Overview of the Book of 1 Thessalonians

But the overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of 1st Thessalonians. 1st

Thessalonians was perhaps the first epistle the Apostle Paul ever wrote dating around 50

AD. The theme of 1st Thessalonians is the return of Jesus Christ.

Paul, writing along with his two partners in ministry, Silas and Timothy, Timothy had just arrived with a good report from Thessalonica, but the church members had some questions about the

Lord's return. Paul had taught them about the the catching up of the

Saints. This teaching is known as the rapture. It's mentioned in chapter 4 verses 13 through 18 that the

Saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So what had happened is that some of the people in the church had died and the question was what about them?

What about people who die before Jesus returns? Will they miss out?

Well not only does that tell us they were expecting the Lord's return at any time, it also demonstrates their love for doctrine and for one another.

So Paul puts their mind at ease and he tells them no, not only did the dead in Christ not miss out on the

Lord's return, they actually get a front -row seat, as it were, because the dead in Christ, Paul teaches, actually are raised first.

Paul also taught them in chapter 1 verse 10 that the return of Jesus for his church was before the time when

God pours out his wrath during the tribulation. So this, along with the general resurrection of the dead, this was and this is a great encouragement for Christians.

But Paul then moves on from that positive, comforting message to a warning about the coming day of the

Lord and that will be the theme of his next letter, 2 Thessalonians, which we will cover,