1 Thessalonians is believed to be the first letter Paul wrote, sometime around 52 AD, which would make it the first book of the New Testament to be written down.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that the three things that remain are faith, hope and love. In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul writes to encourage a church that he'd established while spending just a few weeks there. Paul writes after receiving a report from Timothy, his assistant who had been sent to follow up with the Thessalonians. However, there are some errors in their theology that Paul is writing to correct.
In chapter 1, we see Paul's desire to pray for Thessalonica and its church. And he commends their "work produced by faith, labor prompted by love and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." What do faith, hope and love produce? Probably not a comprehensive list, but they produce (presumably good) work, labor and endurance. Paul is a master encourager.
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