The Thessalonian church held a tender place in Paul’s heart because of their working faith. In his first letter to them, he emphasized the life-changing Gospel as the ground for godly living and corporate worship. When the Thessalonians came to believe in Jesus Christ through Paul’s preaching, they experienced God’s power to live holy lives that pleased and glorified Him.
In volume one of this series, Alistair Begg introduces the Thessalonian church and Paul’s affection for it. The Thessalonians are an example of healthy spiritual life because they were grounded in the Gospel through faith, and they had been transformed as a result, living to please God and adorn the Gospel in which they believed. Likewise, Paul and Timothy offer us an example of pastoral ministry in their building up of this church for the sake of the Gospel.