1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (September 1, 2025)

Please note: Starting today for the next 10 days, I may not be able to upload the audio portion of the daily reading and meditations. Thank you for being so understanding. Happy Labor Day and Godspeed!

Greeting

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, constantly[a] 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, brothers[b] 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 Thessalonians 1:2 Or without ceasing

1 Thessalonians 1:4 Or 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

Summary

Paul opens his letter to the Thessalonians with a warm expression of thanksgiving. He greets them in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1). He then expresses gratitude for their faith, love, and steadfast hope, rooted in Christ (vv. 2–3). Paul reminds them that the gospel came not only in words, but in power and the Holy Spirit, producing deep conviction (vv. 4–5).

The Thessalonians became imitators of Paul and of the Lord, receiving the word with joy despite their affliction (v. 6). Their faith quickly became an example to believers across Macedonia and Achaia, to such an extent that Paul didn’t need to say anything further. Their testimony spoke for itself (vv. 7–8). They had turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and now they await His Son from heaven, Jesus, who was raised from the dead and delivers us from the coming wrath (vv. 9–10).

Who is God

God is revealed here as the living and true God.

Our God is not like the lifeless idols the Thessalonians once served. He is the King who chooses His people (v. 4), who sends the gospel in power and the Spirit (v. 5), and who raises His Son from the dead (v. 10). He is the Father who calls His church to belong to Him and who delivers them from wrath through His Son.

What is our Guilt

Human guilt is exposed in the idols we serve. Before the gospel, the Thessalonians lived in the futility of false gods (v. 9). This is the universal human condition—we exchange the glory of the true God for created things (Romans 1:23). Even today, our idols may not be carved images, but wealth, approval, control, and comfort. These counterfeit gods enslave us and cannot save us from wrath.

How does Grace shine

Grace shines in that God not only calls sinners, but gives them power by His Spirit to turn from idols and serve Him. The Thessalonians became living testimonies, shining examples of transformed lives. Their faith was not private but public, echoing throughout the region (vv. 7–8).

By God's Grace, we can wait for the return of Jesus from heaven, who “delivers us from the wrath to come” (v. 10). In Christ, we are freed from condemnation, filled with joy in the midst of trials, and given a sure future.

Prayer

Father, we thank you that you are the living and true God, and that you have turned us from idols to serve you.

We confess how easily our hearts are drawn to false gods that cannot satisfy. Yet your Gospel has come to us not only in word, but with power and the Spirit, opening our eyes to the beauty of Christ. Keep us steadfast in faith, abounding in love, and enduring in hope until the day your Son returns from heaven. May our lives, like the Thessalonians, become examples that proclaim your grace to others.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who delivers us from the coming wrath. Amen.