This affectionate letter, one of Paul’s first (A.D. 51), was written to encourage these new believers in their faith, to give them assurance about the eternal state of believerts who had died, to remind them of “the coming of the Lord” (4:15), and to exhort them to godly living. He urged them to be at peace, and to “give thanks in all circumstances” (5:18). Thessalonica (present-day Thessaloniki, Greece) was the capital of Roman Macedonia. It lay astride important trade routes. Paul, twice identified as the author (1:1; 2:18), visited thessalonica on his second missionary journey but was forced to flee because of intense Jewish opposition. Soon he sent Timothy to the largely Gentile church there. Timothy brought him good news of their faith. (3:6). Marquis reads from the ESV Bible.

Total running time: 10 minutes.