The Word of God at Work in You
Comments for Study 1
Pick to read this Bible passage in a separate window.
SORRY, THE COMMENTARY FOR THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN FINISHED.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF BOOKS THAT ARE COMPLETED.
I. Greetings (1:1)
>1. Who are the senders of this letter?
* 1 Thessalonians 1:1 "Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you."
* "Paul"
* "Silas"
* "Timothy"
*
>Who is the recipient?
* "To the church of the Thessalonians"
*
>How are they identified?
* "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"
*
>How did they hear the gospel?
* Paul wrote this letter to the young congregation in Thessalonica in around 51 AD shortly after his first missionary journey there as is recorded in Acts 17. Paul founded this church along with his traveling companions.
The beginning of this small congregation was full of persecution, sufferimg, power with the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction. The gospel went forth from them and others were encouraged. Sounds a little like when I first believed.
Their faith produced work. Their love prompted labor. Their hope conceived endurance. Paul thanked God.
Thinking about how I began in Christ and where I am at now I realize that little has changed in my life in Christ. I have faith, hope, and love in basically the same life environment. I know some who gave up on God. And I have witnessed many as they started out in their own walk with Jesus. I thank God for how they welcomed the gospel just like Paul did the congregation in Thessalonica.
Now I wait for God's Son to come from heaven just as I have always done. He will rescue me and those who keep their faith in him till the end from the coming wrath.
*
>Where can we obtain grace and peace, why that order, and what does this personally mean to you?
* "Grace and peace to you"
*
*
*
*
II. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians Faith (1:2-10)
>2. What was one of Paul, Silas, and Timothy's prayer topics? (2)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:2 "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers."
*
*
*
*
>What did the Thessalonians' faith, hope, and love produce? (3)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:3 "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
*
*
*
*
>3. Who chose who? (4; John 15:16)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:4 "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,"
* John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
*
*
*
>When God chooses someone, how does he make himself known to them? (5a; Mark 4:14)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:5a "because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."
* Mark 4:14 "The farmer sows the word."
* "because our gospel came to you"
* "not simply with words"
*
>How is this confirmed to everyone?
* "but also with power"
* "with the Holy Spirit"
* "and with deep conviction"
*
*
>After they preached the gospel what did Paul, Silas, and Timothy do? (5b)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:5b "You know how we lived among you for your sake."
*
*
*
*
>4. Did believing in the gospel make life easier for them?
* 1 Thessalonians 1:6 "You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
*
*
*
*
>How were they able to cope?
* "you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit"
*
*
*
*
>How did their life of faith in the mist of suffering become a blessing to others? (7-8)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 "And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,"
*
*
*
*
>6. What did their new life of faith entail? (9)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:9 "for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,"
* "what kind of reception you gave us"
* "you turned to God from idols"
* " to serve the living and true God"
*
>As we serve God, what do we wait for? (10)
* 1 Thessalonians 1:10 "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
*
*
*
*
>What is the wrath to come? (Dan. 2:44, 8:19; Rom. 1:18; Col. 3:5-6)
* Daniel 2:44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."
* Daniel 8:19 "He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end."
* Romans 1:18 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,"
* Colossians 3:5-6 "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."
III. Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica (2:1-16)
>7. What do those who deliver the gospel often endure? (2:1-2)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 "You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition."
* I read and learn here something about sharing God's good news and about receiving God's good news.
Concerning sharing I will receive opposition, to move on to another, and I am to continue to be a witness elsewhere. Also in regards to sharing I am to not do so in error, nor have impure motives, nor use trickery. I am to encourage, comfort and urge those I witness to to live lives worthy of God.
Concerning receiving God's word I am to do so like a child. Jesus also said to receive the kingdom of God like a little child.
The word of God is at work in me as I believe in Jeaus (13). All that I learned about is possible as God works in me. I am saved from the coming wrath and from death. And this is comforting because opposition comes from Satan. (18)
I have been able to share the good news and be a witness to people by the grace of God for many years all over the world. I have seen this all to be true. Seeing someone come into a personal relationship with God through Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit for the first time is truly a joy and blessing. Like flowers on a tree in spring, As a whole they are beautifully scattered and arranged by their maker. Up close each is unique and intriguingly made.
*
*
>What happened in Philippi? (Acts 16:11-40)
*
*
*
*
>What happened when they left there and traveled to Thessalonica? (Acts 17:1-9)
*
*
*
*
>As we preach the gospel what should our heart be like? (3-6)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6 "For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,"
*
*
*
*
>8. How should a preacher conduct himself with new believers? (7-8)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 "but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."
*
*
*
*
>How does sharing our life with new believers follow Jesus' example?
*
*
*
*
>Did Paul burden the new believers by asking them for financial support? (9; Acts 18:2-3; and 1 Cor. 9:18)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:9 "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you."
* Acts 18:2-3 "There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them."
* 1 Corinthians 9:18 "What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it."
*
*
>9. How should all of us, especially the spiritually mature conduct our lives? (10-12)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
*
*
*
*
>What does it mean by God "who calls you into his kingdom and glory"?
* "who calls you into his kingdom and glory"
*
*
*
*
>10. When the gospel is preached who is the true source and who is therefore to be praised? (13)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."
*
*
*
*
>What often happens to a new believer? (14)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:14 "For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews"
*
*
*
*
>Why do fellow countrymen often oppose a new believer? (15-16)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 "who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last."
*
*
*
*
>What will be the outcome of those who hinder the gospel?
*
*
*
*
|
