THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY
THESSALONIANS ESCHATOLOGY
Knowing the Bible: 1–2 Thessalonians
A 12-week Practical Study Series on 1–2 Thessalonians
Written byMatt Smethurst
In partnership with Crossway
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 (1 Thess. 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 epistle except 2 Thessalonians (12 times) and 1 Corinthians (11 times). 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.esvbible.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 apostle 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 Thess. 1:4) to its particular focus on eternity future (1 Thess. 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, 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 (Acts. 17:2–3). 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” (Acts 17:4). 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” (Acts 17:5). 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” (Acts 17:6–7). Narrowly escaping by night, Paul and his associates journeyed west to Berea, where, Luke notes, the Jews were “more noble than those in Thessalonica” (Acts 17:11). However, on learning that Paul was in Berea, some of the Thessalonian Jews “came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds” (Acts 17:13). Paul again escaped, sailing south to Athens (Acts 17:16–33).
Paul’s next destination was Corinth, where he remained for 18 months (Acts 18:1–18). Paul wrote to the Thessalonians from Corinth around AD 50–51, on the back end of his second missionary journey. First Thessalonians is probably his earliest New Testament letter after Galatians (c. AD 48).
Outline
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Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ faith, love, and hope (1 Thess. 1:2–3)
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Paul’s confidence in the election of the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:4–2:16)
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Paul’s defense of the missionaries during their absence (1 Thess. 2:17–3:10)
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A pastoral prayer for the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 3:11–13)
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Prayer, assurance, and conclusion (1 Thess. 5:23–28)
As You Get Started
Do you have a sense of any specific themes in 1 Thessalonians? Without using your Bible, do any passages from the book come to mind? Has the book been meaningful to your Christian life in any way?
If 1 Thessalonians could somehow be erased from the Scriptures and wiped from our memories, what would we lose? What do you think are some of 1 Thessalonians’ crucial truths for believers?
What is your general understanding of the role of 1 Thessalonians in Scripture as a whole? What does it uniquely contribute to Christian theology? That is, how does this letter crystallize our understanding of God, salvation, the church, the end times, or any other doctrine?
What aspects of 1 Thessalonians have confused you in the past? Are there any specific questions you hope to have answered through this study?
As You Finish This Unit . . .
Take a few minutes to ask God to bless you with increased understanding and a transformed heart and life as you begin this study of 1 Thessalonians.
1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study © 2017 by Matt Smethurst. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Week 2: Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:1–10)
The Place of the Passage
Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonians with gratitude to God for their conversion and their reputation for gospel witness. He commends this young church for embodying, amid affliction, the great triad of Christian virtues: faith, love, and hope (1 Thess. 1:3). The gospel that sounded forth to them (1 Thess. 1:5) is now sounding forth from them (1 Thess. 1:8). This passage sets the stage for the rest of the letter, using inescapable triune language: “God” is mentioned seven times, “Jesus” or “Son” or “Lord” six times, and “Spirit” twice in these 10 verses alone.
The Big Picture
First Thessalonians 1:1–10 highlights the work of the triune God in electing (1 Thess. 1:4), calling (1 Thess. 1:5), and saving (1 Thess. 10) the Thessalonian church, and also highlights the work of the church in modeling (1 Thess. 1:6–7) and presenting (1 Thess. 1:8) the gospel to a watching world.
Reflection and Discussion
Read through the complete passage for this study, 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10. Then review the following questions concerning this introductory section to 1 Thessalonians and write your own notes on them. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 2305–2306, available online at www.esvbible.org.)
Geographically, the Thessalonian believers were located in the city of Thessalonica in northern Greece. Spiritually, however, they were “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Why do you think Paul begins by highlighting their “spiritual address”? What does it mean to be “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”? Are you spiritually located there?
“Grace to you and peace” (1 Thess. 1:1). With the exception of Galatians, Paul begins all of his letters this way. Why do you think “grace” always precedes “peace”? What happens if we reverse this order and begin to assume that peace with God leads to grace from God?
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example (1 Thess. 1:2–10)
When you think of faith, love, and hope, what related words come to mind? In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul tethers this triad of virtues to some remarkably active words: “work,” “labor,” and “steadfastness.” Why do you think he does this? What implications might this have as you examine your own faith, love, and hope?
Although the doctrine of election has often sparked controversy, Paul views it not as a weapon for fighting but as a tool for encouragement. How could the Thessalonians be confident that God had elected them (1 Thess. 1:4–5)? How should this logic embolden you for evangelism?
Just as the Thessalonians imitated Paul and his fellow workers (1 Thess. 1:6), so others are now imitating the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:7–8). Have you “become an example” (see 1 Thess. 1:7) to anyone? What about your congregation as a whole? When people watch your church’s life together, do they glimpse what it means to embrace and embody Jesus Christ?
Many Christians today in the West face increasing pressure to individualize and privatize their faith. How does 1 Thessalonians 1:7–8 challenge us along these lines?
If the Thessalonians have turned from idols to the “living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9), what does that say about the nature of idols? What false god most distracts you from serving the true God? How is that false god lifeless instead of “living”?
In 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10, Paul connects waiting (something we often think of as passive) with serving (something we usually think of as active). How does Christian waiting differ from worldly waiting, and why is this a crucial distinction?
Also in 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10, the camera pans from salvation past to salvation future. Having renounced God-substitutes for God himself (1 Thess. 1:9), we now await the return of God’s risen Son (1 Thess. 1:10a), who will rescue us from God’s coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:10b). How does the description of the Thessalonians’ transformation correspond to the believer’s experience of past justification, present sanctification, and future glorification?
Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to consider and record any Personal Implications these sections may have for you.
Definition: Grace
Unmerited favor, especially the free gift of salvation God gives to believers through reliance on Jesus Christ.
Definition: Evangelism
Declaring the gospel (the evangel) of Jesus the King, in the power of the Spirit, and calling for response—while leaving the results to God.
Definition: Justification
The moment God declares a Christ-trusting sinner to be in right standing before him; i.e., becoming positionally righteous.
Definition: Sanctification
The incremental, Spirit-empowered process of being conformed to Christ’s image; i.e., becoming progressively righteous.
Definition: Glorification
The moment we see Christ’s face and are fully and finally freed from sin to enjoy him forever; i.e., becoming perfectly righteous.
Gospel Glimpses
LOVED BY GOD. This little phrase in 1 Thessalonians 1:4 is both easy and dangerous to miss. It was God’s unevoked, unbridled love that moved him—before the beginning of the world—to choose for salvation (1 Thess. 1:4) future rebels against his throne. Contrary to popular distortion, election is a love doctrine (see Deut. 7:7–8; 10:15; Eph. 1:4–5; 2 Thess. 2:13). Scripture discusses election not to satisfy our curiosity but to humble our pride, solidify our hope, and thrill our heart.
SAVED FROM WRATH. God’s wrath is his holy and settled opposition to sin and sinners. And, unlike human wrath, God’s wrath is never an overreaction. Perhaps it seems to some that an eternity of hell for only a few decades of sin is not a fair sentence. But the punishment does not exceed the crime; it fits it. Hell is an infinite sentence because it punishes an infinite crime; sin is an infinite crime because it is treason against an infinite God. You have never committed a small sin, because you have never offended a small God. Yet the stunning news of Christianity is that, through repentance and reliance on Jesus, we can be rescued from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10; see also 5:9; Rom. 2:5).
Whole-Bible Connections
IDOLATRY. The Thessalonians had turned from idols to God (1 Thess. 1:9). Throughout the Old Testament, idolatry is often associated with bowing down and sacrificing to images of foreign gods. Yet this is not the whole picture. In Ezekiel 14, we learn that the Israelites “have taken their idols into their hearts” (Ezek. 14:3). Ever since the insurrection in Eden (Genesis 3), idolatry has fundamentally been a heart issue. Thus the first of the Ten Commandments simply declares, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; see also Deut. 5:7). It is important to recognize that an idol is rarely a bad thing in and of itself; instead, it is a good thing gone bad—a good thing we have inflated into an ultimate thing. An idol, therefore, is something we will either sin to get or sin if we do not get. John Calvin famously likened the human heart to an idol factory. The New Testament makes plain that one whose life is marked by idolatry will not inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5). Conversion is the miracle that occurs when we forsake idols for a Savior (1 Thess. 1:9), at which point the Holy Spirit begins the lifelong process of uprooting these God-substitutes from within (Col. 3:5). Thus John closes his first letter with the charge, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21; see also 1 Cor. 10:14).
Theological Soundings
GOSPEL. Paul turns back the clock to remind the Thessalonians of when the gospel first pierced their hearts (1 Thess. 1:5). This gospel is a message, an announcement, a breaking-news headline from heaven’s pressroom. Specifically, it is the joyous news of what God has accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—his Son and Israel’s King—to reconcile rebels forever to himself.
TRINITY. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 alone, “God” appears seven times, “Jesus” or “Son” or “Lord” six times, and “Spirit” twice. Although it can be easy to miss, the New Testament is inescapably Trinitarian. Its pages brim with the harmonious activity of Father, Son, and Spirit working together to effect redemption. Orchestrated by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Spirit, salvation from sin is a triune achievement. Great danger lurks when we underestimate the practical implications of this doctrine—one God, eternally existing in three persons. (For more on this doctrine, see the section titled “The Trinity” in the ESV Study Bible, pages 2513–2515, available online at www.esvbible.org.)
Personal Implications
Take time to reflect on the significance of 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 for your own life today. Consider what you have learned that might lead you to praise God, repent of sin, and trust in his gracious promises. Note the personal applications for your walk with the Lord based on the (1) Gospel Glimpses, (2) Whole-Bible Connections, (3) Theological Soundings, and (4) this passage as a whole.
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Gospel Glimpses
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Whole-Bible Connections
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Theological Soundings
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As You Finish This Unit . . .
Take a moment now to ask for the Lord’s blessing and help as you continue in this study of 1 Thessalonians. And take a moment also to look back through this unit of study and reflect on some key lessons the Lord may be teaching you.
1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study © 2017 by Matt Smethurst. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Week 3: Ministry to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:1–16)
The Place of the Passage
“You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake,” Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:5. In 1 Thessalonians 3, he double-clicks on that statement, as it were, to remind the church of his conduct and ministry while among them. Amid rumors and accusations concerning his apostolic credentials, Paul pauses to clarify and defend his message, motives, and methods.
The Big Picture
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16, Paul defends his conduct as a minister of the gospel, drawing the Thessalonians’ attention to his behavior and approach among them.
Reflection and Discussion
Read through the entire text for this study, 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16. Then interact with the following questions concerning this section of 1 Thessalonians and record your responses. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 2306–2307, available online at www.esvbible.org.)
John Stott observes, “In [1 Thessalonians 2 and 3], more perhaps than anywhere else in his letters, [Paul] discloses his mind, expresses his emotions, and bares his soul” (The Message of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 45). That is quite a statement. How do you specifically see Paul’s pastoral heart on display in 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16?
On the surface, it seems as if Paul’s primary focus in this passage is on himself and his ministry. However, what word appears repeatedly (14 times in 16 verses)? Even while defending his genuineness as an apostle, Paul’s perspective is relentlessly God-centered. What about yours? When recounting your experiences, sharing your testimony, or explaining your actions, who is the main character—the hero—of your words, and why?
How did Paul’s “shameful treatment” in Philippi (see Acts 16:19–40) influence his ministry to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:1–2)?
What does Paul clarify concerning his message, motives, and methods—the “what,” the “why,” and the “how”—in the first several verses of 1 Thessalonians 2?
What metaphors does Paul use in this passage to describe his conduct among the Thessalonians? What is the significance of each?
1 Thessalonians 2:8 is a beautiful statement on the importance of loving those to whom we witness. Paul points out that his ministry in Thessalonica was not a hit-and-run gospel invasion. Instead, he and his associates were happy to stay, form friendships, and invest in their new friends’ lives. What are the benefits of so-called “relational” or “friendship” evangelism? Are there any dangers?
What does it mean to walk in a manner “worthy” of God (1 Thess. 2:12; see also 2 Thess. 1:5, 11; Eph. 4:1; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10)? How does such language fit the reality of God’s one-way grace, which assures us that we do not earn right standing with him by living a good life?
Do you think of the gospel as something mainly for Christians or mainly for non-Christians? In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul says that the “word of God”—in context synonymous with the “gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:2, 8, 9)—is “at work in you believers.” In what sense is the good news active in the hearts and lives of Christians?
Suffering for the gospel was the calling not just of the apostles (1 Thess. 2:1–2) but also of the whole congregation (1 Thess. 2:14–15). And the Thessalonians’ opponents were not enemies from foreign lands but were their “own countrymen” (1 Thess. 2:14). Have you ever suffered—relationally or socially, perhaps even physically—for your Christian faith? Read and ponder Matthew 10:34–39 and Mark 10:28–30. How should Jesus’ words in these passages shape our outlook on life?
How were the Jews “[opposing] all mankind” (1 Thess. 2:15)? Why do you think Paul equated opposition to evangelism (1 Thess. 2:16) with opposition to humanity (1 Thess. 2:15)? What implications might this have for our own lives?
Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to consider and record any Personal Implications these sections may have for you.
Gospel Glimpses
SALVATION. In 1 Thessalonians 2:16, Paul connects the work of evangelism (“speaking to the Gentiles”) to the miracle of salvation (“that they might be saved”). Although we tend to speak of salvation as an exclusively past event, it is actually a past (Eph. 2:8), present (1 Cor. 15:2), and future (Rom. 5:9) reality. Salvation is the all-encompassing category for what God has achieved through Christ in order to reconcile rebels to himself. All believers in Jesus have been saved from the penalty of sin (justification), are being saved from the power of sin (sanctification), and one day will be saved from the presence of sin (glorification).
Whole-Bible Connections
ISRAEL JUDGED LIKE GENTILES. In 1 Thessalonians 2:16, Paul says that the Jews who killed Jesus and who clamor to thwart gospel advance are “[filling] up the measure of their sins.” This is a significant statement, as it repeats language that Genesis 15:16 applies to Gentiles. As Jesus explains in the parable of the tenants (Matt. 21:33–46), national Israel forfeited their inheritance and, through serial idolatry and adultery against their covenant Lord, became like the Gentiles they despised. Any Jewish person who refuses to embrace Jesus the Messiah is a covenant outsider.
The Non Jewish People of the world.
Definition: Covenant
The plotline of Scripture centers on the establishment of successive covenants: God-initiated, promise-based, binding agreements between God and humans. If the Bible is the unfolding narrative of the establishment of God’s kingdom, covenants are its backbone. Though there is debate over the exact number of major covenants in Scripture, many recognize covenants mediated through Adam (Genesis 1–2), Noah (Genesis 9), Abraham (Genesis 12), Moses (Exodus 19–20), David (2 Samuel 7), and a new covenant (Jeremiah 31) mediated through Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8–10). Israel was chosen out of the world to be God’s covenant people: “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Lev. 26:12). From a human perspective, the Old Testament is a long story of covenant failure—every covenant mediator and the entire nation of Israel ultimately failed to be faithful to the covenant Lord. The glory of the gospel, however, is that in Jesus Christ the covenant maker became the covenant keeper and then died for covenant breakers.
Theological Soundings
STEWARDSHIP. Scripture teaches that God owns all things because he created all things. As divine image-bearers, all humans have been tasked with reflecting God by ruling and cultivating the world for him. But Christians have been handed a more weighty stewardship still: the good news of King Jesus. As Paul puts it in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, “We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.” Entrusted. This gospel treasure is not ours. It did not originate with us. It is not a rough draft. It needs no editors. Our responsibility is simply to believe it, cherish it, apply it, guard it, and proclaim it. And Paul insists that this gospel stewardship must be accompanied by pure motives and open methods: “Our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thess. 2:3–4).
Definition: Image-bearer
The Bible’s opening pages ring with the truth that God created humans “in his image” to know and reflect him on earth (Gen. 1:26–27). Just as kings in ancient times would set up statues or “images” on the highest peaks to display their fame and rule, we too are designed to draw attention to our Maker. Though God’s image in man was fractured at the fall (Genesis 3), it has not been eradicated. Jesus is the full image of the invisible God (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3), and in Christians this image is being restored (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10).
Personal Implications
Take time to reflect on applications of 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16 for your own life today. Consider what you have learned that might lead you to praise God, repent of sin, and trust in his gracious promises. Note the personal implications for your walk with the Lord in light of the (1) Gospel Glimpses, (2) Whole-Bible Connections, (3) Theological Soundings, and (4) this passage as a whole.
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Gospel Glimpses
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Whole-Bible Connections
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Theological Soundings
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As You Finish This Unit . . .
Take a moment now to ask for the Lord’s blessing and help as you continue in this study of 1 Thessalonians. And take a moment also to look back through this unit of study and reflect on key ideas the Lord may be teaching you.
1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study © 2017 by Matt Smethurst. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.