After moving through the towns of Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, the New Testament book of Acts tells us that Paul the Apostle found an open door of ministry in the bustling city of Corinth. Paul spent eighteen months in Corinth as he taught the Word of God and worked to establish the church in that area (see Acts 18:1-11).
But prior to his arrival in Corinth, it seems that Paul’s thoughts began to turn to those he left behind in the city of Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 provides us with a glimpse into Paul’s mindset during that period…
“Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith.”
So Paul sent Timothy on a reconnaissance mission to check up on the young church at Thessalonica and encourage their faith. When Timothy subsequently returned to Paul (who had since left Athens and made his way to Corinth), he carried a report that brought great joy to the Apostle. Timothy delivered good news of their faith and love despite the persecution Paul warned they would suffer (see 1 Thessalonians 3:5-7). That report was the catalyst that led Paul to respond by writing the letter we know today as the book of 1 Thessalonians.
Despite this encouraging news from Thessalonica, it appears that some members of the church still had a few gaps in their spiritual knowledge. In light of Paul’s limited residence at Thessalonica, it should therefore come as no surprise to learn that the church took the opportunity of Timothy’s visit to ask him a few questions. The content of Paul’s response indicates that many of those questions involved the afterlife and the return of Christ. Not coincidentally, those are some of the very same questions that many are also asking today.
Finally, we should remember that the Thessalonian epistles are not in chronological order despite their position at the midpoint of the New Testament Scriptures. In fact, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are among the earliest (if not the earliest) of Paul’s New Testament letters and were likely written sometime between the years 50 and 51. These letters thus provide us with a look into Paul’s ministry and the life of the church at a point in time less than twenty years following Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection.