At the beginning of the month, I told you that we would be exploring what it looks like to be followers of Christ, to live into the kingdom of God. Focusing on Paul’s letter to the Philippians the last two weeks, we have looked at our call to become like Christ and our call to serve all those we encounter with gentleness. This week, we turn to another of Paul’s letters to explore a different call - our call to be an example to others.
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Our reading today comes from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10). This letter is thought to be the earliest of Paul’s letters to make their way into the Bible. Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and sat along several important land and sea trade routes. It was an important city in that region of the Roman empire, and therefore a perfect destination for Paul’s efforts.
Paul was with the people of Thessalonica for a time, teaching them and helping them to grow. Once they were in a position to continue on their own, he moved on. But he continued to send these letters back to them, letters meant to continue the teaching he had started.