Commentary on 1 Thessalonians

“Commentary on 1 Thessalonians” consists of 11 conversations that were delivered by St. John Chrysostom in Constantinople, presumably in the spring of 402. In the 1st conversation of St. John speaks of the need to stay awake in anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ: “If we watch and be sober, he will come to us not as a thief, but as a royal messenger, calling us to the good things prepared for us. If we sleep, he will appear like a thief.” The saint also names the conditions under which our prayers are beneficial: “when we do something; the prayers (of others) assist and help, but someone can only assist and help someone who is already acting; if you yourself remain inactive, you will not receive much benefit.” The 6th and 7th conversations are devoted to the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. The reason for mourning for the dead is unbelief: “Why do you cry if you believe that the deceased will be resurrected, that he did not perish, that death is sleep and peace?” All the dead will be worthy of resurrection, but not all will be worthy of glorification, but only those who believed in Christ and lived righteously. In the 8th conversation of St. John speaks about the circumstances of the future resurrection, about the rewards and punishment that await us. The conversations touch on topics such as Christian friendship (Conversation 2), temptations (Conversation 3), sin and virtue (Conversations 4,9,10,11), purity in marriage (Conversation 5), etc. *The title of the work in Greek is ῾Υπόμνημα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς πρώτην ἐπιστολήν. *The title of the work in Latin is In epistulam I ad Thessalonicenses homiliae 1-11. Conversation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Thessaloniki (modern Greek city of Thessaloniki) was the most important trading port of the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul visited there with Silas during his second missionary journey after his expulsion from Philippi (Acts 17:1–10). Despite the violent hostility of the Jews, which forced Paul and Silas to leave Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul managed to lay the foundations of a Christian community in the city. 1 Thessalonians is one of Paul's first letters. The co-authors of the letter are Silas and Timofey. It was written after Paul's visit to Athens (1 Thess. 3:1) and after Timothy's return from an inspection trip to Thessalonica to the local Christian community (1 Thess. 3:6), with which Paul was pleased. The author does not skimp on praise for the community, which consisted of former pagans (1 Thess. 1:9). He calls her a “model” (Greek: τύπους) for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thess. 1:7), and her parishioners as sons of light (1 Thess. 5:5). The letter was known to the ancient Fathers of the Church, it is mentioned by Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Constantinople in 399. You might be interested in: