Paul claimed that the believers at Thessalonica became followers of him, but does this mean they became Paul’s disciples? No, of course not, because the text also says, in doing so they became followers of Christ. Paul’s point seems to be that it is a universal rule that men follow whomsoever they admire: parents, teachers, leaders etc. The simple rule is, folks will follow the lead of other folks. For example, in his second letter to the Corinthians Paul was concerned over the church there, because some men had been corrupting the Gospel and leading the church in a different direction, and a good portion of the membership seems to have listened to them without using any discernment (2Corinthians 11:1-4). Calling these men fools, he complains to the church that they seem to approve of being enslaved, being taken advantage of, or insulted—and by men who exalt their positions over them (2Corinthians 11:19-20). Therefore, Paul emphasized to the Thessalonians that they needed to follow his example, because he was following Christ (cp. 1Corinthians 11:1), just as they had been doing (1Thessalonians 1:6).
The point is, as they followed Paul, as he followed Christ, they, themselves, began to be examples to all in Macedonia and beyond. In other words, folks began following them, as they followed Christ (1Thessalonians 1:7). Therefore, they, too, became preachers of the Gospel, as they testified to others, both acquaintances and travelers, as to why their behavior had changed (1Thessalonians 1:8).
We need to keep in mind that Christianity had no history during the first century AD. It was just beginning, and most folks, especially in the gentile community, had never even heard of it. Even the name Christian was new and had to be explained to others.[1] In fact, believers didn’t begin to call themselves by this name until the second century AD. During the first century, it was a bit of a slur word attached to believers in Christ (Acts 26:28; cp. 1Peter 4:16).[2] So, the change in the behavior of the Thessalonian believers would have been a novelty, which needed an explanation, at least to the curious, and most people are curious. Hearing about Christ in this way would have both shocked and wondered folks. If they wondered enough to ask more about Jesus, they may very well have been converted from their then current worldview to embrace the Gospel wrapped in the testimony of the Thessalonian believers, just as Paul’s readers had done upon hearing about Jesus through his Gospel.
It was thrilling for Paul to hear about his own work in Thessalonica from strangers he spoke with in Athens (1Thessalonians 1:9). Paul’s mention of idols, is a bit clouded due to our modern understanding, in my opinion. Most modern scholars attribute the term to sculpted images of the gods of Greece etc. Nevertheless, this couldn’t be so in this case. Why? It is because Paul had been preaching (at least for the most part) in the synagogues (Acts 17:1-2). Therefore, he preached only (as far as Luke is concerned) to Jews and gentile God-fearers who worshiped with the Jews.
It is uncertain if Paul preached to other gentiles in the marketplace, because Luke never mentions it. Moreover, if, as is assumed by most modern scholars, that the main thrust of Paul’s preaching was to gentiles, why would the Jews organize a plot against his mission, that is, if it had little or nothing to do with Judaism? Moreover, if they did such a thing, why would gentiles want to listen to Jewish arguments, if, indeed, Paul’s mission was almost entirely to gentiles? Luke’s account at Acts 17:1-9 makes no sense at all, if the modern scholars are correct, namely, that Paul’s mission was largely gentile in nature at Thessalonica. Therefore, the idols that Paul mentions in 1Thessalonians 1:9 must refer to the elders of Judaism (cp. Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13). Rather than believing the word of God and following the examples of its ‘heroes’, the scribes and Pharisees modeled their lives after men who authored the traditions of the elders. In doing so, they made them into little gods, worshiping them rather than the true God, whose word their traditions nullified. It is these gods (cp. Psalm 82) that both the Jewish and gentile believers left, when they believed the Gospel Paul preached.
According to 1Thessalonians 1:10, these same believers quietly awaited the return of the crucified and resurrected Jesus in whom they trusted for salvation from the coming wrath. The days of the first century AD represented the end of the age, meaning the end of the Old Covenant (cp. Deuteronomy 31:29). The Apostles taught those days, the days in which they lived encapsulated the end of the age, namely, the first century AD (Acts 2:17; 1Peter 1:20; 1John 2:18). It would be the time when the Lord would judge his people, calling some to repentance, and others to destruction who wouldn’t repent. It was from this wrath of God that believers trusted they would be saved by believing in and following Jesus.
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[1] See my study on this subject: They Called Us Christian at Antioch!
[2] Agrippa wasn’t complimenting Paul in his use of the word Christian. Actually, he was counting it ridiculous that Paul could think that he, King Agrippa, would submit to embracing the name Christian. Moreover, notice how Peter attached ‘shame’ to the name Christian, encouraging his readers not to be ashamed of being persecuted under the name Christian.
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