St Paul and the 1st Letter to the Thessalonians

First Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul's letters, probably written in 51 AD. It gives us an idea about Paul's missionary style and how he presented himself and evangelized in Thessalonica in Macedonia. Paul starts his letter with a reminiscence of his first preaching in their city. He reminded them that his motives were pure (not mercenary), that his talks were challenging (not flattering), that his manner was affectionate (not affected). He refreshed their memory that he preached by day and worked at a job at night (possibly tent-making) so that he would not be a burden to them. He wrote that he cared for them like a nursing mother, treated them as a father does his children, and considers them family. His conduct, he said, was blameless, devout and just. He dispatched his co-worker Timothy to see them through a time of persecution. Paul's missionary style is marked by zeal, orthodoxy, and love.