1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

 

A1 Scriptures

B1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always concerning you all, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly remembering your work of faith, labor of love, and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brothers, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, just as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, in that you received the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became patterns to all those who believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has resounded, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of entrance we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, EMTV)

B2 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy— To the people of the church in Thessalonica, who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours. We always thank God for you all and always mention you in our prayers. For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm. Our friends, we know that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own. For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good. You imitated us and the Lord; and even though you suffered much, you received the message with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. So you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only did the message about the Lord go out from you throughout Macedonia and Achaia, but the news about your faith in God has gone everywhere. There is nothing, then, that we need to say. All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God and to wait for his Son to come from heaven—his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God's anger that is coming. (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, GNB92)

A2 Outline

B1 Greetings (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

B2 Their Christianity (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)

C1 Faith in practice 2-3

C2 Faith seen clearly 4

C3 Faith preached by Apostles 5

C4 Faith reproduced 6

C5 Faith as an example to others 7

C6 Faith spread further 8

C7 Faith changed them 9

C8 Faith in His Son 10

A3 Notes

B1 1 Thessalonians 1:1

C1 Paul, Silas, and Timothy

D1 All together who know the Thessalonians and participate in this letter.

D2 Paul is the main writer. (1 Thessalonians 3:1 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5-6)

D3 None of these are ashamed of the Gospel or of Jesus Christ. They suffered verbal abuse, physical abuse, and financial abuse because they were Christians.

C2 Church

D1 The word means a called-out assembly.

D2 It is a congregation of people who have believed the Gospel and have trusted in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins.

C3 In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

D1 The authority for Christians

D2 The ruler of the universe and beyond

D3 The savior

D4 The one to whom these Christians are dedicated

C4 Grace and peace

D1 A prayer for God to give them grace (receiving what we do not deserve) and peace (a rest from the guilt of sin and a joy with God)

D2 A fact of the same

B2 1 Thessalonians 1:2

C1 Thanks for all--a common attitude that all Christians should have. It is not just for those we like of friends with or only for those who we agree with.

D1 Should be a genuine prayer--"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock the door to the Kingdom of heaven in people's faces, but you yourselves don't go in, nor do you allow in those who are trying to enter! (Matthew 23:13, GNB92)

D2 At all times, that is, do not become discourage, continue to pray--Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. (Romans 12:12, GNB92)

D3 Prayer teaches us patience, perseverance, and an attitude that we need God's help

E1 As you help us by means of your prayers for us. So it will be that the many prayers for us will be answered, and God will bless us; and many will raise their voices to him in thanksgiving for us. (2 Corinthians 1:11, GNB92)

E2 Through every prayer and petition, praying in every season in the Spirit, being watchful to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18, EMTV)

D4 We cannot do everything ourselves. We need help--Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, along with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6, EMTV)

D5 To have an active mind, not passive, when praying--Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2, EMTV)

D6 For all people, even leaders who may or may not be agreeable with us--Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all people, on behalf of kings and all those who are in authority, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2, EMTV)

D7 All foods are clean in God's sight through prayer--for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:5, EMTV)

D8 Jesus himself prayed--who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up both prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His reverence, (Hebrews 5:7, EMTV)

D9 Need to confess our own sins and be found doing His will, especially how we treat our spouse

E1 Husbands, likewise, live together according to knowledge as with a weaker vessel, with the wife, showing her honor as also a fellow heir of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7, EMTV)

E2 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those doing evil." (1 Peter 3:12, EMTV)

B3 1 Thessalonians 1:3

C1 Three things all Christians should be doing.

D1 Work of faith--faith that God is right in what He says and does. Our life should reflect that we do believe which is best done by following His rules.

D2 Labor of love--a love to all.

D3 Perseverance of hope--a hope that doesn't fade. This hope in in Jesus Christ, the deliverer.

C2 In the presence of God the Father for He watches us.

B4 1 Thessalonians 1:4

C1 Knowing

D1 The word is "to see" thus something evident. These Christians lives showed evidence of their true heart change by God.

D2 It is also used in the sense of "seeing" with the eye, understand, know, etc.

D3 This is seen, know, evident to not only the Apostle but also to each other and themselves.

C2 Election

D1 Done through the love of God.

D2 The word means choice.

D3 What was chosen.

E1 The church, that is, the saints. The church is the body of Christ. When we believe (salvation process is initiated by God, not us), then we enter "the church" which is the body of Christ. This is not an organization; it is a living body. "And He subjected all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him filling all things in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23, EMTV)

E2 Corporate election. See here.

D4 There is no passage that indicates that God chose a small number to be guaranteed to be "saved" and a very large number who cannot/will not be saved.

E1 1 Timothy 2:4 "who desires all people to be saved, and to come to the full knowledge of the truth."

E2 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

B5 1 Thessalonians 1:5

C1 The Gospel

C2 5 ways the Thessalonians understood the Gospel

D1 Word--that is it was preached by the Apostle and the others.

D2 Power--with authority, in truth. This truth was not only intellectual but demonstrated by the lives of the preachers.

D3 Holy Spirit--not only the works of the Holy Spirit but in their case a demonstration of the Holy Spirit in changed lives, families, etc.

D4 Assurance--that is with conviction. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in people's lives to open their eyes and hearts to our true condition, God's judgment, and the way of salvation.

D5 Life Style--these preachers lived what they preached.

B6 1 Thessalonians 1:6

C1 Imitators--that is, they believed the message, the doctrines, and the life style and starting living that way. They left their old "religion," their beliefs, and their old way of living. All this applies to us, too. We are imitators of the Lord Jesus.

C2 Received the word in much tribulation

D1 Not only personal struggle to humble themselves, but also from those who rejected the Gospel.

D2 Acts 17:5-10 EMTV "And the Jews who did not believe became envious, and took some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, they threw the city into disorder, and came upon the house of Jason, and sought to bring them to the people. (6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the rulers of the city, crying out, "The men who have upset the whole world, these have come here, too; (7) whom Jason has received; and these all practice contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus." (8) And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. (9) And having taken the security bond from Jason and the rest, they released them. (10) Then the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away during the night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews."

C3 Joy in the Holy Spirit--that is the joy that God gives in the midst of trials and afflictions. (Acts 5:41, Romans 5:3-5, and Hebrews 10:34, etc.)

B7 1 Thessalonians 1:7

C1 Their trials and joys that they faced encouraged other saints in Macedonia and Achaia.

C2 Our lives and how we handle trials in life are watched by those who are not Christians.

B8 1 Thessalonians 1:8 This is the result of their life and message of witness for Jesus Christ. This did not only affect them but many others. Such is the Christian life. This should be for all of us.

B9 1 Thessalonians 1:9

C1 From idols. These people were not Jews but Gentiles.

C2 They now serve the living and true God and to wait for His son from heaven.

B10 1 Thessalonians 1:10

C1 The Son from heaven is identified by

D1 Being raised from the dead.

D2 Jesus

D3 Who delivers us from the coming wrath

C2 We wait for the Son to return from heaven.

D1 "Now after He said these things, while they were beholding Him, He was lifted up, and a cloud withdrew Him from their sight. And while they looked intently into heaven, while He was going, behold, two men stood alongside them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you watched Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11, EMTV)

D2 "I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14, HCSB)

D3 "And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26, EMTV)

D4 "Because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, EMTV)

D5 and to give you who are being afflicted rest along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall pay a penalty—eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, whenever He comes, in that Day, to be glorified among His saints and to be marveled among all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, EMTV)

D6 "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, Amen! (Revelation 1:7, EMTV)

C3 The coming wrath is judgment time. All will be judged. Those in the Lamb's Book of Life will be in eternal life and those not there will be in eternal death. This eternity of all people is conscious and never ending. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; and he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36, EMTV)