Author: Rich Gorecki

The Apostle Paul wrote two separate letters to the church in Thessalonica; a place he visited on his second and third journeys. In this next post in my year-long journey through The MANual, an NIV Bible for Men, I provide the lessons from both letters to the Thessalonians, written to first encourage them to return to right living and then to correct their misconception about the resurrection and second coming of Christ.  About Thessalonica Thessalonica was Macedonia’s capital and most populous city with over 200,000 people. Founded in 315 B.C. by Cassander, a relative of Alexander the Great, who also was one of his generals. The city was located on the Thermaic Gulf, a large gulf in northeastern Greece, across the Aegean Sea from Troas, Ephesus, and Colosse; Paul’s other stops in modern-day Turkey (see last week’s post on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians for a map of that region). 

Another of the Apostle Paul’s letters to early churches was one to the people in Colossae. As you read this next post in my year-long journey through The MANual, my NIV Bible for Men, you will find similarities to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, probably because it was written about the same time. However, the book of Colossians does have a different emphasis.  About Colossae The Bible does not record Paul ever visiting Colossae (also spelled ‘Colosse’), a city in the western Asia Minor region named Phrygia in modern Turkey. Colossae was about 100 miles from Ephesus along a Roman road that connected other destinations in the province, such as Hierapolis and Laodicea. Colossae’s chief export was unique wool called collossinus that was likely colored purple. It was also blessed with rich mineral deposits.  The general area around Colossae was prone to frequent earthquakes. During the latter part of Emperor