1 Thessalonians, lesson 1

1 Thessalonians

Lesson 1:

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine grace and enablement to tap into Your word of truth, wisdom, knowledge, and insight. We pray for soft, receptive, teachable hearts, spiritual eyes to see and ears to listen. We peay for the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction:

Author, Date, Recipients:

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians from Corinth between 49 AD to 51 AD was to the church in Thessalonica, Acts 18:1-18.

Theme:

The theme of 1 Thessalonians is the return of Christ at the rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. When Christ returns, Christians who had died and Christians are still alive will be resurrected into glorified bodies to meet Him in the air.

Setting:

In his second missionary journey, Paul and his workers Silas and Timothy established the church in Thessalonica. He was there only there for three weeks and many Gentiles believers came to know the Lord. Due to strong opposition and persecutions from the Jews, Paul had to flee Thessalonica to Berea. From there Paul went to Athens, and later to Corinth. At Berea, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to assist and check on the church there. Timothy returned to Corinth and reported to Paul that the church in Thessalonica was thriving and the congregation there was very fervent for the Lord. On hearing this Paul wrote 1 Thessalonica to encourage the church.

In the first-century AD, Thessalonica was a flourishing seaport and capital of Macedonia, modern day northern Greece, and had a population of 200,000.

Purpose:

In his short time in Thessalonica, Paul had taught the believers about the second coming of Christ. However as time went by, many Christians in Thessalonica had died and they were that Christ had still not returned. Paul reassured them that Christians who had died before Christ’s return will not miss out on the resurrection.

Outline:

Greetings: 1:1 Opening

Prayer and Encouragements: 1:2-3:13

Instructions: 4:1-5:22

Doxology: 5: 23-28

Application:

Paul’s teaching on the rapture is laid out for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The rapture precedes the second coming of Christ. Christians will be resurrected into glorified bodies to meet the Lord in the air. The rapture is imminent and could happen at any time. We will not miss the rapture if we confess of our sins, believe in the finish work of Christ on the cross, and surrendering our lives to Christ. Those who are left behind on earth will face the tribulations.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation and justification by grace through faith in Christ. We confess that we are sinners saved by grace, we believe that You died on the cross as a substitionary atonement for sins, we surrender our lives to You, in Jesus’name, Amen.