The most prominent theme in 1 Thessalonians is the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is mentioned in every chapter of the book (1:10; 2:19-20; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:1-11, 23-24). In the letter, Paul gives instruction regarding the coming of the Lord, the hope and inheritance of believers, the wrath and judgment of God on unbelievers, and how these truths should affect the day-to-day lives of believers. Paul planted the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9) and spent some time nurturing the new nascent church before moving on in his missionary and church planting work. But despite being physically separated from them, Paul’s young pastoral protégé Timothy kept him updated on what was happening in the church (1 Thessalonians 3:6).

While Timothy’s report was mostly positive, because of persecution and the death of some of its members, many in the church were distressed in two major areas involving the second coming of Christ. First, they were concerned about those who had already died would miss out on the second coming and this caused them unbearable grief (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Second, the Thessalonians had concerns about the timing of the second coming. This may have been due to impatience, concern about their readiness for the return of Christ, or a false teaching that Christ had already returned. Whatever the reason, Paul sought to offer instruction and reassurance about those who died (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and their own destiny at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).