I Thessalonians 3, Anxious, Encouraged, Rewarded (NASB)

Paul explains his anxiety after leaving Thessalonica for Athens.

1 Thessalonians 3: 1-4, Anxious, persecuted

Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 

For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know. 

Paul apparently sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to work with the embryonic church there, having warned those in Thessalonica that their faith would bring attack.

1 Thessalonians 3: 5-8, Encouraged, excited, relieved

For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.

But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 

Paul (who often exudes confidence in God's work in the church) is relieved and excited to learn that the Thessalonian church is indeed growing.

1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13, May God strengthen you

For what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, as we keep praying most earnestly night and day that we may see your faces, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Paul occasionally tells his readers of his prayers for them.  Here the prayer is present in his letter; he is praying even as he writes.

I Thessalonians 2, Ministry as Family (NASB)

Paul has praised the Thessalonians for their commitment to Christ, a commitment visible throughout Macedonia and Achaia.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Pure motives

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who examines our hearts. 

The trip to Philippi is recorded in Acts 16 by Luke; after that (in Acts 17) Paul and his companions traveled on to Thessalonica where they faced mixed reactions, some conversions, some threats. (See Acts 17:1-9.)

Paul stresses the honesty and devotion to God that followed their ministry.

1 Thessalonians 2: 5-8, Honesty, not flattery

For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness— nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though we could have asserted our authority as apostles of Christ. 

But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

This describes the heart of effective ministry.  "As a nursing mother..." Paul and his companions shared their very lives with the Thesslonians, living among them as family members in the great kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 2: 9-12, Family
For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

There is a personal care and intimacy in Paul's ministry.  This, of course, is to be expected, for this identification with, this empathy for others and commitment to them, these are all attributes of Love.

1 Thessalonians 2: 13-16, Conflict with the Jews

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. 

They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.

By the time Paul got to Thessalonica he was being followed by Jews who were attacking him and trying to confront his "blasphemy" about the Messiah.  These same people attack the believers in Thessalonica.  But the Messiah, himself, was crucified for blasphemy, so this was nothing new!

1 Thessalonians 2: 17-20, Desire to return (to Hope and Joy)

But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a short while—in [person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan hindered us.

For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you? For you are our glory and joy.

After Thessalonica, Paul traveled to Berea and then to Athens.  There he longed to return to this new church but did not.

In the next chapter Paul mentions the anxieties he experienced in Athens over the church back in Thessalonica.

I Thessalonians 1, A Model for Greece (NASB)

NASB

https://www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/1thess-lbw.htm

Paul's letter to the church ("assembly") in Thessalonica is possibly the earliest letter he wrote.

1 Thessalonians 1: 1, Grace and peace

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

This is a standard first century greeting.  Paul, with the help from Silas and Timothy, writes the assembly of believers in Thessalonica.  The Greek word translated Silas here is really Silvanus, a variant of Silas, say the NIV footnotes.

1 Thessalonians 1: 2-6, Chosen and empowered by the Holy Spirit

We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you; 

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes. 

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 

As in many of his letters, Paul describes his prayer for the recipients of the letter and his pleasure and confidence in their spiritual growth.  Note the mention of suffering -- the development of this church has apparently included significant hardship.

1 Thessalonians 1: 7-10, A model for all of Macedonia and Achaia

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place the news of your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us as to the kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Paul praises the works of the Thessalonians and their ministry in the Greek peninsula.  These Gentiles have turned from Greek idols to serve the Creator of the universe and the Savior-Messiah.

This is a short chapter, consisting, at this point, of an extended greeting.  (Chapter divisions were set out in medieval times and are not part of the original writings.  It is not clear why this short letter of 89 verses was broken into 5 chapters.)

We continue with a more substantial chapter next time.

Acts 17, Paul in Athens

Paul and Silas have embarked on Paul's second missionary journey, traveling through southern Turkey, picking up Luke in Troas and then crossing the Aegean Sea into Greece.

Acts 17:1-4, Three Sabbaths in Thessalonica
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the  Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.

Paul and Silas continue to begin with their message by speaking in the synagogues about the Messiah of the Jews.  Luke, as throughout his gospel, is quick to mention the involvement of women.

Acts 17:5-9, Troublemakers and King Jesus
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus."

When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

The charge against Paul and Silas (like the charge against many Jews!) was that they worshiped a god other than Caesar.

Acts 17:10-12, Berea
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The simple description of the Bereans, in verse 11 ("examined the Scriptures every day"), explains the numerous "Berean" churches one finds in rural areas all over the USA.  I have often, on some drive along a two-lane country road, passed by a small "Berea Bible Church" or "Berean Baptist Church."  In my mind, they are always white, one-room buildings with a steeple.  There may be a thousand of them here in my country.  All because of Acts 17:11.

Acts 17:13-15, Pursued to Berea
When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Paul moves on to Athens, a vibrant Greek city, long home to a rich culture of philosophy and inquiry. It is here that Plato built his famous Academy four to five centuries earlier.

Acts 17:16-21, Epicureans, Stoics and Paul in Athens
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul is driven by his Jewish sense of purpose and frustration with pagan idolatry.

And the Athenians are true to their roots -- they are always interested in hearing the latest ideas! So a dialogue begins....

Acts 17:22-31, The unknown god of Athens
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said:  "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. `For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.'

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

For a Jew, Paul's words are carefully chosen, even somewhat affectionate.  His Jewish anger about idolatry is concealed by his public recognition that the people of Athens are (at least) interested in spiritual things.

Acts 17:32-34, Dionysius, Damaris and a few others believe
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

So in Athens there are now Greek followers, including Damaris.  In the next chapter, Paul and Silas move on to Corinth.

Acts 16, Paul, Silas (and Luke!) reach Philippi

Paul has embarked on another missionary journey, this time with Silas in place of Barnabas.

Acts 16:1-4, A disciple named Timothy
He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area,  for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

In Lystra, Paul picks up a young Gentile/Jew convert, Timothy.  The circumcision of Timothy seems strange, given Paul strong opposition to circumcision of adults in his letter to the Galatians, most likely written before this event.

Acts 16:6-10, Directed to Macedonia
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Suddenly, in verse 10, we are speaking in first person, not third person.  Luke is along!

Acts 16:11-15, Philippi and Lydia
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

An early convert in Philippi is a young merchant, a woman, Lydia.

Acts 16:16-21, Fortune-telling slave girl
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. 

Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!"  

At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

Luke records the real reasons why Paul and Silas are arrested: the owners of the slave girl have lost their means of making money!  But the public accusation is essentially that these two are Jews.

Acts 16:22-31, Philippian prison

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

The result of the attack on Paul and Silas is an immediate jailing, apparently for being troublemakers. The two missionaries respond by praying and singing hymns to God (surely from the Psalms) and Luke records that the other prisoners were listening.  And then there is an earthquake....

The question the jailer asks, and the answer given by Paul and Silas, has, through the centuries, become a standard short salvation quote. But I don't think the jailer is asking for spiritual salvation. He is most likely asking, "What can I do to live?" since if the prisoners all run away, his life is over. But Paul and Silas answer a different question (or a deeper one?)

Acts 16:32-34, Joy comes to the jailer's household
Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

Luke records here, as in other places, that the Good News brings joy. 

Acts 16:35-40, Roman citizens have rights

When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 

The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."

But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out."

The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

In the morning the jailer gets the message he needs, that he can now release his prisoners. But Paul and Silas turn stubborn. Roman citizenship has certain privileges.  One of them is (apparently) a right to due process before jailing.

In the next chapter, Paul and Silas travel further into Greece, eventually reaching Athens. But they leave Luke here in Philippi, as the first person account disappears for a time, reappearing in chapter 20 when Paul returns to Philippi.

Acts 15, Council at Jerusalem

There is a critical meeting in Jerusalem.  It is a turning point in the history of the new Jewish movement.

Acts 15:1-3, How do Jews minister to Gentiles?

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.

Paul and Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem to discuss the "circumcisers".  Along the way, they repeat previous visits, seeing further evidence that God is indeed working in the Gentiles.

It is very likely that during this trip to Jerusalem, Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians. The letter to the Galatians is a summary of the arguments he might expect to make in Jerusalem.

Acts 15:4-12, Meeting in Jerusalem

When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported  everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:  "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

"Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have  been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus  that we are saved, just as they are."

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Peter, once a conservative and legalistic Jew (see Galatians 2:11-13), speaks in support of the liberal welcoming of the Gentiles.  This is an important endorsement and it has a strong effect.

Acts 15:13-21, The judgement of James

When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: `After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent.  Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the  Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' that have been known for ages.

"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it  difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest  times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

After Peter weights in, James does.  James is another devout Jew, known for his adherence to the laws of Moses.  (Again, see Galatians 2:11-13, for an example.)

The Old Testament quotation in verse 17 is from Amos 9:11-12.

James ends with a comment about Moses being preached "every Sabbath".  The Gentiles need to be aware of the Jewish history and consistent teachings from the Torah and should be careful to not offend their new friends who (like James) are proud of their Jewish heritage.

Acts 15:22-29, Message to the Gentiles in the churches
Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. With them they sent the following letter: 

"The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you  with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord  Jesus Christ.

"Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.  Farewell."

Luke summarizes the message to the Gentiles, repeating the various proscriptions that conflict with the Jewish practices.  I find it interesting (and a little strange) that three of the four prohibitions are cultural (for the Jews) while the fourth, about sexual immorality, fits into both Old and New Testament teachings on building a good marriage.  Yet this distinction (an important one to me!) is ignored.

Acts 15:30-35, Reception in Antioch
The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

After spending some time there, they were sent off by the  brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Luke has a lot to say about the "encouragement" and enthusiasm that accompanies the Messianic message.     

Some ancient manuscripts in Act add a phrase to verse 34, "but Silas decided to remain there."

Acts 15:36-41, A new missionary trip
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

The dispute between Paul and Barnabas is sharp.  Barnabas, ever "the Encourager", sees potential in John Mark, even though John has deserted them.  Paul, every bit the "type A" personality, is having none of it.

History suggests that John Mark will eventually author the Gospel of Mark.  So Barnabas knew what he was doing.

Paul's Letters to Thessalonica

The New Testament preserves two of Paul's letters to Thessalonica.  These letters are possibly the earliest writings of the New Testament, probably written in 52 CE, just two decades after the death and resurrection of Christ.  These letters compete with the letter to the Galatians as the first New Testament book.

Wikipedia has an article on First Thessalonians. I think that article, along with the one on Second Thessalonians, is reasonably well-balanced, giving weight to both traditional and secular views of these letters.

The city of Thessalonica, now called Thessaloniki, was -- and still is -- a major city in Greece. (Wikipedia also has an article on the modern city of Thessaloniki.)

Shortly after visiting Thessalonica on his second missionary journey (see Acts 17:1-9), Paul is attacked by rabble-rousers and forced to leave town, moving on to the Greek cities of Berea, Athens and Corinth.  In Athens or Corinth, anxious about the new church in Thessalonica, Paul sends Timothy back to check on the young believers he has left behind. Timothy returns with a report that the Thessalonians, although persecuted and attacked, are continuing to grow and mature in their faith. Paul's letter is in response to Timothy's good report.

The first half of the letter is personal and intimate, more concerned with spiritual growth than doctrine or theology.  The theology of the letter emphasizes the reality of the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus.  Paul commends the people for their faith and growth, claiming they are a model for the rest of Macedonia and Achaia and encourages them to be steady and stable in the faith.

There is a nice article on the letter at OverviewBible.

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul responds to some more serious questions about the second advent of Jesus, including apparent claims that Jesus has already returned.  The entire second chapter is a description of the second coming of Christ.  The third and final chapter encourages steady and consistent work and life by those who patiently await their Savior.  (OverviewBible.com also has a nice summary of II Thessalonians.)