{
  "id": "dict_005717",
  "term": "Thessalonica",
  "slug": "thessalonica",
  "letter": "T",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Thessalonica was a major Macedonian city in the New Testament era and the setting of Paul’s mission there. It is especially known as the home of the church to which Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians.",
  "simple_one_line": "Thessalonica was the Macedonian city where Paul preached and where the Thessalonian church was established.",
  "tooltip_text": "A major Macedonian city visited by Paul on his second missionary journey and later addressed in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Acts",
    "Paul the Apostle",
    "Macedonia",
    "1 Thessalonians",
    "2 Thessalonians",
    "Second Missionary Journey"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Berea",
    "Philippi",
    "Achaia",
    "Antioch of Syria",
    "Corinth"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Thessalonica was an important city in Macedonia and a strategic center of Paul’s missionary work. Acts records that Paul preached there, some believed, and a church was formed despite strong opposition. The city is best known in Scripture as the setting for Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian believers.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A major Macedonian city where Paul preached, a church was established, and the letters of 1 and 2 Thessalonians were later sent.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Important city in Macedonia in the Roman world",
    "Paul preached there during his second missionary journey",
    "A church was founded amid opposition",
    "Known biblically through 1 and 2 Thessalonians"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Thessalonica was a leading city of Macedonia in the New Testament period. According to Acts 17, Paul, Silas, and their companions preached there, some Jews and many God-fearing Greeks believed, and a church was established despite persecution. The city is most closely associated with the epistles of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.",
  "description_academic_full": "Thessalonica was a prominent Macedonian city and an important urban center in the Roman province of Macedonia. In Acts 17, Paul and his companions proclaimed the gospel there during the second missionary journey. The response was mixed: some believed, a church was formed, and opposition from some within the Jewish community led to unrest. Thessalonica then became the address of Paul’s letters known as 1 and 2 Thessalonians, which emphasize steadfast faith, holiness, encouragement under persecution, and the hope of Christ’s return. The term refers primarily to a historical place, but it has enduring biblical significance because of the congregation established there and the apostolic teaching associated with it.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the New Testament, Thessalonica appears in the missionary account of Acts 17 and in the greetings of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The city serves as the backdrop for a church planted through apostolic preaching and strengthened by letters addressing persecution, sanctification, and eschatological hope.",
  "background_historical_context": "Thessalonica was a major city of Macedonia and a significant location on the Roman road network. Its size and influence made it an important missionary center and a strategic place for the spread of the gospel in the first century.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Acts presents a synagogue presence in Thessalonica and shows Paul reasoning from the Scriptures with Jewish hearers. The city’s mixed population included Jews, Greeks, and leading citizens, which helps explain both the church’s formation and the resistance it encountered.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Acts 17:1-9",
    "1 Thessalonians 1:1",
    "2 Thessalonians 1:1"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Acts 17:10-15",
    "Acts 20:1-3",
    "1 Thessalonians 2:14-16",
    "1 Thessalonians 4:13-18",
    "2 Thessalonians 2:1-17"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessalonikē), the city’s New Testament name.",
  "theological_significance": "Thessalonica is significant because it marks a real setting in which the gospel took root, a church was formed, and apostolic teaching was preserved in Scripture. Its letters give major New Testament instruction on perseverance, sanctification, and the return of Christ.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place entry, Thessalonica reminds readers that biblical revelation is anchored in real history, real geography, and real communities. Christian truth is not detached from events; it is worked out in actual places and circumstances.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse the city of Thessalonica with the Thessalonian church or with the epistles named after it. The place itself is not a doctrine; its biblical importance comes from the events and letters connected with it.",
  "major_views_note": "Evangelical interpreters generally agree on Thessalonica’s role as a historical city of great importance in Paul’s missionary work and in the background of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Thessalonica should be treated as a biblical place name, not as a doctrinal category. Any theological significance comes from the apostolic ministry and inspired letters associated with the city.",
  "practical_significance": "The Thessalonian church encourages believers to remain faithful under pressure, to live in holiness, and to hope confidently in Christ’s return.",
  "meta_description": "Thessalonica was a major Macedonian city where Paul preached and the Thessalonian church was established; it is best known through 1 and 2 Thessalonians.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/thessalonica/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/thessalonica.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}