DOCSLIB.ORG

1 Thessalonians 1 Purpose: to See How Our Words and Deeds Witness

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1 Thessalonians 1 Purpose: to See How Our Words and Deeds Witness 1 THE COMING OF THE LORD July 27, 2020 Week 1 Faithfulness of God 1 Thessalonians 1 Purpose: To see how our words and deeds witness to our Christian commitment. Background: Thessalonica was the capital and largest city (approx. 200,000) of the Roman providence of Macedonia. The most important Roman highway (the Egnatian Way which was an extension of the Appian Way) extended from Rome all the way to the Orient and went through Thessalonica. This highway, along with the city’s thriving seaport, made Thessalonica one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade centers in the Roman Empire. Recognized as a free city, Thessalonica was allowed self-rule and was exempted from most of the restrictions placed by Rome on other cities in the empire. However, with its international flavor came many pagan religions and cultural influences that challenged the faith of the young Christian there. (Young - as in new to the faith.) Because of these outside influences, Paul knew that it was very important that he remain in touch with the church and try to help them keep the faith. 1 Thessalonians is a letter written by Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the members of the church Paul had established in Thessalonica in the early summer of AD 50. This letter may be the earliest of the letters of Paul that we have. Paul and his friends wrote it in late AD 50. That is about 20 years after Jesus died and rose again to life. Paul was on his second main journey in which he spread the good news about Jesus. He and his friends were in the city of Corinth when they wrote the letter. Although this letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, we can see that Paul is the main author because the style is so much like that of his other letters. Silas and Timothy may have helped Paul write the letter. Or they may have read and approved what he wrote or dictated. These three men had started the first church in Thessalonica but were only able to be there for a short period of time, approximately three weeks, before their lives were threatened and they had to leave in a hurry. At the first opportunity, after a stop in Athens and then on to Corinth, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the new believers were doing. Timothy came back to Corinth with news about the church at Thessalonica. He told Paul and Silas that the church was strong but that there was much persecution. Some people 2 were saying bad things about Paul and his friends. These people claimed that Paul’s intentions were false. Then the Christians had many questions and were in need of more teaching. So Paul wrote this letter to answer their questions and to commend them on their faithfulness to Christ. 1 Thessalonians is broken down into 5 Chapters and we will be studying them over the next 5 weeks. Our lesson today focuses on Chapter 1. Read Verse 1 The Greeks call the church ‘the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’. This means that the church, which is the company of those who believe in Christ, belongs to God and to the Lord Jesus. God started that church by the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul and his friends brought the message about Jesus Christ but the power was from God. The greeting is a request that God will give to them grace and peace. Grace is the blessing of God, for his people. He gives it because he is kind. They do not deserve it. But God gives them his blessing because he loves them; just like he does for Christians today. God extends his love to us as a free gift through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Grace can also refer to the strength that God gives us to remain faithful to Him and fulfill His will and purposes in our lives. This peace has to do with no longer being at odds with God, resisting or rebelling against God’s will. It is a sense of inner health and of being at one with God. Peace means living in a right relationship with God and understanding that He is the greatest resource we have in life. Read Verse 2 Paul, Silas, and Timothy thank God for the Thessalonians. They thank God for what he has done. God has saved them from their sins and given them a new life with Him. Since the time when they first trusted in God, he has helped them to grow as Christians. So, every time that Paul and his friends pray, they always ask God to bless and help the Christians at Thessalonica. Read Verse 3 When Paul and his friends pray, they remember three things about these Christians. These are their faith, their love, and their hope. What they believed had an effect on how they lived. They did good things because they loved other people. They were strong because they had a hope in the Lord Jesus. When Paul and his friends spoke about the good news of Jesus, these Thessalonians accepted it as true. They gave themselves to God and trusted him for their lives. The result of this was that they changed the way that they lived. All the people could see that 3 they had changed. They were different from what they had been before. This change was sure evidence of the faith that they had in God. They loved God for what he, in his love, had done for them by Jesus. Their love for God showed itself in love for other people. Because of this, they wanted to share the love of God with them. So they worked hard. They spread the good news about Jesus. And they did all that they could to help those in need. All that they did was evidence of their love both for God and for other people. We often use the word ‘hope’ where there is a doubt. We do not know whether what we hope for will happen. The Christian hope is not like that. Christian hope is to be certain about something. God has said that something will happen. And we are certain that it will happen. He has promised that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth. The Christian hope looks forward to that time. This hope gives us strength, courage and patience to live while we wait for Christ to come. Those who did not believe in the Lord Jesus attacked these Christians. But they overcame troubles because their hope in the Lord was firm. Faith, love, and hope are characteristics that mark effective Christians in any age. (Then and now.) Read Verse 4 Paul and his friends know that God chose these Christians at Thessalonica to be his own people. They are sure about this because these Thessalonians believed the message and trusted in the Jesus. The writers could see the change in them. The new life that comes from God caused this change. Salvation is something that only God can give. Nobody can earn it by what he or she does. This is why Paul and his friends are thanking God for these brothers and sisters (other Christians). God loved them and chose them. God gave to them the new life that can never die. God had chosen them to be his own people, just as he has chosen you and me. Read Verse 5 Paul and his friends preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people at Thessalonica. But they insisted that the effect that the message had was not the result of their words. No matter how clever the words were, they could not have caused such a great change in the lives of those who believed. There was a power in the message that was much greater than the words. The Holy Spirit worked, both in those who declared the good news and in those who heard it. When Paul, Silas, and Timothy spoke the good news, the power of God was working. The Holy Spirit took what they said; and applied it to the hearts and minds of the 4 listeners. The Holy Spirit showed them that they should repent of their sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. As they did this, God forgave their sins. And he gave them the new life that will never end. Their faith came by the power of God and not by human work. The Holy Spirit gave them the confidence to believe the gospel. And he helped them to believe that God had given them new life. Those who were against the good news accused Paul and his friends of false intentions. They said that Paul himself might have believed a false message. They claimed that he came and preached a lie for personal gain. What Paul and his friends said was false; they had made it up themselves. There was also talk that Paul and his friends behaved badly as well. So, Paul, Silas, and Timothy had to reply and deny all these false stories. They had to show that their intentions were good. And they had to show that they had done nothing wrong. If Paul and his friends had not lived good lives, the people would not have accepted what they said. They preached the good news not only in words but also in their lives. How they lived agreed with the message that they spoke.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica
    Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 1 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica V. 1-2— - Of the churches Paul & his team established, the church at Thessalonica seems to the best known for its flourishing, growing ministry, even after Paul had left them o Paul has already told them in 1:7-8: 7…you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. - Paul is getting ready to defend his ministry because of skeptics in the region o From his various letters, we know that the opposition to Paul’s authority was not just isolated in Corinth, although it was there that the opposition was most intense ▪ There are several reasons for this • Paul’s call from Jesus to service was different from all the other apostles; among the churches there were some skeptics about his authority • He had been known far & wide for his fierce opposition to Christ before his conversion Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 2 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry • Location of the people to whom he ministered—Achaia, Macedonia, Greece, Cypress & other regions o These were distant from the “mother church” in Jerusalem, led by James & John, apostles who had been with Jesus from the beginning o It took several weeks to travel from these areas to Jerusalem & Judea, where the original apostles ministered • Others of the original apostles traveled to other regions to preach & build churches o Peter, Thomas, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Small Group Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians Week 1
    Small Group Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians Week 1: Opening Question: What did God use to get your attention and expose you to the message of the Gospel? Background: Paul went to visit Thessalonica around 49 A.D. The city was crucial to the Roman Empire and almost became the capital of the world because of the waterways that run into it, and the amount of trade & commerce that happened there. Paul, Silas & Timothy led the charge as they shared the gospel to the people in Thessalonica. Other then sharing the message of Christ, they were there to encourage the believers and plant the church. The background of the church can be read in Acts 17:1-9. Paul’s letter (with help from Silas & Timothy) gives the new believers some guidance on holy living, having hope for the future, and encouragement through the suffering and persecution they were facing. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (Other scriptures to read – Acts 17:1-9) Questions: 1- In verse 2, Paul says that they always thank God for them continually and pray for them persistently. Why does this affect their relationship with the people of Thessalonica? How could constant prayer affect your relationship with friends or people who you may have a rough relationship with? 2- In verse 3, Paul writes “We remember before God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” a. What are “works” and how do they produce faith? b. What is “labor” and how is it affected by love? c.
    [Show full text]
  • Greetings and Thanksgiving the Salutation
    Thessalonians 1 & 2 1 Thessalonian 1: Greetings and Thanksgiving The Salutation The salutation names three authors of the letter, Paul, Silvanus, also known by his nickname Silas, and Timothy. Both of Paul’s fellow workers played important roles in the development of his missionary activity. According to Acts 15:22, Silas was part of the delegation sent to Antioch to announce the results of the “apostolic council” in Jerusalem. Paul chose him as a companion in his missionary activity in Syria and Cilicia, his “first missionary journey” (Acts 15:40). It was during that journey, in Derbe and Lystra, where Paul encountered Timothy, son of a Jewish mother and Greek father (Acts 16:1), whom he recruited to his missionary team. Silas continued with Paul and was with him in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:19–40), and he was with Paul when the apostle initially worked in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4-9) and Beroea (Acts 17:10). Timothy apparently was part of the team as well, since he remained with Silas in Beroea when Paul was sent off (Acts 17:14). Silas and Timothy reunited with Paul in Athens (Acts 18:5), which was probably the location from which Paul sent Timothy on the mission to Thessalonica, a mission to which he refers later in 1 Thess 3:2. If the account in Acts is correct, Silas accompanied Timothy on the trip; and the two rejoined Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5), providing the occasion for writing the letter. The presence of Silas and Timothy with Paul in Corinth when he first preached there is confirmed by Paul’s reminiscence of the start of his mission there in 2 Corinthians 1:19.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
    1 Thessalonians “Stand Firm in the Lord” Lesson #1 — 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Introduction Right now our country, community, and congregation are going through some trying times. Imagine looking back on this period of your life in a year, 5 years, and 10 years. What would you want to be able to say about the way you handled these challenges? 1 Thessalonians 1:1,2 In the opening greeting Paul introduces himself only by name, not by title, along with his co-workers. Determine the advantages and disadvantages of using titles for God’s servants. Paul refers to the church in Thessalonica as “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Explain why it is important to remember that phrase when it comes to any church. The word “grace” in our usage refers to a gift that gives joy and light. Examine why this is a good word to express the rich meaning of God’s redemptive love and action in Jesus. Express how peace - peace within us and peace with others - is a result of grace. (cf Ephesians 2:13-17) Paul felt a responsibility toward the new believers in Thessalonica even after he had to move on to Berea and Athens. Summarize the responsibility you and your church has for new believers. Brainstorm some things you can do to help new Christians in their work with the Lord. Acts 17:1-10 Thessalonica: capital of the province of Macedonia; an important port; population of close to 200,000 people; boasted a strategic location on the Via Egnatia, the main highway connecting Rome to the East.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians Bible Study Guide 2020
    “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Bible studies and notes for individuals and groups. St Phil’s Anglican Church Eastwood. 2020. 1 Summary and introduction Background History: Thessalonica was founded around 315BC by Cassander, King of Macedonia. The Romans divided Macedonia into four districts in 167BC. Thessalonica was the capital of the second district. Paul’s letters: Paul came to Corinth around 50AD. The first letter to the Thessalonians was written shortly after that, and the second letter only some months later. They are therefore some of the earliest letters, probably only preceded by Galatians. Paul was probably only in Thessalonica a couple of months. Paul’s visit: During Paul’s second missionary journey, in Acts 17:1-10, he visited the Thessalonians with Silas. They mostly attended the Jewish Synagogue – seeking to prove to the Jews from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. Some believed – such as Jason, Aristarchus and Secundus. In Acts 17:13 they encountered opposition from the Jews. This spread to the Gentiles – first a mob, then city officials. They made life difficult for the Christians. They forced Paul and Silas (and Timothy) to move on. When they were no longer welcome in the synagogue, they continued the mission to the Gentiles. Attacks continued on Paul and his workers (Paul replies to this in 1 Thess 2:3-12). A riot ensued. Jason and some other Christians were brought before the authorities, since they could not locate Paul and Silas.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians 1 INTRODUCTION: ● What Does Being a Follower of Jesus Look Like on the Ground? What Is Christianity Supposed to Be All About Vs
    1 Thessalonians 1 INTRODUCTION: ● What does being a follower of Jesus look like on the ground? What is Christianity supposed to be all about vs. how is it perceived? ● Faith, love, and hope = major theme in 1 Thess and in Paul’s writings ● Each of these things can be misunderstood. In our own country, you can have faith without evidence. You can have love without proof. You can claim to have hope and nobody can see it. ○ “I have faith” but you don’t seem to value spiritual things ○ “I love her” but you treat her poorly and are incredibly selfish ○ “I have hope” but you panic at every trial and difficulty ● Is this what God expects or are we missing something? [1] Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. ● Paul elevates Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy by including them in his greeting, which isn’t always the norm in the other letters. Why? ○ The Thessalonians were a little miffed that Paul hadn’t come back to them. Instead, Paul sent Timothy from Athens to go to them and then Timothy met up w/ Paul in Corinth for a debrief ○ By elevating Silas and Timothy as a “we,” he postures them not just as substitutes but as co-laborers ● This is an important leadership concept for us to grasp. Leadership in the body of Christ isn’t a pyramid where there is the top person and then people beneath him. Instead, it is a plurality of leaders that serve the body.
    [Show full text]
  • I THESSALONIANS the First Letter of Paul to the Church in Thessalonica
    I THESSALONIANS The First Letter of Paul to the Church in Thessalonica 99 Paul’s mission to Greece In the Introduction we pieced together what we know about Paul’s life up to the writing of Galatians and the Jerusalem Assembly. Shortly after the Jerusalem Assembly, Paul set off to visit the churches which he and Barnabas had founded on their previous journey (47-48). He headed off overland, working his way through Syria and Cilicia, accompanied this time not by Barnabas but by Silvanus (Luke calls him by his Jewish name ‘Silas’, Acts 15:36-41). After visiting the churches in southern Galatia, he headed north and west, joined now by Timothy. Guided by the Spirit of Jesus, they came to Troas. The journey from Antioch to Troas covered some fifteen hundred kilometres and could have taken the best part of eight months. It is at this stage that Luke begins to use the first person in his narrative (Acts 16:10). It is possible, as some suggest, that Luke is using an unnamed person’s travel diary as one of his sources. It is also possible, however, that the earliest tradition is correct and that Luke is drawing here on his own memoirs. From Troas Paul crossed by ship to Macedonia, disembarked at Neapolis (Acts 16:11), and journeyed the fifteen or so kilometres along the Via Egnatia to Philippi (Acts 16:12). We will have more to say about his experiences there when we introduce his letter writ- ten to the Philippians. Luke (or the anonymous author of the travel diary) seems to have stayed on in Philippi, for the narrative moves back to the third person: ‘they departed’(Acts 16:40).
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of 1 Thessalonians
    Table of Contents 1. Christian Armor ....................................................... 5 (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3) 2. Christian Conviction ............................................... 11 (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5) 3. Christian Imitation ................................................. 17 (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7) 4 Christian Conversion ............................................... 23 (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10) 5. God Who Examines Our Hearts .................................. 29 (1 Thessalonians 2:1-5) 6. Christian Care ....................................................... 35 (1 Thessalonians 2:6-12) 7. God at Work in You ................................................. 41 (1 Thessalonians 2:13) 8. Our Joy................................................................. 46 (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20) 9. Mind the Gap ........................................................ 52 (1 Thessalonians 3:10-13) 10. Under New Management ......................................... 58 (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2) 11. No Trespassing ...................................................... 64 (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8) 12. Christian En-Courage-ment ..................................... 70 (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11) 13. What Now? ........................................................... 76 (1 Thessalonians 3:12-24) Introduction The Christian life is a wonderful journey from being a wayward, self- centered sinner to a whole-hearted, Christ-centered child of God. The first letter the Apostle Paul wrote the Christians in Thessalonica is an invitation to help us
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Ted Kirnbauer 1 Thessalonians 1 9/16/18 INTRODUCTION Galatians
    1 Ted Kirnbauer 1 Thessalonians 1 9/16/18 INTRODUCTION Galatians and both letters to the Thessalonians were the first letters written by Paul. 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written during his second missionary journey from Corinth in 50–51AD (see notes on Acts 17:1–18:23). Paul’s missionary team consisted of Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy. After successfully starting a church in Philippi, Paul and Silas left for Thessalonica which was about a 5 day walk (100 miles). Paul and Silas arrived in Thessalonica, went to the synagogue, preached the gospel over a period of three weeks (Acts 17:1–9) and some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks, and a few prominent women in the city were converted (Acts 17:4). The gospel, however, was also met with much opposition. Immediately, some unbelieving Jews stirred up a mob and went to the house where Paul was supposed to be staying. When they couldn’t find Paul they took the Christians they could find and brought them before the civil authorities accusing them of worshipping a king other than Caesar (Acts 17:7). In order to prevent more mob violence, Paul and Silas were eventually smuggled out of the city under the cover of darkness and traveled about 50 miles (2 ½ days) west to Berea. Once again they went to the synagogue first, and many Jews and some prominent men and women among the gentiles believed (Acts 17:12). When the Jews from Thessalonica heard of the gospel spreading in Berea they went there to stir up people against Paul.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians 1
    1 THESSALONIANS 1 1 Thessalonians 1:1–4 1:1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. To the church at Thessalonica united with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Good will and peace are yours! Paul wrote this letter with Silas and Timothy, his coworkers, to the young church in Thessalonica. These three men had founded the church in Thessalonica, became friends to many, and took a vested interest in the members’ spiritual well-being. Earlier, Paul had barely escaped the clutches of Jewish opponents to the Gospel in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). Some time later, Timothy had been dispatched to see how they were doing and to report his findings to Paul. Timothy returned to Paul in Corinth and reported all of the news about the believers in this thriving Roman city. Paul responded with this letter of encouragement and instruction. As Paul began his letter, he greeted them in the unity they pos- sessed because of their Christian faith. God’s grace and peace are the inherited promise God gives to all believers when they are saved. Therefore, Paul encouraged the Thessalonians with these words, 403 PCF-Churches.indb 403 7/12/12 3:28 PM 404 Paul’s Letters to Churches reminding them that they already possessed these blessings. Good will, kindness, and grace are given to human beings by God not because humanity deserves them but because God chooses to do so based solely on the work of His Son completed on Calvary’s Cross. The work of redemption satisfies Almighty God’s justice, removing the penalty of man’s rebellion and showering believers with His grace, mercy, kindness, and good will (John 1:17).
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians 2015 Edition Dr
    Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2015 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable Introduction HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Thessalonica was originally an ancient MACEDONIA town named Thermai, meaning "Hot Philippi Springs." The town gave its name to the * Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, on the *Thessalonica Berea* shore of which it stood. In time it became an important city because of its strategic ASIA location. Cassander, the Macedonian king, founded the more modern city in 315 ACHAIA B.C., and named it for his wife, who was a Ephesus *Athens * half-sister of Alexander the Great. Corinth* Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, and it stood on the Via Egnatia, the Roman highway to the East. In Paul's day it was a self-governing community, with enough Jews in residence to warrant a synagogue (Acts 17:1). "Under the Romans it was the capital of the second of the four divisions of Macedonia, and when these were united to form one single province in 146 B.C. it became the capital, as well as the largest city of the province."1 Paul first visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey—with Silas, Timothy, and perhaps others. They had just been released from prison in Philippi, and had made their way southward to Thessalonica. For at least three Sabbath days, Paul reasoned in the synagogue with those present, and many believed the gospel (Acts 17:2). However, he probably ministered in Thessalonica for a longer time than just three weeks, in view of what he wrote that he had done there (e.g., 1 Thess.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
    1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 1. How does the community judge whether or not a church is “successful”? How should Christians judge the success of a church? 2. Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern day Greece). Read about Paul’s visit to them in Acts 17:1-15. From this passage, what things can we discern about the church in Thessalonica? Given the circumstances surrounding the formation of the church, how well do you think the church will be doing a few months on? 3. Read 1 Thes 1:1-10. 4. Paul gives us some clear answers to how the church is doing. Briefly, what does he tells us in: a. v2 b. v6 c. v7&8 d. v9&10 Now to look into the detail….. 5. Compare v1 with 1 Cor 1:2a (first phrase); how are both these ways of describing a church true? 6. In verse 3 & 4 Pauls uses the triad of faith, love and hope to describe the Thessalonians. Why are these three things important in the Christian life? How does Paul see them at work in the Thessalonians? 7. Paul reminds the Thessalonians they were chosen. What implications does this have for Christians? 8. In v8 Paul exclaims: “The Lord’s message rang out from you”. What do you think he means? How has this happened? 9. Look at v9-10, what three actions does Paul say marked the Thessalonians conversion? Are we (as a church or individuals) in danger of minimalizing any of these components? If so which and why? 10.
    [Show full text]