SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
1 Thessalonians 1:1 through 5:28

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

BACKGROUND

Paul wrote the Book of 1 Thessalonians while he was in Corinth in A.D. 50 or 51, a couple of years after he had established the church at Thessalonica. It is believed to be the first of the Pauline Epistles (with the possible exception of Galatians), and in fact was likely the first book of the New Testament to be written.

Paul established the church at Thessalonica during his second missionary journey in A.D. 49, following his night vision of the Macedonian man calling for him to come to them. He responded to the call, and traveled across the Aegean Sea to Neapolis, Philippi, and then to Thessalonica where he preached in the Jewish synagogue for several weeks. The church subsequently established there became the second major church on the European continent. While Paul’s base of operation was the synagogue (Acts 17:2), not only did some Jews accept the Gospel message, but numbers of Gentiles did also.

As the faith of the new believers in Thessalonica became known, this upset the Jewish leaders and they sought to arrest Paul and his co-worker, Silas. The two men fled under cover of darkness to Berea in the southwest, but the authorities arrested Jason, who had been host to Paul and Silas in Thessalonica. When these Jewish authorities heard Paul was preaching in Berea, they went to that city and attempted to incite riots against him. Paul escaped, and went on to Athens where he waited for his companions, Timothy and Silas.

Because Paul had left Thessalonica in such a hurry, he no doubt felt concerned that he had not been able to tell the new believers in that city all they needed to know. He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the young church was doing, and Timothy returned with a good report.

Paul also wrote to the new church a personal message: the Book of 1 Thessalonians. He started out by affirming and encouraging the believers in their faith, he exhorted them to live a holy life, and finally he instructed them about the second coming of the Lord.

QUESTIONS

1. What was the response of the Thessalonians to the Word of God preached by Paul and Silas? In what ways were those in the Thessalonian church a model for other believers?
   
2. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 we read that the Gospel came to the Thessalonians “in power, and in the Holy Ghost.” In other words, the Gospel had a powerful effect on their lives. List four specific effects that the Gospel has had on your life since you were first saved..
   
3. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, Paul wrote that he had been “allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel.” What did he mean by this phrase?
   
4. In chapter 3, what three reasons did Paul give for sending Timothy back to Thessalonica? In what ways do ministers of the Gospel today accomplish the same purpose?
   
5. What did Paul mean in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 when he said, “This we say unto you by the word of the Lord”?
   
6. One significant doctrinal concern that Paul had become aware of, led to a major theological emphasis in 1 Thessalonians. The young church clearly believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. However, several of the church members had died since Paul had been there. Since Jesus had not returned for his church yet, the church members were wondering what was to become of those who had died. In chapters 4 and 5, Paul offers hope and comfort to the believers who were grieving the loss of their loved ones. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, what will be the sequence of events of the Lord’s return?
   
7. What do you think Paul meant in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 when he referred to the church as “children of light, and children of the day?” Considering the characteristics of light and darkness, why was this an appropriate analogy?
   
8. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul encouraged those in the Thessalonian church to comfort themselves together and edify one another. In the original Greek, the word edify means “to build up and promote spiritual growth by teaching or example.” Think back over your spiritual walk with God and note five specific ways other believers have comforted and edified you.
   
9. In Paul’s closing comments, he gave several exhortations to the believers of Thessalonica. Paraphrase the directives given in chapter 5, verses 15 through 22, and explain how they can be followed in our day.

CONCLUSION

How vital it is to be sure we are ready to meet our Lord in the air when He returns for those who are ready! Let us endeavor to encourage and build up each other in the faith so that none will be left behind when that great day occurs.