1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13: Unmistakable Love
...Paul was anxious! He'd been in the middle of a great missionary
journey for God....He'd been telling all who'd give him the 'time of day' about
Jesus. The Holy Spirit was directing each step of the way he was to
travel. Yet he'd faced great persecution in his evangelism.
He been chased out of town far too many times. After being chased
out of Thessalonica, he was so anxious to know what had become of his
church plant! As he wrote the Thessalonians, his motives were pure and
his best wishes for them were of deep christian love. He waited for news
and continued to pray for the church there.
...He was overjoyed when Timothy came
back with a glowing report. He had to write them and express his feelings
to them!
·
How can your church become a place
where love will "increase and overflow for each other and for everyone
else" (1Th 3:12)? This passage provides some practical examples.
Paul’s
Longing to See the Thessalonians
17But, brothers and sisters, when
we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not
in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I,
Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown
in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it
not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
1So when we could stand it no
longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and
co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and
encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these
trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept
telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you
well know. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no
longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the
tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6But Timothy has just now come
to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told
us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us,
just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our
distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing
firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in
return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that
we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father
himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and
overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you
will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord
Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
·
What evidence do you find in this passage that Paul really did
love the Thessalonians (2:17, 20; 3:2, 5, 10)?
- What phrases does Paul use to express his love (2:17-18; 3:5)?
- What fears caused Paul to send Timothy to Thessalonica (3:2-5)?
- What are Paul's desires for the Thessalonians (3:10-13)?
- How do these desires reflect Paul's love and caring?
How do you most often
express your love for others?
- What ideas from this passage can help you become even better at
expressing love?
- How can you (as an individual or group) help
love increase within your church or fellowship group?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12: A Life
That Pleases God
All of us want to please the people we love the
most. That is why a wife will surprise her husband with his favorite meal, a
husband will plan a special evening at a concert he knows will excite his wife,
or a child will pick a bouquet of dandelions to present to Mom and Dad. What
can Christians do to please God, whom they love so dearly?
Living to Please God: 1As for other matters, brothers and sisters,
we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are
living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you
by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God’s will that you
should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control
your own bodya in a
way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the pagans, who
do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong
or take advantage of a brother or sister.b The
Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you
before. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but
to live a holy life. 8Therefore, anyone who rejects this
instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you
his Holy Spirit.
9Now about your love for one
another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by
God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all of God’s
family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so
more and more, 11and to make it your ambition to lead a
quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as
we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect
of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
- Why would Paul give these instructions on holy living to people
whom he says are already living a life which pleases God (vv. 1,10)?
- What clues does this passage give as to how Paul would define
sexual immorality (vv. 3-6)?
- How does sexual immorality "wrong" or "take
advantage of" a brother (v. 6)?
- Scholars agree that verses 11 and 12 were directed toward members
of the church who had quit working and were relying on the kindness of
their fellow Christians to provide them with necessities. Why would Paul
have been concerned about the effect this attitude was having on
outsiders?
- What work habits detract from your Christian witness?
- How can this passage help you to resist sexual temptation?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Snatched away with great force" =
"caught up"="Harpozo" (GREEK) =
"Rapture"(ENGLISH)
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1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11:
Apparently, a crisis occurred in the Thessalonian
church when one of their members died. Since they had expected to all be alive
when Christ returned, they were now confused. Did this mean their friend would
miss out on Christ's coming? Had this person died because God was angry with
them? How much longer would it be before Christ finally did return? Maybe you
have fears about what will happen when you die or when Christ returns. In this
passage, Paul seeks to calm our fears and encourage us to look forward to the
day we meet our Maker.
THE JEWISH WEDDING
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RELATIONSHIP TO SALVATION
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1. The
prospective bridegroom took the initiative and traveled from his father's
house to the home of the prospective bride.
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Christ left His Father's house and
came to earth to gain a bride for Himself.
(Ephesians
5:25-28)
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2. The
father of the woman then negotiated with the prospective bridegroom the
price that must be paid to secure his bride.
|
Christ had to pay the price with His
own blood. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
|
3. When the
bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby
established. At that point, the man
and woman were regarded to be husband and wife, even though no physical
union had taken place.
|
The believer has been declared to be
sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
|
4. The
moment the covenant was established, the bride was declared to be set apart
exclusively for the bridegroom. The
groom and the bride then drank from a cup over which the betrothal
(marriage) benediction had been pronounced.
This symbolized that the covenant relationship had been established.
|
Christ symbolized this marriage
covenant through communion at the Last Supper. (1
Corinthians 11:25)
|
5. After
the marriage covenant was in effect, the groom left the home of the bride
and returned to his father's house.
He remained there for a period of 12 months separated from his
bride.
|
Christ returned to His Father's house
following the payment of His purchase price. (John 6:62)
|
6. During
this separation, the bride prepared her wardrobe and prepared for married
life. The groom prepared living
accommodations in his father's house for his bride.
|
Christ is preparing a place for His
bride and is also sending pastors and teachers to perfect the bride for the
coming wedding known as "the Marriage Supper of the Lamb".
(John 14:2; Ephesians 4:11-13)
|
7. After this period of separation, the
groom, best man, and other male escorts left the house of the groom's
father, usually at night, and conducted a torch-light procession to the
house of the bride.
|
Christ will soon come from His
Father's house in heaven accompanied by an angelic host. (John 14:3)
|
8. The
bride was expecting her groom to come for her; however, she didn't know the
exact time. Thus, the groom's
arrival was preceded by a shout!
|
Christ's return will be preceded by a
shout. (1 Thessalonians 4:16). We
expect His return, but we do not know the day or the hour.
|
9. The
groom received the bride with her female attendants and returned to his
father's house.
|
The bride will be caught up with the
Lord to be with Him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
|
10. The
bride and bridegroom then entered the bridal chamber and, in the privacy of
that place, entered into physical union for the first time, thereby
consummating the marriage!
|
Christ's union with the Church will
take place in heaven for all eternity. (1 Thessalonians
4:17)
|
|
The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25)
-5 wise virgins prepared & 5 unwise virgins made no
preparation
Jesus said...
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who
took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with
them. 4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became
drowsy and fell asleep.
6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to
meet him!’
7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our
lamps are going out.’
9“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and
you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom
arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.
And the door was shut.
11“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the
door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the
hour.
|
Believers
Who Have Died (Chapter 4)
13Brothers and sisters, we do
not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do
not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen
asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you
that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down
from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive
and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever18Therefore encourage one another with
these words.
The
Day of the Lord
Chapter
5: 1Now, brothers and sisters, about times
and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of
the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and
safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant
woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers and
sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a
thief. 5You are all children of the light and
children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who
are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and
those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be
sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation
as a helmet.9For God did not appoint us to suffer
wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are
awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build
each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
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The Master’s Coming (The Message) Chapter 4
4 13-14 And regarding the question, friends, that has
come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want
you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like
people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last
word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most
certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.
15-18 And then this: We can tell you with complete
confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again
to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead
and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s
trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will
rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time
will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be
walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the
Master. So reassure one another with these words.
5 1-3 I don’t think,
friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen.
You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on
our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a
burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently,
congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it
easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly
and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.
4-8 But
friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of
this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies
and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those
others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get
drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it.
Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of
salvation.
9-11 God
didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master,
Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re
awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to
one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left
out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing
it.
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- In what ways is grief different for a Christian than it is for a
non-Christian (4:13)?
- What sequence of events does Paul say will occur when Christ
returns (4:16-17)?
- Why are the examples of a thief (5:2) and labor pains (5:3) good
analogies of what will happen on the day of the Lord?
- What dangers are associated with living in darkness (5:5-7)?
- What instructions does Paul give for living in the light (5:8)?
- How do Paul's words help you to face your own fears about death?
- Paul tells us that our defensive weapons against darkness are
faith, love and hope (v. 8). What are some practical ways in which these
virtues can defend you?
Here are several charts that help to
visually "see" the bible narrative even more vividly.
>1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
·
An UNPRECEDENTED event is about to occur!
The bible says the church will be "raptured" or "...snatched away
with great force".
I was
researching the events of "911". Terrorists flew two Boeing
767's full of passengers from United Airlines and American Airlines straight
into the World Trade Center. I was at home and in shock as I watched the
second plane hit the tower live on TV. Over 2,600 people lost their lives in
the tragedy! I was reminded
of the fact of how our world was instantly changed...nothing has been quite the
same since. Personally,
a few weeks later, my job came to an end as the company folded under new
pressures directly because of this murderous act. This terrorist event was UNPRECEDENTED in human history!
The prophet spoke of an
event to come.....Messiah, Jesus our Saviour would come! When it DID
happen just as the prophet had said, His first arrival was terrific news for
humanity. Although he made quite a humble entry, that God would personally
intervene in the affairs of humanity.... that the "Word would become Flesh" was UNPRECEDENTED in human history...something of this nature had never
happened before! He brought us life and hope in the Salvation he
offered. When he went away, he said he'd be back....unschedulled.....like a
thief in the night. "...I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am." (John 14:3).
Perhaps I would be remiss
if I did not mention that when he went away, he gave us the Promised Holy
Spirit, the Comforter! This is an UNPRECEDENTED gift to those who believe and a very
deposit of Himself!
Because of the signs he
gave us, we are expecting this UNPRECEDENTED event of the Rapture to occur at
any time, and the signs
are likely it will occur VERY SOON.
The Rapture of
the Church.
·
This is Christ
coming FOR his Church. (1 Thessalonians 4)
In
1 Thessalonians 4, Paul counsels us on what is ahead...
"16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a
loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so
we will be with the Lord forever."
The Second
Coming.
·
This is Christ
coming WITH his Church. (Rev 19 /Zech 14
/Mat 24 /Mark 13 )
It is important that we
have a biblical understanding of the sequence of end time events. Sometimes
people confuse the Rapture with the Second Coming. This mistake is easily
recognized with a bit of bible study. The word "Rapture" is
not "seen" at first glance in scripture, at least not
in English. However, when we know that the New Testament was written
in Greek, we can source the New Testament Greek word "harpazo",
from where we get the translated English words "caught-up" or
"rapture", and the meaning is to be "...snatched away with great
force".
One of the ways we can
better visualize these events is through the use of charts that artists and
scholars have created from what scripture has revealed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any group of people needs rules for getting along,
and the church is no exception. Paul so wants the Thessalonians to "live
in peace with each other" (1Th 5:13) that he closes his first letter to
them with several instructions on how they can do this. These are instructions
which have never gone out of date and can still be used to end the quarrels,
hurt feelings and resentments in your church or fellowship group.
Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers and
sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the
Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn
those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,
be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for
wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone
else.
16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this
is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22reject every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of
peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he
will do it.
25Brothers and sisters, pray for
us. 26Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this
letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you.
- What does it mean for someone to be "over you in the
Lord" (v. 12)?
- How can you warn a person about something they are doing wrong (v.
14) or prevent them from taking revenge (v. 15) and still live in peace
with them?
- What does it mean to be joyful "always," pray
"continually" and give thanks "in all circumstances"
(vv. 16-18)?
- How can you test things like prophecy or teaching to find out if
they are good or evil (vv. 19-22)?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Introducing 2 Thessalonians
Second
Thessalonians was written a short time after 1 Thessalonians to clear up
misconceptions about the Second Coming that the first letter had failed to
answer.
Although
the letter was written to Gentiles, it assumes some knowledge of the Old
Testament. According to Donald Guthrie, this was typical of early Christian
teaching (New Testament Introduction, rev. ed. [Downers Grove, Ill.:
InterVarsity Press, 1990], p. 596).
Paul
most likely wrote the letter from Corinth. In addition to clarifying their
understanding about Christ's return, Paul addressed some ongoing problems in
the church in dealing with idleness. This book offered its readers comfort and
insight about faith and end times, as well as a call to take responsibility.
May it both challenge and encourage you as well.
2 Thessalonians 1:
Evidence of Faith
Can I know for sure that I will go to heaven?
This is a question that plagued the Thessalonians to such an
extent that even after the comfort of his first letter, Paul has to write again
and give further encouragement. It was difficult for these young Christians to
believe that the suffering of their present life would really be followed by
the eternal joy of heaven. Perhaps you also wonder if heaven really exists and
if you can be sure of going there. If so, you will find Paul writing this
passage directly to you.
Have you ever met a person and gone away thinking, "They must
be a Christian." What gave you that impression?
1Paul,
Silasa and
Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace
and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We
ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,b and
rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of
you have for one another is increasing. 4Therefore,
among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the
persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5All
this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be
counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is
just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and
give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful
angels. 8He will
punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of his might 10on the
day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all
those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony
to you.
11With
this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of
his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire
for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12We pray
this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in
him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.c
- What good
things does Paul notice about the lives of the Thessalonians (vv. 3-4)?
- Why do you
think that in times of persecution, some people's faith and love grow
while others' fail (v. 4)?
- Paul proclaims
that "God is just." How does he describe God's justice (vv.
5-10)?
- According to
this passage, what makes a person "worthy of the kingdom" (v. 5)
or "worthy of [God's] calling" (v. 11)?
- In light of his
teaching about God's judgment, why does Paul pray as he does in verses
11-12?
- How can God's
justice encourage you when things are "just not fair"?
- If someone were
to pray for you as Paul did in verses 11-12, what is one specific way in
which you would want God to change your life?
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