Daily Devotional Thursday 1st July 2021
by William Moody1 Thessalonians 1
Greeting
1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly1 mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers2 loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Footnotes
[1] 1:2
Or without ceasing
[2] 1:4Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV)
Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia (now part of Greece). We read of Paul’s first visit to the city in Acts 17:1-10. Initially many people were converted but after opposition arose from the Jews Paul and his companions had to leave at night. Later Timothy was sent to help the Thessalonians in their faith (see 3v2). Paul wrote this letter after receiving an encouraging report from Timothy when he re-joined Paul in Corinth.
After an initial greeting (v1), Paul speaks of how encouraged he has been by their conversion and progress in the faith (v2-10), so much so that they have become an example to other churches (v7-10). They are a people of faith, love, patience, joy, hope and service.
There were three reasons for their progress. a. Prayer (v2-3) – Paul and his companions were praying constantly for them. b. The Word (v5) – they were grounded securely on the apostles’ teaching of the gospel. c. The Holy Spirit (v5-6) – It was the Spirit breathing on the Word as it was taught that changes lives. Prayer, the word and the moving of the Holy Spirit are what we need as individuals and as a congregation to become an example of faith, love, patience, joy, hope and service to others.
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