Overview of 1 Thessalonians

Overview of I Thessalonians

Chapter 1	Way to go, Thessalonians!
Chapter 2	I'm OK [Paul], You're OK [Thessalonian Church]
Chapter 3	Live Life with Godly Restraint
Chapter 4A	Timothy's Visit and Good Report
Chapters 4B-5A	Meet the Lord in the Air, Who Cares When?
Chapter 5B	Paul's Fortune Cookie Christian Thoughts

Principal Personalities

Paul

Silas (I'm especially intrigued by Silas. Who is he? How did he get involed with both Paul and Peter's mnistries? Why and how did Silas end up with Peter after Paul, not before? The book of Acts emphasizes their ministries in opposite this chronological order.)

Timothy

Geography

Achaia

Macedonia

Thessalonica: 200,000 residents, capital city of Rome's Macedonian province, excellent natural harbor, on an important trade route

Purpose

Paul had planted a church in Thessalonica that experienced amazing initial growth. After he left, Jews and Gentiles bad-mouthed Paul. Additionally, the Thessalonian Church was worried about believers who died before the Day of the Lord. Paul wrote in response to these points of confusion.

Themes

Live like the Lord may come today, even though he might wait until you're long "asleep" [dead]

Thessalonian Church, continue to be a model to believers everywhere!

Key Verse and Application

I Thessalonians 5:15 "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but try to be kind to one another and to everyone else" (NIV).

I take a "get even" approach to life. Jesus says to "turn the other cheek." I don't do this consistently. I justify my sinful responses by saying, "It's their fault. They provoked this response in me." I don't want to "pay back wrong for wrong." Often, the other person's "wrong" against me is only in my imagination anyway.

The next time I feel the urge to "pay back wrong" I'll pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene.

Key Term

eschatology--"[Wrong] attitudes have been encouraged by the separation of eschatology from the rest of Christian life and doctrine. If the 'last things' have been occurring since Jesus' time, they must be far more relevant to the main themes of Christian activity and thought" (p. 436, Holmann Bible Dictionary).