The Day of the Lord

Introduction

Focus on the things you know and understand.

Focus on living a life pleasing to the Lord rather than putting your efforts into predicting dates of the Lord’s return.

¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NLT
The Day of the Lord
^5:1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.                               

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NLT

The Day of the Lord 

^5:1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen,

Questions about Christ’s return have always occupied the thoughts of many.

dear brothers and sisters,

Once again we see “dear brothers and sisters”.

Paul truly loved the Thessalonians. 

 we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

• Christ’s return will be unexpected and unwelcome by those not ready for it.

Matthew 24:36, 43-44 (Luke 12:3540) NLT
³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
⁴² So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
⁴³ Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

2 Peter 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.

Revelation 3:3 NLT
³ Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

Revelation 16:15 NLT
¹⁵ “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

The day of the Lord will include both judgment and blessing.

• We don’t know the timing of God’s final judgment, but we do know that it is coming. 

Prepare for Christ’s return by living godly lives.

• Live godly lives in light of coming judgment on the world. 

 ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

This will be a time of judgment and destruction for the unbeliever.

• God’s ultimate judgment comes unexpectedly to the unbeliever and is inescapable.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 NLT
⁹ They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 

• Christ’s return will not take believers by surprise (however, the timing might).

The signs of Christ’s return are discernable to Christians, but we do not know the exact time.

Christians will not face destruction on judgment day. 

⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day;

Colossians 1:11-14 NLT
¹¹ … May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

John 12:36 NLT
³⁶ Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

Acts 26:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ … Yes, I am sending you (Paul) to the Gentiles ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

1 Peter 2:9 NLT
⁹ But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

we don’t belong to darkness and night. 

• Christians are children of light and of the day—people transformed by Christ. 

⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others.

Unbelievers are spiritually insensitive. Living without considering the coming Day of Judgment. 

Stay alert and be clearheaded. 

Matthew 24:42 NLT
⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 25:13 NLT
¹³ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

• Anticipate the Lord’s return.

Be watchful and clearheaded, waiting for the Lord’s return. 

⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.

Matthew 24:48-51 NLT
>⁴⁸ But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? ⁵⁰ The master will return unannounced and unexpected, ⁵¹ and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The drunk are unable to respond properly.

The drunk lack self-control.

The drunk are unprepared for the master’s return. 

 ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

• Know that God has equipped you with faith, hope, and love to protect your heart and mind until Christ returns.

A good prayer to pray for those preparing for Christ’s return:

Philippians 1:9-11 NLT
⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

John 15:16 NLT
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Romans 5:9 NLT
⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

• Jesus has rescued Christians from the terrors of the coming judgment. 

¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 

Review verses from previous lesson:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NLT
¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

Additional verses:

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

• Christians will live with the Lord for all of eternity. 

¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Remind each other of the promises of God that we already know. 

• The church is a community that encourages and builds others up in preparation for Christ’s return.

The Hope of the Resurrection

Introduction

Focus on the things you know.  We have hope.  As Christians, we are citizens of Heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.

Examine the Scriptures:

The Hope of the Resurrection
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT 

¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters,

Dear brothers and sisters used 20 times in 1^st & 2^nd Thessalonians.

This is a clear indication of Paul’s love for the Thessalonians. 

we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died 

We do not want you to be uninformed … NIV & ESV

• There were some things the Thessalonians needed to know.

Review:

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 NLT
⁹ How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. ¹⁰ Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

The Thessalonians were concerned about what would happen to the Christians who have already died.

Some Thessalonian Christians had died before Christ’s return, and the church worried they would somehow miss out on the blessings of the Second Coming.

• Paul is about to tell the Thessalonians what will happened to the Christians who have died. 

so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 

Grieving is not wrong.

Godly people grieve.

Acts 8:2 NLT
² (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)

However, it is wrong for Christians to exhibit hopelessness in their grief.

The grief of a believer differs from that of unbelievers.

Unbelievers have no hope of a bodily resurrection.  Believers do have hope.

• Christ transforms grief. Christians grieve, but not hopelessly. 

¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again,

Christ’s resurrection is the center of God’s plan …

1 Corinthians 15:12-14
¹² But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 

• The death and resurrection of Jesus is a well-known recorded fact of history.

People Who Saw the Resurrected Christ

Mary Magdalene
Other women
The disciples (multiple appearances)
Over 500 believers at once
Paul

The certainty of our resurrection rests entirely on Christ’s resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT
²³ But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord:

• This is a message from the Lord, not from Paul.

This is not speculation; it is divine revelation. 

We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 

There is no advantage for the living over the dead. 

Picture this in your mind. 

 ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.  

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

• Christ’s return will be a powerful, public, unmistakable, transforming, and triumphant event.

After the dead come forth, their spirits, already with the Lord, are now being joined to resurrected bodies

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 NLT
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

Luke 23:42–43 NLT
Jesus tells the repentant thief:
“Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
⁴³ And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

John 11:25–26 NLT
Whoever believes in Christ will live even though he dies.
²⁵ Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. ²⁶ Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 

¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 NLT
⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory
⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” 

• All believers — resurrected and transformed — are united.

Death is permanently defeated.

• All Christians will be with the Lord forever. 

¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words. 

• The primary purpose of this passage is to provide encouragement to those Christians whose (Christian) loved ones have died.

The dead will be resurrected and will participate in the Lord’s coming for His own.

When Christ comes the living will be reunited forever with their loved ones.

Believers will spend eternity with the Lord.

Understanding about the Lord’s return should give us comfort and encouragement.

Believers can and should encourage other believers in the face of death.

 

Other scripture passages to reflect on: (this list is not all inclusive)

Philippians 3:20-21
²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

1 John 3:2 NLT
² Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Revelation 21:3-4 NLT
³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

2 Peter 3:13 NLT
¹³ But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

Instructions for Practical Christian Living.

Introduction

Living a Life Pleasing to God

Instructions for Practical Christian Living.

A Life Pleasing to God
Practical Christian Living
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NLT
⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. ¹⁰ Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.
¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. ¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

Examine the Scriptures:

A Life Pleasing to God

Instructions for Practical Christian Living.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NLT 

⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. 

Some instructions for Christian living come through God’s Word (reading God’s Word or being taught by people like Paul who are teaching God’s Word).

Other lessons are taught by God Himself to his children directly.

This verse tells us that the ability for loving others comes directly from God’s (the Holy Spirit’s) work in the believer’s heart.

Christian love is not merely a human effort but a divine enablement.

• God himself had taught the Thessalonians to love one another.

Reflect on the following passages of scripture:

Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT
³³ “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 

Isaiah 54:13 NLT
¹³ I will teach all your children,
    and they will enjoy great peace. 

John 6:45 NLT
⁴⁵ As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 

1 Corinthians 2:13 NLT
13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

Romans 1:19-20 NLT
¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

God has made Himself known to all people, so humanity is without excuse for ignoring or rejecting Him.

• Paul teaches that God has made certain truths about Himself plainly evident to all humanity.

Review:

The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.
The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:8-10 NLT
Love Fulfills God’s Requirements
⁸ Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. ⁹ For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

John 13: 35 NLT
³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 

Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT
5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Galatians 5:22 NLT
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

Romans 5:5 NLT
⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

1 John 4:7, 8, 12 NLT
Loving One Another
⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

• Love is a work of the Spirit.

• Christian love is not merely commanded—it is God-produced in those who walk with Him. 

¹⁰ Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia.

• The Thessalonians already showed their love for all the believers throughout Macedonia.

Their love wasn’t confined to their local church; they extended it “toward all the brothers in all Macedonia,” demonstrating a vibrant and expansive Christian network.

We read about that in:

1 Thessalonians 1:7-8
⁷ As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.
⁸ And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT
^8:1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. ² They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
³ For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. ⁴ They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. ⁵ They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

Paul is talking about the Macedonian believers— specifically, the believers in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.   These believers were poor, persecuted Christians whose joyful generosity became a model of Christlike giving for the Corinthian church. 

Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

The Thessalonians already showed their love for all the believers throughout Macedonia, but Paul urged them to love them even more.

There was still room for improvement.

Even in something they do well, Paul encourages continuous growth and greater application.

Christian maturity is an ongoing process.

• Even though the Thessalonians loved well, Paul encourages them to love even more.

In the Christian life, love is never a completed task. 

¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, 

• Make it your goal to live a quiet life.

1 Timothy 2:2 NLT
² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

1 Peter 3:4 NLT
⁴ You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

Live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Clothe yourself with a gentle and quiet spirit.

Live peacefully with others instead of interfering in others affairs.

Be a person who strives to be at peace with himself and God.

Proverbs 25:17 NLT
¹⁷ Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
or you will wear out your welcome. 

minding your own business 

• Mind your own business.

Don’t be a busybody.

Apparently some Thessalonians, probably because of their idleness, were taking undo interest in other people’s affairs.

This directly addresses the busybodies—those who were meddling in others’ lives because of their idleness. Christian love does not involve intrusive gossip or unsolicited interference. 

and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 

• Earn your own living.

Work itself is a blessing, and working with one’s hands should never be despised by Christians.

Don’t look to be supported by others.

It appears that some Thessalonians were neglecting work and were relying on others to support them.

Some members, perhaps fueled by the expectation of Christ’s imminent return (the next chapter addresses this), may have become idle, neglecting work, and interfering in others’ business.

Diligent, honest labor is presented as a spiritual discipline and a necessary component of a godly, quiet life. This corrects any notion that intense focus on the Second Coming excuses laziness or dependence on others. 

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 NLT
¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. ¹² We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.

A self-supporting person is not a burden to others.

Paul’s own example:

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 NLT
⁷ For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. ⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

• Love is shown through responsible living, hard work, and not burdening others. 

¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live,

NIV so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 

ESV so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Putting verses 11-12 into practice wins the respect of non-Christians.

Walk properly before outsiders.

Earn the respect of the unbelievers.

The Christian community’s conduct directly impacts its witness to the non-believing world.

1 Peter 2:12 NLT
¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

Matthew 5:16 NLT
¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Titus 2:7-8
⁷ And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. ⁸ Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

This kind of behavior also wins the respect of believers.

• Christians should display integrity, industry, and decency so that outsiders see the gospel lived out. 

and you will not need to depend on others.

Paul is not saying every Christian must be completely self-sufficient.

Paul is advocating personal responsibility.

Working prevents the believer from becoming a financial burden on the church or the community, maintaining their dignity and independence.

The combination of love, quietness, and work ensures the church functions with internal harmony and external respectability.

 

Live to Please God

Introduction

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica, but it is certainly applicable to us 2000 years later.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT
Live to Please God
^4:1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. ² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— ⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ⁶ Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. ⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. ⁸ Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT

Live to Please God

^4:1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus

“dear brothers and sisters”

“We urge you”

“in the name of the Lord Jesus” Paul taught with authority from Jesus Christ.  Paul’s teaching carries divine authority, not just personal advice.

Paul is saying “This is important!” 

to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you.

• Live in a way that pleases God.

“as we have taught you”

• Do what you know you should be doing.

• Scripture instructs us to live lives that please God.

2 Corinthians 5:9 NLT
⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

Ephesians 5:8-10 NLT
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Pray

For us:

Psalm 19:14 NLT
¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

For others:

Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. 

You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.  

The words “even more” show sanctification is a lifelong process—there is always room to grow in holiness and love. 

² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ God’s will is for you to be holy,

Set apart from sin.

Romans 6:6 NLT
⁶ We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

To be holy is to belong fully to God — to live for His purposes, not just our own.

• “God’s will is for you to be holy.” 

Ephesians 1:4 NLT
⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

This means our values, priorities, and behavior should be different from the world’s — guided by God’s truth rather than culture or self-interest.

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
^12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

so stay away from all sexual sin. 

You have been set apart for God’s purposes and you need to be growing in moral purity.

For former pagans, the lure of sexual sins was strong.

In the first century moral standards were generally very low.

Sexual immorality was tolerated in the Mediterranean world.

Prostitution was allowed.

In many Greco-Roman cities (like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome), temple prostitution was part of pagan religion.

In the Greco-Roman world, sexual immorality was common and socially accepted, so Paul’s teaching marked Christians as distinct.

Ephesians 5:3 NLT
³ Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.   

• Stay away from all sexual sin.  

⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 

Holiness begins in the body; what we do with our bodies matters to God.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT
¹⁸ Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

2 Timothy 2:21 NLT
²¹ If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 

⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 

Ephesians 4:17-19 NLT
Living as Children of Light
¹⁷ With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸ Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹ They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

• Don’t live like pagans.

A Christian, with God’s help, can overcome sexual temptations.

Knowing God is basic to living a holy life.

True knowledge of God transforms moral behavior. 

⁶ Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,

Sexual sin harms others besides those who engage in it.

Sexual sin is not private; it offends both God and others, resulting in destructive social and spiritual implications.

• Sexual sin doesn’t just defile the sinner; it harms others, violating trust and community. 

 for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 

Colossians 3:5-7 NLT
⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. ⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.

David experienced this.

2 Samuel 11:27 NLT
²⁷ When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

2 Samuel 12:11 NLT
¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, (referring to David’s sin with Bathsheba) I will cause your own household to rebel against you. 

Hebrews 13:4 NLT
⁴ Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. 

• God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. 

⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 

³ God’s will is for you to be holy, 

• To live a holy life means to be devoted to God, transformed by His Spirit, guided by His Word, and marked by love and purity in every area of life.

God’s plan for a Christian includes purifying his life.

A holy life demonstrates God’s supernatural power at work overcoming what is natural and it glorifies God. 

⁸ Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God,

Other translations of this verse:

Therefore, whoever rejects these instructions isn’t rejecting a human authority. They are rejecting God, (CEB)

So anyone who refuses to obey this teaching is refusing to obey God, not us. (ERV)

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God (NIV)

The one who turns away from this teaching does not turn away from man, but from God.  (NLV)

Sexual sin is against God.

• To reject Paul’s teaching on sex is to reject God’s teaching, the source of Paul’s instruction. 

who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
Living by the Spirit’s Power
¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

• The Holy Spirit enables us to avoid sexual immorality.

Holiness, then, is not achieved by self-effort but by yielding to the Spirit’s work within.

Paul Prays to Return to Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 NLT
¹¹ May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. ¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ¹³ May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 NLT
Paul Prays to Return to Thessalonica 

Paul prays:

Verses 11-13 are a prayer.

Look back at verse 10.

“Night and day we pray earnestly for you…” (v. 10) 

¹¹ May God our Father and our Lord Jesus

God the Father and God the Son working together. 

“God and Lord Jesus” are also used in verse 1 and verse 13 as well in 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2, 8, 12; 2:16; 3:5

A lesson within a lesson.

• Paul frequently pairs “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” to show their shared divine authority and unity of purpose.

Jesus is God.

• By naming both God our Father and our Lord Jesus, Paul emphasizes distinction of persons within the Godhead.

1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT
⁶ But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
    by whom all things were created,
    and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    through whom all things were created,
    and through whom we live.

Paul often adds “Holy Spirit”.

2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT
¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

bring us to you very soon. 

• Paul longs for personal fellowship with the Thessalonians.

In person interaction is so much better than “on line” interaction.

Watching a church service on TV is just not the same as being in a church service with other believers. 

¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow,

• The Thessalonians were already noted for their love, but Paul prayed that their love would grow and overflow even more for fellow believers and for all people.

• God is the source of Love.

1 John 4:7 NLT
⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. 

• God is the one who causes our love for others to grow.

Genuine Christian love is one thing in the Christian life which cannot be carried to excess.

More verses about loving others. (The challenge is clear.)

1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT
⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.

Romans 12:10 NLT
¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 13:8 NLT
⁸ Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT
³ Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.

1 Peter 1:22 NLT
²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

1 John 3:11 NLT
¹¹ This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 3:23 NLT
²³ And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

1 John 4:9-12 NLT
⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

2 John 5 NLT
⁵ I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.

• Scripture tells us to love one another.

 just as our love for you overflows. 

 ¹³ May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy

• God is the one who makes our hearts strong, blameless, and holy.

Blameless

Someone whose conduct aligns with God’s will

Someone who doesn’t cause others to stumble.

The character of a person who consistently seeks to do what is right and repents when they fall short.

A life of wholehearted sincerity, integrity, and faithfulness to God, free from the willful defiance of God’s will.

To be blameless means to live with integrity, sincerity, and devotion to God—so that nothing in your life brings shame to His name or gives others cause to accuse you of hypocrisy.

Holy

Set apart for God’s purposes.

Separated from sin and dedicated to God.

Conforming more and more to God’s moral character.

Reflecting God’s purity and righteousness in your life.

 

This involve a lifetime process. The process of sanctification.

More verses about God turning us into the people He wants us to be. (Enjoy)

Ephesians 1:4 NLT
⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Romans 12:2 NLT
² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT
⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

John 17:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I (Jesus) do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

Hebrews 10:10 NLT
¹⁰ For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Titus 2:14 NLT
¹⁴ He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

• God chose us to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

as you stand before God our Father

• One day we will all stand before God. (God is preparing us for that day.)

We are being prepared (verse 12 & 13a) for the return of Christ

when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people.

All His holy people can mean either angels or believers. 

Amen.

 

Timothy Returns and Reports to Paul

Introduction

Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica after being forced to leave the city due to persecution. He sent Timothy back to check on the believers and bring back news about their faith (3:1–6). Timothy’s good report greatly encouraged Paul, yet he still longs to return to strengthen them further.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NLT
Timothy Returns and Reports to Paul
⁶ But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. ⁷ So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. ⁸ It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.
⁹ How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. ¹⁰ Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NLT
Timothy Returns and Reports to Paul 

⁶ But now Timothy has just returned, (most likely to Corinth)

Paul had sent Timothy back to the church in Thessalonica to “find out whether their faith was still strong. Paul was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of them and that his work had been useless”. (v.5)

and

Paul wanted Timothy to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith.

Timothy had just returned from this mission. 

bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 

• Timothy had returned to Paul with a good report.

He brought good news about their faith and love.

“Your faith” – The Thessalonians had remained faithful to Christ.

“Your love” – The Thessalonians remembered Paul’s visit with joy and wanted to see the apostles as much as they wanted to see the Thessalonians.

• Faith, love, and hope represent the core of Christian life: faith toward God, love toward others, and hope for the future. 

Paul had previously seen these qualities in the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT
³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

⁷ So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 

The tempter had gotten the best of them.

• Hearing of the Thessalonians’ faith was a source of encouragement to Paul and his team.

In this passage Paul expresses great relief and joy after hearing good news about the Thessalonian believers from Timothy.

It is encouraging to us to see young families, who are a part of the Redeemer family, stranding firm in the Lord. 

⁸ It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.

Paul’s heart was heart is revived; the Thessalonian’s perseverance showed him that his ministry was not in vain.

Paul was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of them and that his work had been useless”. (v.5)

• The Thessalonians were standing firm in the Lord. It’s crucial that we do the same.

Stand firm in the Lord.

Other challenging words of encouragement from Paul:

2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT
¹⁵ … stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you …

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³ Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Galatians 5:1 LT
^5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Ephesians 6:11 NLT
¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.

Philippians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. 

⁹ How we thank God for you!

Paul’s joy leads to overflowing gratitude to God.

Paul thanks God for all that God had done in the church at Thessalonica.

Paul’s time at Thessalonica had been very productive.  However, Paul recognizes that it was because of what God had done, not what he had done.

Philippians 2:13 NLT (Paul speaking to the Philippians)
¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

• Every sign of faithfulness among believers is cause for worship and gratitude. 

Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. 

Repeat a verse used in our previous lesson.

3 John 4 NLT
⁴ I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. 

¹⁰ Night and day we pray earnestly for you,

“Night and day …” Paul’s unceasing prayer shows his deep concern.

“… we pray earnestly for you.” –  Paul prayed with intensity.

Paul knew their faith was still young and needed strengthening.

Paul’s ministry to them continues through prayer even though he’s physically separated.

• Pastoral love involves both prayer and instruction.

Here at Redeemer, we are imitating Paul when we pray for our students.

• Your students benefit from your love, your prayers, and your instruction.

Some verses to reflect on:

Colossians 4:2 NLT
² Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

1 Timothy 2:1 NLT
^2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

Ephesians 6:18 NLT
¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit (under the guidance, influence, and power of the Holy Spirit), at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 

asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

Paul is not criticizing the church. He is acknowledging that they had not reached their full potential.

The Thessalonians were still maturing.

All believers have room to improve.

• Paul wanted to be with the Thessalonians, in person, so that he could “to fill in the gaps in their faith”.

• Even strong believers have areas where their faith needs to be strengthened.

• Spiritual growth is a lifelong process.

 

 

Paul’s Desire to Return to Thessalonica

Introduction

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5 is a deeply personal section where the Apostle Paul expresses his intense love and concern for the young church in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 2:17- 3:5 NLT
Paul’s Desire to Return to Thessalonica
¹⁷ Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. ¹⁸ We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. ¹⁹ After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! ²⁰ Yes, you are our pride and joy.
^3:1 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, ² and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, ³ and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. ⁴ Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. ⁵ That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 2:17- 3:5 NLT

Paul’s Desire to Return to Thessalonica 

¹⁷ Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while

Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica.

Acts 17:1-10 NLT
Paul Preaches in Thessalonica
^17:1 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. ³ He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” ⁴ Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.
⁵ But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. ⁶ Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. ⁷ And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
⁸ The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. ⁹ So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.
¹⁰ That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

• Paul and Silas left Thessalonica because of persecution.

This separation from the Thessalonians was not Paul’s choice.

The Thessalonians were losing their spiritual parents.

The Thessalonians had been “orphaned” by Paul’s forced departure.

This was a deep emotional loss for Paul and his co-workers. 

(though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 

Though physically absent, Paul says he remained spiritually and emotionally close.

• Paul longed to be with the new believers in Thessalonica.

Paul had similar, but maybe not as intense, feelings toward other believers.  He says this to the Colossians:

Colossians 2:5 NLT
⁵ For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you.

In 1 Corinthians 5:3 Paul addresses the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 5:3 NLT
³ Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit.

Paul speaking to the Philippians.

Philippians 1:7 NLT
⁷ So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.  

¹⁸ We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again,

• Paul tried repeatedly to go back to Thessalonica.

Paul’s desire to visit the Thessalonians was urgent and persistent. 

but Satan prevented us.

• Satan hindered their return to Thessalonica.

Paul attributes his inability to return not to chance or mere human opposition, but to Satan’s hindrance.

Paul knew who the enmy was:

Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 

 ¹⁹ After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! ²⁰ Yes, you are our pride and joy.

Paul looks ahead to Christ’s second coming -a key theme throughout 1 Thessalonians.

A crown was the prize in the Greek games.

• The Thessalonians are the present source of Paul’s greatest joy. There is immense joy in seeing people come to faith in Christ and grow spiritually.

Paul really cared for these Thessalonians.

• The lasting fruit of ministry—students transformed by the gospel and persevering in faith—is the teacher’s greatest reward, hope, and cause for rejoicing on the day Christ returns. 

^3:1 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, ² and we sent Timothy to visit you.

• Paul’s emotional burden for the Thessalonians reached a breaking point; he had to know how they were doing.

Timothy returns to Thessalonica.

• Sending Timothy to Thessalonica was a sacrifice on Paul’s part.

 He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 

Timothy acted as Paul’s trusted delegate.

Timothy was a worthy substitute.

• Timothy was sent to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith.

This was a big responsibility for Timothy.

Clearly, Paul thought very highly of Timothy.

Paul maintained contact with the church at Thessalonica by sending Timothy and writing letters. There is no biblical record that specifically says that Paul revisited the church at Thessalonica, however Acts 20:1-6 implies that Paul was in the area during his third missionary journey.

Refer to a map of Paul’s third missionary journey.

Acts 20:1-6 NLT
Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece
^20:1 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. ² While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, ³ where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
⁴ Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁵ They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week.

After traveling through Macedonia, he came to Greece (which included the area around Thessalonica), where he stayed for three months. While the text doesn’t explicitly state that he was in Thessalonica during this time, it is strongly inferred that he visited the churches there to encourage them. The list of companions who sailed with him from Philippi (a nearby city) to Troas includes Thessalonians, suggesting Paul had been in the area. 

³ and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 

⁴ Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 

• Suffering for the faith is often part of a Christian’s life.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT
⁶ So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:14 NLT
¹⁴ And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.

• Suffering for Christ is a privilege.

Philippians 1:29 NLT
²⁹ For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

• When your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT
⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 2:21 NLT
²¹ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

1 Peter 4:19 NLT
¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

⁵ That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

Again Paul mentions “the tempter” (Satan)—connecting back to 2:18.

Satan is a powerful foe.

Satan is a strong and dangerous enemy

• Satan is constantly working against God’s purposes, trying to lead people away from truth and righteousness.

Satan is clever and deceptive.

Matthew 13:38-39 NLT
³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹ The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

Mark 4:15 NIV
Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 

2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

John 8:44 NLT
⁴⁴ For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
tay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

 

Final thought:

3 John 4 NLT
⁴ I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

The Reception of the Good News in Thessalonica

Introduction

Paul’s reflections on the Thessalonians’ response to the gospel and the opposition they faced.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 NLT
The Reception of the Good News in Thessalonica
¹³ Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
¹⁴ And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. ¹⁵ For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity ¹⁶ as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 NLT
The Reception of the Good News in Thessalonica 

¹³ Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us,

Paul gives thanks a second time.

• Paul is thankful that the Thessalonians recognized the divine origin of the gospel message. (More about this shortly.)

The first time:
1 Thessalonians 1:2 NLT
² We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.

A third time:
1 Thessalonians 3:9 NLT
⁹ How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.

Paul was a very thankful person, and his letters consistently show a spirit of gratitude toward God and toward other believers.

Paul is giving us some good behavior to imitate. 

(repeat)  ¹³ Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, 

you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas.

Paul was not sharing “mere human ideas”.

• Paul had received the gospel message directly from Jesus Christ, not from any human teacher or apostle.

Paul clearly says in Galatians 1:11-12

Galatians 1:11-12 NLT
Paul’s Message Comes from Christ
¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. ¹² I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 

You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is.

The “word of God” here refers to the message spoken by Paul and his co-workers.

Paul praises the Thessalonians for recognizing the divine origin of the gospel message.

 

What did Paul preach?

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 NLT
⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Acts 17:3 NLT
³ He (Paul) explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 

2 Thessalonians 2:14 NLT
¹⁴ He (God) called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

• Paul preached the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

• The Thessalonian Christians recognized the supernatural truthfulness of the Gospel that Paul preached as the Holy Spirit brought this conviction home to their hearts.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 NLT
⁵ For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.  

And this word continues to work in you who believe.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

The Word of God deeply penetrates a person’s inner life. 

It can discern between what is merely human (soul) and what is spiritual (spirit) – what comes from our own desires versus what comes from God.

God’s Word penetrates to our deepest motives, thoughts, and attitudes, uncovering what’s hidden.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

• The gospel is not merely persuasive speech but God’s living message that changes hearts.

• The Thessalonians’ changed lives and steadfast faith are evidence of this divine work within them.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NLT
The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers
² We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. ³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

¹⁴ And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 

The early Jewish Christian churches in Judea were persecuted by fellow Jews who rejected Jesus as Messiah.

Acts 8:1& 3 NLT
^8:1 … Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. ² … ³ But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

The Thessalonian believers faced opposition from their fellow citizens (Current verse 2:14)

Both groups faced persecution for their faith in Christ:

• Paul’s expresses his gratitude for the Thessalonians’ faithfulness and endurance under persecution.

Sharing in Christ’s sufferings and those of other believers shows true discipleship.

Knowing that other believers suffered for the same faith offers courage and perspective. 

Believers who follow Christ can expect persecution; this unites them with other faithful communities. 

¹⁵ For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too.

Stephen refers to this when he address the Council.

Stephen Addresses the Council

The Council was made up of chief priests, scribes, and elders

Acts 7:51-54 NLT
⁵¹ “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! ⁵² Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. ⁵³ You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
⁵⁴ The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.

• Believers who follow Christ can expect persecution. 

Suffering for the gospel is not unique, but part of a larger story of faithfulness shared by all who follow Christ.

Resistance to God’s messengers has been consistent through the ages, from prophets to apostles.

Some Jews were responsible for persecution taking place in Thessalonica.

Paul can relate to this on a personal basis. 

They (referring to some of the Jews) fail to please God and work against all humanity  

¹⁶ as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. 

But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

Simply put:

• • • Persistent opposition to God’s work ultimately brings judgment.

“the anger of God has caught up with them at last.” likely refers to God’s present and impending judgment on unbelief.

Some see it as pointing to a foretaste of judgment already experienced, such as national turmoil or persecution.

Others see it as prophetic, anticipating the coming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

It might even refer to the ultimate and universal judgment by God at the end of time — when every person, living and dead, will stand before God to give an account of their life.

However you interpret this, the phrase emphasizes that continued opposition to God’s work inevitably brings judgment.

 

 

Paul Remembers His Visit to Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 NLT
⁷ As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. ⁸ We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.
⁹ Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. ¹⁰ You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. ¹¹ And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. ¹² We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 NLT
Paul Remembers His Visit to Thessalonica 

⁷ As apostles of Christ

Paul’s calling:

Galatians 1:1 NLT
¹ This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

Galatians 1:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

Silas and Timothy were co-workers, fellow soldiers, brothers, or messengers. Don’t get hung up on the word apostles.  In a broader sense an apostle could be referring to a person being sent out to share the Gospel.  

we certainly had a right to make some demands of you,

In this section, Paul continues defending his ministry among the Thessalonians.

Apostles had the authority to request support.

1 Corinthians 9:3-14 NLT
³ This is my answer to those who question my authority. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
⁷ What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? ⁸ Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? ⁹ For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? ¹⁰ Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.
¹¹ Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? ¹² If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
¹³ Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. 

• Paul rightfully could have expected the church at Thessalonica to support his team financially. 

but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

ESV  But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 

NKJV  ⁷ But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

• Paul and his team treated the new believers at Thessalonica much like a mother cares for her children.

Intimate, patient, loving and selfless.

Jesus talking to the disciples:

Matthew 20:25-28 NLT
²⁵ But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. ²⁶ But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. ²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Paul and his team chose to minister rather than to be ministered to. 

⁸ We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Paul’s team loved the believers in Thessalonica.

• The apostles’ ministry was not just about delivering a message. They gave themselves—their time, energy, resources, emotions, and even faced persecution—for the sake of the believers.

The gospel and their lives were inseparably linked.

• Genuine ministry involves vulnerability and love, not just teaching.  

⁹ Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.

2 Thessalonians 3:8 NLT
⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 

Acts 18:3 tells us that Paul was a tentmaker.

• Paul’s love was shown by his long hours of manual labor. He worked hard to pay his own expenses rather than depend on the Thessalonian believers for support.

• Ministry is about giving, not taking. 

¹⁰ You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.

Paul called on both the Thessalonians (human) and God (divine) to affirm his holy conduct in the ministry.

2 Corinthians 1:12 NLT
¹² We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

• Paul called on both the Thessalonians and God to affirm his holy conduct in the ministry.

Paul’s life reflected his preaching. 

¹¹ And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 

Having used the metaphor of a mother (v. 7), Paul now uses a father image.

• The Thessalonians were Paul’s children in the faith.

• A loving father disciples (guides, instructs, encourages, and holds accountable) his children.

Ministry involves both nurturing tenderness (mother) and guiding discipline (father).

• Ministry involves both nurturing tenderness and guiding discipline. 

¹² We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy.

Pleaded
Encouraged
Urged
Implored
Exhorted
Begged
Comforted
Charged

The personal touch of a loving father.

Strong positive appeals.

Verses for us to consider:

Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT
4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Colossians 4:5 NLT
⁵ Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 

For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

Romans 8:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Colossians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

 

• We have been called to share in God’s Kingdom and glory.

 

Paul Defends His Ministry to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NLT
^2:1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. ² You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. ³ So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.
⁴ For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. ⁵ Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! ⁶ As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NLT

Paul Defends His Ministry to the Thessalonians 

^2:1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 

• Paul is reflecting on his ministry among the Thessalonians. He reminds them that his preaching was neither empty nor useless but carried eternal significance.

In spite of all the positive comments in our previous lesson one, Paul felt that he needed to defend his ministry and his conduct.

Paul’s words suggest that people outside the church were charging him with unworthy motives and improper conduct.

Paul seems to spend a great deal of energy defending his ministry.

You yourselves know 

• Paul begins by appealing to the Thessalonians’ own memory.

Paul’s (along with Silas and Timothy) ministry was effective and fruitful.

The Thessalonians had “turned away from idols to serve the living and true God”. (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

People were saved.

A vibrant church was planted.

The church grew and flourished after Paul left.

You yourselves know

• Never forget the good things God does for you.

Psalm 103:2 NLT
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Psalm 105:1&5 NLT
¹ Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
⁵ Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,

Psalm 78:4 NLT
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.

John 14:26 NLT
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

 ² You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there.

Acts 16:16-24 NLT
Paul and Silas in Prison
¹⁶ One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
¹⁸ This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
¹⁹ Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. ²⁰ “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. ²¹ “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
²² A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. ²³ They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. ²⁴ So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 

(This is followed by the conversion of the Philippian Jailer and his family.)

• Paul and his companions were often treated badly because of their faith and ministry. The New Testament records many hardships they faced, including persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and rejection. 

Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 

1 Thessalonians 1:5 NLT
⁵ For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. …

• The ministry of Paul, Silas, and Timothy was God-empowered courage, not human ambition.

• Our ministry is God-empowered. 

³ So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

Paul clarifies his motives.

Paul is defending his ministry.

Acts 17:5 NLT
⁵ But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.  

Paul’s message was not deceptive, it was truth.

Paul’s motivation was pure.

Paul’s method was straightforward and transparent.

⁴ For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.

• God uses faithful messengers to share the Good News. (That’s us.) 

Our purpose is to please God, not people. 

• Paul and his companion’s aim was to please God alone. 

Galatians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 

Acts 5:29 NLT
²⁹ But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 

Colossians 3:23 NLT
²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Matthew 5:16 NLT
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
^12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

• Our purpose should be to please God, not people. 

He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 

• God knows the motives of our hearts.

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

⁵ Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know.

Flattery and greed were common among traveling teachers in Paul’s day.

• Flattery is deceitful and manipulative

Proverbs 29:5 NLT
⁵ To flatter friends
is to lay a trap for their feet.

Proverbs 28:23 NLT
23 In the end, people appreciate honest criticism
    far more than flattery.

Psalm 12:2-3 NLT
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
    speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
    and silence their boastful tongues.
And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! 

God is our witness.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he had every right to claim respect and honor as an apostle, but he did not seek such recognition.

Apostles were entitled to be supported by the church.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT
⁹ Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.

2 Thessalonians 3:8 NLT
⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.

1 Corinthians 9:3-14 NLT
³ This is my answer to those who question my authority. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
⁷ What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? ⁸ Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? ⁹ For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? ¹⁰ Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.
¹¹ Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? ¹² If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
¹³ Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.

⁶ As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.

Traveling philosophers and orators were common in the Roman Empire.  They traveled from place to place, entertaining others for personal fame and fortune. Paul and his companions had nothing in common with such men.

Instead of demanding status, Paul and his companions chose humility and service.