May God Keep You Blameless and Holy
Comments for Study 2
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I. We Wanted to Come From You (2:17-3:5)
>1. How was Paul, Silas, and Timothy torn away from Thessalonica? (17; Acts 17:5-10)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:17 "But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you."
* Acts 17:5-10 "But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue."
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>Why might Paul want to return to them?
* 1 Thessalonians 2:18 "For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us."
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>How harsh was Satan's efforts and why did God allow this? (3:1)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:1 "So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens."
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>What does Paul mean when he says that they are his glory and what can we learn? (19-20; Mark 8:38)
* 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 "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? Indeed, you are our glory and joy."
* Mark 8:38 "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
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>2. What are all true believers destine for in this life? (2-4)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4 "We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know."
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>Since Paul was prevented from going to them, what did he do instead?
* "We sent Timothy"
* "to strengthen and encourage you in your faith"
* "so that no one would be unsettled by these trials"
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>What was Paul afraid of?
* 1 Thessalonians 3:5 "For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless."
* Paul first came to Thessalonia and preached for 3 weeks in the synagogue before he had to leave the city on account of persecution from some of the Jews according to Acts 17. Other Jews believed as did some God-fearing Greeks and prominent women.
An internal struggle ensured in the synagogue. Those who had come to believed Jesus was the Messiah were persecuted. Eventually they were thrown out of the synagogue.
Ever since leaving Thessalonia Paul wanted to go back. He didn't. He said Satan prevented him from doing so. Instead, he sent Timothy who reported that they still believed. Paul was glad.
Paul was afraid for them. He thought that the tempter would tempt them and that they would fall away. I believe Paul knew that they could suffer the same as the congregations in Galatia. The letter of Galatians, written shortly before this one, tells how Jews were telling new followers of Jesus that to be saved the Gentiles also needed to be circumcised and all needed to obey the Old Testament laws. Many did so there and Paul rebuked them in that letter.
However, the Thessalonian Christians did not fall for that legalistic trap. Instead, they loved each other and lived by the Spirit in spite of opposite, trials, hardship, and persecution.
Wow. I am happy to see the struggles of Paul and early followers of Jesus. Paul wanted to do things, but was prevented. The new converts lives got worse from a human point of view, not better when they lived by faith. They were persecuted. Yet, they loved others and remained true to the good news of Jesus.
So I am encouraged. My life has experienced good times and bad. Lately a series of things happened that I did not want to happen. Satan prevents things from happening. Same with Paul and the Thessalonians.
I am not rich. I live check by check and now there are no checks. Same with Paul and the Thessalonians.
I have been moving here there and often on the move. Same with Paul.
People give me conflicting advice. Some are kind to me. Others are not. None of this is unique to me. The same happened to Paul and the Thessalonians.
Last night I watch the Kirk Cameron documentary "Monumental" again. The Pilgrims also experienced the same in their lives. Yet, they always believed in God and lived by faith.
What mattered to Paul and Jesus is that God strengthens my heart so that I will be blameless and holy in the presence of my God and Father when my Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. The life I live is trying to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and love others as Jesus loves me.
>What does this mean to us? (Mark 4:16-19)
* Mark 4:16-19 "Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."
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II. Your Faith and Love (3:6-10)
>3. What two things was evidence that the Thessalonians remained in Jesus? (6)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:6 "But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you."
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>How did they remember the people who told them about the gospel?
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>How did the good news about the Thessalonians' faith and love affect the gospel workers? (7)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:7 "Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith."
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>4. What does verse 8 mean and show about faith in Jesus?
* 1 Thessalonians 3:8 "For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord."
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>What does the fact that messengers thanked God show who they gave all the credit to? (9)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:9 "How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?"
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>How should gospel messengers follow up on their initial preaching? (10)
* 1 Thessalonians 3:10 "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith."
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>What might be lacking in their faith?
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III. May God Keep You Blameless and Holy (3:11-13)
>5. Considering the titles of God and Jesus in verse 11, what can we learn about them?
* 1 Thessalonians 3:11 "Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you."
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>Who did Paul acknowledge controlled his life and actions?
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>Why did God do it in the way he did?
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>What can we learn about our own lives?
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>6. What did Paul pray for in verse 12?
* 1 Thessalonians 3:12 "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you."
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>Considering the make up of the congregation in Thessalonica, why might mutual love be difficult? (Acts 17:1-4)
* Acts 17:1-4 "When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women."
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>Considering what many in their city did to them, why might love "for everyone else" be difficult?
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>How can you apply this kind of love in your life?
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>7. What was his prayer topic in verse 13?
* 1 Thessalonians 3:13 "May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."
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>What does it mean "strengthen your hearts"?
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>Why pray for this?
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>8. When will we stand in the presence of our God?
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>How are me made blameless and holy?
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>Considering the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, why is the absolutely needed?
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>9. Who are Jesus' holy ones?
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