The primary objectives of these studies are a) to get you to read the Bible and b) to take in what you have read. At the end of each page of studies (normally a chapter) there will be a 'Recap' to remind you of what you have read. At the end of every 'set' (see the front Contents page) there will also be a 'Summary' and a 'Conclusions' that cover the pages in that set.

INTRODUCTION to Thessalonians

The Historical Context

On his first missionary journey (Acts 13 & 14) Paul travelled with Barnabas. Because of a disagreement over John Mark who had left them part way on that trip, Paul & Barnabas went their separate ways (Acts 15:36-39) and so when Paul wanted to go back and check out the churches they had established before, he took Silas with him instead (Acts 15:40). Along the way they picked up Timothy (Acts 16:1-3). Thus eventually the apostolic team with these three in it eventually came to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1) where they established a church (Acts 17:4).

Their Activity in Thessalonica

The team stayed in Thessalonica at least 3 weeks (Acts 17:2), working both night and day (1 Thess 2:9 & 2 Thess 3:8) and also preaching the Gospel. A number turned to the Lord with the result that an enthusiastic church was created (watch for the signs in the following Studies). This made a number of the unconverted Jews jealous and to avoid their persecution the team had to leave at night.

Subsequently

Hearing about the church's ongoing life while at Athens, Paul wanted to return to see them but was hindered and stopped doing this (1 Thess 2:17,18), and so sent Timothy back (1 Thess 3:1,2). It would seem that Timothy subsequently rejoined him at Corinth (Acts 18:5) and brought a report of the church (1 Thess 3:6). The first letter thus seems a response by Paul to all he's heard. Subsequent news seems to indicate to Paul the need for a second (shorter) letter reiterating and emphasising some of the issues covered in the first letter.

Part One : “Building a foundation”

In the first part of the first letter we will see indications of the personal relationship that Paul and his team had with the church there in Thessalonica. He reminds them of his time with them when he preached the Gospel and the wonderful way they received it. He reminds them of the way he came to them and was not a burden to them in any way but sought to move in integrity at all times. As a result a strong and vigorous church was established there. In doing this he is building a foundation from which to speak of his concerns about them. Watch him do this in these first nine Studies.

Chapter: 1 Thess 1

Passage: 1 Thess 1:1-3

A. Find Out:

1. From what 3 people does this letter come? v.1a

2. To whom is it written? v.1b

3. What do they want for the church there? v.1c

4. What did they do all the time? v.2

5. How is God referred to? v.1,3

6. What 3 things did they remember, inspired by what? v.3

B. Think:

1. How is this shown to be a “team letter”?

2. How does the team show their commitment to this church?

3. What are we told about this church?

C. Comment:

Let's highlight the things noted above. First of all let's consider the TEAM writing this letter. It comes from Paul, Silas and Timothy who, as we've seen in the Introduction, worked together taking the Gospel to Thessalonica. These are three men well known to this church. Yes, Paul heads it up, but the letter comes with the force of the team behind it. That makes it pretty powerful!

But then they show their heart commitment to this church. They'd given up their lives to travel and bring the Good News to that part of the world, but more than that, when they left they didn't forget them, they prayed and carried on praying for them. That says their hearts were with this church. They felt for them, they were with them, and therefore anything they might say about them comes out of that sort of heart care and commitment.

Finally, let's consider what we're told about this church in these few verses – apart from the fact that they've caught the hearts of these three men! They are a church whose faith works! They serve the Lord, they are active in sharing the word and building one another up. They endure – that means they persevere against opposition, they keep on going even though it's tough – and we'll see something of that in these two letters. This is a church that is doing stuff and has kept on doing it!

D. Application:

1. Do we let our hearts get caught by others – and so pray?

2. Are we serving the Lord and keeping on despite opposition?

Chapter: 1 Thess 1

Passage: 1 Thess 1:4-6

A. Find Out:

1. How do they refer to the church first of all? v.4a

2. How next do they refer to them? v.4b

3. Why do they know that? v.5

4. What contact had they had together? v.5c

5. What had the church become? v.6a

6. What had they done, despite what? v.6b

B. Think:

1. What do the apostles say about this church and God?

2. Why are they so sure about that?

3. What do these verses say about the work of God & man in salvation?

C. Comment:

First of all note how the apostles describe this church: loved and chosen. That is true of every Christian but we sometimes need reminding of that. God loves us and is totally for us. Why? Because He has chosen us and we are now His children and He's not going to do anything less than that!

Second, note how the apostles know that. They know it because they have seen how God was working through them in the bringing of the Gospel. Some people almost drift into belief (and are unsure – how sad!) but that wasn't true of this church. No, when the apostles preached the Gospel there in Thessalonica it wasn't just words. They knew the power and the presence of the Lord which brought strong conviction to the listeners. There was no question about their salvation.

Third, note that their assurance wasn't built on just what happened at conversion, they had seen this church respond and change as Christians. The new believers took on board the message gladly and started behaving like the apostles, copying their lifestyle, despite the opposition that they received from the unbelieving Jews of the town. No, the assurance that the apostles had about this church came from observing the way they had responded to the initial message and then the way they had changed and grown subsequently.

D. Application:

1. Is my reception of the Gospel still with joy?

2. Am I going on with the Lord and not standing still?

Chapter: 1 Thess 1

Passage: 1 Thess 1:7-10

A. Find Out:

1. What had this church become, to whom? v.7

2. What 2 things had happened? v.8a

3. So what did the apostles feel about that? v.8b

4. What was being said about this church? v.9a

5. What also was being told? v.9b

6. So what was the church now doing? v.10

B. Think:

1. How, generally, were this church influencing this area?

2. How, specifically, was that happening?

3. What have they said about Jesus here?

C. Comment:

In the previous verses Paul and the others have been commenting on the way that this church received the Gospel so positively. Here they expand on that by commenting on the feedback they have been getting from other churches in the area. This church, here in Thessalonica, has been like a shining beacon to the surrounding area.

How? Well previously everyone had known the sort of place that it was – people worshipped idols there. Then the apostolic team came and preached the Gospel. Suddenly idol worship was gone and worshipping the one true God was in. The way they had been open to the apostles and the way they had listened to them and responded to the message was being talked about all over the place. God's life transformation in these people was the talk of the country! But isn't that how it's supposed to be! Today?

Now note how Paul closes this little section talking about their response (well there is actually more to come but from a different angle). He says that part of their ongoing salvation is waiting for Jesus to return. Why does he say this? Because he's obviously heard that there are misunderstandings about Jesus' return and it's going to be a major topic he's going to raise with them, so this is just an early nudge in that direction. We're going to see more of it in both letters.

D. Application:

1. We are called to be light and salt (Mt 5:13 ,14). Are we shining?

2. Are others hearing about Jesus' transforming work in us?

Chapter: 1 Thess 2

Passage: 1 Thess 2:1-6

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul first say about their visit to Thessalonica? v.1

2. What had happened to them previously? v.2a

3. Yet what did they do, despite what happening? v.2b

4. How did they not come? v.3

5. But how did they come? v.4

6. How did they not come? v.5,6a

B. Think:

1. What does Paul say negatively and positively about their motives?

2. What does he say about their methods?

3. Why do you think he's saying these things?

C. Comment:

Throughout this letter so far, Paul has been speaking about their experience with the church in Thessalonica. He spoke first about how the church has received the powerfully anointed word of God and had gone on so well in their faith. The focus has been on the church, yet there have been subtle inferences about their own ministry. It is as if he is building a platform from which to speak into the problems of this church. It is a platform that emphasises the good feelings they have about this church, together with a reiteration about their own God-given ministry, so that the church will more readily receive their words.

In these verses now, he goes on from focusing on the church and now talks more about the apostolic team. They came with a positive outlook in respect of this church (v.1). They came having experienced persecution previously but were not put off (v.2). They came with pure motives, not anything underhand (v.3) but simply to please God (v.4). They didn't use underhand methods (v.5) and were not looking for praise from the new church (v.6a). They came, in other words, openly, at the bidding of God, with God's enabling and to please God. Why does he say all this? Because of the opposition that had been speaking against them. Destroy the credibility of the messenger and you destroy the message. It is important, therefore, to stand against this untruth.

D. Application:

1. Most of the time leave your reputation with God.

2. When the Gospel is questioned, you can defend yourself.

Chapter: 1 Thess 2

Passage: 1 Thess 2:6-12

A. Find Out:

1. How did Paul say they had been with the church there? v.7

2. What two things had they shared with them? v.8b

3. Why had they done that? v.8a

4. What does he ask them to remember? v.9

5. What does he say they had been? v.10

6. What had they done? v.11,12

B. Think:

1. How had they sought not to be a burden to the church?

2. How does he describe their attitude towards the church there?

3. What is the main thing that he's trying to convey?

C. Comment:

Paul has gone from exalting the church for the way they responded to the Gospel, to focusing on the apostles' ministry and how it had been true and seeking to please God, and now he focuses back on how they had dealt with the church at a personal level.

To do this he uses two analogies. The first is of a mother caring for her little children, and the second is of a father supporting and challenging his children. There is a lovely two sided caring being spoken about here. There is first the gentle, caring compassion of a mother's heart, but that is balanced by the firm direction of a father (that's the Biblical balance for a family!).

When they came to this people they came with hearts full of love for them and that love was expressed in practical ways. First it shared the Gospel with them. If we love people we will want them to come to know the same Saviour we know. But more than that, in the bringing of their ministry they did not want to be a burden in any way to these new Christians and so the apostles had worked day and night for their own support. This came out of a real gentle and humble heart concern for this new church and is a real example to us of servant hearted apostleship that gives and gives, for the sake of the new believers. What a lovely picture!

D. Application:

1. Are our hearts moved by the need of God's love in others?

2. Do we seek not to be a burden on others?

Chapter: 1 Thess 2

Passage: 1 Thess 2:13-16

A. Find Out:

1. Why do the apostles thank God for them? v.13

2. Of whom did they become imitators? v.14a

3. What did they suffer from whom? v.14b

4. What had the Jews done? v.15a

5. What did God think of that? v.15b,16b

6. What had they tried to stop the apostles doing? v.16a

B. Think:

1. With whom do the apostles parallel this church?

2. How?

3. What does that say about the spread of the Gospel?

C. Comment:

In their encouraging of this church as they look back, the apostles move back from talking about themselves and go back to talking about the way the church there had received the word of God.

First of all they received the word that came to them through the apostles as the word of God. This wasn't just a message from a group of men, it was the word from God to which they had to respond.

Second, they received it in the midst of opposition. In Acts 17:5 we read of the opposition created by the Jews in the city, who were jealous of these Gentiles turning to God. They thought they had God to themselves and anyone else coming to God should come through Judaism, and become Jews themselves. Their opposition was violent and entirely unrighteous! But, say the apostles, this is just how it was back in Judea with the first churches. Back there the Jews killed Jesus, just as they had killed God's prophets down through the ages. Is this anti-Jewish? No it's anti-Sin. The Jews just happened to be the religious people in that location at that time. All over the world “religious” people prefer a religion where they are in control and where they can do something to justify themselves and make others look bad. Meanwhile God was using the apostles to reach sinners world-wide. Salvation from God was a free gift for all but cannot be worked for, just received.

D. Application:

1. In our minds, do we shut out people God wants to reach?

2. Does our “religion” limit God?

Chapter: 1 Thess 2

Passage: 1 Thess 2 :17-20

A. Find Out:

1. What happened to the apostles? v.17a

2. What did that leave within them? v.17b

3. What did they want to do? v.17c,18a,b

4. Yet what happened? v.18c

5. What question do they then ask? v.19a

6. What was the answer? v.19b,20

B. Think:

1. Read Acts 17:5-10 How does that fit what theses verses say?

2. How was Paul hindered from coming back?

3. Yet what future thing does he hold onto?

C. Comment:

These are both interesting and challenging verses. First of all, note the feelings of the apostles for this church. What they had been through – an intense enabling by the Lord bringing joyful salvation (1:5,6) - it left them with such strong feelings of unity and concern, that they longed to get back to them as soon as possible. They had had to flee the city under persecution and had felt their time with the church had been ended prematurely – and they wanted to go back to them.

Second, observe why they didn't go back – because Satan had stopped them. Those 3 words at the end of verse 18 are an answer to many peoples' question, “Why did this happen?” The answer sometimes is simply that Satan interfered. How did he do that in this situation? He worked on the jealousy and unbelief of the Jews of Thessalonica who pursued the team to Berea so that Paul had to be moved on yet again, and ended up in Athens (Acts 17:13-15). There is an important lesson here: it is that God allows Satan to play on the wrong attitudes of unbelievers (at least) to produce opposition and hostility. The end result here, at least, was that the Gospel went further and further!

How did the team cope with this frustration? They look the long-term view, that they may be stopped here and now from seeing this church but they would see them in eternity.

D. Application:

1. Do we understand some of the spiritual dynamics of living today?

2. Do we hold the long-term view of eternity clearly before us?

Chapter: 1 Thess 3

Passage: 1 Thess 3:1-5

A. Find Out:

1. Where was Paul hindered? v.1

2. So did they eventually send to do what? v.2

3. In what way to help the church? v.3

4. What had they told the church? v.4

5. So what did Paul eventually do? v.5a

6. Of what was he afraid? v.5b

B. Think:

1. What had the apostles warned the church about?

2. Yet what were they still concerned about?

3. What steps did they take to help?

C. Comment:

We see in these verses something of the difficulties that the early church planters had – outright opposition. We have already noted how the team had had to flee Thessalonica and then Paul had to move on from Berea because of the opposition of the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica. They had warned the church in Thessalonica that this sort of thing happened – and it had! Now they were concerned that this opposition may be unsettling and pulling down the church there.

By the time they got to Athens Paul could stand it no longer and so sent Timothy back to see that all was still well with them. Timothy's job was twofold: first to strengthen and encourage the church in their faith (v.2) and to counter any temptation to give up in the face of the ongoing opposition (v.5), and second, to bring back a report to Paul to reassure him that all was well.

It is all to easy when we read of the spreading church in Acts to think it was all plain sailing – even when they had to move on because of opposition. The truth was that the hearts of these men were totally committed to the spread of the Gospel and the establishing of new Christians and anything less than that left them unsettled and concerned. What we've just read is the outworking of that concern that meant the team had to split to ‘cover the various bases'.

D. Application:

1. Are out hearts moved in our concern to share the Gospel?

2. Are our hearts moved by concern for new Christians?

Chapter: 1 Thess 3

Passage: 1 Thess 3:6-13

A. Find Out:

1. What report had Timothy brought back? v.6

2. What effect did that have on the apostles? v.7,8

3. What did it leave them feeling? v.9

4. So what were they praying for? v.10,11

5. What does he want for the church? v.12

6. What does he also want for them? v.13

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise Timothy's report?

2. How would you summarise the apostles response?

3. How would you summarise their desire for the church?

C. Comment:

Paul has been recounting their anguish for the church at Thessalonica and how eventually they had sent Timothy to bring back a report.

First of all, therefore, note Timothy's Report, note the specific things covered: their faith (their relationship with God) and their love (their relationship with one another). Both of these were good. More than that, the church had a good relationship with the apostles – they longed to see them again. A good threefold report.

Second, note the apostles' response: they were first of all encouraged and strengthened and really felt life was worth living because this church was indeed going on with God. More than that whenever they prayed they were filled with joy at the very thought of how the church were going on. Their yearning is that they may return and bless the church even more with the gifts of God.

Third, note their ongoing desire for the well-being of this church. That again has two dimensions – their relationships with one another and their relationship with the Lord. In the church, relationships are to be founded on love, and so they want that love to abound even more. In respect of the Lord, they want them to be strengthened in their inner resolve even more, so that their lives will be utterly blameless, ready for the time when Jesus returns (repeat of 1:10).

D. Application:

1. Do we see our love for one another increasing in the church?

2. Do we ensure our relationship with the Lord deepens daily?

RECAP: "Building a Foundation" 1 Thess 1-3

SUMMARY :

In this first group of 9 studies we have seen the apostolic team :

- telling how much they pray for them

- reminding them of how the Gospel came so powerfully

- praising them for having become known for their faith

- saying how they had worked not to be a burden to them

- reminding them how they had come so caringly to them

- praising them for receiving the Gospel despite persecution

- telling how they'd wanted to come back but been hindered

- saying how they'd sent Timothy

- telling of the good report of them he had brought.

COMMENT :

In all the ways shown above, Paul and the others seek to build a platform from which to speak into this church. Almost more than any other letter, they go back over their brief past history with this church laying a foundation of unity from which to speak. It is a combination of praise for the church and justification of their own ministry found in these three chapters and it goes to say, “We're for you!” Now they're ready to speak of their concerns for this church.

LESSONS?

1. Can we let our hearts be moved so we pray for others?

2. Are we known to be those who going on with God?

3. Satan sometimes does hinder, but that is not to put us off.

4. Trials should strengthen us, not put us off.

5. Our love for others should be increasing daily.

PRAY :

Thank the Lord for your salvation, the wonder of His love to you. Thank Him for those around you who love you. Ask him to deepen your love for them.

PART 2 : "Issues"

In this next Part in the second half of this letter, note the issues that the apostles raise with this church. This is really why they are writing.