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1 and 2 Thessalonians

Paul and his missionary companions found success preaching to the people in Thessalonica. They were eventually forced out of the city. Not long after they left, Paul learned that the Thessalonian Saints had remained faithful and were sharing the gospel with others. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reiterated his sincere devotion to God and to teaching the gospel. He also responded to the Saints’ concerns regarding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Paul later wrote a second letter to the Thessalonian Saints. This letter was written to correct false ideas about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Resources

• Background and Context

• Learn More

• Media

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

Background and Context

To whom were 1 and 2 Thessalonians written and why?

Thessalonica was a vibrant city that served as a communication and trade center. The city was built on a natural harbor on the Aegean Sea. A major highway connected it to other cities. Because of its location, Thessalonica was a natural base for spreading the gospel in Macedonia and Greece.

Paul and his companions, Silas and Timothy, established the Church in Thessalonica earlier in his second missionary journey. However, Jewish leaders forced Paul and his companions out of the city. After a brief stay in Athens, Paul went to Corinth, where he was joined again by Silas and Timothy.

Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the new converts were doing. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, both written from Corinth, were in response to Timothy’s report. 1 Thessalonians was written around AD 51 and is possibly the earliest of Paul’s letters.

Major themes in 1 Thessalonians are the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the nature of the Godhead. In this letter, Paul also offers praise and commendation for the Thessalonian Saints.

His second epistle was written a short time later, in about AD 51 or 52. This letter was meant to strengthen faith and address doctrinal misunderstandings. In it, Paul also prophesied of a “falling away” prior to the Second Coming of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:2

How did Paul and his missionary companions respond to mistreatment?

In Thessalonica, resistance to the gospel message came from both antagonistic Jews and Gentiles. Paul noted that in Philippi he and his companions were treated shamefully. The King James Version of the Bible states that they responded to the mistreatment with boldness and “much contention.” This phrase does not mean that Paul was contentious or argumentative in his preaching. Rather, it implies that he taught the gospel in the face of contention and opposition. Another Bible translation states, “But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition.”

1 Thessalonians 2:17–18

How did Satan hinder Paul?

Paul did not return to Thessalonica after he was driven out during his second missionary journey. He said he had been unable to return because he was “hindered” by Satan. Paul did not give any details about how Satan prevented him from returning to Thessalonica. However, we do know that persecution from Jews had already forced Paul to take many detours in his missionary labors. Concerning opposition to the Lord’s servants, President Howard W. Hunter noted, “Satan is always present and will do everything he can to hinder and block and defeat.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5

What does Paul teach about sexual relations?

In Paul’s day, sexual relations outside of marriage were tolerated and accepted by many Gentiles. Since most of the new members of the Church in Thessalonica were Gentiles, Paul felt it was necessary to strengthen their understanding of expected conduct regarding sexual behavior. He taught they were to “abstain from fornication.” Fornication is translated from the Greek word porneia and relates to sexual immorality. Paul also told the Saints to control their bodies and not give in to lustful passions.

Regarding standards of sexual conduct, Elder David A. Bednar stated: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage relationship prescribed in God’s plan. Such relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. … We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God—and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes, or secular philosophies.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 5:1–11

What was Paul’s message about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

In these passages, and in other places in the New Testament, the Greek word parousia is used in relation to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the Greco-Roman culture of Paul’s day, parousia described the arrival of a ruler or the “powerful manifestations of a god.” For example, the arrival of a Roman emperor to a community was anticipated with extensive preparation. Paul’s use of this word helped him stress the importance of proper preparation for Jesus Christ’s return to earth.

Paul’s teachings in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 indicate that there was some confusion among Thessalonian Saints about Christ’s Second Coming. It appears that some Church members expected the Lord’s return soon. Concerns developed when it did not happen immediately.

Apparently, some worried that those who recently had passed away would not be part of the Savior’s Second Coming. They also had concerns about what would happen to the faithful who had died when Jesus Christ returned.

Paul taught that those who are alive when Jesus Christ returns will not “‘have an advantage over’ … those who had already died, because when Jesus returns, those who had died in the faith would rise up and meet Christ first. Then, following this, those who are alive could be caught up to meet Jesus and they would all be together again (see 1 Thes. 4:16–17).”

The Thessalonian Saints’ preoccupation with the Lord’s Second Coming seems to have prompted Paul’s second letter to them. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12, Paul noted important signs that would precede the Savior’s return. He also addressed “idle behavior of Saints whose indolence seems to have been the result of an unrealistic expectation of an imminent Second Coming (see 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15).”

1 Thessalonians 5:1–8

Why are “children of light” better prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

Paul compared the Second Coming of Christ to the unexpected arrival of a thief in the night. This analogy was used earlier by Jesus Christ and is also found in modern-day scripture. The analogy illustrates that the Savior’s Second Coming will be a sudden and unexpected event for many.

The disciples of Jesus Christ, who are the “children of light,” will see the signs of the Lord’s return and not be caught off guard.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

What does it mean to quench the Spirit?

As part of his counsel on how to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Paul warned the Saints to “quench not the Spirit.” Quench is translated from a Greek word that means to extinguish, hinder, or thwart. “To quench the Spirit means to resist His influence, like trying to smother a fire. One of the fundamental rules of walking with God is that we should not say no to the Spirit of God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21

What does it mean to “prove all things”?

The Greek word translated as “prove” in the King James Version of the Bible means to test, examine, or discern. Paul invited the Thessalonian Saints to test, or “prove all things,” to distinguish between good and evil and to “hold fast that which is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:26

Why did Paul instruct the Saints to greet each other with a kiss?

One Bible scholar wrote: “Paul’s injunction for the Saints to greet one another ‘with an holy kiss’ would have felt like a comfortable and familiar sign of fellowship in his ancient Mediterranean context. But in the Western cultural context of America in the 1800s, the Lord inspired Joseph Smith to adapt this New Testament command to ‘salute one another with an holy salutation,’ perhaps as a way to apply this concept to His people living in a different time and place in which kissing was not viewed as a comfortable form of greeting within a church community.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1–4

What did Paul teach about the Apostasy?

Like in his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addressed misunderstandings about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He explained that prior to Christ’s Second Coming there would be a “falling away first.” “Falling away” is a translation of the Greek word apostasia, a word that can also mean “rebellion” or “mutiny.” Paul was speaking of a widespread, intentional fight against the Lord’s gospel and His Church.

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

“Prior to His Crucifixion, the Lord Jesus Christ had established His Church. It included apostles, prophets, seventies, teachers, and so forth. And the Master sent His disciples into the world to preach His gospel.

“After a time the Church as established by the Lord fell into spiritual decay. His teachings were altered; His ordinances were changed. The Great Apostasy came as had been foretold by Paul, who knew that the Lord would not come again ‘except there come a falling away first’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

“This Great Apostasy followed the pattern that had ended each previous dispensation. The very first was in the time of Adam. Then came dispensations of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others. Each prophet had a divine commission to teach of the divinity and the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ. In each age these teachings were meant to help the people. But their disobedience resulted in apostasy. Thus, all previous dispensations were limited in time and location. They were limited in time because each ended in apostasy. They were limited in location to a relatively small segment of planet earth.

“Thus a complete restoration was required. God the Father and Jesus Christ called upon the Prophet Joseph Smith to be the prophet of this dispensation. All divine powers of previous dispensations were to be restored through him. This dispensation of the fulness of times would not be limited in time or in location. It would not end in apostasy, and it would fill the world.”

2 Thessalonians 2:3–9

Who is the “son of perdition”?

The Joseph Smith Translation makes clear that Paul was referring to Satan in these verses. The word perdition comes from the Latin perdere, meaning “destruction.” It is a title given to Lucifer when he was cast out of God’s presence during the premortal life. All those who followed Satan and rebelled against God in the pre-earth life were cast out and became sons of perdition. Paul described the “man of sin” as one who “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.”

2 Thessalonians 2:10–12

Why would God send strong delusions to the wicked?

Paul warned that those who deliberately reject the truth and turn from it will experience a strong or powerful delusion. Without the Holy Ghost, they will believe a lie. The prophet Alma described how a person can lose the light of understanding: “He that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries.”

Learn More

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

• Russell M. Nelson, “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2020, 12–17

• Neil L. Andersen, “Thy Kingdom Come,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 119–23

• Topics and Questions, “Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Gospel Library

The Apostasy

• Topics and Questions, “Apostasy,” Gospel Library

Media

Images

Second Coming

The Second Coming, by Harry Anderson

He Comes Again to Rule and Reign, by Mary R. Sauer

Christus Consolator, by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Videos

“The Apostasy and Restoration” (1:51)

“Dispensations: The Pattern of Apostasy and Restoration” (6:52)

Notes

1. See Kenneth L. Barker and others, eds., NIV Study Bible: Fully Revised Edition (2020), 2103, note in introduction to 1 Thessalonians.

2. See Richard Lloyd Anderson, Understanding Paul: Revised Edition (2007), 69.

3. See Acts 17:1–4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9.

4. See Acts 17:5–10; 1 Thessalonians 2:17.

5. See Acts 17:15–34; 18:1–5.

6. See 1 Thessalonians 3:1–3.

7. See Frank F. Judd Jr., “The Epistles of the Apostle Paul: An Overview,” in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell (2019), 422–24.

8. See 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13–17; 5:1–10, 23.

9. See 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 5–6; 3:11; 4:8; 5:19.

10. See Earl D. Radmacher and others, eds., NKJV Study Bible, 3rd ed. (2018), 1811.

11. See 2 Thessalonians 2:2.

12. 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12.

13. See Acts 17:5–10.

14. Harold W. Attridge and others, eds., The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (2006), 2007, note for 1 Thessalonians 2:2.

15. See Acts 17:10.

16. 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

17. See Acts 17:13–15.

18. The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams (1997), 252.

19. 1 Thessalonians 4:3.

20. “Although often translated as ‘fornication’ in English versions (e.g., KJV, NASB, NRSV), porneia in most contexts is a general term for illicit sexual behavior. It is often associated with other sexual vices, such as akatharsia (‘moral impurity’), aselgeia (‘licentiousness’), epithymia (‘desire, lust’), and moicheia (‘adultery’)” (Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words [2023], 729).

21. The King James Bible uses the phrase “lust of concupiscence.” Concupiscence is the “blind tendency or inclination to evil” (Robert L. Millet, “The Process of Salvation,” in Salvation in Christ: Comparative Christian Views, ed. Roger R. Keller and Robert L. Millet [2005], 158).

22. David A. Bednar, “We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 42.

23. See 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

24. Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, 622, entry 4242.

25. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

26. See 1 Thessalonians 4:15–16. Compare to Doctrine and Covenants 88:96–97.

27. Frank F. Judd Jr., The Essential New Testament Companion: Key Insights to Your Gospel Study (2014), 169.

28. Eric D. Huntsman, “The Occasional Nature, Composition, and Structure of Paul’s Letters,” in How the New Testament Came to Be: The Thirty-fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, ed. Kent P. Jackson and Frank F. Judd Jr. (2006), 192.

29. See 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

30. See Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39.

31. See Doctrine and Covenants 106:4–5.

32. 1 Thessalonians 5:5.

33. See 1 Thessalonians 5:4–5; see also Doctrine and Covenants 106:5.

34. See 1 Thessalonians 5:6–23.

35. Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, 1135, entry 4570.

36. Earl D. Radmacher and others, eds., NKJV Study Bible, 3rd ed. (2018), 1810, note for 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

37. See “dokimazo” in Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, 819, entry 1381a.

38. 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

39. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, “The Lord Guides His Church According to Our Language and Understanding” [digital-only article], Liahona, Aug. 2022, Gospel Library.

40. 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

41. Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, 1050, entry 646.

42. Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 79–80.

43. See Joseph Smith Translation, 2 Thessalonians 2:7–9 (in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, footnote a); italics indicate changed text).

44. Andrew C. Skinner, “In Praise of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: The Culmination of His Saving Work,” in Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God: The Person and Work of Jesus in the New Testament, ed. Eric D. Huntsman and others (2018), 32.

45. See Doctrine and Covenants 76:26.

46. 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

47. Alma 12:10–11.