Bible Commentaries
1 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST THESSALONIAN EPISTLE,

THESSALONICA.

Thessalonica is now known as Salonika, and is situated at the head of the Thermiac Gulf, which deeply indents the Macedonian shore, and it covers the irregular slope which runs, not very steeply, from the water’s edge to the crest of the hill, which forms a semicircular barrier round the upper extremity of the gulf. With a rich district in the rear and the open sea in the front, the city rapidly became one of the most important Mediterranean ports, its position being at once suitable for commerce and capable of defense. The prosperity of the city justifies the wisdom of its founders. When the Romans divided Macedonia into four governments, Thessalonica was made the chief city of the second province, and ultimately became the metropolis of the whole. At the time of Paul’s visit it enjoyed the rights of a free city, being governed by seven polytarchs, who, though responsible to the Roman proconsul, were elected by the citizens themselves.

Into this important city Paul came over the great Roman road, which connected the region north of the Aegean Sea with Rome. The First Epistle gives evidence (1 Thessalonians 2:9) that he readily found employment, and felt himself at home among the workingmen and tradespeople of the city. This coincides with the fact that one of the staple manufactures of the city was goat’s-hair cloth. The sound that follows the ear as one walks through Salonika today is the straining vibration of the loom and pendulum-like click of the regular and ceaseless shuttle.

Another allusion (1 Thessalonians 1:8) reminds us that not only must such a city have had special attraction for Paul as likely to give a favor­able hearing to the gospel message, but that its commercial and seafaring population would rapidly spread what they themselves might receive. Every ship that left the harbor, and every wagon that turned inland, carried some account of the riot at Thessa­lonica and the extraordinary man who had been the occasion of it. But though in such a short time Paul planted here the second church that rose on the European continent, those on whose aid he might naturally have counted, his own countrymen, made it so dangerous for him and Silas to remain that the brethren sent them by night to Berea. (Acts 17:10.)

Although, therefore, the population was largely Jewish, the Epistle bears evidence of being written to a church composed almost entirely of Gentile Christians. (1 Thessalonians 2:14.) There are no allusions to the tenets of Judaism or to the facts of Jewish history, nor are there any references to the Old Testament either in the way of illustration or of proof. The account Paul gives of preaching among them (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) precisely tallies with the report of his address given to the Athenians (Acts 17:22-23), and shows that in introducing the gospel to the Gentiles, he was at that time accustomed to announce the coming of the judgment, to proclaim Jesus as raised from the dead, to judge the world, and the Savior of all who believed him.

THE OCCASION AND OBJECT OF THE EPISTLE.

We are now prepared to consider the circumstances of the church at Thessalonica which drew forth this letter. Paul had twice attempted to revisit Thessalonica and had both times been disappointed. Thus prevented from seeing them in person, he had sent Timothy to inquire and report to him as to their condi­tion. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5.) Timothy had returned with most favorable tidings, reporting not only their progress in the faith and practice, but also their strong attachment to Paul. (1 Thessalonians 3:6-12.) And this Epistle is the outpouring of his gratitude on receiving this gratify­ing news.

At the same time, Timothy’s report was not unmixed with sorrow. There were certain features in their condition which called for Paul’s interference: (1) The very intensity of their faith in Christ, dwelling too exclusively on the day of the Lord’s coming, had been attended with evil consequences. On the one hand, a practical inconvenience had arisen. In their feverish ex­pectation of his coming, some had been led to neglect their ordi­nary responsibilities as if the daily duties of life were of no account in the immediate presence of so vast a change. (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.) On the other hand, a theoretical difficulty had arisen. Certain members of the church had died, and there was great anxiety lest they should be excluded from any share in the glories of the Lord’s coming. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.) Paul rebukes the irregularity of the former and drives away fears of the latter. (2) Persecution had broken out, and the Thessalonians needed consolation and encouragement under their sore trial. (1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4.) (3) An unhealthy feeling with regard to spirit­ual gifts was manifesting itself. They needed to be reminded of the superior value of prophesying—teaching—compared with other gifts of the Spirit which they exalted at its expense. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20.) (4) There was danger of relapsing into their old heathen habits of profligacy. Against this Paul offers words in season. (1 Thessalonians 4:4-8.)

Notwithstanding all these drawbacks, the condition of the Thessalonian church was satisfactory, and most cordial relations existed between Paul and his converts. This honorable distinction it shares with the Philippian church. At all times, and amid every change of circumstance, it is to the Macedonian churches that Paul turns for sympathy and support.

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.

Paul, accompanied by Silvanus, came to Berea, and soon there­after was joined by Timothy. Thence, Paul and Timothy pro­ceeded to Athens, leaving Silvanus at Berea. Timothy was most likely sent back from Athens to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage the church there. At Athens Paul intended to remain until the arrival of his fellow helpers, for he had sent “a com­mandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed.” (Acts 17:15.) It seems, however, that he left Athens without them, for unforeseen circumstances had prevented them from complying with his request, and they did not join him until after his arrival in Corinth. Inasmuch as Paul joins the names of Silvanus and Timothy in the address of the Epistle, it is evident that it was not written until after their arrival. Some time also must have elapsed between the establishment of the church in Thessalonica and the writing of the Epistle. Paul had twice attempted to visit them and failed (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8), Timothy had been sent by Paul to Thessalonica and had returned from his mission and reported that the faith of the Thessalonians had been spread abroad throughout Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8). The interval, however, could not have been long. Timothy returned at the beginning of Paul’s residence at Corinth, and Paul’s anxiety for the Thessalonians induced him to write the Epistle imme­diately on receiving the information given by Timothy. He speaks of his absence from them as lasting only a short time. (1 Thessalonians 2:17.) We may, therefore, fix the time of writing the Epistle toward the close of A.D. 52 or the beginning of 53 and during the early part of Paul’s residence at Corinth, possibly six months after planting the church at Thessalonica.

Radically Changed By The Gospel

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

The letters Paul wrote to the Thessalonians were letters that taught them how to live in light of eternity. This is the theme for our study of these letters. Every chapter in 1 Thessalonians speaks about Christ’s coming and living our lives in relation to that great event. What Paul will do for us is how us how eternity helps us through difficulties. Eternity is the great hope we have which encourages us to be faithful in this life.

The city of Thessalonica was a thriving city on a major Roman highway, the Via Egnatia (show map). Thessalonica was the capital city of the Macedonian province. A poet named Antipater called Thessalonica “the mother of all Macedonia.” The city laid in the lap of the Roman Empire. It had a statue and temple to Caesar Augustus and emperor worship was already occurring in this city by the time Paul came to it. There is another aspect that made this city special. Thessalonica was a free city. It did not have Roman military occupation. It had its own government, controlled their own affairs, and minted their own coins. If problems arose, the Roman government would easily come in and take all of these freedoms away. In fact, this did happen under Emperor Tiberius. But their privileges were returned Thessalonica in 44 AD by Emperor Claudius, about 6 years before this letter was written. With this in mind, consider how this influences what we read about Paul and his companions in the city of Thessalonica. Turn to Acts 17:1-9.

Notice what charge the Jews used against Paul’s companions when they are brought to the city authorities.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:6-7 ESV)

The city authorities do not dismiss this charge. According to verse 8, “The people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.” Thus Jason and the other Christians who were brought before the authorities had to pay a bond so that Paul could not return to this city for one year. The tension in this city is high, especially against anyone who would challenge the authority of Caesar. They had lost their free status before and now someone is acting against Caesar’s decrees and saying there is another king. Not only is there tension against these Christians who remained in Thessalonica, but Paul did not have time to instruct them fully in the Christian life. So this first letter is written immediately after his expulsion from the city to teach them how to live through the difficulties they face in the light of the eternity that is ahead. As Paul begins his letter, he notes three areas where the gospel has radically changed the lives of these Thessalonians.

Work of Faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Paul begins by declaring that he gives thanks to God for them and constantly remembers them in his prayers because of their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. I want to begin by noticing that often we can think of faith, hope, and love as invisible qualities of the heart. However, to Paul faith results in work, love is shown in labor, and hope is seen in steadfastness. There is evidence of faith, hope, and love in our lives that can be visibly seen by others.

Paul begins by being thankful for their work of faith. Often Paul and James are put at odds, suggesting that faith is without works while James says that faith requires works. But we can see here that Paul and James are not at odds with each other. Paul understood and taught that faith works. Paul is thankful for the working of their faith. They had a faith that showed.

But I want us to see these three pictures of Christian characteristics in their proper light. The point is not that you all need to get working to show you have faith. So often we approach our walk with God in this way. But this is not the point at all. Paul is not saying that you need to get to work and then I will know you have faith. This is the wrong order. Rather, these Thessalonians have true faith because true faith works. Do not focus on the work, but focus on your faith. If you have faith, then you will be working in God’s kingdom. The lack of working shows the lack of faith but focusing your attention to working is not the solution. The Pharisees did this, focusing their attention on works and Jesus condemned them because it lacked the faith and love that God requires. True faith works and this is what the Thessalonians were showing.

Labor of Love (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

The second characteristic they exhibited was a labor of love. Love is vital in our working for the Lord. Recall what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the first letter that one could have faith, knowledge, prophetic powers, and give away all one has, but if love was lacking, nothing was gained. Our labor must come from love. Think about this: do you have love if it does not labor? Do you have love if it is not working? Genuine love goes the distance. Love sacrifices. Love acts even when one is weary. Paul praises the Thessalonians because their love is seen in the work they are doing. We see this point made by Paul later in this letter.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 ESV)

Again, we need to see that the focus is not on the work, but on love. True love works for another person. Love is displayed through labor and sacrifice. Love is the giving of oneself to another. God wants our work to be generated from love. We do not work because we have to work for the Lord, as if we have a job to do. We love God and love each other and therefore we work. Love drives our work.

Steadfastness of Hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Third, the Thessalonians possess a steadfastness of hope. Hope is the confident expectation that the future is in God’s hands and he does as he says. Our hope is what makes us steadfast. Our hope is what gives us confidence. Hope is what makes us unshakeable. Think about it this way: do you have hope if it is not steadfast?

We are seeing that faith, hope, and love are not merely traits of the spiritual, but describe how any Christian is able to weather the storms of life. If you have hope in God, then you will endure and remain steadfast. If we struggle with endurance and steadfastness, the answer is to not try to endure better. The answer is to build your hope in God. Hope produces endurance.

Eternity is in view in this letter to the Thessalonians. This hope in eternity is the fuel for our work and our steadfastness. I want us to think about how eternity is supposed to change everything about how we live. It is interesting that if you polled the world, most people believe in eternity. Every funeral of every person gives a message about eternity and an afterlife. I have never been to a funeral where the person leading the service said the person is dead and that is the end of the matter. Everyone has eternity in their hearts but no one lives life with eternity in view. Eternity does not mean anything to most people. We look at this life as the goal. But God is telling us that this world is preparation for the next. This life is not the destination. This life is preparation for the life to come. But when we treat this world as all there is to life and that this life is the destination, then we lose faith, lose hope, and lose love. We become dissatisfied and disappointed. This life in this world does not fulfill. But we keep trying to find fulfillment. We reduce all of live to self-enjoyment and self-satisfaction, and yet nothing ever satisfies in this life. Should it not tell us something that all that we try to gain out of this life still leaves us with a void and wanting more that the goal must not be this life? C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Paul Tripp said this well: “Peace is found only in knowing that this world is meant to prepare us for the next and that the temporary pleasures and pains of this world are not our final address. When we live knowing that the God of grace will lift us out of this broken world and is now readying us for the world to come, we can face difficulty without wanting to give up and experience pleasure without becoming addicted to it. We live with hope in our heart, eyes to the future, and hands holding this present world loosely.”

Eternity changes how we live. We have received the good news about King Jesus who has conquered sin and death so that we can be in relationship with him forever. Do not live this life as if this is all there is. When we do, we lose faith, we lack love, and hope collapses. But with the good news before our eyes, living for the world to come and not this life, faith will work, love will labor, and hope will be steadfast.

Let me end with one final quote from C.S. Lewis:

Most of us find it very difficult to want “Heaven” at all— except in so far as “Heaven” means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

The Power of Faithfulness

1 Thessalonians 1:4-8

We are looking the first letter to the Thessalonians which is teaching these Christians how to live their lives in the light of eternity. These are Christians who are experiencing suffering, as revealed from Acts 17 as well as from what we will read in this letter. Paul opened this letter by praising these Christians for their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. Our view of eternity is what bolsters faith, hope, and love in our lives in such a way that people can see those godly traits. Paul’s great concern is that Christians would lose faith, love, and hope because of the trials and sufferings they are facing for the Lord’s sake. We read Acts 17 last week to get a sense of the suffering they were enduring. I want us to look a little into this letter to see a little more of the suffering they are facing.

For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved…. (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 ESV)

…we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 ESV)

We are able to get a further sense of these sufferings they are experiencing by living in Thessalonica. I want you to be impressed by the faith and obedience of these Christians in the face of the trials they are experiencing. Now let’s read 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8 and see how their view of eternity has motivated their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope.

Loved and Chosen By God (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

Look at verse 4. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you…” (1 Thessalonians 1:4 ESV). How much we need this reaffirmed in our hearts through suffering and difficulties! We know that we are loved by God and chosen by God. What more bolsters our work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope than the knowledge that God loves you and has chosen you? How amazing that we are chosen by God!

How did Paul know that these Christians were chosen by God? Paul continues to describe their reception of the gospel message. In verse 5 Paul declares that they came to Thessalonica proclaiming the word of God in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. One of the main points Paul will address in these first two chapters is how these Thessalonians received the word of God when it was proclaimed. It matters what we think about the word of God and how we receive the proclamation of the gospel. We will spend many weeks considering how these Christians received God’s word so that we can model that response as well. Paul says that they came proclaiming the powerful message of God. That powerful message was not only that they were able to confirm their proclamation with miraculous spiritual gifts, but also that the word of God itself is powerful. The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Paul said that the word of the cross is foolishness to the perishing but it is the power of God to those who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18). The message of Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). We are chosen through the proclamation of the gospel. Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Jesus taught in John 6:43-47 that we are drawn by the Father to Christ through the proclaimed word for “They will all be taught by God” (John 6:45). You know you are chosen by God because of your response to the gospel message.

Received the Word With Joy Even In Affliction (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

How did the Thessalonians respond to the gospel message so that Paul has confidence in their faith? Listen to verses 6-7.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 ESV)

Paul says that these Christians became imitators of Paul and Silas, as well as imitators of our Lord Jesus. How did they imitate Paul, Silas, the apostles, and Jesus himself? Look carefully at verse 6. “You received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”

What was the point of imitation? They maintained joy in the Lord (Holy Spirit) in the midst of their trials and suffering. I want you to listen to that response and think about it. In the midst of much affliction they received the message of the gospel of Jesus with joy. We look at affliction and suffering as a justified reason to not respond to the word of God. We are tempted to think that our suffering excuses us from God’s call to follow him and serve him. We think that we are allowed a temporary pass while going through hardships. Notice that these Christians’ responses showed that they were chosen by God. They received the word of God with joy even though they were in great affliction, suffering, and loss.

You see that we are NOT called to be happy and comfortable in this life. We think this way when we stop thinking about eternity as our goal. When we think about this life as the destination then we make the goal our own personal happiness and comfort. This is when people errantly say, “Doesn’t God want me to be happy?” We are making this life the goal. We are making this life the destination. But God does not want you to make this life the destination. In fact, suffering is what keeps us from making this life the destination. Our pain and our loss remind us that this world cannot be the goal of life. Listen to the example Jesus gave us.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21 ESV)

So how did Jesus have joy even though he was crucified? How could he have joy through pain and suffering? Listen to the writer of Hebrews:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

What was the focus of Jesus? “For the joy that was set before him endured the cross….” There was a joy set before him and that is why he could endure the cross and disregard the shame. This is how we endure suffering. Human joy does not last through suffering. Happiness does not work in pain and anguish. But truly receiving the word of God brings joy through suffering because you can have your eyes firmly fixed on eternity. This is how Jesus suffered for the joy set before him. This is how the apostles could be beaten by the authorities and rejoice (Acts 5:41). Suffering does not make us run from God, but run to God. Pain, distress, and loss causes me to all the more cling to the Savior because the next life is all we have. We cannot have heaven here and our sorrows move us to the permanent and eternal joy that is set before us.

What the Thessalonians did in drawing closer to God in their afflictions is the example for what all Christians are supposed to do. Look at verse 7. They became an example to all the believers in two provinces in the Roman Empire. Their suffering was not an excuse to slip in their devotion and service to God. Their suffering did not take away their joy to continue in their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. What the Thessalonians did was not supposed to be an anomaly. Rather, this is the example given to all Christians. The word translated “example” is a work that used in the Greek to refer to a mark left by a hammer, leaving an impression on the original. It is an impress. It is a model of the original. Joyous affliction provides a model of faith for others.

A Christ-like reaction to trials is a powerful factor to influence others to stay faithful to the Lord. Your strength in the Lord in the midst of suffering encourages others to remain faithful and strong in the Lord through their trials and suffering. In fact, notice what Paul says in verse 8.

Resounding Faith (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. (1 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV)

We need to see the power of the faithfulness of these Christians. Because they received the word with joy in such deep affliction, their faith in God had gone forth everywhere. Notice this in 1 Thessalonians 1:8. Not only was the word of the Lord sounding forth from their lips, but their lives exemplified this message. People will hear of your steadfastness in the faith and will listen to the message you proclaim. Too often we see evangelism as one or the other. Sometimes we speak about lifestyle evangelism. But no one can be taught without words. They may see your example but will not know why you live your life the way you do. On the other side, we can tell people about Christ but if our lives do not reflect what we are teaching, the message is made void. Listen to what Paul is saying about the Thessalonians. The word of the Lord has sounded forth from them and their faith in God has gone forth everywhere.

Faithfulness in affliction is powerful. But do you know what is more powerful? Faithfulness in affliction with joy is more powerful. This is the testimony of God’s people throughout history. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews said about the Christians he was writing to.

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Hebrews 10:32-36 ESV)

Where did their joy in affliction come from? They knew that they had a better possession and an abiding one. It caused them to have compassion on others. This knowledge promoted their faith. This strengthened their hope and deepened their love. Keeping eternity in view changes our faithfulness in the midst of suffering. Keeping eternity in view brings joy through our painful life circumstances.

Let’s be Christians who help each other through their faithfulness and joy in God’s word in the midst of great trials. Let’s be Christians who draw people to the Lord through the proclamation of the gospel and joy in suffering. Followers of Jesus will suffer. But how will you respond in difficulty? What will you do in the time of trial? The question from the book of Job rings loudly in our lives: Do you serve God for nothing? Or do we serve God for what we get rather than who he is? Eternity helps us keep our eyes on the prize of knowing God and being with him eternal. That our goal and we reach forward for it with joy.

Turning To God From Idols

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

The letter to the Thessalonians has opened with a beautiful picture of how to receive the gospel in the face of trials and suffering. Paul and Silas are thankful for the work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope that has been displayed by these Christians, even though they are suffering much affliction by the hands of their own people in the city. Paul’s encouragement to these Christians has been grounded on the hope of eternity. We noted at the start of this series that every chapter in this letter refers to the second coming of Christ and what we will enjoy at his return. These Christians have been imitators of Paul and the Lord by receiving the word of God with joy even in the face of great affliction. Thus, their faith has sounded forth everywhere, becoming an example to all believers in the surrounding regions. In the rest of this paragraph we are going to notice how else our view of eternity is to change how we live in this life.

Changed Desires (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…. (1 Thessalonians 1:9 ESV)

The picture we see that was reported throughout Macedonia and Achaia was how these Thessalonians had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. I want us to consider that this is the picture of true repentance. This is the picture of true conversion. This is what clothing ourselves in Christ looks like. Turning to God from idols is what we must do because we have heard the good news of Jesus.

Now it is easy for us to think about idolatry in the first century and think that this is not a problem in our day and time. We consider people in ancient Near Eastern times as silly for having golden calves and statues of stone or metal. But we need to define what an idol is. An idol is anything that has a controlling position in our hearts that we can spend most of our passion, energy, and resources without a second thought. An idol is whatever we trust in or serve. When we understand the truth about idols we recognize that the physical statue of stone or metal was just a representation of the desire the person was following after. Idols are not merely objects but are ideas and concepts. For example, our greatest idol that we encounter in our hearts today is the idol of comfort. We believe we should be able to do whatever we want and like. We should be able to do what makes us comfortable. We should do what makes us happy. This is the idol of comfort. I should not have to be uncomfortable and if something makes me uncomfortable, then I get rid of that in my life. If I am uncomfortable and unhappy with my spouse, I get a divorce. If I am uncomfortable and unhappy with God and his law, I go to a new church that tells me what I want to hear or I give up on God altogether. This is how we see an idol in our hearts. We reorder our lives to fulfill the desires of that idol.

This is why the gospel was not favorably received in many cities like Ephesus and Thessalonica. The gospel called for people in the Greek and Roman cultures to abandon their religious loyalties, practices, and beliefs to serve the true and living God. Turning to God is what repentance is. Repentance means abandoning idols and the immoral practices associated with them. When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, the people initially thought they were Greek gods because they healed a lame. Listen to what Paul and Barnabas preached to the people in that moment.

“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” (Acts 14:15 ESV)

What is the message of the gospel? The message is the turn from these vain things (idolatry) to a living God. But the Jews from Antioch and Iconium come to the city and turn the crowd against Paul such that Paul dragged out of the city and stoned. People do not want to hear a message of turning from idols. People do not want to hear that they have to change their lives away from the idols in their lives. But this is the call of the gospel. Repentance is calling the things that we are pursuing in this life to be vain things. They are futile and empty. They are not worthy of our time when we consider the pursuit and the service of God. John Calvin said, “Only those who renounce the worthlessness of their own instincts and embrace and receive the pure worship of God truly believes in him.” The point is that there is no belief without repentance. Serving God is the turning away from our desires and will and submitting to God’s will. So how do we make this change? What made these Thessalonians show true repentance and true conversion by receiving the word of God with joy in the midst of affliction and turning to God from idols? Listen to the rest of what Paul says about their perspective.

Waiting For His Son (1:10)

What is the perspective of these Christians? What is the perspective that we are called to have? Paul says we are “waiting for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” They were looking for the return of Jesus. Christians view their present circumstances in the light of eternal promises. The people of faith did this. Listen to the faith of Moses.

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26 ESV)

Why did Moses renounce his privileges and choose to be mistreated with God’s people? Why did he not choose to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin? He was looking to the reward. He considered abuse for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. How? Because he was looking to the reward. His eyes were upward. When others are looking around in confusion, we look up with anticipation. We turn from idols, from the vain things of this world, and from the fleeting pleasures of sin by desiring something better. This is the only way this change of our desires happens. We must desire something better. Listen to the psalmist in Psalms 84.

Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people. (Psalms 84:10 CSB)

That is the change of desire that has to happen. Joy in affliction, turning from our idols, and rejecting the pleasures of sin will only come when we look to eternity and see that it is better with God for one day that it is for a thousand years anywhere else. We want to wait for his Son.

We are not good at waiting. A microwave takes too long. A fast food drive through takes too long. We are not about waiting. There is not much that we are willing to wait for. But if it is worth it, then we will wait. People will stand hours in line to ride an amusement park ride, a ride which lasts about two minutes or less. We will wait for valuable things. A young woman will wait quite some time for a young man to propose to her. We do not like to wait but we will wait for things that are important and valuable. Christians are called to wait for Christ’s coming. We wait for his arrival. We are waiting for him to come from heaven. We must wait for his coming. We are not promised that he would come soon with his second coming. All of God’s promises required waiting. Abraham had to wait for the fulfillment of the promises made to him, which were not fulfilled until long after he died. The same is true for Isaac and Jacob. Even the promises regarding the nation of Israel and the hope God gave to it were long outside the lifetimes of those who proclaimed those promises and those who heard those promises.

Two thousand years have passed by. Many have misinterpreted scriptures where the promise is about Jesus coming soon to refer to the end times. But that is not an accurate picture. The promise given is to wait. We are waiting for him to return. This is our life perspective. Everything we do in this life is in anticipation of his arrival. We cannot allow time to shake our faith. God said that we would be waiting. But God keeps his promises and he will return. But in the meantime we must wait.

Please notice why waiting is worth it. Look at the end of verse 10. We wait for Jesus because he “delivers us from the wrath to come.” We are willing to wait because he is coming to our rescue. We need to soak in this reality: there is a wrath to come. Our culture and most of the modern world has rejected the idea that there is a coming judgment. We do not accept it and we do not want to talk about it or think about it. But Paul speaks of this outcome with certainty. There is a wrath to come. Jesus is coming to rescue us from that coming wrath. This is why we renounce idols. This is why we rejecting the fleeting pleasures of sin. This is why receive the word of God with joy and serve God in the face of afflictions. We are delivered from the wrath to come.

The perspective of eternity changes how we live this life. We are willing to wait a long time and deal with a lot of suffering and afflictions when we remember that we are waiting for Jesus to rescue us from eternal punishment and wrath. Our faith will be vindicated. Our endurance will be rewarded. We will wait because we have our eyes upward. We know that we are waiting for his arrival. We know his coming is the rescue that we need. We will turn from idols so that we become part of God’s true family and enjoy the blessings that come from that relationship. There is a wrath to come.

Conclusion

Notice then that there are three actions that we see in these Christians that they were doing because of their perspective of eternity: turn, serve, and wait. Turn from your idols and vain things in this life, serve the true and living God, and wait for Jesus to come from heaven. Turn, serve, and wait. Keep these three things in your mind this week. Turn, serve, and wait. We are turning from sin. We are serving God. We are waiting for Jesus. Turn, serve, and wait.

Please consider what are in the idols in your life. What controls your decisions? What controls your desires? What do you give your energy, efforts, and resources toward? Turn from those things so that God controls your decisions, desires, and receives your energy, efforts, and resources. Turn and serve the Lord so that you will be delivered from the wrath to come. Wait for his coming. The wait is worth it. He is coming. He will return and we have hope of true life if we will turn, serve, and wait.

Walk In A Manner Worthy Of God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

We have been studying the book of 1 Thessalonians considering Paul’s message to these Christians on how to live in the light of eternity. We have seen in these Christians an amazing faith through great afflictions and difficulties. They were able to have this work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3) because they were waiting for Christ to return from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Placing our eyes on eternity changes how we live our lives and gives us the courage and strength to endure great difficulties for the cause of Christ.

Now we have the tendency to read sections like 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 as merely Paul defending his apostleship. We noted this tendency when people read 2 Corinthians. But we have asserted that Paul defends himself with a greater purpose than just simply vindicating himself. Paul points out his conduct so that those who are reading his letter would learn from his example and do likewise. In the same way, Paul has a focal point and purpose to things he says in this chapter, which is revealed to us in verse 12.

We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV)

Paul’s goal for these Christians is that they would walk in a manner worthy of God. This is the purpose of life. This is the new lifestyle to embrace. This goal is so important that Paul uses three different words to show this purpose. He and his companions exhorted, encouraged, and charged them to walk in a manner worthy of God. So what does this look like as Paul writes to these Thessalonians? What does it mean to walk worthy of God? Paul showed these Christians what that looked like in how he came to them and how he acted when he was with them. So let’s read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and see what Paul did when he was with them.

Boldness (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

First, Paul reminds these Christians how he and his companions had been mistreated in Philippi. In Acts 16 we read about Paul and Silas being seized and dragged into the marketplace before all the rulers (Acts 16:19). The crowd attacked them and beat them with rods (Acts 16:23) and then they were thrown in prison. This event is what Paul refers to in these first couple of verses in chapter 2. Even though they had been shamefully treated in this way, they had boldness in God to declare to them the gospel in the midst of much conflict. Remember that it does not go much better in Thessalonica, as the Jews attack Jason’s house because they were looking for Paul and Silas.

Walking in a manner worthy of God is to have boldness in the face of opposition. We have seen in many of our studies, including in this very book, that Christians will face opposition. Christians will experience difficulties because of their faith in Jesus. Paul is expressing to these Christians what happened to himself and Silas because this shows that this is what Christians will experience. What these Thessalonians were going through regarding their affliction was not unusual. Peter offered the same encouragement to the Christians he wrote to.

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14 ESV)

It is easy to take verse 12 out of the context. Peter is not merely speaking of the difficulty of trials. Peter is saying that Christians should not be surprised when trials come to test you and you suffer because of Jesus. Rejoice that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. Our eternal perspective allows us to rejoice in suffering for the cause of Christ. We must expect this reality. We must expect mistreatment and suffering for Jesus’ sake. But understand this: we must still be bold. We must still proclaim God’s word even after being mistreated and knowing what difficulties will come for doing so. This is what Jesus proclaimed as well as the apostles (2 Timothy 2:12; Matthew 10:33; Luke 12:9). When else will we be tempted to deny Christ except when we are experiencing opposition and resistance! Jesus is telling us that we must remain bold toward God even when we are met with a strong resistance.

Purity (1 Thessalonians 2:3-6)

Second, Paul showed these Christians what walking in a manner worthy of God looked like by coming to them in purity. The concept of purity is so important that the apostle Paul will return to this teaching in chapter 4. But notice the kinds of purity he exhibits in his walk with God as he proclaims the gospel. Paul says that he does speak from error, impurity, or attempting to deceive. He did not come to them with words of flattery or a pretext for greed. He did not seek glory from people or make demands as apostles of Christ. There was nothing fake about Paul and Silas. They did not pretend to be their friends to get money out of them. The point Paul makes is that walking worthy of God means having pure hearts and pure motives. This is what Paul displayed to these Christians.

Notice what the gospel means for Paul and is to mean for all Christians. You can see it in 1 Thessalonians 2:4. “So we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” We do not worry about pleasing people. We worry about pleasing God. God knows our hearts. God knows if we are trying to please him or please people. Friends, it is exhausting to live your life trying to please others. We even have a modern proverb to indicate how exhausting and vain such a life is: He who tries to please everyone, pleases no one. Pleasing people is an impossible goal because people’s desires are always changing. We do not live our lives to please people. We do not make decisions based on what other people think. We will not live our lives under the fear of the reaction of others. We live to please God. This is where knowing that God does not change is quite valuable. His character and his laws do not change so we have a target that does not move. We know what pleases and displeases God. We make this our aim as Christians. Living a life worthy of God means we will care about what God thinks. We are never underhanded with other people. We will keep our motives pure, knowing that God tests our hearts. Therefore we live to please God, not others.

Love (1 Thessalonians 2:7-11)

Third, walking in a manner worthy of God is showing love for others. Listen to the descriptions Paul gives for how he came to these Christians. His first picture of his love for them is that they were gentle among them, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). This is quite an imagery of gentleness. The nurture and care that one has for an infant is very gentle and compassionate. Paul genuinely cared for these people. Being a Christian is about having relationships with each other and genuinely caring for each other. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV)

This is not a surface level love for them. Paul loved them to such a degree that he did not only share the gospel but also shared his life with them. They gave themselves completely to these Christians without reservation. We live in a time where we refuse to open up to each other. We stand aloof from others. We do not open up to others. We put our walls up and do not let people in. But that is not walking worthy of God. Paul showed what it means to be a Christian.

Now listen to the impact of this. Back up to the first two verses of this second chapter. What had happened to Paul and Silas in Philippi? They had been seized, dragged, and imprisoned. Would you be afraid to open up to people in Thessalonica after what you had just experienced in Philippi? Of course there would be a hesitation. Please note that when we read the book of Acts we see that Paul was only there for three weeks. But even in three weeks he can say that they knew that he cared for them because he shared his life with them. It did not take months or years before he shared his life with these people. He immediately opened up to them and shared the gospel and his own life. He showed his care for them, like a nursing mother cares for her children.

This love was further displayed in not being a burden to these Christians (1 Thessalonians 2:9). He was not there for their money. He was not taking advantage of them. They were holy, righteous, and blameless in their conduct (1 Thessalonians 2:10). Listen to the next picture he gives in 1 Thessalonians 2:11. He was like father with his children. We need to consider that picture for a minute because I think we can have a bad picture of what the father/child relationship looks like. Does Paul think that the father/child relationship looks like being mean or authoritarian? Paul pictures his love for the Thessalonians as a father to his children which must include love and gentleness in how he taught them (which is what the rest of 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 reads). The father’s teaching is not through fear and intimidation. Teaching can be firm and done with love. Paul expresses that he taught them with love, like a father with his children.

Walking Worthy of God (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

So Paul has spoken of how he had live his life before them with boldness to proclaim God’s message, showing a life of purity as he seeks God’s approval, and revealed his love for them as he shared his very life with them. He uses these aspects of how he came to these Christians to exhort each one of them, encourage them, and charge them to walk in a manner worthy of God. Now it is important that we do not misread this idea. Paul is not saying that we are earning this blessing or that we need to be worthy of what God has done. This is simply not possible. God does not tell us to be worthy of what he has done. We cannot be worthy of the love, mercy, and grace of God as displayed in Jesus. What God is telling us to do is live is a way shows that you understand what God has done. Live your life in a way that shows who you are. Live your life in a way that reflect what you have been called to.

Notice the rest of 1 Thessalonians 2:12 to see what you have been called to: “Who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” We have been called into God’s kingdom and glory. Notice this great picture of living in the light of eternity. Do you see what you have been called into? You have been called into the glory of God and the kingdom of God! Eternity continues to be the motivation God puts forward to us for walking worthy. Listen to how Paul states this hope in Romans.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2 ESV)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

Conclusion

God is calling you into his kingdom and his glory. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God though we suffering. This hope in God’s kingdom and glory is what compels us to walk worthy of God. This hope in God’s kingdom and glory is why we can be bold in persecution and suffering. This hope in God’s kingdom and glory is why we live in purity. This hope in God’s kingdom and glory is why we love others and open our lives to each other. Let us walk worthy of God, focused on the goal of eternity as we live before God.

Not Moved By Afflictions

1 Thessalonians 2:13 to 1 Thessalonians 3:13

We have been studying the book of 1 Thessalonians which is a book instructing these Christians to live in the light of eternity. Having an eternal view of our lives radically changes how we live in this world. We have noted in our study that these Christians in Thessalonica are going through great trials for their faith in Jesus. In this section of Paul’s letter, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 to 1 Thessalonians 3:13, this suffering is going to be addressed in greater detail. Paul’s concern is that these Christians would not be moved by the afflictions they are experiencing (1 Thessalonians 3:3). What we are going to see is how Paul encourages these Christians so that they will not be moved by the afflictions they are experiencing. By doing so we are going to learn for ourselves how we will also not be moved by the afflictions we endure.

Accept the Word as God’s Word (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

The first way Paul expresses how these Christians will be able to endure the suffering and afflictions they face for their faith in Christ is by recognizing that they have accepted the word as God’s word. Paul thanks God that these Christians have done this. They do not accept the message Paul proclaimed as human words but as the very words of God which is working in them to change them into God’s image. This approach to God’s word changes everything for us. When we read these words that we hold in our hands, these are God’s words. Just think about that for a minute. This is out of the mouth of God (inspiration, 2 Timothy 3:16). This is God’s revelation to humanity. These are not just words. These are not stories. They are not myths. Every word that you are reading is from the mind and mouth of God. So when we read God’s word, we do not argue with it. We do not change it. We do not bend it. We recognize what it is. Eternal life will not come to us if we ignore God’s word or change God’s word. What God says about our need to have faith and trust in the Lord is critical. What God says about suffering for the cause of Christ is important. We need to hear what God has to say and hold on to those words to maintain our faith. How can we give up on our faith when we know we are reading God’s very words? This is exactly what Peter and the apostles proclaimed in John 6.

So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69 ESV)

How can we go away from the Lord? These are the words of eternal life. Paul is so thankful to God that these Christians understood this because this will give you strength in trials and faith when afflicted for Christ’s sake.

God Will Judge (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16)

The second way these Christians will be able to not be moved by afflictions is through the knowledge that God will judge. These Christians have suffered to the same degree from their own people as the Christians in Judea suffered by the hands of the Jews, who were their own people. You are suffering like other people are suffering. Your faith that has made your life difficult because of others is also what others are experiencing. But Paul says that there is a judgment due to those who are causing your afflictions for your faith. These people that are preventing Paul from teaching to the Gentiles as he travels are filling up the measure of their sins. You will notice that Paul pictures the situation like a cup. Sins are being filled up into the cup like water being poured into a glass. At some point the limit is reached and God’s wrath comes upon those people at last. We see this language used elsewhere in the scriptures to communicate the idea that sins are filled up until God’s wrath comes. When God promised to Abraham that his descendants would come back to this land in future generations and not right now, there was a reason.

And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. (Genesis 15:16 ESV)

In speaking about the rise and then fall of the Greek Empire, listen to why the Greek Empire would fall.

And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. (Daniel 8:23 ESV)

Jesus spoke about the sins of the leaders of Israel in how they were filling up the measure of their fathers (Matthew 23:32). In all of these instances we are seeing the patience of God as a nation commits sins. But at some point the limit is reached and judgment falls. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians, is speaking about the Jewish nation persecuting Christians but their judgment was about to come in the destruction of Jerusalem. Paul speaks as if it has happened because it was prophetic certainty, as declared by the prophets of God in the Old Testament (cf. Daniel 9:24-27). We can be faithful through trials, adversity, and afflictions because we know that the measure of sins are filling up and God’s wrath will fall at last. God is just and he will deal with sins. God will deal with the enemies of his people. This is a message our nation needs to hear. It is filling up the measure of its sins and God’s wrath will come, just as it has against every nation of the world that preceded us in world history. We are not moved in afflictions because God will judge.

Joy In Christ’s Return (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20)

Third, we are not moved by afflictions because we long for Christ’s return with joy. Paul is constantly drawing the attention of these Christians back to eternity. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:17 that he eagerly desired to see them because they had been torn away from them too early because of the persecution in the city of Thessalonica. Paul wanted to come to them repeatedly but Satan hindered them. But what was Paul’s hope through this separation and difficulty? “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” Paul speaks of the spiritual warfare we are battling. Yet our joy is you at the coming of the Lord. Your faith and your strength as you wait for Christ’s return gives me faith and strength. This is why we spend time together and worship together. We strengthen each other’s faith. Please think about what Paul is saying. So often we think of eternity in selfish terms. All that matters if I make it. Notice that this is not Paul’s thinking. His hope, joy, and crown before the coming of the Lord is if these Christians remain unmoved in afflictions. Paul does not say, “Well, at least I will make it.” He cares so much for these Christians that his joy is to see them succeed spiritually. We remain unmoved in afflictions because our strength helps others be strong. We remain unmoved in afflictions because we are invested in each other to help each other reach the goal of eternity together.

Destined For Afflictions (1 Thessalonians 3:1-4)

Fourth, we are not moved by afflictions because we understand that we are destined for this. Not only does Paul say that we are destined for afflictions for the cause of Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:3), but Paul told them repeatedly when he was with these Christians that they were suffer afflictions (1 Thessalonians 3:4). Another word for “destined” is appointed. We have been appointed to this outcome as Christians. This is an unchangeable, divine appointment. We are destined for hardships for the cause of Christ. We must adopt this mentality. We are ready for difficulties. We are ready for the discomfort. We are ready for the afflictions. We are ready for the sacrifice because this is what we are destined to do. Friends, what else does it mean for Jesus to tell everyone who wanted to follow him that you must take up the cross to follow (Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27). We are marked for trials. Why? Trials and suffering are God’s methods of holy transformation. Suffering is an integral part of the Christian life. We have an appointment for this because this is how God changes us into his image. We are not moved by our afflictions because we know that we are destined for this. God uses these things for our good.

The Tempter Is Tempting You From God (1 Thessalonians 3:5-13)

Finally, we are not moved by afflictions because we know that Satan is using our afflictions and suffering to move us from God. Satan is trying to get us to abandon our faith. Paul fears that their suffering will cause them to give up. Satan wants us to compromise our faith. Satan wants us to abandon our faith. We saw this in our study of the book of Job. Satan hits us from every side so that we will give up on God. “It’s too hard! It’s too much!” This is what Satan is pressing into us. Satan wants your spiritual destruction and he will do whatever he can do against you to bring that about (1 Peter 5:8). We need to see what Satan is doing. We are not unaware of his schemes. We know his goal. The book of Job shows us Satan’s goal: to wreck your life so badly that you will give up on God.

Conclusion

These are the five tools given that Paul gives to these Christians so that they will not be moved by affliction: accept these words as God’s words, know that God will judge those who harm you, take joy in Christ’s coming, know that we have an appointment for afflictions, and understand that Satan is tempting you away from God. Be ready for trials and do not give up on God. Be ready for afflictions but do not give up on God. Be ready for your life to be thrown upside down but do not give up on God. Be ready to suffer but do not give up on God. Be ready to lose your life but do not give up on God. Be ready to carry the cross of Jesus no matter what comes to you in this life.

Your Holiness

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

We have been studying this first letter to the Thessalonians that is teaching us to how to live our lives in the light of eternity. Since we have our eyes focused on the glorious return of Christ, Paul has a concern for these Christians, which is a concern for all Christians. You will notice this concern in verse 1.

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV)

We urge you and ask you to walk how you ought to walk to please God. Paul taught them how to be pleasing to God while he was with them in Thessalonica and he urges them to do so more and more. Paul states in verse 2 that these Christians know the instructions they gave to them when they were there. Notice what their instruction was: sanctification (4:3). The will of God is your holiness. God wants you to be holy. We should not be surprised by this. It is a message God gave to Israel while at Sinai (Leviticus 11:44-45). This is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Christians that we need to be holy because God is holy (1 Peter 1:15). We need to take in this idea for a moment. God’s will for you is to be holy. A lot of people want to know what God’s will is for their lives and they look in the strangest places to find God’s will and purpose for them. But here is one of those purpose statements that our Creator has given to us. This is God’s will for you: your holiness. Be holy. Holiness matters to God.

Holy Bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

Paul’s particular point about holiness is that we would use our bodies in ways that are holy. Notice that Paul says your holiness looks like this: to abstain from sexual immorality. Sometimes we can think that the Greco-Roman world in the first century was so different from the culture we live in today. Sometimes we think the world was more godly and less depraved. But I want to share with you some quotes from the first century to see that this is not the case at all.

Demosthenes said, “We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for our day-to-day bodily needs, but we have wives to produce legitimate children and serve as trustworthy guardians of our homes.” Young men were permitted to sexual relationships before marriage. Cicero said, “Let not pleasures always be forbidden…let desire and pleasure triumph sometimes over reason.” Cicero also said, “If anyone thinks that young men should be forbidden to have affairs even with prostitutes, he is very strict indeed… for his view is contradictory not only to the law of the present age but even with the habits of our ancestors and with what they used to consider allowable. For when’s this not a common practice? When was it blamed? When was it forbidden? When, in fact, did that which was lawful become that which was not lawful?” Antipater of Thessalonica said, “Homer said all things well, but best of all that Aphrodite (the patroness of prostitutes) is golden. For if you bring the cash, my friend, there is neither porter in your path nor dog chained at the door. But if you come otherwise, Cerberus himself (the multi-headed dog of Hades) is there.” Not only the single person but also the married man could avail himself of her services. Plutarch gave advice that a wife should not be angry if her husband sought sexual pleasure with another woman. He advised that it was better close their eyes to the philandering activities of her husbands than to complain and so jeopardize good relations with them. We have found graphic sexual frescos in the homes of Pompeii from the first century. The paintings of sexual acts were painted on the dining room walls.

What I want you to see if that what Paul is teaching is not something that the culture was already doing. It was not. The culture would have heard the teaching to abstain from sexual immorality as completely crazy and foreign to common wisdom and thinking. Paul’s teaching on this is just as radical today as it was in the first century. In fact, it appears that this teaching would have been more radical in the first century. What God commands regarding having holy bodies is not some antiquated teaching from a bygone era. People did not agree with it then just as they do not agree with it now.

The Greek word underneath our English word “sexual immorality” refers to adultery, premarital and extramarital relations, homosexuality, and all perversions beyond one man and one woman for life. Holiness is the avoidance of sexual sin. Any sexual activity outside of a marriage between a man and woman is being expressly condemned here.

Control Yourself (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5)

What the apostle Paul says next is considered absolutely impossible in our culture today. “Each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.” God’s will for you is to control your own body. This is something you can do. Just because you have desires does not mean that you have to fulfill those desires. Just because you have desires does not mean those are good desires. Our culture stands in direct opposition to these words in 1 Thessalonians 4:4. Our culture says a woman has a right to choose, two people have a right to be married, and a person has a right to define its gender. What you think your rights are is not the issue. God through the apostle Paul says the will of God is for people to control their bodies in holiness and honor. You have the ability to control and channel those desires. Notice that Paul contrasts this with how the world handles their desires. We do not control our bodies like the world in the passion of lust. We are to abstain from things that are characteristic of the world, and this is one where we are called to be different.

We are to take control of our bodies. The passage literally reads that we are “possess our own vessel.” This means we have to declare war on pornography. The numbers that come out about how many people who claim to be Christians who are involved in pornography is staggering and sad. Men and women both have been captured by this sin. We have to declare war on the television shows and the movies we are watching. Those programs and movies are not only things that we are not supposed to look at, but are ignite a passion and lust in us that is not honorable or holy. These are some of the things we need to do to follow what God tells us to do.

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:13-14 ESV)

We live in a time when sexuality and sensuality is flaunted. We are making control over these desires and over our bodies difficult, if not impossible, if we allow ourselves to watch such things. There is just so much that is produced today that we should not be watching. Now I want to share with you an app that is really great to help with this. This is something that we use in our home and it is really great for keeping our minds and eyes pure. There is an app called VidAngel that you can stream your movies and tv shows through so that you can remove all the sinful and objectionable things that are in those programs. We have talked about blocking content on your internet. There are hundreds of different ways to block sinful content on the internet. We use OpenDNS but there are others that are free or require a small fee to keep pure. We need to put up these kinds of roadblocks to keep sin out of the home. We need to not be passive. God’s will is that you are to control your own body.

Why Holiness Is Critical (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8)

God now gives us why it is so important for us to possess our bodies in holiness and honor.

First, sexual immorality is wronging and taking advantage of another person (1 Thessalonians 4:6).

The Greek word adelphos is not gender specific and can refer to a man or woman in Christ. To put this another way, someone is getting hurt when there is sexual immorality. If you are married, then your spouse is being defrauded and wronged when you go to another man or another woman. This is one reason why God allowed divorce for sexual immorality. You have defrauded and wronged your spouse when you gave yourself to another person.

But if you are not married, you are defrauding your future spouse. You have allowed yourself to be with another person that you are not to be joined to. There is a gift that is to be given in marriage, giving your whole being, body and soul, to your spouse. Purity is a precious gift. This is the idea that the writer of Hebrews notes when he speaks about marriage. Marriage is to be held in high esteem and remained undefiled.

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)

But I want to add to this idea even further. In this culture where we live with sexuality, have you noticed something? Women are being taken advantage of. Children are being taken advantage of. The news seems to be relentless in reporting how woman after woman is being defrauded and wronged. Further, I have spoken with so many women who have been hurt by men because all that men wanted was sex and the women were hoping for a relationship. Sexual immorality is wronging the person you are with. You are using that person for your own selfish desires and lusts. You are getting what you want. You are not giving anything. There is nothing holy about sexual immorality. There is nothing loving about sexual immorality. All that it brings is emotional hurt because people are being defrauded and wronged.

Second, God will judge sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:6).

Listen to what else God says about sexual immorality in verse 6. “The Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.” Sexual sin is often classified as a personal issue. God says that you are hurting other people and this decision has eternal consequences. The Lord is an avenger when it comes to sexual immorality. To state this another way, God does care if you commit adultery, sleep around, engage in premarital sex, divorce, remarry, and everything else that centers around sexual relations. We are deceiving ourselves if we do not think that there are eternal consequences and eternal punishment for sexual immorality. God is very clear. God is so clear that Paul says he solemnly warned them before about this. When Paul came to Thessalonica, one of his messages to them was to stop the sexual immorality that ran rampant in that society. God’s will is your holiness and God avenges sexual immorality.

Third, God has not called us for impurity, but holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

You have a God-given purpose. Paul highlights this truth again. You have a different calling. You are to remain pure. You are to keep your body holy. You are not called for an impure life. Do not think that being Christian includes participating in sexual immorality. Do not think adultery is acceptable. Do not think that pornography is not a sin. Do not think that you can look at whoever you want and touch whoever you want. You have not been called to impurity. You were purchased by God for the price of the precious blood of Jesus. Your calling is to be holy.

Fourth, sexual immorality is disregarding God (1 Thessalonians 4:8).

You are not rejecting cultural norms. You are not rejecting tradition. You are not rejecting Puritanical values. You are not rejecting Victorian customs. You are rejecting God. You are disregarding what God has clearly taught. Adultery is rejecting what God has said. Sleeping with someone who is not your spouse is rejecting what God has said. Sensuality and touching and pictures and videos is rejecting what God has said. Homosexuality is rejecting what God has said. Pornography is rejecting what God has said. Paul makes it plain. You are disregarding God when you disregard your purpose to be holy.

Conclusion

This is how God teaches us to be holy. We are to be holy with our bodies. We are called to be holy. To restate what we have looked at, I want you to see that God gives us the tools we need to fight sexual temptation. Sexual purity pleases God and is God’s will (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sexual purity is honorable (1 Thessalonians 4:4). Sexual purity is loving your neighbor (1 Thessalonians 4:6). Sexual purity avoids God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Sexual purity is one way we show regard and respect and love for God (1 Thessalonians 4:8).

Love One Another

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

This year’s theme for the church that the elders wanted us to focus on was called Together. We have looked at how we can improve our relationships with each by looking at the commands in the scriptures describing what we are to do for one another. We considered how we are members of one another who are to bear with one another, serve one another, have humility toward one another, honor one another, speaking to one another properly, confessing and praying for one another, encouraging one another, submitting to one another, and forgiving one another. I hope that this series of lessons through the year has been profitable for you and has encouraged you to grow together with each other as God’s family. Our final command that we will look at is one that is critically important for Christians to show — that we love one another.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 ESV)

The characteristic of love is to be seen in everything we do as disciples of Christ. Just as Jesus has loved us so we are to love one another. We recognize by this comparison that we are called to deeply love one another sacrificially just as Jesus did for us. This love is supposed to be so transforming that all people will know that we are disciples of Jesus because of the love we show others. Peter tells us that we are to love one another with a pure and sincere heart (1 Peter 1:22).

The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the need for them to love one another.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 ESV)

What an amazing introduction to this topic! The apostle Paul writes to them about loving one another but tells them that he does not need to write to them about it because they have been taught by God. These Christians understood that loving one another was a critical characteristic. If we do not love one another, then we are not disciples of Jesus. “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13 ESV). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 ESV). Not only were they loving each other, they were loving Christians all throughout the region of Macedonia. But there are ways that we show love to each other that we may be neglecting. Sometimes we can have a shallow picture of what it looks like to love one another. Since Paul has no need to write about all the reasons why the Thessalonians need to love each other, since they are doing this already, Paul teaches them some deeper applications of what it looks like to love each other. Listen to what Paul says further in verses 10-11.

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 ESV)

Jesus said that the world would know that we are disciples of Jesus because of how we love one another. What this means is that how we live our lives Monday through Saturday has an impact on what people think about Jesus and about us. Loving one another is not something that only happens inside of these walls. What we do when we are at home has an impact to the world. What we do while at work sends a message to other people. What we do when we are engaged in our hobbies and chores will say something to the world around us. Paul is observing this truth in these verses. So what does Paul urge these Christians to do?

Aspire to Live Quietly (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Make it your ambition to live a quiet life. Loving others means living peaceful lives that are free from hostility and conflict toward others. We live quietly, not drawing attention to ourselves. We live in a world right now that really encourages us to make a lot of noise and draw lots of attention to ourselves. But Christians are not looking for a crowd. We are not looking for attention. We are not desiring people to look at us. We do not cause conflicts and make problems. People get along with us. We do not stir the pot. We do not make matters worse. What Paul says is that we make it our ambition to be quiet. Think about this in the life of Jesus. Consider who he is and what he came to do, he did not make a lot of noise. He did not draw a lot of attention to himself. Jesus did not seek to cause trouble or bang a drum everywhere he went. Trouble came and attention came because he was doing God’s will and showing the glory of God through his teachings and actions. But he did not make a display of himself intentionally. Neither should we make a display of ourselves. Make it your goal to be quiet and live a quiet life.

Mind Your Own Affairs (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Second, Paul says that we show love by paying attention to our own affairs. We do not meddle in the affairs of others. We are not nosy, desiring to know everything that is going on with everyone else. Meddling is not love. We can have a preoccupation of wanting to know what everyone else is doing. We want to know what is going on in their lives. We want all the gossip. We want all the details. It is not that we are showing a genuine care for the person but we are gratifying our own desires of wanting to know and be in the loop. We want to be “in the know.” But this is not love. Let people open up to you. Do not pry into their lives. Let them reveal what they will about themselves as they get to know you and trust you. Build a relationship of love and trust so that you can share your lives with each other. No one wants others prying. There are some things that we are just not ready to share yet. There may be some things that we just cannot speak about yet. All of us have pains and hurts and we work through those things with each other in different ways with different people at different times. We have to recognize this with each other. Be there for each other but do not dig or pry. Unsolicited advice is terrible. We saw this when we studied the book of Job. How often the friends of Job would tell him what they would do if they were him! But you are not Job and you do not know his circumstances. It is high arrogance to tell someone what you would do. If people ask you can tell them what you did. But do not be proud as if you have all the answers. Mind your own affairs. Attend to your own business.

Work With Your Hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Third, we are to work with our hands. Being idle and doing nothing is how you get in a lot of trouble. I have counseled many people who were struggling with sins and one of the reasons why they were struggling was because they were idle. They were not working. They were not keeping active. Work is something God has given to men and women. Sometimes people think that work was the product of Adam’s sin and the fall. But before sin was in the world listen to what God did.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15 ESV)

All humans are to work. Now this does not mean that everyone has to have a corporate job or else they are sinning. But men and women are to keep busy with work. Listen to what Paul taught the women to do.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3-5 ESV)

We are to keep ourselves busy with work. Doing nothing is bad in God’s eyes. Whether we stay at home or are retired or have some sort of physical difficulties, God tells us that we need to be doing something to keep ourselves occupied. We even have an old English proverb that says similarly: “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” The proverb was originally rendered, “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” The Proverbs in the word of God are filled with warnings about idleness and laziness leading to life problems. We always need to be looking to do good works, whether it is on the job, in the home, or in the church. But we must not allow our hands to grow idle. Idleness is dangerous to our souls and does not show love to others.

Purpose: Walk Properly and Not Dependent (1 Thessalonians 4:12)

Paul now states the reason for these instructions. “So that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” God’s purpose is that we would stay out of trouble and not need others to support us. Live quietly, mind your business, and work with your hands so that you will not cause problems to those who are outsiders and will not be in need for others to have to financially care for us.

We need to hear these words because our culture is moving toward a way of thinking that was similar to the Greco-Roman world. We think people should take care of us. Why do I have to work? Why do I have to do anything? Let others take care of me. This way of thinking is wrong in God’s eyes. We are not walking properly before the world if we think this way. When we do not intrude or gossip and display diligence in our work, God says that we make the gospel credible. We are showing another facet of love when we do these things. We are to live our lives in such a way to not assume others to have to care for us.

A few years ago we needed to have surgery for Grace, putting an implant in Grace’s arm. So we go through our insurance and come to find out that we were going to owe over $5000 for this implant (insurance covering 80% and we had to cover 20%). So I asked for your prayers for this and many of you all desired to help with this need. Now we knew that she was going to need this implant for years to come. In fact, she is scheduled for this implant surgery again this December. Imagine if I came back to you the next year and said we have to pay $5000 again. Then imagine last year I did it again. And then I came to you this year and said we owe this again. At some point you are rightly going to say that you knew this was coming and you should have made preparations if possible, rather than depending on others to bail you out. The first year was a surprise. But the second year was not. And the third year was not. And this year is not. This is what Paul is talking about that we do not live assuming on the kindness and grace of others. We do not take advantage of the kindness and generosity of others. We work with our hands so that we walk properly among outsiders and are not dependent on others because that is what loving others does. If I love you, then I do not want your money. I do not want to have to borrow from you and receive your gift. I want to do my best to care for myself, not taking advantage of you.

This is the balance we see in the first century church. Yes, people were selling their possessions and property to help each other who had need. But this was not to be a replacement for working with your own hands so that you would not have to rely on others financially. To do this would be sin. In fact, Paul addresses this even stronger in his second letter to these Thessalonians.

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 ESV)

We are ready to help but we do not enable idle hands. Love others means we will aspire to live quiet lives, mind our own affairs, and work with our hands so that the world will see that we are Christians. All people will know we are Jesus’ disciples because we love one another. This is another way we show this love. Walk properly before those who are not Christians and be dependent on no one. Loving others goes far deeper and much further than we sometimes think. Everything we do, even Monday through Saturday, must show our love for God and for one another.

When Christ Comes

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

There are not many passages of scripture that reveal what will happen when Christ comes a second time. However, you would think by the numerous books and movies about this topic that there were hundreds of passages that describe the second coming of Christ. People have such a fascination about Christ’s return. This desire to know about his coming is not misplaced because his return is to give us hope and change how we live our lives today. But the purpose of this paragraph in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is not to give a full discourse on the end times. The point is not to describe all the details or give a full treatment regarding Christ’s return. There is a specific concern these Christians have that Paul is answering for them. His concern is stated for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV)

Now it is easy to misunderstand what the Thessalonians were concerned about if we do not know what the common thinking was about death and the afterlife in the Greco-Roman world. The Greco-Roman world believed in life after death. Immortality of the soul was widely believed. If you have had any exposure to Greek mythology then you are aware of this. But Hades was a joyless gloom for departed spirits. The spirits continued on in an afterlife, but there was no belief in a re-animation of the body. In fact, listen to what happened to the apostles Paul in his preaching in Athens.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” (Acts 17:30-32 ESV)

Notice that when Paul spoke about resurrection, then caused the end for them listening to him. Some mocked him when he spoke about the body coming back to life. Others said they will listen to this again some other time. It is important to note that the issue is not about life after death. The Greco-Roman world believed the spirits continued to exist in some underworld or Hadean realm. Theocritus sums up the prevailing pagan attitude about death and afterlife, “Hopes are for the living, but the ones who die are without hope” (Idyll 4.42). Catullus states, “The sun can set and rise again. But once our brief light sets, there is one unending night to be slept through.” Pagan literature bemoans the fact that while even crops rise again and renew themselves, humans simply die. So nature mocks humans with its resilience. This may help us understand what Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 15 where the apostle notes that some were saying that, “There is no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12). The gospel message proclaimed something different, so startling that the Athenians would not listen any further. Resurrection is not the continuation of the spirit living beyond this body. Most believed in the continuing existence of the spirit. So what Paul is going to teach about the second coming of Christ is radically different than the common thinking in the Greco-Roman world. Let’s look at what Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18.

What Believing In Jesus Means (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15)

Notice what Paul says we must pay attention to when is comes to knowing about the second coming of Christ. First, our foundation is that we believe Jesus died and rose again. This is a critical component of our faith. In fact, we are not believers in Jesus at all if we do not believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead. But please note that Jesus dying and rising again was not the continuing life of his spirit. Resurrection is the body coming back to life. Believing in the resurrection of Jesus means that Jesus came back to life in the body. This is what the apostles argue (1 John 1:1-4) and the gospel declare. Jesus rose from the dead not as a spirit but as a body that the apostles saw, spoke to, and touched. Jesus puts back on the human body and the apostles touched the wounds where the nails were driven through his hands (John 20:24-27). Jesus puts back on the human body so that we see him eating with his disciples (John 21:13-15). In fact, notice that the Gospel of Luke specifically deals with this thinking.

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:36-43 ESV)

Jesus expressly points out that he is not just a spirit because you can touch him and he ate in front of them. Resurrection means a bodily resurrection. Now notice what Paul is pointing out in 1 Thessalonians 4:14. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we believe God will bring with him those who have fallen sleep. “Falling asleep” is a metaphor for death yet it also possesses the hope of resurrection. They are not dead. They are asleep as if they will wake up again.

Now notice what Paul is doing. In verse 13 he says the he does not want these Christians to grieve as others do who have no hope. So what is the hope that he presents? The hope is not that you will live in eternity with God. Read carefully verse 14 again. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we believe God will bring with him those who have already died. God will bring with him those who already died. Christians have no need to grieve as the hopeless. Those who are not in Christ cannot have a positive view of the afterlife. God will bring with him those who already died. Is this not the great question that hangs over every funeral? Is there life after death? Is this the end? Is there any hope? The clear answer is yes. If we believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, then we believe that God will bring with him those who died.

This is the message of 1 Corinthians 15. Christ is described as the first fruits of the resurrection. What happened to Jesus will happen to us in resurrection. God did not abandon Jesus in death and he will not abandon us to death. We are raised just as he was raised. Those who die before Jesus returns are not lost to some underworld spirit realm. There is hope. God will bring with him those who died when he comes. No one is left behind or left out of this great event. The Lord will come again and there is no advantage given to those who are alive when he comes over those who already died. Paul wants us to have hope and not grieve like the hopeless. The faithful are coming with the Lord when he comes. Oh, how this lifts our spirits to know this truth. If we believe Jesus rose from the dead, then we can believe coming of those who have died in Christ with the same certainty.

What Will Happen When Christ Comes (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

So what will happen when Christ comes? Paul explains more in verses 16-17. The Lord is going to descend from heaven with an arousing outcry, with the voice of the archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise when he comes. Christ’s victory over death is our victory over death. No one is lost in death if we belong to him.

This scene was prefigured when Jesus was on the earth. Remember when Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus who had been dead for 4 days and was already smelling from decomposition (John 11). What does Jesus do? Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43). What happens next is staggering. The dead man came to life. At merely the word of Jesus, a dead person whose spirit had departed and his body had begun to rot, came back to life, his body was restored, and he was whole again. This is what is going to happen. This was also prefigured when Jesus rose from the dead. Do you remember what Matthew records for us that also happened when Jesus rose from the dead?

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51-53 ESV)

What happened? Tombs were opened and the bodies of believers who had died were raised. Notice these are not spirits but bodies. They come out of the tombs and they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many. This is the hope of resurrection. God will open the tombs and the dead in Christ will rise. Now don’t worry about the details of this. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 that our bodies will be changed at this moment.

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53 ESV)

We will be raised and we will be changed in an instant. It does not matter what has happened to your body, God proves that he will raise those who are his from the dead and bring them into life with him eternally. Thus, we see life in verse 17. Those who are alive when Christ returns will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Please notice what Paul is highlighting. We are caught up together, not with him, but with them. The Christian hope is not only Christ’s coming, but he’s bringing the dead in Christ with him and we are joining together with them with the Lord. See this at the end of verse 17: “So WE will always be with the Lord.” The Christian dead are not separated from Christ. Verse 14 says that the Christian dead are “with him.” Further, the Christian dead are not separated from the Christian living. Verse 17 says that the Christian dead are “with them,” which refers to those who are alive on the earth when Christ comes.

Encouragement (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

So listen to what Paul says in verse 18. “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” We have hope. This is one of the great things we celebrate in the Lord’s Supper: death is temporary! We have a stunning hope that gives us encouragement. This is a time of thanksgiving that our country has set aside. I would like for us to be thankful to Jesus because through him we have hope in resurrection.

Death does not separate us from God. This is our primary hope and our primary reason for thanksgiving. When we die, it is not over. We are not annihilated. We are not cast into a gloomy underworld of departed spirit wasting away for eternity. We are with the Lord awaiting our bodies to be resurrected and changed.

Not only does death not separate us from God, but it does not forever separate us from each other. Another stunning hope that is given to us is that our separation from each other is temporary. We will be with each other with the Lord. We are not only caught up with him but also with them.

Therefore, our grieving at death must never obscure the hope of the gospel. We miss being with our loved ones in Christ now. But we know, just as assuredly as we believe Jesus rose from the dead, that those who died in the Lord will be coming with the Lord when he returns and we will be caught up and meet the Lord in the air with them. Friends, not only does this encourage our hearts regarding death, but it must encourage our hearts to be holy and live faithfully to the Lord because we have the great hope of resurrection. Serve the Lord and have the hope of resurrection. Thanks be to God who gave us Jesus who conquered death and rose from the dead so that those who are in Christ will also conquer death and rise again. Therefore, comfort and encourage one another with these words.

When Will Christ Come?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

The first pressing question we have about the second coming of Christ is, “What happens when we die?” The second question that usually comes to mind next is, “When will Christ come?” First, we want to know what will happen when Christ comes. Then we want to know when it will be that Christ will come. It has been a question that Christians have longed to know for nearly 2000 years. It appears that this was also a concern for the Christians in Thessalonica. Paul reminds them that he told them about this also. “You have no need to have anything written to you” (1 Thessalonians 5:1). You know the answer to this. So let’s look at what the answer is to when Christ is coming and what this should mean for how we live our lives.

When Christ Will Come (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

Notice that Paul makes very clear how the day of the Lord will come. In verse 2 Paul says that the day will come like a thief in the night. The timing and the conditions surrounding the return of Christ are not known. We live in a time where people are often trying to predict the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. Many people thought it was surely the end when we came to New Year’s Day in 2000. Then there were many predicts in 2011 and 2012. Many religious have repeatedly attempted to predict the return of Christ. Some will try to use certain scriptures to prove they know when Christ is going to come. Every one of those passages are misused and misunderstood, however. I do not have time to correct all scriptures that have been twisted to refer to the second coming of Christ. I would rather you see this sentence in verse 2. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

How do thieves come? Do thieves announce ahead of time when they are going to strike? Do they tell you what to look for? Do they give you any warning? Do they give you signs before they arrive? The answer to all of these questions is a firm no. Any prediction of the second coming of Christ or the end of the world is a false prediction because God clearly states that we do not know when he is coming. His return will be like a thief. But this does not mean he is not coming. Listen to the apostle Paul:

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31 ESV)

Notice how we can be sure that there is an appointed day of judgment: by raising Jesus from the dead, which is the theme of this paragraph. The resurrection of Jesus from dead proves so much to us. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13 the resurrection of Jesus proves that the Lord will return with those who have died in Christ. The resurrection of Jesus also proves there is a day when the Lord will return in judgment. But Paul says that we do not know when he will return. In verse 3 we see that his coming will be when people do not expect. People will be thinking that his return is not going to happen. They will live in denial that there is a day when he is coming. Verse 3 describes a suddenness of his return. There will be no warning and there is be no escaping his coming.

Be Ready For Christ’s Coming (1 Thessalonians 5:4-7)

Should we be nervous because the Lord is going to return like a thief in the night? Should we be concerned because we do not know when the Lord is going to return? The apostle Paul tells us that we do not need to be concerned. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-7 ESV)

The apostle Paul says that we have nothing to worry about because we are not in the darkness but are children of light. We are not in spiritual darkness so we will not be surprised. We will be ready. We do not live in spiritual cluelessness, ignorance, or rebellion. The Lord’s coming as a thief does not cause any concern for those who are prepared. Let’s use God’s illustration to see this. If you know that the thief is coming, then you make every preparation to be ready so that you are not surprised. You make everything ready for you know he will come.

This is the point of verse 6. Since we know the Lord is coming, “Let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” We live our lives completely differently because we know the Lord is coming like a thief. The world does not live like this. They live in darkness. They live willfully unaware that the Lord has promised to return and his resurrection is the proof. We live differently because we know what is coming. We live in the world with different expectations. Therefore we will not be like the world that walks in spiritual darkness. You see that living life in the light of eternity truly changes everything. We know he is coming. He can come today. He could come tomorrow. He could come next week. We do not know when he is going to return. Therefore we live our lives with an awareness of this truth. I must be ready for his return today because he may come today. We must be spiritually ready and vigilant always. If you know a thief is coming, being asleep or drunk is not a good plan. We must be awake, ready, and sober. So how do we make ourselves ready? Paul gives us a picture in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10.

How To Be Ready For Christ’s Coming (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)

In verse 8 Paul says that since we belong to the day (to the light), let us be sober. What does this look like? We make ourselves ready by putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. We need the armor of God. If the armor of God is on us, then we are ready. How do you put on faith?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV)

Where do we get the hope of our salvation except through reading passages like this? Where do we learn about the love of God that transforms our hearts to love him and love others but the scriptures? The armor of God comes from nowhere else but through God’s word. Being ready for the Lord to come so that we are not surprised means that we are living in the word of God to equip us with faith, hope, and love. To use the very words of Jesus, the way we are coming to Christ by the drawing of the Father is by hearing and learning from God.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, “And they will all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. (John 6:44-45 ESV)

We get ourselves ready for the Lord’s coming by continuing to be taught by him. We love his word and it is what we think on all day because we love it so much. Now listen to why God wants you to be taught by him and put on the armor of God. Look at verses 9-10.

Destined For Salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV)

God has not destined us for wrath. Thanks be to God that we have not be appointed to receive wrath. God did not make the creation so that we would experience his wrath. This is not God’s desire nor is it God’s plan. We should know this from the cross. If we were destined for wrath, then Christ would never come for us and die for our sins. If we were destined for wrath, God has to do nothing and we would receive the just wrath of God for our sins. But that is not why we are here. God has not destined us for wrath but destined us for salvation through Jesus. Notice what Jesus said about eternal punishment.

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41 ESV)

God prepared eternal fire for the devil and his angels. God does not desire any people to go there. Does this mean that God does not have wrath? Should we think that we have all this wrong and God does not have wrath stored up for anyone? The rest of the scriptures certainly tell us that God’s wrath does continue to exist. Romans 1:18 tells us that the wrath of God has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. God’s plan is to deliver us from wrath through the death of Jesus. This is why we do not fear but look forward to Christ’s return. We have not been destined for wrath, but are destined for salvation by putting on the armor of God which is put on us through God’s word. The death of Jesus makes this possible. Without the death of Christ, there is no hope of salvation. We would be doomed. The wrath of God exists but we will not experience it when prepared by God’s armor.

But listen to verse 10. Because Christ died for us, whether we are alive or dead in the flesh, we will live with him. God has done all of this so that we have nothing to worry about on the day of judgment. We have nothing to worry about when Christ comes. God has done it all. Just be children of the day, the children of light. Notice that this is the message we are to tell each other when we come together. Look at verse 11.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

This information is given to us to encourage us and strengthen our faith and walk with God. We need to keep our eyes on eternity. We must never forget that Christ is coming back. The Lord will descend from heaven and we do not know what day that will be. We do not know if he will be here in the next 10 minutes or 10,000 years. Here is what we do know: he is coming and we must be ready for his coming. You have been appointed to receive salvation. The armor of God is placed before you, awaiting for you to put it on. Listen to God. Learn from God. Be taught by God and changed by God so that you can sit in your seat right now and know that you are ready to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Blameless

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

When the New Testament writers, led by the Holy Spirit, ended their letters to churches or people, their closings often offer the final concerns and instructions. These are the final directions for the church to pay attention to as he closes the letter. Paul’s concern in these final instructions is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV)

The whole letter to these Thessalonians has been about placing their eyes of the coming of Jesus Christ. They were to live their lives in the light of eternity. Be ready for his coming. He is coming like a thief in the night and knowing that he is coming means that we must live our lives differently now. So let us look at some of the final instructions Paul gives to these Christians to encourage to be blameless when the Lord Jesus returns.

Attitudes and Actions Toward Your Spiritual Leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Paul’s final instructions begin with the attitude they must have toward their spiritual leaders. Paul says we must respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. This is a wide group of leaders. Those who work among you, those who are over you, and those who admonish you are to be respected. The word means to regard them favorably. Spiritual leadership is difficult and a weighty responsibility. It is often a thankless work and honor needs to be given. Paul says to regard them favorably and esteem them highly (1 Thessalonians 5:13). You are not as fortunate as I am to watch how our shepherds have handled some very difficult situations over the past few years. They love this flock and have handled some very large challenges, conflicts, and sins. I want you to know how much they love you and are working very hard for your good. Paul says that they deserve our respect. They deserve for us to regard them favorably and esteem them highly.

Notice that he says right after that to be at peace among themselves. This seems to give us a picture of the problem. It is a problem that is as old as the people of Israel in Egypt. Think about how many times various people within Israel rebelled against God’s leaders. It happened many times. It happens from Moses’ own brother and sister. We have this natural desire to rebel against leadership. They are not doing a good job. I know more. I could do better. They do not know what they are doing. They are making mistakes. I submit to you that all of those statements could be true. But those things do not matter. We are called to esteem our spiritual leaders of this church highly and regard them favorably because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:13). So be at peace with them (cf. Hebrews 13:17). Do not be divisive. Do not be a problem. The leaders are serving you and working for you. They are not working for themselves. They should have our high regard because of the work they do, not because they do the work perfectly, because they will not do the work perfectly. There is to be a wonderful relationship between the leaders and the flock that is not the flock rebelling against the elders nor the elders telling the flock what to do. We have a relationship together because we are living in the light of eternity. We are working together.

Attitudes and Actions Toward One Another (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15)

The next paragraph describes how we are to act toward one another when living in the light of eternity and the knowledge of Christ’s return. We noticed in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 that these Christians were being idle and not minding their own affairs. So now the idle and unruly are warned. What I want us to see is that we have a role in warning each other. Paul is writing to the Thessalonian Christians tell them to warn those who are disorderly.

Second, encourage the fainthearted. Encourage the discouraged. We have spoken a few times this year about how we are to be encouragers of each other. Closely tied to this idea is the next command to help the weak. People can be fragile in the faith. They can be susceptible to sin. They can be struggling with sin and struggling to obey God. Encourage them and help them. Come along side of them and help them along.

Third, be patient with them all. We probably all need to hear this. It is easy to grow impatient with those who are weak in the faith. It is easy to become frustrated with those who seem to always be struggling with sin. I have seen this before in a church where there was complaint regarding an individual who kept coming forward in confession of his sins. Why doesn’t he just stop sinning! It sounds so easy when we are talking about others. But we need to be patient. Keep working with the sheep who are willing to be worked with. We do not give up on those who are not giving up on God, though they are struggling. We never give up on those who continue to struggle for Christ. But once that struggle is no longer fought, the person has willfully determined to be unruly.

Fourth, do not repay evil for evil. We seek to do good to one another. We will always do good to each other even when we have been hurt or have had evil done to us. We do not respond with evil. We do not respond with maliciousness. We do not hurt others and do not respond in the way they have treated us.

Here is something I want us to think about: a normal church is going to have all of these in its midst. There are going to be people who are rebelling against God. There are going to be people who are discouraged. There are going to be people who are weak in faith. There are going to be people that hurt us and do evil to us. Here is what Paul says to do: warn them, be patient, and do good. Warn those who are walking away from God. Help and encourage those who are struggling. Be patient with all of these different people. Do good to them and not evil, no matter what they have done to you. We do this because we want to be blameless at our Lord’s coming.

Attitudes and Actions You Must Take (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

After describing how we look at our leaders as we live in the light of eternity and how we handle each other as we live in the light of eternity, now Paul tells us what we must do as individuals for yourself. In verse 16 Paul begins that we need to rejoice always. Not that we feel happy because we will have pain, hurts, and suffering. But we live with a hope in God and his will in our lives that gives us a deeper joy in the midst of pain and hurt. We have a focus on God being glorified in our lives rather than a focus of avoiding earthly difficulties. We keep our minds on the spiritual riches we possess and the eternal glory to come rather than the present pain or loss. Friends, I do not know how else we get through trials and suffering except that we have joy in our spiritual riches and hope of eternal glory. This is what we rejoice in each day.

Second, pray always. Never give up praying. We need constant communication with God and it is something that we easily forget to do. Who do we talk to the most each day? God needs to be the one we talk to about everything we have going on in life. This command is a wonderful blessing. We do not pray only when we have a problem or need God’s help. God wants you to talk to him all the time. Can you imagine having a parent that only wanted to talk to you and listen to you when you had a problem? It would be a shallow, terrible relationship. We have a relationship with God that we are given access and the right to speak to him always. In fact, God is asking you to pray to him always in all things. Talk to him about anything!

Third, give thanks always. Everything we have is from God and he deserves our gratefulness. Job was thankful for what he had and continued to be thankful during all of his loss. We realize that everything is a blessing from God that is not deserved. We came into the world naked and we will leave the world with nothing. Job understood this and blessed God in all his loss because he understood this. Our eternity perspective will cause us to give thanks always because we see that we have nothing apart from God. He has given us all that we enjoy. He gave you your job, your wealth, your home, your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, and all the other relationships we enjoy. Spurgeon said, “When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”

So why do we rejoice always, pray always, and give thanks always? Because this is God’s will for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). These are the three things God has given us to always do because it is God’s will for us. Living in the light of eternity changes even what we do as individuals in the quiet of our own homes.

Attitudes and Actions Regarding Teaching (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Paul now turns to how they handle the teachings they receive. We need to remember what life in the first century looked like in regards to teaching the gospel. Remember that they did not have a New Testament yet in the early first century. So miraculous spiritual gifts, like prophecy and speaking in different languages, were given when the apostles laid their hands on a Christian (cf. Acts 8:18-19) so that God’s will could be proclaimed and spread.

In verse 19 Paul tells the Christians to not quench the Spirit. Use the spiritual gifts that have been given to you. Use your gifts. Use what God has given to you. Do not despise prophecies. This instruction is interesting because this seems to be a common problem. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we see that they had done the same thing. They looked down on the gift of prophecy when this gift was God’s message. It was the proclamation of God’s word when God’s word had not yet been written down for all to read. Do not despise the proclamation of God’s word. For us, we extinguish the work of the Spirit by refusing to read the Spirit’s words and letting those words enter our hearts and change our lives.

Then, test everything. Do not believe a message just because someone says they have a message from God. The teaching must be tested. This is still true for us today. Do not believe it because I say it. Believe it because you see it in God’s word. This is one reason why I try to make every point come directly from the word of God. I want you to see it for yourself. I want you to see that these are not my ideas but God’s word. Test everything to make sure that what is taught is God’s word. Once tested, hold fast to it. Hold fast to what is good. Do not walk away from sound teaching. Cling to that which God has defined as good. Abstain from anything that is evil. No evil can be allowed in our lives and in our teachings.

Closing (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28)

Why does Paul end with this flurry of commands? Because it is his prayer that the Lord will sanctify them completely and that their whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the Lord’s coming. We need to be ready for his coming. These words from God as seen in his word are the means by which God is preparing us to be holy and blameless at his coming. Listen to his words and let them change your life. God is cleaning us up if we will let him do the work. Honor and respect your spiritual leaders because of the work they are doing. Warn those who are turning away from God, encourage the faint, help the week, and be patient with them all. Do good in the face of evil. Rejoice always, pray always, and give thanks always. Do not despise God’s word. Know it and cling to it, testing everything that claims to be from God. If we will do these things we will be found blameless when he returns. Live your life in the light of eternity.

LESSON 1

THE FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE OF THE THESSALONIANS

1 Thessalonians 1:1 to 1 Thessalonians 2:20

1. Who was with Paul when he wrote this epistle? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:1.

2. When Paid mentioned the Thessalonians in his prayers, what did lie remember about them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

3. What did Paul know about them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:4.

4. How did the gospel come unto them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:5.

5. How did they receive the word? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:6.

6. To whom were they an example? Ails. 1 Thessalonians 1:7.

7. To what extent was their faith known? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:8.

8. They were waiting for what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

9. What did the Thessalonians know about Paul’s visit to them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:1.

10. flow was Paul treated at Philippi? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 and Acts 16:19-24.

11. God had trusted Paul with what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

12. How was he speaking? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:3.

13. Whom was he trying to please? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

14. Paul did not preach how? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6.

15. Paul loved them enough to give them what else in addition to the gospel? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8.

16. Who supported Paul while he was of Thessalonica? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

17. Tell how Paul had conducted himself while there. Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-11.

18. What was his purpose in this? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:12.

19. The message which Paul preached was not the word of whom? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

20. How did the Thessalonians accept it? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

21. In what way were the Thessalonians like the churches of Judea? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:14.

22. The Jews of Judea did what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:15.

23. What did they forbid Paul to do? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:16.

24. Why didn’t Paul go to them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

25. What was Paul’s joy and glory? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20.

LESSON 2

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT

1 Thessalonians 3:1 to 1 Thessalonians 4:18

1. Where did Paul remain? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:1.

2. Whom did Paul send to the Thessalonians? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:2.

3. What did Paul foretell when he was with them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:4.

4. What caused Paul much worry about them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:5.

5. How did Timothy cause this anxiety to disappear? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7.

6. Paul could thank God scarcely enough for what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10.

7. What was Paul’s prayer for them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13.

8. How were the Thessalonians walking? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:1.

9. Paul taught them through the authority of whom? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:2.

10. What is the will of God? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:3.

11. How should a man regard his wife? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5.

12. Who shall avenge wrong-doing in this matter? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:6.

13. God called us for what? An’s. 1 Thessalonians 4:7.

14. One who disobeys this command disregards whom? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:8.

15. It was unnecessary for Paul to exhort them about what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10.

16. What did Paul especially urge them to do? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

17. What sound, practical reason did he give for this? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:12.

18. Who can properly sorrow for those who have died? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

19. Why should we believe that the dead in Christ shall rise again? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

20. What advantage shall those who are alive have over those who are (lead? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:15.

21. What shall happen at the resurrection? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

22. Who shall arise before the living ascend to meet the Lord? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

23. Where will those who are alive meet the Lord? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

24. How long will they be with him? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

25. How can we use these words about the resurrection of the dead? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:18.

LESSON 3

SONS OF LIGHT

1 Thessalonians 5:1-28

1. Paul told the Thessalonians they needed no instructions about what? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:1.

2. What did they know? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

3. What is this, "day of the Lord"? Ans. 1 Corinthians 1:7-8.

4. What shall happen on that day? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

5. Why will that day not overtake the faithful as "a thief in the night"? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5.

6. What should Christians do? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

7. What takes place in the night? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:7.

8. What two parts of the Christian’s armor are here given? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

9. Give the meaning of "light", "darkness", "wake", "sleep", as used here.

10. Unto what did God appoint Christians? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

11. Christ did what for us? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:10.

12. What persons are referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13?

13. What should be done to the disorderly? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:14.

14. The faint-hearted, or feeble minded, should be treated how? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:14.

15. How should all conduct themselves? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

16. What is the will of God? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

17. How should the Spirit be regarded? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

18. Prophesying should be considered in what way? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:20.

19. What things should be tried and tested? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

20. What kinds of evil are we to avoid? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:22.

21. Give Paul’s benediction to the Thessalonians. Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

22. What does Paul tell them about the one who called them? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

23. To whom was this epistle to be read? Ans. 1 Thessalonians 5:27.

TOPICS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION

Was Christ speaking of the resurrection in Matthew 24:36 and in Luke 21:34-36?

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Open It

1. Who in your opinion are the best role models for young people?

2. What would it take for someone to make a lasting impression on you?

3. What causes a person to really change his or her attitudes and behavior?

Explore It

1.    Who wrote this letter? (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

2.    To whom was this letter written? (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

3.    What did Paul remember about the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

4.    What made Paul believe God had chosen the Thessalonian believers? (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10)

5.    How had Paul presented the gospel to this audience? (1 Thessalonians 1:5-6)

6.    How had the Thessalonians responded to the gospel message? (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

7.    For what kind of faith were the Thessalonians known? (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

8.    Whom did the Thessalonians imitate? (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

9.     How had the Thessalonians’ lives been a model for others? (1 Thessalonians 1:7-10)

10.     What changes did the Thessalonians make in their lives when they heard the gospel? (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

11.     What were the Thessalonians anticipating? (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

Get It

1.     How was the Thessalonians’ hope visible for others to see?

2.     What characteristics in a person would convince you that he or she was a genuine Christian chosen by God?

3.     What convinces people Christianity is true?

4.    What is the difference between presenting the gospel with power and deep conviction, and presenting the gospel without it?

5.    How are the Thessalonians examples for our daily living?

6.    What persecution and suffering can Christians expect when they publicly declare their faith?

7.    In what ways do we need to imitate Jesus Christ and other Christians we know?

8.    In what visible ways have you been changed by turning away from sin and turning toward God?

9.    How can actively waiting for Jesus’ return affect our daily attitudes and actions?

Apply It

1.    How can you be more of a model to other believers this week?

2.    In what way can you present the gospel with power and conviction the next time you share it?

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Open It

1.    How do you know when someone is using flattery to manipulate you?

2.    What are the signs of genuine love between a parent and a child?

3.    What qualities should a Christian leader have?

Explore It

1.    Under what conditions did Paul share the gospel with the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 2:2)

2.    What false charges had been made about Paul? (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5)

3.    How did Paul answer the charges against him? (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5)

4.    How were other traveling religious teachers deceiving people? (1 Thessalonians 2:5)

5.    How did Paul describe his relationship with the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

6.    What were Paul and his companions delighted to do? Why? (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

7.    What did Paul want the Thessalonians to remember about his time with them? (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

8.     How did Paul describe his work with the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 2:10)

9.     In what way was Paul like a father to the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

10.     How did the Thessalonians receive the Word of God? (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

11.     How were the Thessalonians like the churches in Judea? (1 Thessalonians 2:14)

12.     What kind of opposition had Paul faced? (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16)

13.     What is God’s response to people who oppose the preaching of His gospel? (1 Thessalonians 2:16)

Get It

1.     How can we judge the success or failure of our work with people?

2.    What kind of opposition can we expect whenever we speak out for Jesus Christ?

3.     How do the opinions of others influence how we share our faith?

4.    How can a desire for popularity (even among Christians) twist our desire and commitment to serve God?

5.    Why did Paul work so hard not to be a burden to the Thessalonians?

6.    What standards of behavior and care should Christians follow as they try to reach out to people?

7.    What’s the difference between accepting a teaching as the Word of God and responding to it?

Apply It

1.    In what ways can you share your life with others in your efforts to share Christ with them?

2.    What can you do this week to make sure that you are trying to please God and not other

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17 to 1 Thessalonians 3:5

Open It

1.    If you were accused of a crime you didn’t commit, how would you respond?

2.    How do you encourage a friend who is feeling down and hopeless?

Explore It

1.    How did Paul describe his departure and separation from the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 2:17) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+2:17>

2.    What stopped Paul from returning to Thessalonica? (1 Thessalonians 2:18) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+2:18>

3.    What did Paul say would be his crown or reward at the Second Coming of the Lord? (1 Thessalonians 2:19) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+2:19>

4.    Why did Paul consider the Thessalonians his glory and joy? (1 Thessalonians 2:20) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+2:20>

5.    Whom did the apostles send to Thessalonica to check up on the church? (1 Thessalonians 3:2) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:2>

6.    What was Timothy’s mission? (1 Thessalonians 3:2) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:2>

7.    What did Paul say about trials? (1 Thessalonians 3:3) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:3>

8.    What concern did Paul have for the Thessalonian church? (1 Thessalonians 3:3-5) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:3-5>

9.    What did Paul think might undercut the faith of the new believers at Thessalonica? (1 Thessalonians 3:3-5) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:3-5>

10.     Why did Paul send someone to check on the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 3:5) <http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Th+3:5>

Get It

1.     How does Satan hinder or stop our efforts or plans?

2.     How can investing your life in someone pay eternal dividends?

3.     What personal accomplishments will count for something when we stand in the presence of Christ?

4.     What practical things can we do to strengthen and encourage others in their faith?

5.     How can opposition discourage and damage the faith of a young believer?

6.    How could you help a young believer whose faith has been damaged by opposition or discouragement?

Apply It

1.     This week, how could you resist the temptations that hinder your spiritual progress?

2.    What younger believer can you help get established in the faith? How?

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Open It

1.    If you could make a surprise visit to a dear friend or relative, whom would you select?

2.    How can you express love to someone when you can’t see or talk to the person?

Explore It

1.    What news did Timothy bring to Paul from Thessalonica? (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7)

2.    How had Paul’s work among the Thessalonians fared during his absence? (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7)

3.    How were the Thessalonians an encouragement to Paul? (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

4.    Why did Paul say, "for now we really live"? (1 Thessalonians 3:8)

5.    For what did Paul pray concerning the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 3:10)

6.    How did Paul pray? (1 Thessalonians 3:10)

7.    When did Paul pray? For whom? (1 Thessalonians 3:10)

8.    What was Paul hoping for? (1 Thessalonians 3:11)

9.     What did Paul ask the Lord to do? (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

10.     What did Paul pray would grow and prosper among the Thessalonians? (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

11.     How should we prepare for Christ’s return to earth? (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

Get It

1.     How would you define and evaluate the depth of a person’s faith?

2.     How would you define and evaluate the depth of a person’s love?

3.     How do you show your concern for Christians in distant places?

4.     What are the characteristics of someone who is standing firm in the Lord?

5.    In what ways should we imitate Paul’s example when assigning credit for bringing someone to Christ?

6.     What place did the Thessalonians have in Paul’s prayer life?

7.    How does a person’s love for others increase?

8.     How can a person have his or her heart strengthened?

Apply It

1.    What preparations can you make this week to get ready for Christ’s return?

2.    What changes do you need to make to focus your prayer on others?

Living to Please God

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Open It

1.    How much do you think people are influenced by what they watch on television?

2.    How is sex viewed by many of the people you know and work with?

Explore It

1.    What instruction had Paul given to the Thessalonians when he was with them? (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

2.    What did Paul urge his audience to do? (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

3.    By what authority did Paul give his instructions? (1 Thessalonians 4:2)

4.    What are God’s desires for our sexuality? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)

5.    How is the Christian’s sexual conduct to be different from that of the non-Christian? (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5)

6.    How did Paul characterize the heathen? (1 Thessalonians 4:5)

7.    When people ignore or reject God’s instructions on sexual behavior, what are they rejecting? (1 Thessalonians 4:8)

8.    What command of God were the Thessalonians known for obeying? (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

9.     What ambition were the Thessalonians to pursue? (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

10.     What is the result of living a quiet, respected, and responsible life? (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Get It

1.     How often do we need to be reminded about God’s instructions for our lives?

2.     In what way can ambition for fame, success, or wealth hurt a believer?

3.     How does God want us to use our bodies?

4.     How would you respond to someone who says it is possible to be a good Christian while also being sexually immoral?

5.     How do the media influence our attitudes about sex?

6.    How can we wrong a person through our sexual behavior?

7.     What is a holy life?

8.    What would motivate you to live a life that is pure and holy?

9.     What influence on people and society can a hardworking, quiet person have?

Apply It

1.    In the future, how could you help a Christian caught in sexual sin?

2.    What can you do to maintain your purity?

3.    When can you spend some time examining your ambitions in light of God’s priorities for you?

The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Open It

1.    How can the death of a loved one change a person’s life?

2.    What do you think happens to us when we die?

3.    How do you react when you hear predictions about the end of the world?

Explore It

1.    What concern was Paul addressing? (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

2.    How is a Christian’s grief over the loss of a loved one different from a non-Christian’s grief? (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

3.    What was the source of Paul’s teaching about what happens to those who die? (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

4.    What sequence of events will signal the Lord’s return? (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

5.    What effect did Paul believe this teaching about the Lord’s return would have on his listeners? (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

6.    When will the Lord return? (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2)

7.    How will the Lord return? (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

8.     What contrast is there between believers and non-believers? (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)

9.     What should we do to get ready for the Lord’s return? (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8)

10.     What roles should faith, hope, and love play in our lives? (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

11.     To what does God appoint believers? (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

12.     For what reason can we be assured of our salvation? (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

13.     How should a believer use this information to help others? (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Get It

1.     How should a Christian mourn the death of a fellow believer?

2.    Who has no hope when they die?

3.     What hope do Christians have in death?

4.    How can these words help a person who is grieving over loved ones who have died?

5.     Why is the date and time of Christ’s Second Coming of such interest to many people?

6.    What influence should the promise of Christ’s Second Coming have on how a person lives day to day?

7.    How are faith and love like a breastplate?

8.    How is salvation like a helmet?

9.    How can talking about God’s promises for our future encourage us in our daily lives?

Apply It

1.    What can you do to make sure you are ready for Christ’s return each day?

2.    What hope can you share with someone who is convinced that death is the end of our existence?

Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Open It

1.    What instructions would you give to someone taking care of your home while you were away on a long vacation?

2.    If you could ask God any three questions about how to live your life, what would you ask?

Explore It

1.    How does God want us to regard church elders? (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

2.    How does God want us to treat each other? (1 Thessalonians 5:13-15)

3.    What attitudes represent God’s will for us? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

4.    How should we pray? (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

5.    When should we give thanks? (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

6.    What is God’s will for us? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

7.    How should we show respect for the Holy Spirit’s presence in us? (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

8.    What does God want to happen inside us? (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

9.     For what reason can we depend on God? (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

10.     What kind of affection did Paul have for the Thessalonian Christians? (1 Thessalonians 5:26)

11.     Who was to hear the contents of this letter? (1 Thessalonians 5:27)

Get It

1.     How can you show respect for the elders of your church?

2.     What can we do to live in peace with everyone in the church?

3.     How can the peace among people in the church be damaged?

4.     What situations tend to test your patience?

5.    What does it mean to pray continually?

6.     What happens when you pay back evil to a person who has done wrong to you?

7.    Why should we give thanks in all circumstances?

8.     What value is there in giving thanks in all circumstances?

9.    How can you remain joyful when things go badly?

10.     How does prayer relate to a person’s joy?

11.     How could a person put out the Spirit’s fire?

12.     How can we tell if God is actually at work in us?

13.     How can we help or hinder God’s work within us?

Apply It

1.    Which of Paul’s short, direct commands in this passage do you most need to remember this week?

2.    With whom do you need to make peace? How can you start?