Dennis Tuuri

# 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians. It is the entire book, all five chapters. That is unusual for us. But beginning a study of this book, I think it’s important that we remember that it was indeed an epistle to a church. And you’ll notice as we get to the end of our reading of this particular book, there’s a command to have it read to all the church. And so, I thought it would be good to begin by reading the entire epistle.

As our scripture reading and then going over it briefly after our prayer. Children, if you’re listening along, one thing you might look for while the reading is being done are references to the second coming or to various comings of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that’ll help you to sort of pay attention to the words that are being read and kind of keep track.

So the first epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, Paul and Silvanus and Timothy unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that ye were examples to them that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith to God word is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.

For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turn 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, even Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come.

For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile.

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, even as the apostles of Christ.

But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted to you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you are dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Ye are witnesses. And God also, how holy and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. And as you know, how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that you should walk worthy of God, whom hath called you unto his kingdom in glory.

For this cause also, thank God, without ceasing, because when you receive the word of God, which you heard of us, you 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.

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews, 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, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always. For the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. 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?

For ye are our glory and joy. Wherefore, when we could not longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these afflictions.

For yourselves know that we are appointed thereto for verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain.

But now when Timothy came unto us from you and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us as we also to see you. Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith. For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanks can we render to God again for you. For all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God night and day, praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.

Now God himself and our father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you. To the end you may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Furthermore, then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not of the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God.

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath given unto us his holy spirit.

But as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you. For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that you increase more and more, and that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others. But let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly for love in their works’ sake, and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but even follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

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Okay. Now we sort of began what could be a long study of the book of 1 Thessalonians. We sort of started last week by doing the last reference we read in one of the last references in chapter 5 to give thanks in everything last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. But now we’re going to step back and do an overview of the whole book. We’re going to be looking at this book in some detail.

So far I’ve got six sermons planned over the first three verses at that rate it’ll take several years, but it won’t go that slow for most of it. But it will go fairly slow. We want to look at it very carefully. Every word is inspired by God in this text and in the entire scriptures of course and deserve our careful attention.

But I wanted to start today by doing something a little bit different. I was reading an interview with Steven Schissell in the Council of Caledon this week and he said some very interesting things. I’ll just read a little bit of this article.

Steven Schissell was Jewish and converted to the faith and so is now a Christian and pastors a church. He is a Christian Reconstructionist and we’d love to have him out here sometime. Pray to that end. It would be good timing, etc. But in this interview, he was talking about many things. One of the things he was talking about was dispensationalism versus Reformed theology. And he said that dispensationalism likes to hack everything up in pieces and look at everything in pieces as opposed to looking to the whole of things.

And he was talking about this in reference to evangelization for the Jewish community that the scriptures encourage us to do and predict that at some point in God’s promise that will be very effectual to bringing in a large number of Jewish believers ushering in the fullness of the Gentiles. This is what the Reformers taught. Well, in any event, Schissell talks about this. He says that even from a Reformed perspective, everything is seen as in terms of the plan of God, the program of God, the development of God’s purpose in history.

Therefore, we have both the principle of uniformity and the principle of differentiation and we give heed to both. Whereas dispensationalism is so hung up on differentiation that it never knows what to do with the parts it comes up with. Dispensationalism takes all the parts and says it puts them into Christ’s hands, but Christ still holds them as dead parts according to that view and not living.

On that score, the Jewish community is way ahead of dispensationalists. Now, the Jews are still Christless, I know that, he says. And it’s better to be a misguided dispensationalist who’s going to heaven than to be a smart Jew who is not. But we’re talking about systems here. The Jewish system in community is one that is covenantally organized and understood and lived and felt.

So you walk through Borough Park and you know you’re in a Jewish community. There are Jewish stores, Jewish cookbook stores, Jewish food stores. There are Jewish places to buy objects for religious purposes. The women share common values and the men share common values. There’s safety on the streets. It’s a whole different world even though it’s within New York. There’s no such Christian representation in New York.

And the reason being that Christian thinking in America is dispensational. It’s every man for himself. It’s scattered. It’s chaotic. It’s here and there. The principle is individuation and division. There is no organic reference. There’s no principle in terms of which all things can be harmonized so that you can have a community of people who are covenantal.

And he says then that really dispensationalism cannot reach effectively the Jewish community. When dispensationalism does have a Jewish convert, it’s usually a Jewish convert who wasn’t really all that Jewish to begin with. Because if he was Jewish to begin with in terms of his culture, he’d look for a covenantal community aspect of Christianity which dispensationalism doesn’t give them.

Now what’s it got to do with First Thessalonians? Well, the whole point is that while it’s important that we do study each little part of the book, it’s also important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that this is an epistle. It’s part of one of the forms of books in the scriptures are epistles, letters to churches meant to be read to the churches in worship services.

We thought about and studied through certainly but certainly also to be seen as a whole as a complete letter. And so we don’t want to miss the whole the covenantal whole the book of First Thessalonians by just looking at the pieces. We want to get an overview of the whole first so that’s why I wanted to do this overview and I know it looks like a lot of material and I guess it is. We’re going to try to summarize it real quickly.

There’s different ways that people have summarized this book and I’ll give you a couple of them. Harold Pickett in his commentary said that essentially you have three things going on here on the part of Paul and the Thessalonians. He commends them for various things. He answers some questions that they wrote regarding certain things they were concerned about. And then finally, he admonishes them to keep moving on in progress in the faith.

Essentially, he thinks kind of the summation is that they were doing well, but to keep it up. And so the title of Pickett’s commentary on First Thessalonians is “Keep On Keeping On.” You probably noticed that as I read through. They’re doing good in various things and he wants them to go from glory to glory as it were.

Hendrickson in his commentary uses the structuring device of Paul’s primary activities. What are Paul’s primary activities? He says, well, Paul reminds them and gives thanks for them. Paul informs them about various things. Paul rejoices over the Thessalonians. Paul instructs the Thessalonians and exhorts the Thessalonians. And that’s another way to order the book and our thinking is to look at Paul’s various activities as relative to this particular local church.

Another structuring device that we have in the providence of God are the chapter divisions. Now, these things aren’t infallible and they’re not supposed to, you know, they weren’t in the original text, of course, they were added later, but it is a structuring device that the church has used over the years. And we could sum up each of these chapters. For instance, chapter 1 can be seen as the salutation and Paul’s thanks for the church at Thessalonica.

Chapter 2 is essentially characterized as Paul talking about the manner that he was with them before. He gives more thanks for them in chapter 2 and he talks about his desire to see them. Chapter 3 we have there Timothy’s report to Paul, Paul’s response to Timothy’s report and prayer for the Thessalonians. Chapter 4, we have commands to sanctification and comfort over the departed who are in the Lord. And in chapter 5 talks about the timing of Christ’s coming. And then there are more commands to sanctification and a closing comment and benediction.

That’s one way to look at it as well. Another way is to look at the Lord’s comings as depicted in the book of First Thessalonians. Those children who were astute or those parents who are acting like children are looking for those second coming references probably notice that each chapter closes essentially with a reference to the coming of Christ. And so the structuring device of looking at the references which are repeated peppered throughout it to Christ coming is another way to look at the book and to structure it.

In that case, chapter one would take on a little different cast than what we just related. It would be Paul’s thanksgiving for the Thessalonians who would turn from idols and wrath and to God and confidently waiting for Christ’s coming. And that’s how it ends. They’re over there confident waiting for Christ’s coming. Chapter one.

Chapter two would be seen as Paul’s joy in the Thessalonians whom he will be with at the coming of Jesus. He says, “If you’re with us at the coming of Jesus, you’re my joy.” Chapter three, we have Paul’s desire to assist them in maturation. Why? That they be found blameless at the coming of Christ. What’s it found at the end of chapter 3? That they be found blameless at his coming.

Chapter four, the comforting knowledge that all believers, departed and living, will be reunited in Christ at his return. In chapter 5, Paul prays that they will indeed be preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord.

Now, these are just different ways to order the chapter and help us think through the whole of it, what Paul is doing in this epistle. Another structuring device that I’ve somewhat integrated into the outline that I’ve chosen as the one that I’ll be using today and then into the coming months. Another structuring device is this blamelessness at the coming of the Lord.

You’ll notice that I use that phrase twice at the end of chapter 3. Oh, in verse let’s see for 13 very last verse of chapter verse 13 rather of chapter 3 to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. And then at the end of chapter 5 or right toward the end of it verse 23 I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He essentially says that twice a little different emphases but essentially talks about them being kept blameless until the coming of the Lord. And that’s another way to look at those elements that God has given us in the text as a way to structure it. So what that would be is that the first three chapters essentially lead up to that blamelessness that Paul wants for them and then the second two chapters the second half of the book again being summarized up in his desire are seen and blameless at the coming of the Lord.

Now, I’ve kind of worked that in to the outline I’ve used, but we’ll go over that outline now that you I’ve provided for you. And what I’ve tried to do is look at the subject matter and how these things in my estimation fell out into natural divisions. I decided not to look at the chapter divisions as such and to look not really order them by the coming references of the second coming of Christ, but rather just how I saw the text flowing.

I read probably 15 different outlines of this book in the last week and they’re all different and nobody has it just like I’ve got it but not too many people have identical ones to each other either but I would offer this up to you and for your own consideration and as just essentially again a way to summarize the book for us and say what is Paul doing here okay so let’s begin to go through that.

You’ll notice that there I’ve got five parts and three of those five parts are fairly healthy chunks the first and the last are small chunks the first is the one verse only the salutation where Paul says who it is who’s writing who he’s writing to and then gives what becomes one of his traditional greetings grace and peace to you from the Lord Jesus Christ.

This was one of Paul’s earliest writings by the way we’ll talk more about that next week but this becomes a very common phrase for Paul grace and peace. and then of course the last section five closing comments and a benediction very short again four verses and the bulk of the of the epistle then is in these three sections.

And the way I’ve decided to break them up is that you’ve got Paul’s thanksgiving for the Thessalonian church is one major section. The events leading up to the sending of the epistle itself is another major section. So Paul first goes into a long extended thanksgiving over this church. Then he says why he wrote, why he’s writing now this particular epistle, the events that led up to the sending of this letter from him. And then finally commands and instructions to continual growth in chapters four and five.

And just in an overview again now before we get on to the actual details of the outline, you’ll notice that those middle three sections which are the bulk of the outline have kind of a common element in them in that each I’ve divided into three parts and the first and third parts are very similar almost identical to one another and the middle part is a bit of a disjuncture.

What do I mean? Well part two for instance on your outline his thanksgiving for the Thessalonian church in verses 2-10, it’s specifically thanks for the evidence of their election by God. And that’s evidenced in several ways as we’ll see in a couple of minutes. And then at the end of that section, verses 13-16 of chapter 2 point C, he gives them thanks for their acknowledgement of God’s word.

But in the middle, he talks about his manner with the Thessalonians. And that’s in the middle of this section of dealing with his thanksgiving for the Thessalonian church and their growth in God and their acceptance of his word. And that it has a place, and we’ll look at that in a couple of minutes. And it’s why that’s stuck in there, but it has it’s kind of a you know a thanksgiving brief departure and back to the theme of thanksgiving all within one section.

And then the second section is pretty much the same way. He talks first in verses 2:17-20 of his desire to see them and to know their state. And then he talks about how he sent Timothy because he couldn’t get to them. Satan had hindered them. And Timothy gives a good report back to Paul. And then he returns to that his desire to see them in the last verse, verse 10 of chapter 3 of that section.

So the middle section, he wants to see them. Then he goes off to a short little departure from that central theme of wanting to see them to talk about how Timothy had brought back a good report to him and how he was joyous about that and some other things about that. And then goes back to the fact that he still wants to see them, wants to be led by God to them.

And then the final sector, the final major section, section four, commands and instructions. Here it’s very pointed this same pattern. He begins by giving specific commands that we’ve talked about before, beginning with sexual cleanness, don’t engage in fornication, know how to enjoy the married state in a proper holy way, various commands about brotherly love, etc.

And then he takes a little departure over to a discussion of the second coming. Now, the reason for that is that they apparently are concerned when Timothy had come back to him as we read earlier in the epistle that Timothy had brought back a report Paul then this epistle had been sent. Well, Timothy probably came back and said one of the things they’re worried about are those people who die in the Lord not being able to see them anymore.

So Paul in the middle of his instruction section here in the last two chapters, there’s a little jag out where he talks about the second coming. That’s quite a lengthy section. Essentially that’s given to comfort the Thessalonians and that showing us that comfort is an integral part of instruction and admonition and exhortation of faithfulness. You deal with people’s sorrow as well. And he dealt with that in this little excursus and then it comes back to the how the chapter how chapter 5 ends which is a series of commands that we looked at last week one of them to give thanks in everything and so each of these three major sections of the book you’ve got the salutation at the beginning the closing remarks and benediction at the end you got three chunks in the middle you got thanksgiving chunk you got why the epistle was written chunk and then you’ve got the instruction and admonitions chunk and each one of those has a bit of a discursus in the middle of it and kind of closes itself off as a nice section at the end of it.

And so that’s why I think that it’s a good way to order the book and our own thoughts about it. I think that this is in the text. I’m not imposing it. And so it’s a good way to look at all this.

Okay. So that’s kind of an overview of the outline and I’ll go through now some more specifics. Although we don’t obviously have much time and we’ll be going over the specifics of much of this in the weeks to come.

**Salutation.** I’ve already said a few things about that.

**Paul’s thanksgiving.** And this is there’s some point things that should be pointed out here. You might just want to follow along in both your text and the outline which is what I’ll be doing essentially this first major section where Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonian church that begins in verse two right after the salutation what does he say immediately to get into the subject matter of the book he says we give thanks to God always for you all and then he tells us why he gives thanks and he remembers their work of faith labor of love patience of hope faith love and hope three things together in scripture frequently.

But these things really are an indicator of something else which he tells us of in verse four. Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. So he gives thanks to the Thessalonians. Why? Because through the evidence of faith, hope, and love, they show their election by God. So he gives thanks to them for their election as manifested in the demonstration of that in faith, hope, and love. Okay. And he goes on to talk about another evidence of their election and that is the manner in which the gospel came unto them in verse 5.

He then starts a section about going into how the gospel came to them. He says the gospel didn’t come to you in word only but also empowered in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. Okay. So the gospel came to them as it when it was preached to them was accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that’s another evidence to Paul of their election. And that’s another thing really he’s giving thanks to God for their election is evidenced not just by their fruit but also by the manner in which the gospel made an appearance a coming a coming to the Thessalonians as well.

Now he then talks about the fact that this coming to them was manifested in the men. He says that this coming is reflected and we’re talking now in verse 5 as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. Then he goes on to say that you became like us. Okay, he’s giving thanks to them for election. And part of that evidence of election is the way that Paul himself was used of God to bring the gospel to the Thessalonians.

And this becomes a major part of this book in a couple of in a couple of verses down here. he then says that in verse 7 of the first chapter again now that they were examples to all that believe. And so another evidence of their election is the fact that they then turned around and preached the word in word and in deed. So they an example to other Christians as well in the whole region and this is also an evidence.

Now in verse 9 this sort of these this first section is sort of summed up. He says for they themselves show of us this is the people of the surrounding region but by demonstration by them watching the Thessalonians and reporting about it. They said they show these same two evidences what manner of entering in we had unto you and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. And so in this first section he’s giving thanks for their election.

That election is manifested by two things. Those two things are brought together in verse 9. The manner of entering in that the apostle Paul and his contingent, his missionary group had to the Thessalonians accompanied by the spirit of God, accompanied by power. And then secondly, their own fruit, how they turned to God and to wait for his son from heaven. So that kind of uh summarizes the first section of the outline really Paul’s thanksgiving for the evidence of election in the Thessalonian church and then he goes to talk more about okay so is the evidences of the election are the fruit in their lives but it’s also the manner in which the gospel accompanied the preaching the gospel was accompanied by the Holy Spirit and that manner is then talked about and this is that excursive part I said of this first major chunk he’s giving thanks for their election as evidenced by these things and then he talks about one of those two things the manner in which they receive the gospel the manner of the gospels preached to them in an extended portion there talking about the own way in which he behaved with Thessalonians.

Very important. This goes on for 12 verses. He talks about the way in which he brought the gospel to them. And he calls this to their remembrance. He calls this to their remembrance. The section ties back then to this evidence of God’s election, the manner that the gospel was preached to them by Paul. And he then goes through and tells them in essence here what that manner was in his preaching to them.

He tells them in the face of great persecution they were sent an apostle who was bold to preach the word of God in spite of the persecution they suffered and we’ll see next week when we talk about the historical setting that Paul had come there being driven out of one town was driven out of that town and was driven out of the next town he was in great persecution but he was bold to preach the word of God and he tells them that he had a pure motives in his preaching the gospel to them he had a god-pleasing heart in mind and that’s part of the manner in which God and his sovereignty had brought a missionary to them who wasn’t a coward and also wasn’t a man-pleaser and he was not impure in his motives toward the toward the Thessalonians.

Instead, the pure motives ushered forth in godly actions and speech. He says, “We didn’t come to you with deceptive speech and with bad actions. Instead, we came to you with great affection.” And this is worth looking at for a minute here. Verse 7 of chapter 2. Verse 7, he says uh verse 6, he says, “We didn’t seek glory of you” that means money. In other words, they he worked with his hands. He had the right as an apostle to get paid from his work ministering to the Thessalonians, but he didn’t do that.

He forsook self benefit here for the sake of making sure that they had no stumbling block that would be put in front of them. But then he goes on to speak of the gentleness as part of the manner in which the gospel is preached to them. We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately desirous of you. We were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only but also our own souls because you were dear unto us.

Gentle as a nurse, affectionately desirous of them. Dear the Thessalonians were dear to Paul. Part of the way that God in his providence demonstrated the election of the Thessalonians by sending them a missionary who not simply was self-sacrificing and impure motives toward bringing glory to God, but also had a great love for these people. These sectional letter almost reminds me of a love letter almost. You might send this to, you know, your wife or something about the way you feel about her.

And Paul had these great affections and tenderness toward the Thessalonians, a demonstration that God’s hand was at work when he preached that gospel to them and an evidence of their election. Okay. So, Paul’s great motherly affections is how he’s put it on the outline there. He talks about a nurse with her own children. Motherly affections and great self-sacrificing labor of love. He talks about how he worked night and day preaching the gospel and then working also a full-time job as it were making cloth or tents and as a result he worked night and day self-sacrificing for these men and so the gospel came to him in that way.

So that excurses points out it ties back because it is one of the evidences of God’s election of the Thessalonians and then he goes back to the theme of faithfulness and by the way in verse 10 notice there that Paul is talking about he sums up here how he came to them he said You are witnesses and God also. How holy, justly, unblameably behaved ourselves to you. How we exhorted, comforted, and charged you as a father does his children.

He was gentle as a mother, but he was commanding as a father to these people as well because of his great love for them and his love for the God who had called him to do this. And he reminds him that there’s a double witness at play here. They were witnesses to this truth of his manner with them and God was witness as well. And so he binds them of all those things. And then he comes back uh to his thanksgiving for their acknowledgement of God’s word.

In verse 13, for this cause also we thank God without ceasing. What are the other causes? Well, it was their election, their fruit, the manner in which the gospel was preached. But for this cause also, he said, we thank God without ceasing. That when you heard the word of God, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe.

They accepted it as God’s word. and they acted on it as the basis for their lives, the standard for all that they did. And so Paul thanks returns to the theme at the end of this section of thanksgiving to God. And the thanksgiving essentially sums up what’s been said before their election that being demonstrated by the reception of the Bible as God’s inspired word and their obedience to it to bow the knee to the command word of the King of Kings.

And they did this in spite of fierce opposition. He said that when you do these kind of things, you accept it when you act in the on the basis that it is God command word to you. You face persecution. And he goes through a long extended list which we’ll talk about in some detail later in verses 14 and 15 about the Jewish persecutors of the church in Judea and how they killed Jesus and killed the prophets and persecuted Paul and did all these things.

He goes on seven phrases there to show the fullness of the their rebellion against God and God’s judgment to them. And the Thessalonians were to be thanked because in spite of fierce persecution, they stayed with the faith and they accepted God’s word and obeyed it. So that’s The first major section great thanksgiving from Paul ushering forth to them and to the God who sent him and enabled him to be such a good missionary to them and then the fruitfulness of them receiving that word and acting on the basis of it.

**First major section** and then secondly the **second major section** Paul then talks about the events that led up to the sending of the epistle. He wanted to see them and again here we see this great love and affection that he had for the people that he witnessed to and served in the Lord. He says that we were taken from you in pray presence, not in heart. But we endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Strong terms used here. He wanted to see them. And why? Well, he wanted to know their state. He wanted to know what had happened to the church that he had planted there and had to leave because of persecutions and couldn’t get back to because Satan hindered him. You know, he thought, well, who knows what they’re doing now? Maybe they’re falling away. Maybe they’re having troubles. I wanted to well, he wants to see them and know them.

And this is what led up to him unable to go himself because of persecution. Apparently, he sends Timothy. Timothy brings report back and tells them that indeed they have hung in there. They are they are rejoicing in the faith and they are indeed persevering in the gospel. And so this bring great brings great joy to Paul and causes him immediately to send this letter by messenger to them having received this good report from Timothy.

Verse 5, he says he wanted to come to them that he might know their faith. other words know the state of their faith. Timothy tells them that indeed their faith is good. And he then goes back to the basic theme of wanting to see them again. And now he wants to see this he might assist in their growth in verse 10. And this is after receiving the report back and after Timothy told has told Paul of the great love that the Thessalonians had for him and the great love and obedience they had to the faith.

After these things, he then says again that in his prayers, he thanks God. But he also in his prayers desires to see their face that he might perfect what is lacking. So now his motivation has changed in wanting to see them. It’s no longer an investigation. Now it’s wanting to complete what they lack. Knowing that their state is good, he now wants to go to encourage them and build them up in their faith.

Provide what is lacking. And then this first half of the epistle then these two major sections I’ve talked about thanksgiving for the Thessalonians, Paul’s great desire to see them and give thanks rejoice with them but also then to build them up further in the faith. All these things are kind of wrapped off as it were by a prayer, a benediction and starting in verse 11 of chapter 3.

Now God himself and our father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you wants to see them. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. sums up the whole thing.

That they may increase and abound in their love toward one another and toward all men. In other words, they’re doing good. Like Pickett said, keep on keeping on is what Paul is saying here. To that end, he wants to see them. Well, he won’t see them, but his epistle will. His epistle will bring Paul’s encouragement and instructions to do just that. And that’s what the epistle turns to now.

Then, having thanked God for them, shown his love for them, talked about the report he got from Timothy, wanting to see them and build them up in the faith. He then turns to doing that particular task until he can come face to face. He does it through his epistle starting in verse one of chapter 4.

And we have an introductory statement there. Furthermore, then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus Christ that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more. Paul puts speak to his prayer here. He just prayed that God would cause him to abound and to keep on keeping on. And then he begins to give him instructions that might occur.

He tells him, And as you’ve received, now we’re going to give you some more instructions that you may abound more and more. And he does this by mean of commandment. And so there’s a shift here from all the mostly talk about how he loves them, desires to see them, joys in them, thanks them. Now he begins to give them a series of commandments from God. He says in verse two, you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, even your sanctification.

And then he tells them, I think, and we’ll get to this in some detail later, of course, but I think There are four specific areas here in these first set of commandments. The first had to do with sexual purity that you abstain from fornication. Second half of verse three through verse 5. And secondly, you don’t defraud your brother in any manner in verse 6. I don’t think that’s a sexual reference. I think that has to do with relationships to brothers and in all business dealings and such.

And he warns them there about the great wrath of God upon men who won’t keep these commandments. He says, “Well, man won’t keep God’s commandments. He’s despising God, not man. The third area is brotherly love. And he says again there that they’ve done real well, but he wants them to abound more and more in brotherly love. And in the fourth area has to do with vocational calling. Study to be quiet, do your own business, work with your own hands, that you may walk honestly toward them that are without.

So Paul now begins to supply that which they lacked and to move them from glory to glory, obedience to obedience. And he does it first the series of four very specific commands to very essential aspects of the life. The marriage relationship, the relationship to brothers and the relationship to our vocation. These are extremely important areas for us to be built up in and continue to grow in.

And then he turns and as I said in this section, this is the little discurses off commands discurses back to commands. Now he goes off to talk about the coming of the Lord. And as I said, this is in relationship to a concern they had about ones that were apparently dead in the Lord, but they were suffering over. And so he says in Verse 13.

I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not, even as others do that have no hope. Joy and growth in grace can be threatened by undue sorrow. And so Paul then wants to make sure that undue sorrow doesn’t enter into their lives. And he goes off into this discurs about the second coming of the Lord. And more than that, about how all those that die in the Lord will be reunited with their loved ones in the Lord.

He says that you’re not supposed to sorrow. In verse 13, verse 14, he says God will bring them with him. In verse 15, he says God he says that we shall not prevent them which are asleep. What that means is we will precede them which are asleep but we met together. In verse 16 he says that the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Verse 17 they then we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. The ones that you’re sorrowing over he says you will be caught up together with them in the clouds when Christ returns. and then so shall we ever be with the Lord. Not only will there be a reuniting together when Christ returns. But that reuniting will be perpetual and unending and eternal.

And so don’t sorrow over these people. You’re separated from them for a short time as Paul had been separated from the Thessalonians. But he was to be seen themselves as present spiritually with them and physically when they return with their new bodies with the Lord, they would be brought together and reunited. So Paul goes out of his way here to bring them great comfort. And he says, “Wherefore, in the basis of this teaching, this is the only real doctrinal section of the book.

He’s giving doctrine here about the second coming. But what’s the purpose of the doctrine?” Well, verse 18 says that wherefore in the basis of this doctrine comfort one another with these words comfort with these words. Then he goes on to talk about the timing of the second coming and I don’t want to get into a lot of that yet but suffice it to say that even this section here beginning at the first verse of chapter 5 down through verse 11 at the end of this section in chapter in verse 11 he says the same thing.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another as also ye do. He tells them to be watchful and to be sober, waiting for the coming of the Lord. don’t let it catch you as a thief in the night. But the end of all that doctrine too kind of plays off of the need to provide him comfort in terms of the dead ones in Christ who had died previous already. He plays off that comfort to talk about the second coming.

Reminds him that doctrine too should be one of great comfort to believers. And so that whole section the discurses is to make sure that the sorrow that they had doesn’t prevent them from abounding more and more and paying heed to the instruction and commandments that he gives them at the beginning and again at following. This excursus into a discussion and doctrine about the second coming.

Then he moves to more commands to sanctification in verses 12 and following. And of course we read through many of these last week and talked about the middle three there. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing everything. Give thanks. But again here we have a we go back then to specific commands and instructions. And these things also then are summed up this second half of the book if you want to look at that way by another doxology, another benediction rather, verse 23 of chapter 5.

The very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that called you who also will do it. And so we have the same repeating of that same benediction upon them at the second half.

Well, that should tell us something. That should tell us that if this is the prayer we have for people and for ourselves that these things that Paul has laid out for them. The thanksgiving, the joy, the sureness of their election before God that he goes into in the first half of the book is as important for their being established blameless as the set of commands and instructions and comforts that he gives the second half of the book.

Both of those things work together to the end that they be found blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the whole book is indeed a whole. It finds its message in that the establishment of this church. Keep on keeping on. To accomplish that, he gives thanksgivings. He gives them evidences of their election. He thanks God for all that. And then he gives them further instructions they might mature in the faith and continue to grow in holiness and sanctification.

And then of course the epistle ties off with a series of very short closing comments to pray for him and greet the brethren with the holy kiss. And then he charges them that the epistle be read to all the brethren and he concludes with the last benediction. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Okay, so that’s an overview of the book and I just wanted to point out just a couple of things here as we kind of draw some application of what the entire message of this epistle is. Note first Paul’s stress and I’ve already talked about this a little bit but Paul’s stress on love, thanksgiving and joy expressed for the Thessalonians.

This is very important. The general context of this epistle is not it is balanced. It provides in the context of commandments and instructions and exhortations that we find in the second half of the book. Great love being demonstrated for the group that he is giving instruction to in the first half of the book. Great joy being stressed, thanksgiving being stressed.