diff --git a/49-1th/intro.md b/49-1th/intro.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..997de37 --- /dev/null +++ b/49-1th/intro.md @@ -0,0 +1,74 @@ +# Introduction to 1 Thessalonians + +## Overview + +The apostle Paul wrote two letters to the Christians in Thessalonica. Scholars think these letters +are some of the first letters that Paul wrote to other Christians. +Thessalonica was the Roman capital of Macedonia. Thessalonica was a large city. The church in +Thessalonica included both Jewish Christian and Gentile Christians. +Paul started the church in Thessalonica. Therefore, he knew the Christians in Thessalonica well. +He wrote to them the way someone writes to a friend. +Paul wrote about several things. He wanted to help the Christians in Thessalonica to know about +the second coming of Jesus. So Paul spoke about this at the end of every chapter of this letter. +Paul also wanted to encourage the Thessalonian Christians. He also wanted them to do the +things that honored God.   + +See: Apostle; Church; Gentile; Jesus’ Return to Earth +See Map: Thessalonica; Macedonia + +### Who wrote this letter? + +Paul, the apostle, wrote this letter. He said that he wrote this letter when he was with Silvanus +and Timothy (1:1). Also, many early Christian leaders wrote that he was the author. +Some people have wondered why Paul did not say he was an apostle. Paul wrote that he was an +apostle in most of his letters. Many scholars say that Paul did not have to say he was an apostle +in this letter because the readers knew him. Some scholars think Paul did not write about his title +because Paul felt great affection for these readers. So he did not speak using his formal title. + +See: Apostle + +### Who did Paul write to? + +Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Thessalonica. He met them when he was in +Thessalonica (see: Acts 17). He wrote this letter to them between AD 49 - 54 while he was in +Corinth. +Paul wrote about several things in this letter: + +1. He wrote to teach new Christians things that are true so they would believe them. Paul +wanted the Thessalonian Christians not to listen to people who taught the wrong things. +He wanted them to remember what he taught them when he was in Thessalonica. He +also wanted them not to worry when they suffered for being Christians. +2. He wrote to remind readers about the gospel. Paul wanted them to remember that Jesus +saved them from their sins. He did not want them to worry about what they might hear +from other teachers. + +3. He wrote to answer false things that other people said about him. People told Paul about +what the people who taught falsely were telling the Thessalonians. So he wrote this letter +to tell them what was true about how he taught and lived. +4. He wrote to encourage the Christians in Thessalonica to do the things that honor God. +He wanted them to believe in Jesus. He also wanted them to help other people to believe +in Jesus because of the things they did to honor God. +5. He wrote to help Christians know what to think about what happens after someone dies. +Paul wanted his readers to know that when people who believe in Jesus die, they will be +different than the people who do not believe in Jesus. (See: 2 Thessalonians; 1 +Corinthians 15.) + +See: Gospel +See Map: Thessalonica; Corinth + +### Why did Paul write this letter? + +Paul wrote this letter to encourage his readers. He wrote to teach them the things they needed to +do. He wrote say something about the false things other people said about him. He wrote to make +known what he taught when he was in Thessalonica. He wrote to teach what happens to a +Christian after death. + +## Outline   + +1:1-10 Thanking God for the Christians in Thessalonica +2:1-3:10 What Paul taught and how he lived +3:11-13 Prayer for holiness +4:1-12 The things Christians needed to do +4:13-5:11 Jesus' Return to Earth +5:12-22 What Christians should do always +5:23-28 Final prayer and greetings \ No newline at end of file