1 Thessalonians
INTRODUCTION
1 & 2 THESSALONIANS
WILLIAM L. LANE
The dynamics of the Gentile mission to a cosmopolitan center and the problems which emerged with the establishment of a church are illustrated by the two letters to the Thessalonians. The first letter clarifies the meaning of commitment to Jesus Christ for people among whom idolatry had been common and to whom immorality had been a way of life. The second letter deals with a misunderstanding that had created a crisis in the church. With these documents—possibly our earliest Pauline correspondence—the use of letters emerges as an invaluable support in the mission to the Gentiles.