The Senders (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

As we can see, they are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. At the time of writing, they are on a preaching mission during what we call Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Some scholars suggest that the men are listed according to age, which may be the case, but I suspect that they are listed according to spiritual authority. Paul was an apostle, Silvanus was a prophet (Acts 15:32), and Timothy was an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:3).

In passing, we should watch how we understand these roles because we use these words with different meanings today. For example, if someone was to ask you what the word apostle meant in the book title ‘Apostle of the North’, what would you say? I don’t know what ‘apostle’ means in that title, but it cannot mean that Dr Macdonald had the same function as Paul. 

An apostle had special authority in the church and the number of them was limited to those who had witnessed the risen Christ. A prophet spoke under divine guidance, and therefore would speak infallibly, whether he was addressing a present issue or a future one. Today, an evangelist is a person who travels around preaching the gospel, but in New Testament times he was an apostolic delegate who was sent to oversee churches (Timothy and Titus are two examples).

The point I want us to note is that this team ministered together in harmony. They had different gifts, but they functioned as a unit. How were they able to do so? I would suggest that their description in this same verse of the church in Thessalonica gives us a clue. They worked in harmony because they realised that God was their Father and Jesus was their Lord. Harmony was maintained because they recognized they were brothers in the same divine family and servants of the same gracious Master. 

Out of their own experience, they exhorted the Thessalonians to appreciate the same realities, to live with one another as members of the family of God and to join with one another is submitting gladly to the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. A harmonious leadership will encourage a harmonious congregation.