1 THESSALONIANS LESSON 3


     We will begin this lesson in I Thessalonians 2:10 "Ye [are]
witnesses, and God [also], how holily and justly and unblameably we
behaved ourselves among you that believe:"

     Paul is saying in this that he and those who travelled with him,
were a living example of what they preached. He is also telling them
that they were eye witnesses of this. He is saying, as God is my
witness, we behaved properly to you. Paul, and those ministering with
him, were a testimony of the goodness of God. They were, in fact, a
walking sermon. I had rather see a sermon, than hear one any day. Paul
was a representative of God to these people.

     I Thessalonians 2:11 "As ye know how we exhorted and comforted
and charged every one of you, as a father [doth] his children,"

     The three key words in this are exhorted, comforted, and charged.
These three show the progress of a Christian. Exhort in the verse
above is a calling into the brotherhood of Christianity by the
preaching of Paul. They were then comforted and empowered to minister
by the Holy Spirit {Comforter} and the next step would be charged
{given the great commission to go into all the world and preach the
gospel}. These are the steps that Paul had brought them through as a
loving parent would do. The parent prepares the child and then the
child goes out to continue this in his children. In this case it is
speaking of spiritual children.

     I Thessalonians 2:12 "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath
called you unto his kingdom and glory."

     This is one statement that is being overlooked today among
Christians. The preachers are not emphasizing enough that after you
receive your salvation {free gift} you must walk in that salvation. If
we are truly sons of God, we should behave as our Father would have us
to. Pick up your cross daily, is what Jesus said, and then He said,
follow me. The only way that we can walk worthy of God is to step in
the footprints Jesus laid for us to walk in. God called you, you must
answer.

     I Thessalonians 2:13 "For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of
us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

     Paul is like a proud father who is bragging on his children. Paul
was proud that God had called them to His kingdom, but he was even
more proud that they realized that his message was not his own, but
was the message God had sent him with. The Word of God is the One we
call Jesus. It is also the Bible. For thousands of years men have
tried to prove that the Bible was just like any other book. They
cannot do it. The Bible stands alone in the fact that it is alive. It
is just as current today as it was two thousand years ago. It is our
instruction for living victorious lives. It was the instruction for
our great grandparents living victorious lives as well. It is ageless.
The Bible is inspired {God breathed}. When I look into the Bible, I
see the face of Jesus. All other books, besides the Bible, are of men.
The Bible is of God.

     I Thessalonians 2:14 "For ye, brethren, became followers of the
churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have
suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they [have] of
the Jews:"

     To proclaim you were a Christian brought great persecution. In
Judaea the persecution of the Christians came from the Jews. Here in
Thessalonica it came from all those who did not believe. The church at
Thessalonica was a Gentile church. We had mentioned earlier that their
persecution had not come from Judaizers in the church, but from the
unbelievers from without.

     I Thessalonians 2:15 "Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their
own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are
contrary to all men:"

     Paul is placing the blame for the crucifixion of Jesus on the
Jews. here. Look, in Jesus' own words, He says the Jews killed the
prophets. Matthew 23:31 "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves,
that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets." It was
the Jews who cried out for Jesus to be crucified. It was the Romans
who carried it out. Really, though, you and I nailed Him to the cross.
Paul speaks as one who knows. He had been a Jew. The Jew thought
himself to be better than all other people. It outraged them that
salvation was offered to the Gentile.

     I Thessalonians 2:16 "Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that
they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is
come upon them to the uttermost."

     The big problem with the Jews who had accepted Jesus as their
Saviour, was that they wanted to remain a Jew, as well as being a
Christian. They wanted all Gentiles who came to Christ to first
fulfill the custom of Jewesh circumcision. Paul, Peter, and James and
many of the other disciples had gotten together and agreed that this
was not part of being a Christian. God had turned to the Gentiles
because the Jews as a whole, had rejected Christ as their Messiah, the
Saviour of the world. When Paul speaks of we in the verse above, he is
speaking of him being a Pharisee. He had been taught from his youth
that Gentiles were unclean. Jesus opened his eyes and let him see the
truth. To reject the Son of God is a serious thing. Ephesians 5:6 "Let
no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

     I Thessalonians 2:17 "But we, brethren, being taken from you for
a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more
abundantly to see your face with great desire."

     We remember that Paul was in Corinth when he wrote this letter to
the Thessalonians. He loved these people and desired to be with him.
They were his friends, but Paul thought of them as his children in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He was their founding father , and he thought of
them as his spiritual children.

     I Thessalonians 2:18 "Wherefore we would have come unto you, even
I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."

     Paul wanted to come back to minister to them and to visit with
them. It would have been like going home, because they had so eagerly
accepted Paul and his teaching here. Satan is the author of all lies
and the source of all hindrance to the gospel. Paul's own personal
desire was to go to see them, but sometimes our desire is not the
desire of the Lord. Satan could not have prevented Paul from going
back there any time he wanted to unless God gave Satan permission to
do this. Unknowing to Satan, he sometimes plays right into the hands
of God. God uses for good what Satan intended for evil. God perhaps
had plans for Paul to go to another church at this time. If you are a
Christian, Satan has to get God's permission to attack you. Our
problems come to make us strong and to show us how badly we need God.

     I Thessalonians 2:19 "For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? [Are] not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
at his coming?"

     Paul's greatest reward would not be on this earth, but in heaven.
He would feel a special joy when those whom he ministered to are able
to stand before the Lord and be counted among the believers. Paul
would have many stars in his crown for all those he led to the Lord
down through the ages. Paul's hope, the same as ours was hope of the
resurrection. His joy would be very great because of all those he
would be responsible for making the resurrection.

     I Thessalonians 2:20 "For ye are our glory and joy."

     A spiritual parent is very much like a physical parent, in the
fact that they have more joy over their children doing well than they
do when they do well themselves. Paul could depend on these
Thessalonians staying firm in their belief until the end. They truly
would be his glory and his joy.













                     1 Thessalonians 3 Questions


1.  How had Paul behaved himself in front of these Thessalonians?
2.  What was Paul saying in this description of his behavior?
3.  Who was the witness that Paul had lived this way among them?
4.  What are the three key words in verse 11?
5.  What do they show?
6.  What is exhort speaking of in verse 11?
7.  Tell of the steps Paul had brought them through.
8.  What does "walk worthy of God" mean?
9.  Pick up your cross _________.
10. What did Paul thank God for without ceasing about these
    Thessalonians?
11. What is the Word?
12. What sets the Bible aside from other writings?
13. What does inspired mean?
14. Who had the Christians in Judaea suffered by?
15. Who is verse 15 speaking of that killed the Lord Jesus?
16. Who were the Jews forbidden to speak to?
17. What was generally wrong with the Jews who had accepted Christ?
18. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6.
19. Why did Paul desire to see them again?
20. Who did Paul say had hindered him?
21. Who is the author of all lies?
22. Why do Christians have problems?
23. Quote 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 20.