This week,
we shall conclude the study of the book of 1 Thessalonians of the New Testament.
(1) How did the Apostle Paul describe the time he was forced to leave Thessalonica?
(2) Why did he try to return to them?
(3) Whatever happened to prevent him from returning, why did he attribute the hindrance to the work of Satan?
(4) We often hear believers blame Satan for certain trouble in their lives or that of their churches. What might be the marks that such is the work of Satan?
(5) In what sense did Paul consider the Thessalonian believers as his hope, joy, crown and even glory? (2:19, 20)
(6) Are there any Christians in your life whom you consider your hope, joy, crown or even glory? How so?
(7) Why was Paul so worried that he had to send Timothy to visit the Thessalonian believers after his abrupt, forced departure?
(8) What did Paul mean by saying that “we were destined for them (i.e. trials, especially persecutions)” (1 Thess. 3:3)?
(9) Are we all destined for trials?
(10) What can trials do to us? And how should we face trials? (Jas. 1:2-4)
(11) Pause and reflect on the main message to you today. How may you apply it to your life?
(1) What was the purpose of sending Timothy to Thessalonica, according to 3:5?
(2) What, besides faith, was the good news brought back by Timothy according to 3:6a?
(3) From 3:6b, can you detect some of the worries that Paul had about the Thessalonian believers?
(4) Should Paul worry about such things? Why or why not?
(5) 3:8 is an interesting verse, “For now we really live”. What did Paul mean by this and why? What if they, the Thessalonian believers, did not stand firm?
(6) What kind of joy was being described by Paul in 3:9?
(7) As Paul concludes this first part of his letter, I suggest that you do a quick review of what you have studied so far, and see if you can summarize these first 3 chapters in a statement.
(8) As he concludes this part of recollecting the events surrounding his first visit to Thessalonica and the encouragement he received from Timothy’s report, Paul bursts into a benediction-prayer in 3:11-13. Think carefully about his prayer in these ways:
a. Breakdown his prayer into smaller divisions
b. Identify the essence of each of his prayers
c. See how you may emulate Paul’s prayers
- for those you care about
- for yourself
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
In this second part of his letter, Paul appeared to be responding to some of the concerns brought back to him by Timothy regarding the church in Thessalonica.
(1) The US
Declaration of Independence contains these words,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
But as Christians, what is more important, the pursuit of happiness or the pursuit to please God? Why?
(2) Paul appeared to be fond of using the phrase “more and more” to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 4:1, 10; 2 Thess. 1:3). In 4:1, he applied this to live a life that pleases God. Is it just a nice expression by Paul, or is it something that can be pursued? How may you then please God “more and more” in your life?
(3) In urging the Thessalonians to please God more and more, the first thing Paul reminds them of was sanctification, and yet he seems to focus first on “sexual immorality”. Why? Is it the only impediment to sanctification?
(4) In dealing with sexual immorality, why does Paul seem to focus on “avoidance” ?
(5) What might be the key to controlling our body in this respect?
(6) How then can we distinguish ourselves from the heathen in this respect?
(7) Paul appears to be addressing immorality against brothers within the church (4:6). Read Proverbs 6:29-35 regarding similar warnings in the Bible.
(8) Why does Paul emphasize the Holy Spirit in this respect in 4:8?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Since the Thessalonians did love “all the brothers throughout Macedonia”, why did Paul urge them to do so more and more? Do you think it might have something to do with the possibility that they had yet to reach out to or care about the needs of churches beyond Macedonia?
(2) What are the next things that Paul urged them to do in pleasing God in v. 11?
(3) How are these things related?
(4) How might the Thessalonian believers justify such a lifestyle?
(5) How damaging might such a lifestyle be to effective witnessing for Christ?
(6) Now the Apostle Paul turns to the mourning for the death of our loved ones in Christ in vv. 13-18:
a. What does our Lord teach about “mourning” in the “beatitude” (Matt. 5:4)?
b. Does Paul ask us not to mourn or grieve then?
(7) There are those who mock the hope of Christians in the resurrection of “those who have fallen asleep (i.e. died) in him (Christ)” as wishful thinking. How does Paul answer such critics in v. 14?
(8) According to The Lord, what is the sequence of His return?
(9) I think we should not read the sequence of events only, but immerse ourselves in the glory and majesty of His coming. Imagine yourself as one of those alive at His coming, what might be the most exciting part of this experience?
(10) As a result, there is a right way to grieve, and a wrong way to grieve. Only the right way to grieve will be blessed as Jesus says in the beatitude. What then is the proper way to grieve according to this passage?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) The Apostle Paul likens the day of the coming of The Lord to that of a thief. In what ways would it be like a thief to the people of the world?
(2) Why would it be a surprise to the people of the world?
(3) What will be the consequences for them?
(4) Honestly, will it be a surprise to you?
(5) How then can we avoid being caught by surprise?
(6) In urging us to be alert and self-controlled, why does Paul use the imagery of a soldier?
(7) What is a breastplate for?
(8) In what ways can faith, and in particular love, be our breastplate?
(9) What is a helmet for?
(10) In what ways can the hope of salvation be our helmet?
(11) What will be the consequence for us upon His return?
(12) Have you been encouraged by Paul’s exhortation? Why or why not?
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) With the instruction in vv. 12-13, what was the problem that Paul tried to address among the Thessalonians believers? Why would such a problem happen even in a church like theirs?
(2) How then can you express respect and especially “highest regard” to those in leadership and especially the pastors of your church?
(3) What are we to do with the idle? Why does Paul urge us to take such a strong action?
(4) What are we to do with the timid? What might they be “timid” about? What might be the cause of such timidity?
(5) What is meant by the weak? In what ways might they be weak? How can we help them?
(6) Under what circumstances would we be less than patient with others whether at home or in the church? How can we practically exercise patience?
(7) How do we normally pay back those who wronged us?
(8) How then can we express kindness when we are wronged?
(9) How can we express kindness to everyone at home and in the church? How important is that?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
a. Can we really be joyful always? How can we do that? How important is it?
b. What is meant by praying continually? How can we do it? How important is it?
c. How can we give thanks in all circumstances? How important is it?
d. How might being “in Christ Jesus” help us do the above?
(2) What is meant by the Spirit’s fire? What is the purpose of putting a fire within us by the Spirit?
(3) What normally do we do to put out the fire?
(4)What then should we do to stoke the fire of the Spirit?
(5) Why might the Thessalonian believers “treat prophecies with contempt”? Why does Paul urge them not to do so? And why does Paul add that they should “test everything”?
(6) The last instruction deals with good and evil. What do you understand by “good” and what about “evil”?
(7) Does the avoiding of evil amount to holding on to the good? Why or why not? What might be the relationship between the two, if any?
(8) Given the fact that the church in Thessalonica was suffering from trials and severe persecutions, how meaningful was Paul’s benediction/prayer for them in vv. 23-24?
(9) If you are suffering immense trials like theirs, what might be the most meaningful part of this prayer to you and why?
(10) As we come to the close of this letter, take some time to reflect on the key contents of this letter and try to understand why Paul had to “charge” them to have this letter read (in public) to all the brothers.
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
When prophesying is mentioned in the New Testament, it has two major components: Prophesying a future event (as in Acts 21:10-11) and preaching. Bible scholars have long since debated if the former has ceased since the time of the Apostles.