orphans by being separated from you” (2:17). Only such a profound word-picture could convey the heartbreak he felt at being removed from their presence.54 For Paul, again, the church was not like a family, it was family.55
Cult
In 1 Thessalonians, the second key image from which Paul draws comes from the Jewish cult, particularly Jewish notions of holiness, purity, and sacrifice.56 The foundation for how Jews understood holiness comes from their idea of a holy God, a God who is all-powerful, perfect in all righteousness, and yet also perfect in love and mercy.57 When God brought Israel out of Egypt, he called them to be a holy nation (Exod 19:6), a people set apart for himself. Their way of life was meant to be in contrast to that of the sinful world, and also they were intended to display the true nature of their God.58 Holiness and purity were also important when it came to temple service and sacrifice. Priests must be consecrated, and part of their priestly service was to “distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean” (Lev 10:10). Very specific protocols existed for how things were to be done. Atoning animals offered in sacrifice must be without blemish (see Lev 1–9; Num 28–29). The same is used in the New Testament of Jesus, a lamb “without defect or blemish” (1 Peter 1:18); and, again, the same is used to characterize believers (Eph 5:27).
One of Paul’s favorite ways to refer to believers is “saints” or “holy people”—typically he begins his letters addressing his churches with this label (so 1 Cor 1:1–2). Though he does not use this title in 1 Thessalonians, he does refer several times to the importance of their becoming holy in view of the return of the Messiah (see 3:13; 5:23). In 4:3, he summarizes God’s will for them as hagiasmos, “consecration” (often translated “sanctification”). As James Thomson notes, while it would not have seemed strange to Gentiles to relate religion to purity or holiness, “Paul extends the sphere of holiness from the cult to include aspects of daily life, including sexual relationships.”59
Both of the two wish-prayers in 1 Thessalonians (3:13; 5:23) use holiness language in relation to the presentation of the Thessalonians before God at the return of Jesus, such that it is almost as if they will be offered as a living sacrifice then. Paul sees it as his pastoral duty to prepare this eschatological offering, and he is particularly anxious that this sacrifice is perfect. This would make sense in light of Rom 15:16 where Paul portrays himself as an apostle-priest responsible for the offering of the Gentiles such that they may be “acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”60 Ultimately, Paul’s use of cult language (holiness, purity, sacrifice) has to do with his understanding that believers owe their whole life in dedication and service to the redeeming God. Paul’s emphasis on the day of reckoning in this letter is not meant as a threat (which would stand at cross-purposes with his desire to comfort them), but as an indicator of the will of the One who truly matters.
Military
Though it explicitly appears only briefly, mention should also be made of Paul’s use of a military image: “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (5:8). Paul was clearly encouraging them to close ranks, as it were, and be vigilant in the face of opposition. Occasionally in his letters Paul did use war metaphors (Rom 13:12; 2 Cor 6:7; 10:4; cf. Eph 6:11–17). He wished to represent the present time as one of opposition against evil—hence his appeal to the Thessalonians needing to continue to live as people of day and light, not darkness and night. Roman soldiers were known for resoluteness and bravery, and their unswerving allegiance to the sovereign. So too the Thessalonians were called to be intrepid in the face of persecution and to war against darkness in service of the Lord Jesus. It should be emphasized, though, that while Paul may have drawn from Greco-Roman language of warfare,61 he did not endorse Rome’s way of bringing peace (i.e., through bloodshed). The “armor” he summons them to don is that of loyalty, love, and hope (5:8). Their “warfare” should not be characterized by violence, but nevertheless they should be on the offense in the mission of the gospel, and not simply on the defense. Their faith should carry the marks of resoluteness and fearlessness as God goes before them and empowers them. The Messiah has called them, no doubt, to a peace-keeping and peace-making mission, but it ought to be anything but passive.
Perhaps today some balk at the use of warfare language in relation to Christian theology and life, but Paul was not an especially macho or aggressive person. Rather, he was attuned to the reality of a cosmic war being waged against the forces of evil. When he writes to the Romans, he warns them about “what time it is.” It is almost time for the day to dawn, for the Messiah to return. However, that does not mean that it is time to sit back and wait for him to descend. Quite the opposite: “Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12). Waiting for the Parousia involves “active waiting,” readiness such that we are found doing the work of the kingdom when the Lord visits us unexpectedly. If we really believe we have a battle to win against evil, we will be all-the-more serious about making every moment count. That was a message Paul wanted the Thessalonians to learn well.
Along with the above key images in 1 Thessalonians, we can add a number of important themes: wrath and salvation, trust and work, hope and endurance, thanksgiving and joy, and—last but not least—love.
“Wrath” and Salvation
For some reason, the Thessalonians were particularly concerned with the end of the world. Certainly Paul taught them about things yet to come, but he would have wanted neither to instill fear nor paranoia. Still, in his first letter he did not shy away from talking about divine wrath. For Paul, wrath (orgē) was not about an unbridled divine fury that might break out at any time for any reason. Rather, the divine orgē was about God’s anger for justice, his disgust at a world spun out of control, and his passion for re-calibrating the world he created so that it lived according to the standards of equality and peace for which he originally made it.
Paul warned the Thessalonians of this impending judgment day, and instead of them fearing it, they could take heart that Jesus was the Rescuer and that they were not going to face the judgment of God’s justice-anger (1:10). They had the hope of a sure salvation (5:8) because God has made their position secure through Messiah Jesus (5:9). Instead, those who seek to do evil, to hinder the reconciling and redeeming gospel, will face wrath because they do not wish for all to know God’s salvation in Jesus.
Loyalty and Work
Another important theme in 1 Thessalonians involves pistis and ergon— “loyalty” and “work.” There has been an unfortunate tendency in Christian history in the past few centuries to make “faith” something opposed to “work,” but in 1 Thessalonians these words make a happy pair: “work of trust” (1 Thess 1:3). “Work” is the outworking of “trust.” Paul commends both. Their “trust” is known throughout Macedonia as they follow Jesus despite great opposition (1:8), and Paul was comforted by Timothy’s “good news” of their ongoing allegiance to the Messiah (3:6).62
First Thessalonians is most well-known by Christians, and even in scholarship, for Paul’s teaching about eschatological events. No doubt Paul gave attention to what is penultimate and ultimate. However, it is unfortunate that his Thessalonian letters are not equally known for Paul’s teaching on the importance—and even the goodness—of work. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his work and toil as he made his own living while in town so as
