1 Thessalonians: The Young Church in Action – Welcome to Thessalonica!

A relatively young city in the ancient world, Thessalonica was an important commercial city in the bosom of the Roman empire. Known as “the gem of Macedonia,” Thessalonica lay along the important Roman road, the Egnatian Way. It also boasted of verdant farmlands to the north and sat on one of the busiest seaports in the Aegean Sea. Thessalonica was a “free city” and as long as it maintained its loyalty to the Emperor of Rome it was allowed to govern itself through a democratic system, mint its own coins, and was under the full protection of Rome. Sometime in the spring of 49 or 50 A.D., the apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy, after being shamefully treated in the northern city of Philippi, boldly preach the gospel to both Jew and Gentile in Thessalonica. The gospel was gladly received, especially by the Gentiles, who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The Jews, however, became so jealous that they instigated an uproar in the city center, causing grave civil concerns to the authorities and thus, Paul and his companions were forced to leave abruptly. Join us as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon starts this exciting new series on a young church in the midst of conflict but filled with the joy of new found hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.