INTRODUCTION

During the fall, we will spend time looking into the letters of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica, Greece. Paul wrote these letters on his second missionary journey from Corinth between AD 50-51, as the gospel made its first push into Europe.

One of the guiding principles of our church is that “truth travels best on the road of relationships.” We see a Biblical example of that principle in the pages of the Thessalonian letters. Paul not only shared the gospel with the Thessalonians, but he shared his own life with them as well. He cared for them as a father or mother loves their own children. The love Paul showed them was replicated by the people of the Thessalonian church, and their love for one another became a light to a lost world. Their love revealed the gospel not only in word, but in the way they lived. This letter’s message is simple: remain faithful to Jesus and the hope of the gospel, and continue to grow in love for one another.

The young church in Thessalonica provides us with a model to examine and learn from as we try to love well as a church and live faithfully in our day. Although Thessalonica wasn’t a perfect church, Paul was incredibly proud of the ways they made a gospel- impact on the world around them. We are excited to dive into these two ancient letters to see what they may teach us about making a gospel-impact today.