1 Thessalonians 2 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Thess 2:1-6

1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul first say about their visit to Thessalonica? v.1
2. What had happened to them previously? v.2a
3. Yet what did they do, despite what happening? v.2b
4. How did they not come? v.3
5. But how did they come? v.4
6. How did they not come? v.5,6a

B. Think:

1. What does Paul say negatively and positively about their motives?
2. What does he say about their methods?
3. Why do you think he’s saying these things?

C. Comment:

     Throughout this letter so far, Paul has been speaking about their experience with the church in Thessalonica. He spoke first about how the church has received the powerfully anointed word of God and had gone on so well in their faith. The focus has been on the church, yet there have been subtle inferences about their own ministry. It is as if he is building a platform from which to speak into the problems of this church. It is a platform that emphasises the good feelings they have about this church, together with a reiteration about their own God-given ministry, so that the church will more readily receive their words.

     In these verses now, he goes on from focusing on the church and now talks more about the apostolic team. They came with a positive outlook in respect of this church (v.1). They came having experienced persecution previously but were not put off (v.2). They came with pure motives, not anything underhand (v.3) but simply to please God (v.4). They didn’t use underhand methods (v.5) and were not looking for praise from the new church (v.6a). They came, in other words, openly, at the bidding of God, with God’s enabling and to please God. Why does he say all this? Because of the opposition that had been speaking against them. Destroy the credibility of the messenger and you destroy the message. It is important, therefore, to stand against this untruth.

D. Application:

1. Most of the time leave your reputation with God.
2. When the Gospel is questioned, you can defend yourself.

Passage: 1 Thess 2:6-12

6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

A. Find Out:

1. How did Paul say they had been with the church there? v.7
2. What two things had they shared with them? v.8b
3. Why had they done that? v.8a
4. What does he ask them to remember? v.9
5. What does he say they had been? v.10
6. What had they done? v.11,12

B. Think:

1. How had they sought not to be a burden to the church?
2. How does he describe their attitude towards the church there?
3. What is the main thing that he’s trying to convey?

C. Comment:

      Paul has gone from exalting the church for the way they responded to the Gospel, to focusing on the apostles’ ministry and how it had been true and seeking to please God, and now he focuses back on how they had dealt with the church at a personal level.

      To do this he uses two analogies. The first is of a mother caring for her little children, and the second is of a father supporting and challenging his children. There is a lovely two-sided caring being spoken about here. There is first the gentle, caring compassion of a mother’s heart, but that is balanced by the firm direction of a father (that’s the Biblical balance for a family!).

     When they came to this people, they came with hearts full of love for them and that love was expressed in practical ways. First it shared the Gospel with them. If we love people, we will want them to come to know the same Saviour we know. But more than that, in the bringing of their ministry they did not want to be a burden in any way to these new Christians and so the apostles had worked day and night for their own support. This came out of a real gentle and humble heart-concern for this new church and is a real example to us of servant hearted apostleship that gives and gives, for the sake of the new believers. What a lovely picture!

D. Application:

1. Are our hearts moved by the need of God’s love in others?
2. Do we seek not to be a burden on others?

Passage: 1 Thess 2:13-16

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: you suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

A. Find Out:

1. Why do the apostles thank God for them? v.13
2. Of whom did they become imitators? v.14a
3. What did they suffer from whom? v.14b
4. What had the Jews done? v.15a
5. What did God think of that? v.15b,16b
6. What had they tried to stop the apostles doing? v.16a

B. Think:

1. With whom do the apostles parallel this church?
2. How?
3. What does that say about the spread of the Gospel?

C. Comment:

      In their encouraging of this church as they look back, the apostles move back from talking about themselves and go back to talking about the way the church there had received the word of God.

      First of all they received the word that came to them through the apostles as the word of God. This wasn’t just a message from a group of men, it was the word from God to which they had to respond.

      Second, they received it in the midst of opposition. In Acts 17:5 we read of the opposition created by the Jews in the city, who were jealous of these Gentiles turning to God. They thought they had God to themselves and anyone else coming to God should come through Judaism, and become Jews themselves. Their opposition was violent and entirely unrighteous! But, say the apostles, this is just how it was back in Judea with the first churches. Back there the Jews killed Jesus, just as they had killed God’s prophets down through the ages. Is this anti-Jewish? No it’s anti-Sin. The Jews just happened to be the religious people in that location at that time.  All over the world “religious” people prefer a religion where they are in control and where they can do something to justify themselves and make others look bad. Meanwhile God was using the apostles to reach sinners world-wide. Salvation from God was a free gift for all but cannot be worked for, just received.

D. Application:

1. In our minds, do we shut out people God wants to reach?
2. Does our “religion” limit God?

Passage: 1 Thess 2:17-20

17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul, did, again and again – but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

A. Find Out:

1. What happened to the apostles? v.17a
2. What did that leave within them? v.17b
3. What did they want to do? v.17c,18a,b
4. Yet what happened? v.18c
5. What question do they then ask? v.19a
6. What was the answer? v.19b,20

B. Think:

1. Read Acts 17:5-10 How does that fit what these verses say?
2. How was Paul hindered from coming back?
3. Yet what future thing does he hold onto?

C. Comment:

     These are both interesting and challenging verses. First of all, note the feelings of the apostles for this church. What they had been through – an intense enabling by the Lord bringing joyful salvation (1:5,6) – it left them with such strong feelings of unity and concern, that they longed to get back to them as soon as possible. They had had to flee the city under persecution and had felt their time with the church had been ended prematurely – and they wanted to go back to them.

     Second, observe why they didn’t go back – because Satan had stopped them. Those 3 words at the end of verse 18 are an answer to many peoples’ question, “Why did this happen?” The answer sometimes is simply that Satan interfered. How did he do that in this situation? He worked on the jealousy and unbelief of the Jews of Thessalonica who pursued the team to Berea so that Paul had to be moved on yet again, and ended up in Athens (Acts 17:13-15). There is an important lesson here: it is that God allows Satan to play on the wrong attitudes of unbelievers (at least) to produce opposition and hostility. The end result here, at least, was that the Gospel went further and further!

     How did the team cope with this frustration? They look the long-term view, that they may be stopped here and now from seeing this church but they would see them in eternity.

D. Application:

1. Do we understand some of the spiritual dynamics of living today?
2. Do we hold the long-term view of eternity clearly before us?