Paul didn’t know what was happening to the Thessalonian church since he had left the area. The opposition of the Thessalonians had gone as far as going to the next town to disrupt Paul’s teaching (Acts 17.10-15). Paul had to wait it out both in Athens and then in Corinth and eventually he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see what was going on. No phones or emails or any way of checking that the baby Thessalonian Church was ok and hadn’t been destroyed by persecution. Our portion of chapter 2 here shows Paul as a parent, longing for news of their child, fearing for them.

He reminds his readers of their story. What happened between them, the way that they responded to the Good News and the motives behind his visit. Greeks and Romans were great arguers and considered the power of their rhetoric an important skill in political and philosophical life so Paul presents his telling of the Good News in stark contrast to this norm (2.4): Jesus is not about fine words but about transforming love, look at verse 8 to see the love Paul has for them. He calls himself a mother and a father to them but also Paul was like a child amongst them, not a sophisticated adult! This is about the love of the family of God, glued together by the Holy Spirit! Praise God for all the times we’ve experienced that kind of love in church or Christian events or working on a team. Let’s be encouraged that although Paul was with these people for a really short time, that love was kindled. Let it be so for us in our church situations.

So this letter is not a close argument about doctrine, instead a reminder about how these men and women found Jesus and what Paul and his friends did to share this good news with them.

It’s good to remember. To look back on our story as individuals and as church. At home we sometimes recount the tale of the early days of FOL together, it’s also the story of how we got married and our family life.  It’s good to remember the goodness of God and how He brought each of us to Himself and to make time to speak about all He’s done in our lives to glorify Him! These Thessalonians heard the Good News because of the Holy Spirit calling to Paul in a dream to ‘come over here and help us’ (Acts 16) and Paul obeyed that call.

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Take time to retell your own story of coming to Jesus for the first time, either to a friend or as a prayer of thanksgiving.