Milo

2 Thessalonians

NOVEMBER 16

Reading 320

GOD IS JUST 2 Thessalonians 1

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well” (2 Thes. 1:6–7).A wishy-washy God is a fiction that appeals to the guilty, not the godly.

Overview

Paul praised perseverance (1:1–4), and promised that those who persecute believers will be punished when Jesus returns (vv. 5–10). Paul prayed that till then the Thessalonians would live to glorify God (vv. 11–12).

Understanding the Text

“Your faith is growing more and more” 2 Thes. 1:3.

“Faith” seems to be a rather hard thing to measure in normal circumstances. It remains quite invisible—quite “inside.” Even when others are living by faith, what they say and do may seem quite ordinary to us. Only if we could look deep inside would we see what it costs them to maintain an ordinary life. Don’t be discouraged if others don’t realize how much of your life is lived by faith. God knows and will reward you. “Love . . . is increasing” 2 Thes. 1:3. Unlike faith, love is visible in the most ordinary of situations. When Paul said, “The love every one of you has for each other is increasing,” he was talking about something that can be seen and measured. We see love in the smile of welcome when friends meet. We see it in the phone call, just to say, “I’m thinking about you. How are you doing?” We see love when a friend says to the harried mom of preschoolers, “Let me stay with your kids today. You need a break.” We see love when the snow is shoveled from an older person’s walk, and in the time spent with a shut-in. We see love in listening, in reaching out a hand to touch, in a comforting hug, a heartfelt prayer. While faith is hidden in ordinary life, it is through the ordinary things of life that love is most clearly revealed. “Perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” 2 Thes. 1:4. Faith, invisible in ordinary life, is clearly revealed in persecutions and trials. The Christian family in rural Colombia that refuses to grow plants that the cartel will turn into drugs—and suffers not only economic loss but also threats of death from the drug lords, displays faith. The Protestant pastor in Rumania, who defied an order to be silent and stimulated the revolt that overthrew the Communist regime in December of 1989, displayed faith. The Christian in the mental institution in Russia, who refuses to stop witnessing, or the parents there who see their children’s hope of higher education lost because they stand fast in their commitment to Christ, display faith. When trials come, and Christians remain committed to Christ, then the invisible becomes visible, and the world sees that Christian faith is real. When your turn comes, through personal tragedy or national disaster, stand firm, and hold the banner of your faith high. “Evidence that God’s judgment is right” 2 Thes. 1:5. God has declared all who believe in Jesus righteous in His sight. He has declared us citizens of His kingdom, brothers and sisters of His Son. When we persevere in our faith, despite persecutions, we vindicate God’s declaration of innocence. We show that knowing Christ does make a difference; that God has made us “new creations” indeed (2 Cor. 5:17). Our suffering for His kingdom’s sake is evidence, not to God, but to the world. And throughout church history, the willingness of believers to suffer and even die painful deaths for Jesus’ sake has moved many to believe in Him. It has been said, and often proven, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you” 2 Thes. 1:6–7. The justice of God is displayed in two ways. One is in His balancing of the moral books by “paying back” those who do evil. This, Paul said, will happen when Jesus returns. The other is in His balancing the moral books by taking on Himself the punishment due those who do evil. This has already happened, and God’s willingness to suffer for us has been displayed on Calvary. Whether an individual is in the group to whom payment is due, or in the group for whom payment has already been made, is not up to God. It’s up to the individual. In Christ, God has been more than fair to the wicked. Now it is up to each man or woman to choose to take advantage of God’s unfair provision of salvation, or to demand fair treatment—and be condemned (see DEVOTIONAL). “To be glorified in His holy people” 2 Thes. 1:10. While punishment of sin is associated with Christ’s second coming, Paul did not say Jesus will return in order to punish. Instead, Jesus will return “to be glorified in His holy people.” One peculiar feature of diamonds is that, in the rough, they look like dull, ordinary stones. One might pick them up, look at them, and throw them away as valueless. But when cut by a master jeweler, a brilliant stone is revealed. Held to the light, it reflects splendor from every facet. The world places very little value on Christians. To others we often seem dull, ordinary, valueless. In fact, the more committed to Christ we are, the less we seem to fit into the world’s scheme of things, and the less value we seem to have to people of the world. But when Jesus returns, He will hold us up to His light, and suddenly the facets that trials and persecution have carved will flash with scintillating light. This is why Jesus will return: to hold us up and “be glorified in His holy people.” And to be “marveled at among all those who have believed.” “We pray constantly for you” 2 Thes. 1:11–12. This is another of those prayers of Paul which teach us how to pray for others. This prayer focuses on “follow-through.” Christians often have good intentions. We’re often moved by a desire to help, to act, to accomplish something special for Jesus or His people. But that desire often fades just as quickly, and our good intentions are forgotten. Paul asked, and we can pray, that God may fulfill “every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” Just think. If every Christian’s good intentions were translated into action, how greatly God would be glorified in our lives.

DEVOTIONAL

God Is (Not) Nice(2 Thes. 1:5–10)

You won’t find it in the Bible. I don’t know of a single text that says, “God is nice.” Particularly when we define “nice” in terms of its synonyms—agreeable, congenial, favorable, and pleasant. God is gracious, yes. And compassionate. But nice? Never. Some folks, however, want to think of God as being nice. Much too nice to get angry or upset at people. Much too nice to punish sin. Maybe the “God of the Old Testament” was harsh. But, they say, the “God of the New Testament” is loving. And what they mean by loving is “nice.” He’s candy-sweet, and all too innocuous to fear. Second Thessalonians 1:5–10 must come as a shock to the proponents of “God is nice” theology. What’s this about Jesus coming “in blazing fire and with His powerful angels” to “punish those who do not know God”? What’s this about being “punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord”? Why, that doesn’t sound nice at all! It isn’t nice. But it is just, and it is right. And most of all, it’s coming. God the loving is also God the Judge. God the tender is God the tough. God the compassionate is God the severe. And when Jesus comes, those who have accepted the Gospel and those who have not will display these desperate aspects of the character of our God. Then we will shout that God is gracious. And others will confess that God is just. But no one will assume that “God is nice.”

Personal Application

Maintain your respect for God: don’t fall into the trap of dismissing Him as “nice.”

Quotable

“The demand that God should forgive such a [sinful] man while he remains what he is, is based on a confusion between condoning and forgiving. To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete: and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness. “In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell, is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does.”—C.S. Lewis

2 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION

Paul’s second Letter to Thessalonica was sent a few months after his first. Some had assumed Jesus’ second coming was so near they could quit work. Paul corrected this misunderstanding, and emphasized the importance of using the present time wisely.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	God’s Justice	2 Thes. 1
II.	The Man of Lawlessness	2 Thes. 2
III.	The Command to Work	2 Thes. 3

NOVEMBER 15

Reading 319

THE LORD WILL COME 1 Thessalonians 4–5

“The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16).Christ’s coming is both comfort and challenge.

Background

Eschatology in the Thessalonian letters.

It is clear from reading these letters that during the few short weeks or months Paul was with the Thessalonians, he gave them a rather detailed picture of the end times. These letters speak of Christ’s return for His saints, the appearance of the Antichrist, final judgment, and other aspects of the end time. Yet the exact sequence of events, and how elements of the whole eschatological picture fit together, is a matter of debate by earnest Christians. Perhaps the most important thing to remember as we read these letters is that, as Christ’s “first coming” encompassed a period of more than 30 years, His “second coming” also embraces a period of years. Much of the confusion about the end times comes from assuming that the “Second Coming” is a single event, rather than a series of world-shaking events spread over a period of years. This does not necessarily help in determining how the events mentioned in the Thessalonian letters relate to each other or other Old and New Testament passages. Even so, we can accept each as describing some aspect of future history. What seemed most important to Paul was not to provide a chart, but to provide a challenge. Paul called on the Thessalonians and on us to see what God intends to do, and then to apply that vision of the future to guide current choices and adjust present attitudes. It is the application of prophecy that we need to focus on as we read these letters devotionally.

Overview

Pleasing God calls for holiness (4:1–9) and brotherly love (vv. 10–12). Christ’s own will be raised at His imminent return (v. 13–5:3). Till then we are to live expectant, self-controlled lives, encouraging one another (vv. 4–11). Paul closed with various specific instructions (vv. 12–28).

Understanding the Text

“How to live in order to please God” 1 Thes. 4:1. The verb rendered “please” here had a broad meaning in the New Testament era. It spoke of action which not only won approval, but which constituted active and actual service. We are God’s servants as well as His sons. We are to dedicate our lives to serving Him. Paul said that the Thessalonians knew how to live to please/serve God. But he went on to remind them anyway. If we are not constantly reminded of what we know, we are all too prone to forget. So let Paul’s words of exhortation remind us too of the persons we are called to be, and the service we are called to render. “It is God’s will that you should be holy” 1 Thes. 4:3–8. Paul specifically mentioned avoiding sexual immorality. But Paul’s broader concern was for controlling all “passionate lust.” Paul used this phrase not just of sexual appetite but of overpowering desire of any kind. A passion for power, a passion for money, a passion for food, a passion for approval and popularity can have just as destructive an impact on holiness as sexual passion. We are not to be mastered by our desires, but are to let God master us. We must keep a tight reign on any desires whose grip might keep us from serving Him and others. “You yourselves have been taught by God to love each other” 1 Thes. 4:9–10. One of the most powerful motivations for that service which pleases God is Christian love. Note that such love is reciprocal: Christians love “each other.” There is something deadly about an unrequited sacrificial love. The daughter who gives up marriage to care for her invalid mother may do so out of love. But if the mother remains critical, bitter, and demanding, even the purest love is likely to sour. The husband who keeps on loving his unfaithful wife may be admirable. But in time that home is sure to shatter from her sheer selfishness. Any love which is constantly rejected must ultimately fail. This is one reason why God created His church to be family. God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ so we can experience as well as extend love. In the mutuality possible in the body of Christ, our ability to love can grow, and we can find the resources we need to enable us to love others who do not love in return. If you are in a situation where your love is met only with bitterness or rejection, seek Christian friends who will support and love you. Even in the best of situations we need an intimate relationship with other believers where we can give and receive love. If you’re looking for a church, don’t look first at programs and activities. Look to see if the people of the church truly love each other. “Make it your ambition” 1 Thes. 4:11–12. We’re used to parents being ambitious for their children. Usually what Mom and Dad are ambitious for is that the kids get ahead—a bigger job, a higher salary, more status. And often we nod approval when young people show “drive and ambition.” Again what we mean is that they work hard, find a good job, and are on their way “up in the world.” Paul had a different slant on ambition. In essence, Paul said make it your ambition to be as ordinary as possible. Lead a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work hard, earning your own living with your own hands. Be a good, but rather ordinary, citizen. I rather like Paul’s emphasis. Ordinary folks, living good, honest, hardworking, ordinary lives, have a habit of winning the respect of those who know them. For God’s people, winning respect is a much higher goal than getting to the top! “About those who fall asleep” 1 Thes. 4:13–18. One of the most powerful of Paul’s eschatological statements emerged from a very practical concern. Some of the Christians in Thessalonica had died. Friends and family were terribly upset. Would these folks miss out on Jesus’ return? In compelling language, Paul reassured them. When Jesus appears, believers who are “asleep” will be raised from the dead, and then, together with still-living saints, all Christians will soar together into the clouds to meet Jesus, and be with Him forever. Paul then applied this dramatic vision simply: “Encourage one another with these words.” When a loved one dies, we can look ahead, catch a glimpse of Jesus’ triumphant appearance, and rejoice. “About times and dates” 1 Thes. 5:1–3. The early church expected Jesus to return at any moment. They didn’t know when. They just knew that, at a moment the world did not expect Him, Jesus would appear to execute final judgment. What Paul was talking about is the doctrine of “imminence.” All that this means is that Jesus could return at any moment. There are no conditions to be met that would hinder Him from coming today, tonight, or tomorrow. We know that Halley’s comet won’t return until the late 21st century. But Christians through the ages have been aware that Jesus could return at any moment. Wouldn’t it be grand if Jesus should come November 16th? Or even today? (See DEVOTIONAL.) “Hold them in highest regard” 1 Thes. 5:12–13. I suffer from a terrible disease. The Sunday service snoozies. It goes back to my days in seminary, when I worked from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. seven nights a week and carried a full 19 semester-hour-load of classes. Every day at chapel I’d find a seat near the wall, lean my head against it, and sleep. Now, even when I preach, it’s hard to keep awake as the service proceeds. And when others preach—well, it’s been nearly impossible. Till we came to our present church and the excellent preaching of our pastor, Richard Schmidt, a warm and delightful brother. I suddenly realized that my wife’s elbow hadn’t been buried in my ribs for several months, and that I was actually staying awake most Sundays! I called Richard and told him how much I appreciated his sermons. They were even worth staying awake to hear! He laughed and said “thanks.” And added, he wished the other retired preachers in the congregation had the same attitude. It seems they persistently gave him a hard time. If God has used your minister to speak to you, to bless you, to encourage or strengthen you, why not give him or her a call? Such folk need more than our respect. They need our encouragement. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” 1 Thes. 5:19. Older versions say, “Don’t quench the Spirit.” The meaning isn’t mysterious at all. Have you ever had a youngster come to you, full of enthusiasm over an idea or project? And watched his or her face fall when you said no? Well, the Holy Spirit is enthusiastically committed to ideas and projects by which you can serve God and experience great blessing. And every time you say no to His prompting, it’s like throwing a bucket of cold water. The Spirit won’t force you or me to follow His promptings. We can quench His ministry to us by a simple no. But when we do, it is to our great loss.

DEVOTIONAL

Sons of Light(1 Thes. 5:1–11)

I remember very well playing down in the basement as my mother washed clothes. I was 4 or 5, so it was well over 50 years ago that I dressed up as Pecos Pete, and rode down the steps to rescue her from rustlers. That was pretend. But I also remember very well my mother telling me she expected Jesus to return in her lifetime. That wasn’t pretend. That was very real to my mom. She was wrong. She died in a car accident in the 1960s. But awareness that Jesus’ return was just around the corner was a cornerstone of my mother’s life. What Mom told me as a child is still very real to me. My wife and I often speak of it, and expect Jesus to return before either of us joins Him through death. We don’t know when He will come. The “times and the seasons” are a mystery. But the reality of Jesus’ return looms large in our thoughts. Paul pictured those who live with that awareness as “sons of the light and sons of the day.” We’re not in the dark about the future—or about how to live our lives here and now. Jesus is coming! And so we exercise self-control, and keep our values in harmony with His. Jesus is coming! And so set faith and love as a guard over our hearts. Jesus is coming! And so our perspective is shaped by the certain hope of His appearance, not to judge us, but to rescue us from the wrath about to fall on our lost world. Jesus is coming! And so we encourage each other, and build each other up, placing a higher premium on persons than on things. As God does. My mother wasn’t wrong to expect Jesus. We’re not wrong either. And as long as His coming is real to us, our choices, and our lives, are sure to be transformed.

Personal Application

Look for Jesus, and brighten the eastern horizon of your life.

Quotable

“I have felt like working three times as hard since I came to understand that my Lord is coming again.”—D.L. Moody

1 Thessalonians

NOVEMBER 14

Reading 318

EFFECTIVE MINISTRY 1 Thessalonians 1–3

“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” (1 Thes. 2:7–8).The way we relate to others authenticates the Gospel’s message of love.

Overview

Paul praised God for the Thessalonians’ steadfastness (1:1–3) and evidences of their true conversion (vv. 4–10). He reminded them of his very personal ministry there (2:1–12) and encouraged them in their suffering (vv. 13–16). He spoke of the love which moved him to send Timothy to visit them (v. 17–3:7) and his own joy at Timothy’s good report (vv. 8–13).

Understanding the Text

“Work produced by faith” 1 Thes. 1:1–3. The Thessalonians were remarkable as a truly committed church. They not only received the Gospel—they acted on it! What is so surprising is that Acts 17 seems to suggest Paul’s missionary team was in this city of 200,000 only a few weeks or at most a couple of months before riots and rumors forced them to flee to Berea. Even so they left behind the nucleus of a strong, vital church, which remained faithful despite persecution. What a challenge to us, who may have known the Gospel much longer, but may display less evidence of its grip on our lives. What was the Thessalonians’ secret? They had faith that produced work, love that prompted labor, and hope that inspired endurance (v. 3). No one who truly lays hold of the Gospel’s message of faith, love, and hope can remain the same. “You welcomed the message” 1 Thes. 1:4–6. Verses 4–10 describe a total response to the Gospel message: a response that preachers everywhere yearn to see in their congregations, and we yearn to see in those we love. The very first element in that response is, “You welcomed the message.” God’s people in Thessalonica did not hesitate, or hold back, or cluck critically. They were excited and enthusiastic when they heard the Word of God. Some years ago Joe Bayly wrote a classic little book called The Gospel Blimp. It told of some enthusiastic Christians who decided to bombard their town with tracts, and figured that a blimp would be great. They could drift over backyards and drop tracts on everyone! It’s hard to imagine that folks would really “welcome” Gospel bombs detonating in their yards. Certainly Paul had a better way. He shared the Gospel personally “with deep conviction” and relied on the power of the Holy Spirit, not the Gospel Blimp. And Paul “lived among” the people he tried to reach, so that they knew him and his way of life. If you and I want others to welcome the Gospel, Paul’s approach is essential. “The Lord’s message rang out from you” 1 Thes. 1:7–9a. The old saying is still true. Shepherds don’t have lambs. Sheep do. It certainly was true in Thessalonica. Paul was forced to leave the city after riots were stirred up by Jewish opponents. But the church kept on growing, spiritually and numerically. Awhile ago I was talking with a Chinese friend just back from mainland China, who was telling me about the quiet revival going on there. In the ’70s when religion was proscribed, the church was forced underground, and leaders were stifled or imprisoned. Yet now, just 15 years later, Christmas church services are swamped as millions openly profess their faith in Christ, and many more millions take part in a dynamic house-church movement. The shepherds were taken away by the state. But it didn’t matter. It is sheep who have lambs, not shepherds, and the ranks of Chinese Christians continue to swell. Wherever average Christians are willing to become imitators of the Lord, to serve as models for others, and to sound forth the Word, the Gospel will continue to thrive. “You turned to God from idols” 1 Thes. 1:9b-10. The sequence here can never be reversed. Some try to reform a person before or without conversion. Some say, “I’d like to come to church, but I have this habit. As soon as I break it, then.” What’s wrong is that we don’t turn from idols to God. We turn to God from idols. We have to turn to God first, because only God’s power will enable us to break the chains that bind us. So don’t think, “As soon as I get my life straightened around, I’ll come to God.” Come to God, and let Him straighten your life around for you. “You know that we never” 1 Thes. 2:1–6. Paul had two gifts to offer the Thessalonians. These are the same two gifts that you and I have to offer others. The Gospel and ourselves. Both the gifts can and often will be misunderstood. But you and I as persons are the most vulnerable to criticism. What a grand way to attack the Gospel. Ignore its message of God’s love, and suggest that the messenger is greedy, or deceitful, or is trying to trick people. It really does hurt the Gospel when something like this proves to be true, as in several celebrated televangelists’ cases. But think what a great opportunity you and I have to adorn the Gospel by being honest and loving! Paul said, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.” The really significant words here are “you know.” Paul developed a close enough relationship with the Thessalonians, even in the brief time he knew them, that he was sure they knew his inmost motives and self. By living openly and honestly with others we guard not only our own reputation but the integrity of the Gospel as well. “Like a mother caring for her little children” 1 Thes. 2:7–9. When Paul tried to describe the relationship he developed with others as he shared the Gospel, only family images would do. It would have seemed funny to strangers, to hear Paul, described in early documents as a wizened little man whose large nose almost met his chin, speak of himself as a “mother caring for her little children [infants].” But it wouldn’t seem funny to the Thessalonians, for they would have felt just that quality of tender, protective love, flowing from the great apostle. Love isn’t a matter of how we look, or how much money we have, or how much education. Love is simply the overflow of a deep concern for the welfare of others. If you have that love, nothing else matters. If you do not, nothing else counts. “We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children” 1 Thes. 2:10–12. Paul continued to use family imagery. Again, nothing else quite conveys the kind of relationship that fits the Gospel (see DEVOTIONAL). This time the key words are “each of you.” My sons, Paul and Tim, had the same parents, grew up in the same house, went to the same schools—but are very different from each other. Each needed to be treated as an individual. That’s what is so impressive about Paul’s reminder here that, like a father with adolescent children, he dealt with “each” of the Thessalonians as an individual. Those who needed encouraging, he encouraged. Those who needed comfort, he comforted. Those who needed urging—what we might call a good kick in the pants—Paul urged. His goal was the same in every case: to help them “live lives worthy of God.” But how he worked with others toward that goal took individual differences into account. If we’re to minister effectively to others—even members of our own families, we must come to know them as individuals and respond to each according to his or her characteristics and needs. Loving doesn’t just mean letting others know us and our motives. It means getting to know others, individually, and well. “The Word of God, which is at work in you” 1 Thes. 2:13–16. Frank was a young convert in our Brooklyn congregation. The jolly, heavy-set 20-year-old paid a high price for his faith. His mom and dad, traditional ’50s Catholics, saw his conversion as apostasy. They tried to bribe him with a set of drums he’d longed for. Finally they threw him out of the house. Frank suffered intensely, but he kept faith with what he thought was right. And all of us young people in our church hurt for him. Paul knew the ambivalence that must come when someone becomes a believer and suffers persecution as a result. But Paul reminded himself and the Thessalonians that you “became imitators of God’s churches in Judea.” There’s a long tradition of suffering linked with Christian commitment. Things don’t automatically get better. They may get worse! When those we love suffer for their faith, we can hurt with them. But we must remember that suffering is nothing new. What is new is the fact that God’s Word is at work in us. And in this we can rejoice. “Our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory” 1 Thes. 2:17–3:13. When the very elements that make up this universe dissolve in fervent heat, only human beings will remain. Paul had chosen to love people, rather than things. When Christ comes again, Paul’s hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing will be present with him, preserved for all eternity. Paul was forced to leave these very precious people when the rioting began in Thessalonica. No wonder he sent Timothy to visit them as soon as he could (3:1–5), and was filled with joy when he brought back a good report (vv. 6–13). Let’s make others the focus of our concern, and the touchstone of our values, so that they become our joy.

DEVOTIONAL

Home, Sweet Home(1 Thes. 2:1–12)

I suppose I had many reasons for taking the bus home from college so many weekends. I did bring back bags of dirty laundry, like most college guys. But the real reason was that nothing felt quite like home. Nothing was quite as comfortable as Mom baking bread in the tiny kitchen, or Dad smoking his pipe on the front porch. Nothing felt quite so “right” as watching Dad wash the dishes while Mom dried, or sprawling in an easy chair while Mom read aloud stories and articles from the Saturday Evening Post. Home was warm, comfortable, a place where I was welcomed and loved even if I was a college man now, and out on my own. Home had a climate all its own. Paul understood this as well as anyone. He knew that home is the one really effective climate for evangelism and for spiritual growth. So Paul not only brought others the Gospel in word, he created a sense of family by the way he loved every member of the Thessalonian church. What people need today, perhaps even more than in other times, is that climate of warmth, intimacy, and caring that marks a loving home. The church that provides this climate will be sure to grow. And its members will become mature.

Personal Application

Build your church as birds build nests—one tiny twig of love at a time.

Quotable

WE EXIST TO PROVIDE LOVE AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER . . . through sharing each other’s needs, burdens, and joys through serving each other in a sacrificial way through learning how to love and be loved. God in His grace, has given us to each other. An integral part of our life as His body is caring for and supporting each other.—From the Mission Statement, Crossroads Community Church

1 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION

The young church at Thessalonica suffered immediate persecution, and Paul was driven from the city (Acts 17:1–9). This early letter, written about A.D. 50, was intended to encourage and further instruct very new believers. This and a second letter pick up themes found in all Paul’s letters, such as the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, salvation based on Jesus’ death, personal purity, love, and especially emphasizes teaching about Jesus’ second coming. Paul clearly felt it was important to ground new converts in basic Christian doctrines.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Introduction	1 Thes. 1
II.	A Relationship Described	1 Thes. 2–3
III.	Exhortation and Conclusion	1 Thes. 4–5