How soon is soon? Thessalonians.

The early Church did not have the New Testament. They only had the Old Testament (which they called The Scriptures) and the teachings of the apostles. I’m confident the apostles taught far more than they wrote(2 Thess 2:15). In fact, most of what they wrote were responses to questions that came after their teachings had been heard or responses to reports about the fellowships been addressed had reached them. More like a Q&A session after a talk.

We’re now looking at 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and here’s what’s happening in the background: Timothy and Silas have just delivered a report to Paul about the Church in Thessaloniki. This maybe happened over a meal or while taking some strong tea in the afternoon. From the report, this was a thriving fellowship — one of those churches any missionary would be proud of. They had received the Word eagerly, kept growing spiritually, and were so evangelistic that the gospel had spread through all of Greece. Paul says he doesn’t even need to travel there to preach anymore — word had gone out ahead of him. More of that background in Acts 17:1-10.

So Paul writes back to let them know how encouraged he is by their progress, and to address one disturbing issue that had crept in: confusion about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

You see, Jesus said He would return “soon.” Now, that word soon is a dangerous one if taken without context (go read all the parables that touch on Gods Kingdom). Some took it to mean next week Wednesday. 😅 They started watching the skies, waiting for Jesus to descend any day. A few went further — they resigned from their jobs, gave away their properties, and convinced others to do the same. In other words, they stopped working and started waiting. They were so convinced that Jesus will be back before the next fellowship, that they conjured up prophecies and even wrote a (fake) letter in the name of Paul to get people ready. That's why at the end of this letters, he signs it in a way that affirms that this letter is truly from him.

Paul’s letter celebrates their faith and love, but it also corrects their understanding of the hope of Christ’s return. He reminds them that waiting for the Lord doesn’t mean idling; it means something else. 

And that’s what makes this letter special. It’s a small piece of all the apostolic teachings of the early Church — but a small, key piece.

So now, the letter is in your hands. Is it? Let’s dive in — and plug in. 😁

Other writings on Thessalonians;

https://mapstage.blogspot.com/2024/11/thessalonians-and-corinthians.html

https://mapstage.blogspot.com/2024/11/1-thessalonians-13.html