As we’re beginning a study of the letters to the Thessalonians we need to get a little background about the author and the recipients. First the author:
Paul wrote both of the letters to the Thessalonians. He’s a guy who’d had a fabulous conversion experience, transforming him from a Christian Murderer to a Christ Follower and Disciple Maker. At the time of Paul’s conversion, Jesus said, “He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9: 15) As we follow Paul’s ministry career, we see that he did, indeed, carry God’s word to each of those three groups!.
When speaking to the children of Israel (Jews), he spoke in a language that they would readily accept – the language of the Old Testament. Acts 17: 2, Paul goes to the Jews in the synagogue and reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Old Testament), explaining and proving that 1) it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and 2) it was necessary for the Messiah to rise from the dead and 3) that Jesus is the Messiah.
We don’t know which Scriptures Paul used to persuade the Jews, but we can guess. Isaiah 53 gives detail about the manner in which the Messiah would suffer: “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”
Paul used Scripture to prove that it was necessary for the Messiah to rise again after three days. In Matthew 12, after asking for a sign, the Pharisees were told, “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Paul knew the connection between the Old Testament story and Jesus’ fulfillment of it, so he may have used the Jonah story in his evangelism endeavors!
Lastly, Paul used the Old Testament to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah. He showed that Jesus fulfilled the Law, that the prophets spoke of him, and that Old Testament was full of references pointing to him. Jesus himself said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” (John 5: 46)
We 20th Century Gentiles find it strange that anyone could be saved by an evangelist who uses only the Old Testament. But Paul proved that it could be done. Acts 17: 4 says, ”And some of them (Jews) were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks (Gentiles)!” Paul demonstrated that both Jews and Gentiles can be evangelized using the Old Testament!
Recognizing the value of the Old Testament will create a desire to study it! We won’t be able to stop ourselves from digging in when we realize that it is the base of our Christian faith!
