DFD 7-2 - 1 THESSALONIANS: CHAPTER 1

1 THESSALONIANS: CHAPTER 1

Have you ever imagined the Bible as a whole library — a library stocked with sixty-six books written by many people but ultimately authored by God Himself? Picture yourself pulling the book of 1 Thessalonians off the “shelf” and devoting the next several weeks to soaking yourself in the truths and riches contained in this one book. Then imagine yourself spending the rest of your life enjoying one book after another, and becoming a man or woman of the Word! That is the promises of a lifetime of Bible Study. The skills you develop now and the resources you learn to use will equip you for a lifetime of personal exploration of the Word of God.

After completing your survey, you are ready to study the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians. When working on your written analysis of each chapter, you will begin with a passage description, then do a verse-by-verse meditation, and finish with your conclusions. These will help you in making a personal application from your study, which you will also record in writing.

Chapter Analysis

Passage Description - Verse-by-Verse Meditation - Conclusions = Personal Application

As you study this chapter, keep track of how many times you have read it:

STUDY SKILL #2:

Comparing Different Bible Translations and Paraphrases

Before beginning your written work, read through the first chapter several times, perhaps jotting down a few notes on things that stand out to you.

You may want to supplement your reading with a modern paraphrase, such as The Message (MSG), the New Living Translation (NLT), the Phillips translation (PH), or others. The Amplified Bible (AMP) is helpful for exploring the shades of meaning for key words in the original text. However, for your focused chapter analysis study be sure to choose a basic translation such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New King James Version (NKJV)

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 NIV84

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 AMP

PAUL, SILVANUS (Silas), and Timothy, to the assembly (church) of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah): Grace (spiritual blessing and divine favor) to you and [heart] peace. We are ever giving thanks to God for all of you, continually mentioning [you when engaged] in our prayers, Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in [the return of] our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you; For our [preaching of the] glad tidings (the Gospel) came to you not only in word, but also in [its own inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction and absolute certainty [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved [ourselves] to be among you for your good. And you [set yourselves to] become imitators of us and [through us] of the Lord Himself, for you welcomed our message in [spite of] much persecution, with joy [inspired] by the Holy Spirit; So that you [thus] became a pattern to all the believers (those who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Christ Jesus) in Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece). For not only has the Word concerning and from the Lord resounded forth from you unmistakably in Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere the report has gone forth of your faith in God [of your leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. So we [find that we] never need to tell people anything [further about it]. For they themselves volunteer testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you, and how you turned to God from [your] idols to serve a God Who is alive and true and genuine, And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah].

PASSAGE DESCRIPTION

After reading through the chapter, your first step in analyzing it is to briefly describe the overall content. At this point do not attempt to interpret what you read. Your aim is to carefully observe and summarize what is said, not why.

One method of describing a passage is to rewrite it — omitting any modifying words and phrases that are not grammatically necessary — so that you express the central meaning of the sentence. This basically leaves the nouns and verbs. It is especially effective when the passage contains many descriptive words.

For example, here are verse 2 and 3 of the first chapter written in this manner:

2 — we thank God for you.

3 — we remember before God your work, your labor, and your endurance.

With this method you can quickly observe the movement of the passage.

Another method of describing the chapter is to make an outline. The first step is to divide the passage into paragraphs. (Most recent Bible translations already have suggested paragraph breaks. The original text was not divided into paragraphs, so you may decide to divide the passage differently if that makes more sense to you.) After determining your paragraph divisions write a sentence or two summarizing each paragraph’s contents. Don’t worry about omitting some details, but give a general framework which you can fit the details into later.

Here is a sentence summary of verses 2 and 3 as they might appear in a summary outline of the first chapter:

Paul tells how thankful he is for the quality of life in the Thessalonian church (verse 2-3).

Use the space below to write a passage description of verses 4-10, either rewriting it without modifiers, or making a summary outline.

of

1 Thessalonians 1 NIV84

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

I. They were an elect people (1:1-5)

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5 NIV84

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

A. Work of faith.

B. Labor of Love

C. Patience of hope.

II. They were an exemplary people (1:6-7)

1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 NIV84

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

III. They were an enthusiastic people (1:8)

1 Thessalonians 1:8 NIV84

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

IV. They were an expectant people (1:9-10)

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 NIV84

for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

VERSE-BY-VERSE MEDITATION

The heart of your study of 1 Thessalonians occurs as you meditate on each verse of each chapter. Here you will pause to process and understand each verse before moving to the next. Do this prayerfully (not just academically) by asking the Holy Spirit to help you unpack and understand the message of each verse.

You will record your thoughts in this section under four headings: Observations, Questions and Answers, Cross-References, and Notes and Comments.

Under Observations, you will simply give attention to what the passage actually says. Here are some questions that can help you make accurate observations:

Who are the people involved?

What ideas or teachings are expressed?

What events happen?

What are the stated results of these ideas or events?

Where does this take place?

What reasons or purposes are stated?

How are things accomplished?

Here are observations based on verses 2 and 3:

2 — Paul gave thanks for the Thessalonians.

3 — Three parallel thoughts in his prayers:

a. work of faith

b. labor of love

c. endurance of hope

Because it is impractical to record every observation you make on a verse, record the observation s that stimulate you to further thinking. But don’t overlook the obvious!

Recording Questions and Answers takes considerable time and effort, but it often leads to rewarding meditation. As you grow in your knowledge of the Bible, the more questions you will have, and the more penetrating and significant they will be. At the same time, your knowledge and understanding will increase.

Here are possible questions for verses 2 and 3:

2 — what did Paul pray for them?

3 — what is faith? Answer: trusting in God’s character and obeying Him

Why is endurance inspired by hope?

When a question has several possible answers, record as many answers as you can. The Scriptures dco not always provide clear-cut answers on every issue, so be careful not to insist on always finding one. Major on what God has plainly revealed. Often it is best to write questions without writing an answer. This allows you more time to think about them. Later you can record the answers as you discover them.

In the third column of your chapter analysis, record Cross-References for some of the verses you are studying. In many cases a question you write will stimulate further study in other parts of the Bible that relate closely to the verse you are studying. The Bible is its own best commentary. Scripture interprets Scripture. The content of one passage clarifies the content of another.

Here are some cross-references for verses 2 and 3:

Verse 2 — — Giving thanks in everything.

Verse 3 — — Christ’s perserverance.

Verse 3 — — Faith is confident assurance of the unseen and the future.

Good sources of cross-references are your own previous Bible study and verses you may have already memorized. If you cannot find a cross-reference on your own, use a concordance or the marginal notes in your Bible (more on these resources in later chapter).

Use the space in the Notes and Comments column to record additional personal insights and especially ideas God may be impressing on your heart for possible application. Also record information about people or places mentioned, as well as definitions of key words.

Use the charts on the following pages to record your thoughts as you meditate verse by verse through the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians.

Observations

I. They were an elect people (1:1-5)

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5 NIV84

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

A. Work of faith.

B. Labor of Love

C. Patience of hope.

II. They were an exemplary people (1:6-7)

1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 NIV84

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

III. They were an enthusiastic people (1:8)

1 Thessalonians 1:8 NIV84

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

IV. They were an expectant people (1:9-10)

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 NIV84

for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Questions and Answers

Who are the people involved? Paul, Silas, Timothy, the church of the Thessalonians, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, believers in Macedonia and Achaia

What ideas or teachings are expressed? thanks, prayer, their work and labor, love, endurance, hope, chosen, power, conviction, imitators, suffering, joy, Holy Spirit, idols, serving, resurrection, rescue, coming wrath.

What events happen? work/serving, reception, resurrection, rescue

What are the stated results of these ideas or events? they became imitators, they welcomed the message, they became models, turned from idols to the living and true God, waiting on Jesus.

Where does this take place? Thessalonica

What reasons or purposes are stated? thankfulness because of their response and modeling/serving

How are things accomplished? through faith, hope, joy, serving, and waiting.

Cross-References

1:1 - ; ; ; ; ;

1:2 -

1:2 -

1:3 - ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

1:4 - ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

1:5 - ; ; ; ; ;

1:6 - , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

1:7 -

1:8 -

1:9 - ; , ; ; ; ; ;

1:10 - ; , , , , ; ; ; ; ,

Notes and Comments

CONCLUSIONS

By now you have done quite a bit of study. You have described the chapter, meditated on each verse, made observations, asked questions, discovered some answers, and found cross-references, as well as having made other notes and comments. Now you can begin to bring all this together by drawing some conclusions.

the theme is the central issue discussed by Paul in this chapter. Look back over your written work and ask, “What is the basic subject of this chapter? What is Paul talking about?” Record your answer here:

Along with finding a theme, you will also want to record other conclusions you make. Here is one example of a possible conclusion from this chapter.

Praying, preaching, and demonstrating God’s power are keys to communicating the Gospel (verses 2,5).

Use the following space to record other conclusions you have from .

You will also want to title the chapter. Your title will probably reflect the theme and conclusions you listed earlier. Record your title here.

Also select one verse that either captures the central truth of this chapter, or select any verse that touches your heart for personal reasons. Write it here, and consider memorizing it so that you can meditate on it over the next days and weeks. Record your key or favorite verse here.

APPLICATION

Writing out your application will help you clarify what you plan to do. It also encourages you to be specific. The following questions can help you apply the Bible to your life.

What does this passage have to say about God’s view of reality?

2. How does this passage impact my intimacy with Him?

3. How does this passage speak to the issues and attitudes of my heart?

4. How does this passage impact my relationships with other people and with the natural world?

5. What specific step of action does God want me to take in response to this passage?

IN the following space record your planned application from .

MY JOURNAL