id="ulink_a5c48356-06d2-5b45-b269-77af4315249e">A third problem in Thessalonica apparently pertained to the death of some members of the church (4:13–18). Paul felt the need to comfort them by urging that the recently-deceased believers would be especially honored at the return of the Lord. Many scholars believe that the Thessalonians naively thought that everyone would remain alive until the return of the Messiah, so the death of church members was perplexing and even traumatizing. This is possible, but it does not account for the unusual emphasis Paul places on the dead in the Messiah being lifted up first, before the living at the return of the Messiah (4:15). Why would they receive this honor of priority? A minority of scholars (including myself) hypothesize that those who died may have been martyred, killed by persecutors.45 This view accords well with how it could be possible that several people died in the same small believing community around the same time a short while after Paul left. Furthermore, it explains why Paul focuses on their position of honor—those who died for their allegiance to Messiah deserve such a special role.
Excursus: Hypothesizing a Clandestine Attack
One scenario that could bring several issues together in 1 Thessalonians is the consideration that the opponents of the believing Thessalonians planned some kind of clandestine attack. Let’s say certain upset Jews, (former) friends of these god-fearers-turned-Jesus-followers, secretly attacked their workshop or apartment building. Let’s say they set it on fire at night. This could explain how some people died at once. It could also explain why some are “weak” (injured?) and others are “faint hearted” (5:14). Furthermore, what if these same Jews blamed this fire on “the wrath of God” because these god-fearers began to follow Paul and worship Messiah Jesus (whom these Jews would have considered a false messiah)? What if these Jews tried to convince the Thessalonian believers that they could reclaim “peace and security” if they forsook Jesus and returned to the synagogue (5:3)? What if Jewish prophets “prophesied” further doom if they did not (see 5:20–21)? Paul’s wider message would be clear in response to this: Jesus is Lord, he is judge, salvation and hope are centered on him.
Coming of the Lord
The last major concern that Paul raises relates to the timing of the coming of the Lord (5:1–11). Paul is unwilling to say more than that it will be unexpected (5:2–3). He turns their attention away from timetable theories towards faithfulness and upright behavior today. The timing doesn’t matter if, in waiting for the master, you are always at work in your duties (see Luke 12:41–48). Somewhere along the way, a fear struck them that they might not be ready. Paul comforts them by reminding them of their firmly-anchored identity in the Messiah (5:9), but challenges them to live faithfully in light of that identity.
Minor Concerns?
The above issues (persecution, sexual purity, the dead in the Messiah, the coming of the Lord) are Paul’s main concerns in 1 Thessalonians, but potentially he was also addressing other, minor matters. For example, there is some evidence that the church may have had internal divisions and communal problems; Paul seems to briefly address these (see 4:9–11; 5:12–15). Also, Paul may have had a small concern for those he calls ataktoi (“the idle troublemakers”), but his mention of them is brief enough that it is not significant at this point for him (5:14; it becomes a major problem by the time he writes 2 Thessalonians). Also, is it possible that the Thessalonian believers had been thrown into confusion by (false?) prophecies (5:20–21)? Again, this is plausible, but the brief mention offers little information.
Paul on Trial?
A final matter worth considering as a reason for 1 Thessalonians pertains to whether Paul felt the need to defend himself (especially in order to maintain the integrity of the gospel he preached). Many scholars, including myself, detect a defensive tone in Paul’s self-description in 2:1–12. Paul felt the need to say that he was not deceitful, nor did he resort to trickery. He was not a flatterer, nor motivated by greed or popularity. He did not want their money and tried to remain blameless before them. In chapter three, he communicates his relief when he heard the report from Timothy that the Thessalonians remembered him fondly and wanted to see him (3:6).46
But why would Paul feel the need to defend his integrity? Perhaps, when he had to flee spontaneously at night (see Acts 17:10a), suspicions arose about Paul’s sudden disappearance. As Michael Holmes explains, Paul was concerned
that his behavior and that of his companions might be misunderstood—or, more likely, misrepresented—in a way that would call into question the validity and integrity of the gospel itself. Religious charlatans and frauds were a dime a dozen in the ancient world, and the way Paul and Silas slipped out of town in the middle of the night would have made it only too easy to pigeonhole them as just one more pair of rip-off artists out to scam people. From there it was only a short step to the conclusion that their message was no more truthful than they were, and thus the people might reject it along with them.47
Images and Themes in 1 Thessalonians
There is no denying that Paul loved using metaphors and images to help his churches understand their identity in God through Messiah.48 He loved to use word pictures to capture what it means to serve Messiah Jesus. His letters are peppered with dozens of metaphors, but we can easily identify three key “images” that dominate 1 Thessalonians in particular: family, cult, and military.49
Family
There is no more powerful and comprehensive metaphor used in 1 Thessalonians than that of the church as family. It is easily recognized, even from the first verse, that God is called Father (1:1; cf. 1:3; 3:11, 13). More striking than that, though, is the frequency with which Paul calls the Thessalonian believers brothers and sisters (adelphoi).50 The community of Messiah Jesus is more than a club of like-minded religious people. They belong together in the most intimate kind of relationship that can be conceived.51 So well-known did this image become of early Christianity that in the second century outsiders accused Christians of being incestuous because some were married who called each other brother and sister.52
Paul does not explain why he calls the Thessalonians “brothers and sisters,” but undoubtedly this would have been explained when he first taught them about their faith. Paul would have preached about the unique sonship of Messiah Jesus, Son of God, and that all may also become children of the one God through Jesus, Gentiles receiving the blessing of being included in the unique adoption of Israel (Rom 8:29; Gal 4:5; cf. Rom 9:4; Col 1:13; Eph 1:5).
For Paul, to be “brothers and sisters” through the Messiah is not merely a term of endearment, nor simply a theological construct; Paul expected the reality of this theological truth to create an intimate community. Beginning in 4:9, Paul addresses the matter of philadelphia—sibling-love. It was encoded into their corporate life to express this kind of kinship love and Paul commends them for this. He expected—and found—deep affection within this group.
As for Paul’s own relationship with the Thessalonians, part of his purpose in writing the letter, no doubt, is to underscore his love and affection for these suffering fellow-believers. Thus, when he calls them “brothers and sisters,” not only does this remind them that they are siblings to each other, but also that he is their brother through Jesus. Yet, he is not unwilling to mix metaphors, even familial ones! He also portrays himself in comparison to a mother tenderly nourishing her beloved (2:7) and also a father encouraging his children (2:11–12).53
