Imagine that
you were someone who grew up on an island somewhere isolated from much of the
world most of your life. You could read because you had been taught. You had
heard Christianity was a religion but knew nothing about it. You just knew that
Christianity was old. If you were able to read the first chapter of what is
perhaps one of the oldest text from the New Testament, do you think that it
alone might give you a good understanding of Christianity? Personally, I think
it would certainly give one plenty of insight; however, it may also leave one with a
whole lot of questions. Why don’t you give it a try using the same perspective
I introduced in my opening? The text is the following.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you
in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of
faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4
For we know, brothers and sisters[a] beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5
because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in
power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what
kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became
imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the
word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to
all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has
sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place
your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.
9 For the people of those regions[b] report about us what kind of welcome we
had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true
God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
Footnotes
1 Thessalonians 1:4 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 1:9 Gk For they
New
Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Reference:
Holy Bible, First Epistle to the Thessalonians (NRSV)
Posts
