NCCS

In the first century, the Thessalonian church grieved deaths in their community, endured harsh persecution, and struggled with questions about the future. Paul offered them the comforts and reassurances of hope in the Messiah, but he offered far more than mere wishful thinking or ''pie in the sky'' comfort. Paul''s emphasis on hope in Jesus involved capturing a vision of God''s redeemed and just future in order to see and live faithfully today. Paul did not believe in a passive hope but an active hope, to which, if the Day of the Messiah is a beacon, believers diligently move having set their course. That diligence is especially captured by love for Christian brothers and sisters, commitment to honest and productive work, and obedience to the truth of the gospel of Jesus.