1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:16

Review from last week

• By 23 I was a self-identifying atheist because of a lack of Biblical literacy
• When it comes to Biblical Literacy, context is key. Without it, the Bible can be…
  • Confusing
  • Misinterpreted
  • Boring… (big spiritual implications)
• Paul’s 2nd missionary journey
• With Timothy & Silas
• 3 years total, 2 years in Corinth (51-54 AD)
• Talked about the success of the church in Thessalonica
• Paul’s gratitude for them
• Modern accusations of anti-Semitism

A Helpful Timeline of Acts (hint: Keep This!)

No verse yet... What happened in Thessalonica? Did the group and converted Jews face any suffering there? No verse yet... What happened in Berea? Did the group face any suffering or conflict there? From whom? How would you describe the success of Paul’s ministry in Berea? What do you think the phrase “people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica” means? Who is he speaking of, and who is he comparing them to? Who went to Athens? Who stayed? What instructions did Paul give his escort? No verse yet... Describe the beginning of Paul’s stay in Athens. How would you classify the attitude of the Athenians toward religion? Toward Paul?

No verse yet... The sermon to the Stoics and Epicureans is a study in itself, but needless to say, Paul was preaching to some of the most intellectual, sophisticated people of the day. In fact, Rome gave Athens special status as a city because of its highly regarded educational system. In that light, how do you feel like Paul’s sermon was received? No verse yet... Did Paul and his company leave Thessalonica voluntarily? How did they feel about being separated from that church? What reason does Paul give for being unable to return to the Thessalonians? How does Paul describe the Thessalonians in verses 18-20? Why do you think his love for them is so deep? Why is this significant in our own lives today? If Paul were writing a letter to you today, how do you think he would describe you to yourself? No verse yet... How did Paul deal, verses 1-2, with Satan’s attempt to outwit him? Did he have any assurance that his plan would work? SIDE NOTE: This is a segment of Scripture that can be confusing without carefully examined context… I did a fairly deep dive, because Acts implies that Paul spent his time in Athens alone, and that Silas and Timothy rejoined him later in Corinth from Macedonia (Acts 18:5), which would appear to be a contradiction of what Paul is saying in verses 1-2. The best exposition I found on reconciling these is that the likeliest scripturally supported scenario is that Silas and Timothy did briefly connect with Paul in Athens and were immediately sent back out to Bereas or Phillipi and Thessalonica, respectively. The Greek word that Paul uses to express “no longer standing it” contains the metaphor of a vessel over-full and bursting with its contents. Why do you think Paul is expressing his longing for Thessalonica and loneliness in such strong terms? What did Paul send Timothy to do in Thessalonica? What was the goal of Timothy’s time there? Why do you think Paul preaches on suffering and affliction so frequently? What was Paul’s greatest fear for the church there (verse 5)? No verse yet... Where is Paul writing this from? How do we know this? What did Timothy report back to Paul? If Timothy’s goal was to encourage Thessalonica in their faith, how have those tables turned? What does this tell us about how our lives should look in Christ today? Where do we fail most often to live that out? How strong is Paul’s encouragement & love in verses 8-10? Do we affirm other believers with that kind of fervor frequently? What do you think stops us from behaving like Paul in that regard? No verse yet... What things does Paul pray for in this prayer? What do you think verse 13 means? Who does Paul pray the Thessalonians love to increase for? We get this, certainly. Loving people is consistently preached throughout Jesus’ ministry and the New Testament, as second only to loving God. Why is it so hard then? What causes us to fail? What can we do differently, how can our faith change in sanctification, to enact a meaningful difference?