The joyful tone of this week's epistle lesson may at first seem to clash with the rather ominous, eschatological warnings uttered by Jesus in today's gospel text about the imminent approach of the Son of Man. Yet it is the same vision that informs both Paul's exuberance and Jesus' exhortation. Both Jesus and Paul are educating and encouraging believers about how they should conduct themselves in preparation for the eschatological age.

Paul's thankfulness is in response to the report Timothy has brought him from the Gentile-Christian community in Thessalonia. Although he had personally preached before these early Christians, Paul's comments here are based on information from his envoy Timothy. Paul had remained in Athens, not accompanying Timothy on his journey to Thessalonia. There is scho…