Commentary on 1 Thessalonians

Scripture Use in the Thessalonian Church Greek background Believer's Culture venerated the spoken word. They had Poetry-literature readings as well as Greek plays. They also listened to orators and Philosophers.  smsuspu.net Reading of Iliad and Oddessy In 1 Timothy 4:13 Paul wrote to Timothy    ' Until I come,, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.' The church had group readings of Scripture, i.e. the Jewish Scriptures.ew Cove Here were these new Believers who were the beneficiaries of the New Covenant; but the Thessalonian Jews in their synagogue had rejected Jesus the Messiah. Epistles - Letters. Timothy had been the Apostolic Envoy and the first to read the Epistles to the Believers at Thessaloniki. It took about half an hour to read each of the Epistles to all the believers, then he gave some verbal instructions, or there exhortations by the leader or Elder of the meeting.

The Composition of the Thessalonian Church. In the House churches of Thessaloniki there were: 1. Some Jews who came to faith in Messiah when Paul preached in their synogogue Acts 17: 4 2. Some God-Fearing Greeks. There are some only a few in our society whom we could call God- Fearing Australians. The Bible says that 'the Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom'. This is reverential fear of Our LORD and His Majesty and His Laws. I believe that in every culture there are God-Fearers. 3. Many Prominent Women. They had turned to The True and Living God from Idolatry and Paganism.  They spoke (common Koine Greek) but could not read or write. They worked as manual labourers in the port city or they kept house, or they were slaves. All experienced serious harassment for their faith in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. The House Churches: There would have been up to 24 members with leaders such as Jason, Aristarchus and Secundus. These were the Patrons and Elders from

The Thessalonian Jews. The Jews of Thessalonica had Imperial permission from Rome to build Synagogues, buy land, and raise funds etc.. However they were disliked by the Macedonians. The Jews opposed Paul's preaching in their Synagogue. Small Synagogue Times of Israel.com 1Th 2:14  For you, brethren, followed the example of the Churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea; seeing that you endured the same ill-treatment at the hands of your countrymen, as they did at the hands of the Jews.  1Th 2:15  Those Jewish persecutors killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and drove us out of their midst . They are displeasing to God, and are the enemies of all mankind;  1Th 2:16  f or they still try to prevent our preaching to the Gentiles so that they may find salvation. They thus continually fill up the measure of their own sins, and God's anger in its severest form has overtaken them.  Act 17:2  Paul- -following his usual custom--betook himself to i

     Read Acts 17 (1-9) Paul and Silas's  First Visit to Thessalonica. The Bustling City Today. The Thessalonians were Pagans. Paul and Silas arrived in Thessaloniki after walking about 144 kms from Philip-pi where they had been abused, bashed and imprisoned unjustly. They preached the Good News of Jesus there for just three weeks and left  a church in the homes of Jason, Aristarchus and Secundus. Thessalonica was the Provincial Capital of Macedonia. It was on the  Via Egnatia from Byzantium to Rome; a natural port and a free city  in the Roman Empire. Wikipedia Maps. The Greek Religion  was bound by civic and domestic rituals which  had to be visible. They paid their respects to their deities who acted as  their 'patrons'. They had Feast Days; sacrifices; celebrations, and Games which were all public events.. Every event had it's religious ceremonies;  even the banquets, games and business transactions. In every household their