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    1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study
    1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study
    1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study
    Ebook129 pages2 hours

    1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study

    By Matt Smethurst

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    About this ebook

    The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions that help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" that highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" that show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" that identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible.
    Over the course of 12 weeks, this study connects Paul's letters to the Thessalonians to the lives of Christians today. These epistles encourage readers by reminding them of the salvation God will bring to all those whom he has called—strengthening them to pursue lives of holiness and love as they anticipate Jesus's return.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCrossway Books
    Release dateAug 15, 2017
    ISBN9781433553882
    1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study
    Author

    Matt Smethurst

    Matt Smethurst is lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, editor at the Gospel Coalition, and author of Before You Share Your Faith; Before You Open Your Bible; Deacons; and more. 

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      Book preview

      1–2 Thessalonians - Matt Smethurst

      SERIES PREFACE

      KNOWING THE BIBLE, as the series title indicates, was created to help readers know and understand the meaning, the message, and the God of the Bible. Each volume in the series consists of 12 units that progressively take the reader through a clear, concise study of that book of the Bible. In this way, any given volume can fruitfully be used in a 12-week format either in group study, such as in a church-based context, or in individual study. Of course, these 12 studies could be completed in fewer or more than 12 weeks, as convenient, depending on the context in which they are used.

      Each study unit gives an overview of the text at hand before digging into it with a series of questions for reflection or discussion. The unit then concludes by highlighting the gospel of grace in each passage (Gospel Glimpses), identifying whole-Bible themes that occur in the passage (Whole-Bible Connections), and pinpointing Christian doctrines that are affirmed in the passage (Theological Soundings).

      The final component to each unit is a section for reflecting on personal and practical implications from the passage at hand. The layout provides space for recording responses to the questions proposed, and we think readers need to do this to get the full benefit of the exercise. The series also includes definitions of key words. These definitions are indicated by a note number in the text and are found at the end of each chapter.

      Lastly, to help understand the Bible in this deeper way, we urge readers to use the ESV Bible and the ESV Study Bible, which are available in various print and digital formats, including online editions at esv.org. The Knowing the Bible series is also available online. Additional 12-week studies covering each book of the Bible will be added as they become available.

      May the Lord greatly bless your study as you seek to know him through knowing his Word.

      J. I. Packer

      Lane T. Dennis

      WEEK 1: OVERVIEW OF 1 THESSALONIANS

      Getting Acquainted

      First Thessalonians covers a wide range of themes in only five short chapters: election, friendship, Satan, sex, love, work, and death, just to name a few. Yet perhaps its most dominant theme is the end times—specifically, the second coming of Jesus. As his redeemed people, Christians ought to live lives of holiness and love as we anticipate that final day. Christ’s return will bring to completion all of God’s promises, including judgment for his enemies and salvation for his ex-enemies—those who have become his people, his friends, and his bride. Whether now deceased (1 Thess. 4:13–18) or still living (5:1–11), anyone who has in faith embraced King Jesus is eternally secure.

      Interestingly, the title Lord Jesus appears 11 times throughout this five-chapter letter—more than in any other New Testament epistle¹ except 2 Thessalonians (12x) and 1 Corinthians (11x). For all of Paul’s emphasis on other important matters, then, the letter’s ultimate focus is on the one who pervades its pages—the Lord Jesus Christ. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 2301–2304; available online at www.esv.org.)

      Placing 1 Thessalonians in the Larger Story

      In fulfillment of God’s millennia-spanning promises, Jesus the Messiah came to earth, lived, died, rose, and ascended in order to reconcile rebels to their Maker. After a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19), Paul was chosen and commissioned as an apostle² to broadcast that gospel and to plant churches. God blessed Paul’s witness in Thessalonica so much that a church was established before the apostle’s abrupt exit (Acts 17:1–11). It is to this young church that he now writes from Corinth, some 360 miles (by land) to the south, addressing the Thessalonians in light of a report from Timothy’s recent visit (1 Thess. 3:6). The letter’s scope stretches from eternity past (1:4) to its particular focus on eternity future (1:10; 2:19–20; 3:13; 4:13–5:11, 23–24).

      Key Verse

      Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thess. 2:8)

      Date and Historical Background

      After seeing a vision of a Macedonian man urging him to Come over to Macedonia and help us (Acts 16:9), Paul embarked on a journey to that region with Silas and Timothy, concluding that God had called [them] to preach the gospel there (Acts 16:10). They traveled first to Philippi (Acts 16:11–40) before proceeding to Thessalonica.

      Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia, a Roman province in northern Greece. Boasting a population of more than 100,000, the city was a powerful commercial center in the Greco-Roman world. It was strategically located on the coast of the Aegean Sea at a key juncture along the Via Egnatia (a major Roman east-west highway). The city, therefore, attracted a diverse array of people and philosophies. This cosmopolitan makeup shaped its religious climate as well. While primarily polytheistic,³ Thessalonica included a sizable number of monotheistic Jews.

      In Acts 17:1–11, Luke recounts Paul’s visit to the city. He entered the local synagogue and on three consecutive Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures and proclaimed Jesus as the Christ (vv. 2–3). Some of the Thessalonians were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women (v. 4). Nevertheless, a band of jealous Jews formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd (v. 5). Unable to find Paul, Silas, or Timothy, they dragged Jason and some others before the authorities and charged them with sedition: These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus (vv. 6–7). Narrowly escaping by night, Paul and his associates journeyed west to Berea, where, Luke notes, the Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica (v. 11). However, on

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