First Thessalonians 1 and the Rapture

Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.

The Pauline epistles may be classified according to chronology and content. In this series of articles addressing the Thessalonian Epistles and the rapture, a modified chronological-content classification will be applied to these writings, which means 1—2 Thessalonians are understood to be eschatological epistles. Eschatology (the doctrine of last things), of course, is not the only content or instruction within the Epistles; rather, the classification of “eschatological” with regard to the Epistles indicates the primary emphasis.

First and Second Thessalonians were written in response to Timothy’s report of affliction of the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 3:1-10). Paul was concerned that the church “would be disturbed by these afflictions” (3:3). He sent Timothy to visit the believers “to strengthen and encourage” them, and to provide a report with regard to the nature of their faith (3:2, 5). Timothy provided Paul “good news” of the church’s perseverance; consequently, Paul wrote his letter with thanksgiving (3:6, 9).

The majority of the difficulties that the Thessalonians experienced were the consequence of jealous Jews inciting a wicked mob, crowd, and city officials (Acts 17:5, 8). Since the Thessalonian church was both Jewish and Gentile, some other difficulties that necessitated Paul’s instruction arose due to those backgrounds. Paul’s instruction addressed sexual morality (1 Thess 4:3-8), social conduct (4:9-10), manual labor (4:11-12), grief concerning the dead in Christ (4:13-18), false teachings with regard to “the day of the Lord” (5:1-11; 2 Thess 1:3—2:12), and avoiding idleness (2 Thess 3:10-12). Confusion regrding these matters caused Paul’s teaching to include instruction explaining the nature of new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the corresponding responsibilities of the Christian.

The Thessalonian Epistles instruct believers to affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and therefore submit intelligently to the will of God. Therefore, the issues that Paul addressed were practical as opposed to being merely theoretical. The Thessalonian Epistles provide practical instruction for life in the present, and yet anticipate the coming day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in power and glory.

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS

The Apostle Paul wrote the Epistles of 1—2 Thessalonians from Corinth on his second missionary journey, approximately AD 51 (cf. 1 Thess 1:7- 9; 2:17; 3:1, 6; Acts 18:5, 11). The mission to Thessalonica is reported in Acts 17:1-9. As a selfgoverning community, Thessalonica enjoyed the status of a free city. Since the Romans did not occupy local offices and government in Thessalonica, the city had its own laws and officials called “politarchs” (Acts 17:6, 8). Thessalonica was also capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, and therefore an ideal location for mission work.

According to Luke, the missionary endeavor occurred in the synagogue of Thessalonica for “three Sabbaths” (17:1-2). Of course, Luke was probably indicating the duration of Paul’s ministry in the synagogue, and not that the church only received a month or less of instruction. Even after a resistance to their ministry arose, Paul and Silas continued the mission work (perhaps for several months), and the church increased to include “a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women” (17:4). Although the church in Thessalonica began with Jewish Christians, it increased quickly in number to include Gentiles predominantly, as a consequence of the power of the Gospel (1 Thess 1:5-6, 9-10).

Even with God’s blessing in the missionary work, there arose “much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 1:6). The jealousy of the unbelieving Jews culminated into an “uproar.” Moreover, the accusation against Paul and Silas to the politarchs was that the missionaries were acting “contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus’” (Acts 17:7). The accusation would have troubled the populace since they would have regarded their favored status as a free city being jeopardized. As a consequence of the affliction the Thessalonian believers were experiencing, Paul was concerned that the temptations would overwhelm them and his “labor would be in vain” (1 Thes 3:5). He was also distressed by false teaching that the intense difficulties that the Thessalonians were experiencing was part of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the “day of the Lord,” and this would diminish their hopes for the Lord’s imminent return for His church (1 Thess 1:9-10; 2:17-19; 3:13; 4:13— 5:11; 2 Thess 2:1-12). For this reason, he sent Timothy to encourage and instruct the church (1 Thess 3:1-5).

The “good news” that Timothy provided to Paul assisted the Apostle in writing the Epistles to the Thessalonians. One of the primary doctrines communicated in Paul’s epistle is the doctrine of the Lord Jesus’ return. With references to Jesus as “Lord” and to His second coming occurring at least once in every chapter of the Epistles, this instruction is indeed a primary emphasis.

TRIBULATION IN THE EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS

The Thessalonians were experiencing tribulation just as the Lord Jesus had promised all His disciples would encounter in any age (John 16:33). So although they faced persecution and hardship, “the wrath to come” would not affect them (1 Thess 1:10; 2:14-16). It is worthwhile to note the twelve words that Paul used in the Thessalonian Epistles to indicate intense difficulties and experiences.

Nouns

1. thlipsis
tribulations, affliction(s)
1 Thessalonians 1:6, 3:3, 3:7: 2 Thessalonians 1:4, 6

2. agon
opposition
1 Thessalonians 2:2

3. kopos
labor (toil, work)
1 Thessalonians 1:3, 2:9; 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:8

4. mochthos
hardship (labor, exertion)
1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8

5. diogmos
persecutions
2 Thessalonians 1:4

Verbs

6. thlibo
to suffer, afflict, afflicted
1 Thessalonians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

7. propasho
already suffered
1 Thessalonians 2:2

8. hubrizo
mistreated (insult)
1 Thessalonians 2:2

9. kopiao
to work hard (toil) 1 Thessalonians 5:12

10. koluo
to hinder (prevent, forbid)
1 Thessalonians 2:16

12. egkopto
to hinder (thwart)
1 Thessalonians 2:18

Each of the twelve words employed by Paul are in either the aorist or present tense. Readers of Midnight Call obviously understand the present tense, but may not be aware of the aorist tense; therefore, the reader is encouraged to understand the grammatical elements of the aorist (as provided in the following sentence). The aorist tense normally indicates verbal action as simply past or without reference to its progress.

There are other grammatical elements that are also significant. The indicative mood is used with both the present and aorist tenses. The aorist indicative normally denotes an experience as past. The present indicative indicates the verbal action as being actual or real (as opposed to possibility). The participles denote the characteristics of both verb and adjective (i.e. “verbal adjective”). The active voice indicates a subject causing or doing a verbal action, and the passive voice conveys a subject as being affected or receiving the verbal action. Understanding these grammatical elements will provide a better understanding of the English translations and the intent of the biblical author. The tense of the verbs that Paul used in the Thessalonian Epistles to indicate intense difficulties and experiences is indeed significant.

thlibo
-to suffer (1 Thess 3:4)
present passive infinitive
-afflict (2 Thess 1:6)
present active participle
-afflicted (2 Thess 1:7)
present passive participle

propasho
-already suffered (1 Thess 2:2)
aorist active participle

hubrizo
-mistreated (1 Thess 2:2)
aorist passive participle

kopiao
-labor [toil even though weary] (1 Thess 5:12)
present active participle

pascho
-suffered (1 Thess 2:14)
aorist active indicative
-suffer (2 Thess 1:5)
present active indicative

koluo
-hindering (1 Thess 2:16)
present active participle

egkopto
hindered (1 Thess 2:18)
aorist active indicative

Please take the time to understand the biblical grammar, as it will enrichen and enliven the biblical text. It is significant that Paul did not use the future tense, but only the aorist and present tenses. The Thessalonians rightly believed that “birth pangs” (Matt 24:8) would precede the establishment of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a consequence of the present afflictions and difficulties they were experiencing, in addition to false teachings, the Thessalonian church thought they might be experiencing the seven-year tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel). The believers were assured that they were not experiencing the wrath of God characteristic of that future time (nor will the church throughout the ages experience the specific tribulation that culminates in the return of the Lord to earth). Although their persecutions were real, they were to live as if the Lord may return in their own lifetime and rescue them “from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:9-10) by means of the rapture (cf. 1 Thess 2:17-19; 3:13; 4:13—5:11; 2 Thess 2:1-12).

FIRST THESSALONIANS 1:8-10

Paul commended the Thessalonians because “the word of the Lord . . . sounded forth from” them. Since the Thessalonian church was young at the time of Paul’s writing, it is improbable that there was any widespread sending of evangelists or missionaries, as was true of the more mature church of Antioch, Syria (cf. Acts 13). For this reason, it is best to understand the sounding forth of the Word of the Lord as related to the extensive commerce that was characteristic of the city and likely travels of believers to whom the Thessalonians would have certainly shown hospitality. The idea seems to be that a lively faith reverberates with energy or activity from one person to another. Of course, this is not the model for obeying the Great Commission, but it is one means that God will use to fulfill the command upon the church. Paul also stated, “but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.” What was the reason for this marvelous testimony? Paul explained in verses 9 and 10.

Paul stated, “you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.” Idols today may differ in form, but they still epitomize all that people believe constitutes a good life in the absence of God. In modern terms, this would indicate a completely different purpose of life from those who set the world as their example, and as a result of this difference, the church would have the glorifying of the Lord by His grace and power as the express purpose in this world.

As expression of this new purpose in life, Paul commended the church as waiting for God’s Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven. He did not say that the church was idle and simply looking into the sky. “To wait” (anameno) is a present infinitive and conveys the idea of expectation. Moreover, the Thessalonians were also busy serving God. As Paul instructed elsewhere, “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you” (1 Thess 4:11). Attending to one’s own business and working with one’s hands is with a mindset that is hopeful concerning the future. Another meaning of “wait” is to realize that all work done for the Lord will be rewarded or rejected by the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns for His church. Such realization provides the highest purpose for all things accomplished in life. Nothing is wasted or useless in terms of eternity. Everything done in life is significant regardless of how tedious a task may seem. Therefore, live with an eternal perspective!

CONCLUSION

The early church expected Jesus to return for them in their lifetimes. Of course, Christ did not return, but they had every reason to expect His return, which is made obvious by Paul’s words in 4:17 (“Then we [Paul and his readers] who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord”). For over two thousand years of church history, Christians have been able to say that the return of the Lord may be today, it may be tomorrow, or it may happen years from now. Therefore, plan as if the Lord were not returning for many years, but live this life thinking, “perhaps today.”

MidnightCall Magazine