“To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:1, NKJV)
Salutations can be tricky business, especially nowadays with the prevalence of emails. Sometimes we will go for the tone we want to create. “Hi” might work. “Hello” could be a bit more stilted. Other times we may conform to the convention that we think is expected, perhaps “Dear,” but then we get stuck on whether the person we are addressing is male or female. “Dear Person” may find its way to the trash can forthwith.
Paul’s salutation to the church at Thessolonica, however, is right on the mark. He writes with apostolic authority and so his name finds prominence, and the letter a place in the Pauline corpus. But he also writes on behalf of his coworkers, Silvanus and Timothy. The body of the letter carries the voice of the apostle, expressing his personal concern and affection.
Having identified himself, Paul identifies the recipient. In essence, he says, “Dear Thessalonian Church of God in Christ.” Paul writes to a church. What is a church? The term used can literally be put “call out ones” and sometimes we will hear the church is those called out of the world.
But that’s only half the story. We are indeed called out but we are also brought together. Christians are the assembly of God’s people, whose identity are ones belonging to God, bearing the name of Christ, a worshiping assembly, whose mission is in service to the kingdom of God in this world.
In the case of a local church, a relationship is established between leaders and a group of believers. Paul touches on this later when he says: “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thess. 5:12–13).
The letter would not be delivered to an address, such as we might think today of a church building, but to a location that would tap in to the people of God in the designated city. At the letter’s close Paul says: “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren” (1 Thess. 5:27). The correspondence was not simply for a pastor’s ears but for the people, the entire church family in Thessalonica.
Paul’s apostolic tone and authority are conveyed in how he addresses the church. He greets them “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” They are the church of God and are so because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Later in the letter, Paul will sort this out: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).
We are the people of God through the purchase of the Son. That’s why Jesus is identified as “Lord.” He is the One to whom all authority has been given. That identification of Jesus and our relationship to Him as such will be on display throughout the epistle.
When Paul extends “grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” he is reminding us that he is not merely writing his own mind. He is communicating the Word of God and extending blessings that belong to us because we are in Christ.
The apostle’s greeting is not mere Christian jargon or casual, like we might ask the welfare of someone simply as a matter of form. “I hope this email finds you well.” Terms like grace and peace are expressions that are poignant, profound, and potent for all that Paul will address within.
In what way is Paul’s salutation dealing with necessities rather than niceties for the content to come?
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
