Day: 5 July 2021

Lesson 2

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the ministry of the word. We come before You with soft, receptive, hungry, teachable, and obedient hearts, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10, Salutation and prayer

V 1, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy sent greetings to the Christians of the Thessalonians church. Silvanus is the Roman name for Silas. Paul pronounced a greeting of grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Grace precedes peace. Hebrews for peace us “shalom”. Justification by grace precedes reconciliation and peace with God. Greek for church is “ekklesia”, which means, congregation. Greek for Lord is “Kurios”, which means master. Greek for Jesus is “Joshua”, which means God saves. Geek for Christ is “Christo”. Hebrews for Christ is “Messiah”, which means Anointed One. Lord Jesus Christ means Master, God the Saviour, the Anointed One.

VV 2-3, 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

Paul thanked God for his audience in prayer, mentioning them personally by name. He remembered unceasingly their work of faith, labor of love, and hope in God, the Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ.

VV 4-5, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Greek for election is “eklektos”, which means chosen by God. The Thessalonians Christians are chosen by God. Paul preached the good news of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit with honesty and integrity.

VV 6-8, And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

The Thessalonians Christians received the gospel of God with faith in the joy of the Holy Spirit despite persecutions by the hostile Jews. They were good role models in the faith and they evangelized the gospel throughout Macedonia, Achaia, and beyond.

VV 9-10, 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The Thessalonian Christians turned from idolatry to the true and living God, who resurrected Jesus Christ, the Son from the dead, and delivered them from God’s wrath. They waited expectantly for the second coming of Christ.

Application:

We must pray for our Christian friends and associates personally upholding them in prayers before God by names unceasingly and remembering their ministry and personal needs.

The gospel is God’s power of God for the salvation of lost souls. We must practice communicating the gospel to non-believers faithfully, accurately, and correctly.

The Thessalonian Christians were good role models who received the gospel with joy and evangelized to others in their community. We should emulate the Thessalonians in their work of faith and labor of love for the gospel.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for walking with us through 1 Thessalonians on a verse-by-verse basis. We pray for an enriched and challenging spiritual journey of faith. We pray for the impartation of truth, maturity in faith, conviction of hearts, renewal of minds, and transformation of attitudes, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 3

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for attention concentration and quietness of hearts. We pray for understanding and application. We pray for the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the ministry of Your Word, in Jesus’ name, Amen

1 Thessalonians 2: 1-20, encouragements

VV 1-3, 1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy’s visit to Thessalonica was a great success. Even though Paul, Silas, and Timothy were beaten, imprisoned, and manhandled by the hostile Jews at Philippi, they traveled to Thessalonica to share the gospel with them. The Thessalonians heard, received, and believed the gospel with joy, pure hearts, and clean motives.

VV 4-6, 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness, God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.

God had approved and entrusted Paul, Silas, and Timothy to share the gospel in Thessalonica not to please men but God. They conducted themselves above reproach, selflessly, honestly, transparently, and humbly, with integrity, pure motives, and clean hearts.

VV 7-9, 7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were gentle as nursing mothers nursing their babies. They invested their lives in the Thessalonians through discipleship, training, teaching, preaching, and caring. They supported themselves financially by taking on secular jobs.

VV 10-12, 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were earnest, just, honest, transparent, and blameless before God in all their dealings with the Thessalonians Christians. They were as caring as fathers for their children, comforting, encouraging, teaching, training, and discipleship.

V 13, For this reason, we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy thanked God for the Thessalonians Christians persistently. The Thessalonians Christians were honorable and faithful. They believed the truth of the gospel to be the word of God and not the word of men.

VV14-16, 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

The hostile unbelieving Thessalonians Jews persecuted the Thessalonians Jewish Christians who imitated Paul just as they did to Jewish Christians in Judea. They persecuted Paul, killed the Lord Jesus Christ and the prophets. They opposed Paul’s evangelism outreach to the Gentiles.

VV 17-20, 17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Paul longed to visit the Thessalonians Christians but satan hindered him. He rejoiced and hoped in the glory of the second coming of Christ.

Application:

You are to intercede for your co-workers, Christian friends, and associate daily, persistently mentioning them by name and upholding their ministry and needs in prayer before God.

You are to invest your lives in other Christians through teaching, preaching, mentoring, and discipleship.

You are to serve the Lord with integrity, honestly, and humbly out of a pure heart and a clear motive.

If you are mature in the faith, you should find a Timothy to mentor. If you are young in the faith, you should find a Paul to mentor you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that Your Word will not return to You empty but will cut into our hearts like a two-edged sword. We pray for wisdom to rightly divide the word of truth and apply them meaningfully, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 4

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for clear minds, undivided attention, undistracted concentration, wisdom, understanding, insight, conviction, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3: 1-13, encouragements

VV 1-3, 1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.

In the face of persecution, Paul, Silas, and Timothy were forced out of Thessalonica to Berea. From there Paul traveled alone to Athens and from there to Corinth. Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to establish, encourage, and minister God’s grace to them. At this time, Timothy was only a young man but Paul had entrusted the gospel to him.

VV 4-5, 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

Paul predicted that the hostile Jews who persecuted him and his co-workers when they were in Thessalonica would turn to the Thessalonians Christians and persecute them when he was away.

VV 6-8, 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

After ministering to the Thessalonians Christians for some time, Timothy returned to Paul in Corinth and gave him a good report about the Thessalonians Christians. Encouraged and comforted by their faith, Paul and wrote 1 Thessalonians from Corinth to teach, instruct, encourage, and disciple them.

VV 9-10, 9, For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Paul thanked God for their faithfulness. He rejoiced, interceded, and upheld the Thessalonians Christians. bringing their personal and ministry needs before God every day.

VV 11-13, 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

In doxology and benediction, Paul prayed that God will allow him to visit Thessalonica. He prayed for the Thessalonians Christians to love one another, to live holy, blameless, and faithful lives before God in anticipation of the second coming of Christ.

Application:

Paul encouraged his audience and us to be faithful and stand firm in the face of persecution. The same people who persecuted Paul and Jesus will persecute us. Tribulations and persecutions are part and parcel of the Christian life. There will be no escape. We are to intercede and uphold each other in prayer, remembering and bringing all our needs before God every day.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for strength to endure and overcome trials, tribulations, and persecutions. We pray for love, holiness, blamelessness, and faithfulness in anticipation of Your second coming, in Jesus’ name, Amen.