Grace to You And Peace - November 28

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not

be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Reflect

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

There are a lot of false religions out there and many of them promise peace for your soul. But there aren’t very many religions that teach that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace. In most religions, there are things you have to do in order to earn God’s favor or find rest for your soul. Maybe you need to complete ritualistic sacrifices. Maybe you need to take a pilgrimage. Maybe you need to say a certain number of prayers each day or pray a certain type of prayer. Maybe you need to do enough good deeds to outweigh your bad ones. Regardless, many of these false religions promise inner peace but they rarely, and only temporarily, deliver on that promise.

In Paul’s day, there were plenty of false religions in Thessalonica. It was the most important city in the Roman province of Macedonia. Thessalonica was a bustling seaport and also benefited from being located along the Egnatian Way, which was a major highway in the Roman Empire. Because it was such a hub of business and travel, the city’s population was very diverse. There was a mix of Greeks, Romans, and Jews. Thus, there was a mix of Greek and Roman pagan cults practiced there as well as a synagogue for the Jews.

But true, eternal peace couldn’t be found in idolatrous cults and it couldn’t be found in Judaism apart from Christ. Paul, Silas, and Timothy visited Thessalonica on a missionary journey and worked together to found the church there. In Acts 17:1-4, we find out that Paul spent three Sabbaths in the Jewish synagogue at Thessalonica “explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying ‘This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ’ (v. 3).” Some Jews and many Gentiles (especially many prominent Greek women), accepted this Gospel, converted to Christianity, and the Christian church in Thessalonica was founded.

While their preaching of the Gospel led many people to Christ, it also caused quite a stir among the Jewish religious leaders. A jealous, angry mob of Jewish leaders attacked the house of Jason, a Christian man, looking for Paul, Silas, and Timothy. As a result, they had to be sent out of Thessalonica (Acts: 17:1-10). They went to Berea and preached there but they eventually had to leave Berea, as well.

Paul went on to Athens and then to Corinth, where he wrote this letter to the church at Thessalonica in approximately 51 AD. Paul had sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how they were doing and Timothy had shared a very positive report with Paul about the health of their church body. But there were still some issues in the church that Paul needed to address. Paul wrote this letter to express his thankfulness and concern for them and to correct some theological misunderstandings that were beginning to confuse the church. He included Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy in his introduction because they were known to the Thessalonians, present with him, and shared Paul’s concerns for them.

As we continue to study Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, we’ll examine those theological misunderstandings more closely. For today, I want to draw your attention to Paul’s greeting. His hope for them was: “Grace to you and peace.” You see, Paul knew that the only way to experience true and lasting peace is to be at peace with God which is only possible by God’s grace—His undeserved favor.

The early church at Thessalonica turned from false religions that promised peace but ultimately couldn’t deliver, to place their faith in Christ who died to pay the penalty for their sins and rose from the grave three days later. Because of His amazing grace, they could be at peace with God and could know true inner peace in knowing that their eternal salvation was secure. And here at Back to the Bible, that is our hope for you as well. Grace to you…and peace!

Respond

Lord, thank You for your amazing grace! Because You suffered and died in my place, I can experience true and lasting peace. I trust in You alone. Amen.

Reveal

Do you know someone who is looking for peace? Point them to Christ, the only source of true, lasting peace.