Reading First Thessalonians

This letter was probably the first that Paul wrote, or definitely one of the earliest. Once again, it was an extremely personal letter, with the majority of the content spent on encouraging the believers at Thessalonica. Paul wants this church to keep working hard for Christ, and continue hoping, and waiting patiently for the return of Christ.

Paul does include some doctrinal issues in this letter. He focuses on unity, especially between Christians within the church. He assures believers that mourning the dead is alright, and is spiritually and morally fine. Paul spends lots of time discussing why and how Christians should wait for God's arrival, and also how this should affect their conduct every day. 

First Thessalonians is a simple, yet very profound letter that can have amazing impacts on our lives today. It is a great read for encouragement, and also for learning. Perhaps it is also one of the best Epistles to read first, with the others being more theologically heavy.

Lutheran Layman