X-Dreamers
Bible chapter guide
1 Thessalonians 1
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy thank God for the Thessalonians' work of faith, labour of love and steadfastness of hope. They received the word in much affliction with joy, turned to God from idols, and wait for his Son from heaven.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
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Also in this chapter
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Strongly supported
1 Thessalonians written from Corinth
Timothy has just come back from Thessalonica (3:6), which fits Silas and Timothy joining Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5). Probably Paul's earliest surviving letter.
- Strongly supported
1 Thessalonians is probably the earliest of Paul's letters to survive.
Its setting (Acts 18:5) dates it to about AD 50–51, unless Galatians was written earlier still.
- Plausible
1 Thessalonians written from Athens
3:1–2 mentions being left at Athens and sending Timothy from there, which some take as the place of writing; but 3:6 reads as later.
How sure can we be?
- Textually stated
Timothy is named as co-sender of six of Paul's letters.
2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon open with Paul and Timothy (with Silas in the Thessalonian letters).
- Strongly supported
The Silas of Acts is the Silvanus of Paul's letters.
Silvanus is the Latin form of the name; both are with Paul and Timothy at Corinth (Acts 18:5; 2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1).