1 Thessalonians 3
I’ve been asked to lead my bible study through this passage and I’ve recorded my notes for the discussion here.
— A Socratic Dialogue on First Thessalonians 3 —
Where, When
Set & Setting: Written 50AD to the church at Thessalonica, during Paul’s first missionary journey. It was likely written during his long stay in Corinth.
Characters: Paul, Silas, Timothy, the Thessalonican Church
Written while settled in Corinth for 18mo, even after visiting Athens and speaking at the Areopagus to the Greek philosophers of the day. But his mind was still occupied by the thought of the Thessalonican Church and their spiritual well-being in the face of trials and temptations.
Acts 17: The Thessalonican Christians were mostly Greeks. Though some Jews recognized the Messiah Paul talked about it was primarily Greeks and “a few leading women” who took to Paul’s message.
Paul and Silas were driven out of Thessalonica and forced to leave under cover of darkness, as the religious leaders from the synagogue whipped up a mob and blamed it on Paul and Silas.
Digging into Paul’s ψυχή
Who
- What was Paul’s disposition at the beginning of the chapter?
- He is in a state of concern, longing to be with the Thessalonican Church. So much so that he sent Timothy back to them and left himself and Silas alone. (v1–4)
- His concern centered on a fear that they would lose faith in the promise of Christ. (v5)
2. How did it change through news from Timothy?
- He was comforted by news of the faithfulness and love being shown by the Thessalonican Church.
- Paul forgets his affliction, or is at least able to bear it, thanks to the news of their Faith. The good works of our brothers and sisters in Christ should be explicit cause for joy. (v7–9)
- He feels there is more work for him to do in Thessalonica (v10)
3. How did he express his joy in the benediction at the end of the chapter?
- He expresses great eagerness to travel to Thessalonica again.
4. What did Paul’s relationship to the Thessalonican church look like?
- He spent 3 Sabbath’s reasoning and preaching in the synagogue, he was well known, considered articulate and authoritative. Made friends of prominent people in the synagogue and in the city. He was personally close to them.
5. Who constituted the Thessalonican church?
Acts 17: Some Jews, many Greeks, and several prominent women believed Paul and followed. The Jews who disagreed with Paul raised a mob and drove them out of the city, they had to escape by night.
Take 15min to read, discuss, and raise questions
Why
- What was Paul excited about?
- Timothy’s report of the Faith and Love the Thessalonican Church showed.
2. What does this tell us are positive attributes of a healthy church?
- To celebrate with our fellow believers for spiritual prosperity or well-being
- Living in Love and in Faith
- Good faith, trusting fellow believers, acting “in Good Faith” toward one another
- Loving one another, foreseeing and meeting needs, lifting one another up in good times and bad times.
3. In what ways could we bring this level of excitement Paul is expressing to our relationships?
- Celebrating little victories, and being as eager to hear from my relationships and encourage/challenge/uplift them.
4. What causes us to experience this level of excitement?
- Personally, I get excited when one of my athletes learns or successfully executes a new skill.
Take 15 min to read, discuss, raise questions
Spiritual Prosperity according to Paul
Define Spiritual Prosperity:
“Living in Faith and in Love.” “Abounding in love for one another, and all people.”
Paul’s Exhortation (v11–13):
“May the Lord direct our way to you..”
“May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for on another..”
- Increase AND abound: what is alike and different about those two ideas
“So that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness, before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
- paraphrased: |To prove without a doubt (rhetorically ‘establish’) that which survives our mortal bodies (our core being) is without fault or failing in terms of that which God deems holy|
- This long term process of what we call sanctification was expected and Paul describes the result of a life sanctified.
- at the coming (future tense) of our Lord Jesus with all His saints (fellow redeemed).
The complete Exhortation
- 4:1 “..that you excel still more.”
How
- What attributes (attitudes, dispositions, stances toward our experiences of Nature and of Others) can we adopt as modern day Redeemed? (v6, v11–13)
- Attributes of the Thessalonican Church? (v6)
- Attributes of Paul’s? (v1–5)
