Grace and Peace

1 Thessalonians 1-Part 1
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
1 Thess. 1:1b

Background:

Let's travel back in time. This book in the Bible is not placed in chronological order with the time frame we finished in the prison letters by Paul. Instead, The First Epistle to the Thessalonians was written by Paul during his year and a half stay in Athens, Corinth in 51 A.D. It was written after the letter to the Galatians and before letters were written to the Romans, Corinthians, and prison letters, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians churches. Paul was on his second missionary journey when he wrote it. 

City:
Thessalonica was a Roman free city, the capital of the provice of Macedonia. It had a strong city government. Due to its location, on the Egnatian Way, the East-West Roman highway, Thessalonica was an important city. It was a hub of political and commercial activity in Macedonia. Its population reached 200,000 in Paul's day.

Church:
This church was founded when Paul was traveling on his second missionary journey, accompanied by Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy. Silas joined Paul at the city of Derbe and Timothy joined them at Lystra. Here we have the missionary team, sent by the church at Jerusalem. They go into Europe where the gospel was unheard. If you want details of Paul's travel, begin in Acts 16. A map in the back of your Bible will help locate their sities of travel. At Thessalonica, many people believed in Jesus, due to Paul's preaching. They were Greek men and influential women. Paul stayed in Corinth a year and a half, where he penned this letter.

Purposes for this Letter:

John MacArthur, in his book, The MacArthur Bible Commentary,  gives us 9 reasons for Paul's writing to the Thessalonians, coming out of his supreme concern for the flock from which he had been seperated:
1. encouraging the church
2. answering false allegations
3. comforting the persecuted flock
4. expressing his joy in their faith
5. reminding them of the importance of moral purity
6. condemning the sluggard lifestyle
7. correcting a wrong understanding of prophetic events
8. defusing tensions within the flock
9. exhorting the flock in the basics of Christian living.


LET IT GLOW
Since Paul's initial converts were Jewish, he made it unmistakably clear that this "church" was not a Jewish assembly, but rather one which gathered in the name of Jesus, the Son of God (Acts 17:2-3), who is both Lord God and Messiah. (MacArthur)

In Charles Swindoll's book, Contagious Christianity, a Study of First Thessalonians, says:

Once individuals trust in Christ for their salvation, they are transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col.1:12-13). They become citizens in God's forever kingdom, and they can never lose their citizenship (John 10:27-29). Now since this is true, citizens of God's kingdom are expected to live a certain way. Their lives are to be maked by grace and peace.

Grace is divine influence upon the heart and peace is quietness, rest  as found in Strong's Dictionary.

Is my life marked by grace and peace? They are given by God through knowing Jesus.
Have you noticed that Paul usually begins and ends his letters sending grace and peace to the readers?
Paul experienced the grace of God, didn't he? How else could he endure all that he did, except with the peace of his Savior Jesus Christ? The world wants and seeks peace, but it only comes from one source, God.


LET IT GO
Seek God for His grace and peace, not the world.