EPISTLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
1ST THESSALONIANS
Trials
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1:3 ...your
endurance inspired by hope 1:6 In spite of severe
suffering, you welcomed the message 2:2 We had previously
suffered and been insulted...but...we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of
strong opposition. 2:14 You suffered from
your own countrymen 2:17 We were torn away
from you 3:3 ...no one would be
unsettled by these trials 3:4 ...we would be
persecuted 3:7 ...in all our
distress and persecution 4:13 ...about those who fall
asleep...grieve |
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Paul
had just been run out of Philippi (1 Thess. 2:2) where he'd converted Lydia
and household, the jailor and household, and many others. The owners of a girl with ESP convinced
the officials he was causing trouble in the city, so Paul was beaten and
imprisoned. An earthquake and escape
followed. When the officials found
out Paul was a Roman citizen, they officially apologized, then urged them to
leave the city (Acts 16:36-39). Paul went immediately to Thessalonica. This city was named after the sister of
Alexander the Great, Thessalonica. In
the war between the Greeks and Romans around 160 BC, it was the headquarters
of the navy. Twenty years later the
Romans made it the capital of the upper province of Macedonia in Greece. Paul preached there perhaps six months with great
success among Jews and Gentile proselytes, but most were Greeks who had
turned from idols (1 Thess. 1:9; 2:14).
Among his converts were prominent women (Acts 17:4), and men who would
become close friends and companions:
Jason who may have been his first convert and with whom he lived
(17:5-7), Aristarchus and Secundus (Acts 20:4) and possibly Gaius (Acts
19:29). Aristarchus was with him in
Ephesus, Asia (Acts 19:29), and Rome (Acts 27:2), and was a prisoner with him
there (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24). Although Paul supported himself while there (1 Thess.
2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8), the church over at Philippi sent him assistance while
here twice (Phil. 4:16). But the
jealous Jews formed a mob and started a riot, rushing Jason and other
Christians before the city officials saying Paul was causing trouble all over
the world by declaring there's another king besides Caesar. The city officials "were thrown into turmoil,"
but Jason and the others posted bond and were let go. There is a possibility that some were
killed, however, because of their grief over some deaths (1 Thess.
4:13). That night they urged Paul to
slip out of town, which he did. Paul
said he was "torn away" from them (1 Thess. 2:17). He went on to Berea and was received well there,
converting a few Jews and many "prominent Greek women and many Greek
men" (Acts 17:11-12). But the
Jews from Thessalonica followed them there, stirred up another mob, and
forced Paul to escape. Some of the Christians
at Berea escorted Paul until he arrived safely at Athens where he seems to
have gone into hiding awhile.
"So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be
left by ourselves in Athens" (1 Thess. 3:1). Paul sent Timothy out to preach while he remained in
hiding awhile, and "when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out
about your faith" because of their much temptation. Timothy returned with news of their
steadfastness during their faith (1 Thess. 3:5-6. At this time Paul wrote his 1st epistle to the Thessalonians. |
1:3 Their faith produced
what?
_____________________________
Their love prompted what?
_________________________ Their
hope inspired what?
________________________________
5:8 faith and love are like a protective
_________________________, and hope is like a protective ___________________.
1 Corinthians 13, the
"love chapter" of the Bible says in verse 13 that what three things
endure: ______________________
____________________ and __________________________
1:6 They had become imitators
of the Lord in spite of
_____________________________________________________________
1:7-8 By withstanding, they
became a ____________________ to all future believers in northern and southern
Greece and beyond that - "everywhere."
1:9-10 They're telling everyone
the Thessalonians turned to God from __________ and are waiting for God's _________________ from heaven.
2:5, 9 Paul never used ______________________
to make a hidden _____________________.
He __________________________ night and day so he wouldn't be a
financial _____________________ to anyone while preaching to them.
2:14a The Thessalonian
Christians suffered from their own ____________________________.
2:14b-16 The
Jewish Christians in Jerusalem suffered from their own countrymen too who
slandered them to keep from speaking to the ____________
______________________________ so they may be ______________________.
2:17-18 Paul said
he was _____________________ away from them and had since wanted to come to
them again and ___________
2:19 Paul planned to brag on
the church in Thessalonia to the Lord Jesus when he __________________________.
3:2-3 Paul sent Timothy back to
them to strengthen and encourage, so that no one would be unsettled by their
_______________.
3:4 Paul had even foreseen
while still with them that he would be ___________________________, and it
turned out that way.
3:6-8 Timothy had just returned
with good _______________ about their faith, so now "we really
________________."
4:1; 10 Paul taught them how to
live and urged them to do this _______________________ and
________________________. He taught
them to love each other, and to do so __________________________ and
________________________.
4:3-6 They should avoid sexual
______________________________, and not wrong his brother or take
____________________ of him.
4:13 They were grieving over
some who had died, perhaps as a result of persecution.
4:16-17 But Paul said that when
Jesus came down from heaven, the _________________________ in Christ will rise
first. Then live Christians will be
caught up _________________________ with ______________________. Then they will all meet the Lord in the ____________________________________________
where they will be with the Lord ________________.
5:1 But the time and date of
Jesus' return will come as a __________________ in the night.
5:6 All Christians should be ___________________________
and self-controlled.
5:12f It seems as though they
already had elders.
5:15 Don't repay
________________________________ for wrong.
5:16-18 Despite trials, be
______________________ always, ___________________________ continually, give
________________ in all circumstances.
5:21 ______________________________
everything.
2ND THESSALONIANS
Tenacity
|
Apparently some people had decided from Paul's first letter that Jesus
was going to return to get them any day now.
So Paul quickly sent them a second letter to clear up their
misunderstanding. |
1:4 The Christians at
Thessalonica were still enduring ____________________________________ and
__________________.
1:6-7 But God will pay back
_______________________ to their troublers when Jesus is revealed from
____________________.
2:1-2 They had become easily
__________________________ and _________________________ by so-called prophets
who said the "day of the Lord' has ________________________________ come.
2:3-4 That day will not come
until the "man of lawlessness" proclaims ________________________ to
be _______________.
2:9 The coming of the
"lawless one" will be in accordance with the work of _____________________
displayed in all kinds of ____________________ miracles, signs and wonders.
2:10f People perish because they
_________________________________________ to love the truth and so be
_________________. God sends them
something else to believe in which is only a powerful ________________________,
that which they prefer to believe in and delight in.
2:13 God chooses us to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the _____________________ and belief in the
_______________. In other words, we
qualify, so therefore we are chosen.
3:6 Keep away from every
____________________________ who is __________________. Some had apparently quit their jobs,
awaiting Jesus' return.
3:7f After all, Paul was not
idle, nor did he eat anyone's _____________________ without
_________________________ for it.
3:10 If a man will not
________________________, he shall not ____________________.
3:11f When someone becomes idle
and is no longer busy, he is a __________________________________. They need to _________________________ down
and earn their necessities.
3:16 The Lord of peace gives us
what? _________________________________
3:17 Paul's seal of
authenticity to his dictated letters was his finally greeting in his own
handwriting.