return Here, the apostle not only gives the details of prophecy but he also shows how Christians should be living day by day in light of the Lord’s return That practical emphasis will be evident as you study the epistles I PREPARATION FOR STUDY Before you begin to read the Thessalonian letters, answer the following questions on the basis of your present knowledge and interpretation of eschatology (doctrine of last things): Will Jesus return to this earth? If so, what signs or events will precede His coming? Will the saints be raptured (caught up) to heaven before Christ returns to the earth? If so, will there be a period between such a rapture and His coming to earth? What will Christ when He returns? For how long will Christ remain on earth? Then what? II BACKGROUND OF THE THESSALONIAN LETTERS A THE CITY OF THESSALONICA Name The city was originally named Therme When it was refounded by Cassander, around 315 B.C., he named it Thessalonica, after his wife Location Study carefully the location of Thessalonica, as shown on Map V, page 337 Note the city’s strategic position as a seaport and on the Egnatian Way, which was the principal east-west trade and military route between Rome and Asia Minor.2 How does this strategic location shed light on Thessalonians 1:8? Observe the other two important cities of this part of Macedonia, Philippi, and Berea, which Paul visited on his second missionary journey Why did Paul concentrate much of his missionary tours in key cities of the Empire? Note the location of Corinth on the map It was from here that Paul wrote both of the Thessalonian letters Population The population of Thessalonica in Paul’s day has been estimated as around 200,000 (about half its present population) Of this number most were Greeks, but there was also a fairly large Jewish segment in the city From the following description, try to visualize Paul’s impressions of the bustling city as he rst entered it on his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1): With overland caravans thronging its hostelries, with its harbor lled with ship’s bottoms from overseas, with old salts, Roman o cials, and thousands of Jewish merchants rubbing shoulders in its streets, Thessalonica presented a cosmopolitan picture It is very suggestive that the Jewish opponents of Paul should have called Paul and his co-workers “world-topplers” (Acts 17:6).3 Government Thessalonica was made the capital of the province of Macedonia in 148 B.C It gained the status of a free city in 42 B.C and elected its own government o cials (Note the reference to city rulers in Acts 17:6.) Commerce As noted earlier, the city was a strategic trade center, with connections by land and sea This determined its commercial “personality.” It ... tours in key cities of the Empire? Note the location of Corinth on the map It was from here that Paul wrote both of the Thessalonian letters Population The population of Thessalonica in Paul’s... earth? Then what? II BACKGROUND OF THE THESSALONIAN LETTERS A THE CITY OF THESSALONICA Name The city was originally named Therme When it was refounded by Cassander, around 315 B.C., he named it Thessalonica,... 17:6).3 Government Thessalonica was made the capital of the province of Macedonia in 148 B.C It gained the status of a free city in 42 B.C and elected its own government o cials (Note the reference