while he was in Thessalonica. Philippians 4:16, “Once and again you helped me in my necessity.” That would suggest that he may have been there more than two and a half or three weeks. In any case, he was forced to leave by mob violence stirred up by the Jews.

He went to Berea and then to Athens. He was very anxious about the spiritual welfare of these young Christians with whom he had spent such a short time. He had every reason to be anxious. He says in 1:6, “You received the word in much affliction.” This probably wasn’t official persecution, but it would be severe social pressure. Christianity was extremely counter-cultural. They separated themselves from the sexual morality of the day. They didn’t get involved in the trade goods which controlled industry and commercial life. They didn’t associate with the mystery cults. They had no allegiance to the civic gods on whose favor the prosperity of the city depended. So, they were seen as antisocial and treacherous. “They say that there is another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7). Society would pressurize them, harass them, shame them, embarrass them, intimidate them in many ways to bring them back to normal, respectable living. “Get away from this strange, foreign cult, and live like ordinary people.”

They were only a few weeks old, as Christians. Would they be able to face this pressure? As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 3:5, “When I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the Tempter had tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.” He says again, “When we could bear it no longer, we sent Timothy to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions.” So, he’s deeply concerned about these young professing believers. Will they stand firm? Timothy catches up with Paul in Corinth. He brings him good news about the infant church, but he says that they still need encouragement, and that’s why Paul writes 1 Thessalonians. I think he’s doing what he sent Timothy to do, “To establish and exhort you in your faith.”

Shortly after that, he writes 2 Thessalonians to correct problems which are still existing. Andrew Young, in the introduction to the Let’s Study series, the Banner of Truth commentary on Thessalonians, says, “These letters are thoroughly pastoral in character.” Well, maybe not wise talking about “The Pastoral Epistles.” I’m referring to just three Epistles. These are all pastoral Epistles, and these are very pastoral Epistles. I think that’s the chief value for us. You may say, “Well, are we persecuted?” No, we’re not—yet. “Are we experiencing much affliction?” Well, no, we’re not—most of us. But, brethren, you know that the pressure of society against Christians is pervasive; and it is increasing. It is being increased year by year. I am coming to think that it’s far more damaging to our churches and to our people than we may realize, that we are subconsciously censoring ourselves and limiting ourselves without realizing what we are doing.

Read the complete transcript of this sermon at Biblical Expositions.