And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, (13)  so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

4 (1) Finally then , brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus, that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; (2) for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

The first letter to the Thessalonians was written by the Apostle Paul and is likely the earliest Biblical letter from Paul.  On his second missionary journey Paul was accompanied by Silas, Timothy and for part of the journey, Luke.  Paul had been directed in a vision to head to Macedonia and, through this trip, the evangelizing of Europe began.  Paul, Timothy and Silas arrived in Thessalonica, a good size city with a natural harbor and the seat of Roman government for all of Macedonia.  Paul began his preaching at the synagogue there – he would prove from the Old Testament that the Messiah must suffer and be raised from the dead and that Jesus is the Messiah.  As Paul attracted believers, Jewish and Gentile,  the Christian group grew and this incited the envy and hostility of the Jews.  There was rioting and accusation against the Christian assembly that they were upsetting society and opposing Caesar’s decrees.  .  In light of this and the threat to Paul’s host, Jason,  Paul, Silas and Timothy left Thessalonica.  Paul was much concerned about the converts there and later sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage the Christians there and to report on them to Paul.  This report of Timothy, brought to Paul at Corinth undoubtedly was the occasion of the first letter to the Thessalonians.

The stamina of the converts at Thessonica in the face of opposition was noted and praised and also Paul addressed the question of his Apostolic authority.  Paul wrote this letter on a number of themes but primarily he addressed the second coming of Christ when  the judgment of God would be devastation against the ungodly but the believers would experience salvation and glory.  The Christian believers could anticipate deliverance at any moment but this immanent return of Christ did not release them from their obligations to continue their responsibilities to work and provide for themselves and their families.

The reading for today concerns the love the Apostle Paul urges for the Christians in Thessalonica.  He is assuming that love is already present from the report of Timothy about the health of the Church there.   The verb for love in this passage is translated as a love of the will and not love that is done for appearance or motivated by emotional attraction.  The Spirit transforms us and we are to look to the Lord to work in our hearts.  This active love is the route to holy conduct in which no fault can be found.  These words read not as a request but as a literal goal.  Every chapter in this epistle ends with a reference to the return of Jesus Christ and in this section this great truth is applied to motivate expected daily living toward salvation.