CHRIST AND HIS COMING: 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS

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1 THE L.I.F.E. PLAN CHRIST AND HIS COMING: 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS THEME 7 - THE GENTILE CHRISTIAN LETTERS LESSON 4 (100 of 216)

2 THEME 7: THE GENTILE CHRISTIAN LETTERS LESSON 4 (100 OF 216): CHRIST AND HIS COMING: 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS LESSON AIM: The prevailing theme of these two letters is the second coming of Christ. SCRIPTURE: (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. The Gentile-Christian letters of the New Testament are wonderful books within themselves. When we consider them as a group, their mastery stands out all the more. In this, we can see the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the arrangement of the divinely inspired Scriptures in the canon of the Holy Bible. The structure of the Bible wonderfully displays the work of God in keeping with the writings of the Scriptures themselves. The nine letters addressed to the Gentile churches are arranged in the canon in three groups. The first group has four letters, the next has three, and the last group contains two letters. The first group is evangelical in nature in that they present Christ and the work he did on the cross. The second group is ecclesiastical in nature as they present Christ and his church. The last group, the two letters to the Thessalonians, is eschatological in nature, looking toward the second coming of Christ in the future. Considering the letters in their groupings, we can say the first group looks back to the cross, the second group looks up to the Christ, and the last group looks ahead to his return. Let s briefly consider the two letters to the Thessalonians. We should remember this important point by way of introduction to these two letters. Remember that chronologically, 1 Thessalonians is among the earliest of Paul s New Testament letters. They were written during the suspense period of the book of Acts as the kingdom was again being offered to the Jews. The world was waiting, as it were, to see what the Jews would do with the renewed offer of the kingdom. If they had confessed Jesus as the Christ, he would have returned then and there to bring in his kingdom. So, in a sense, the return of Christ was in suspense, contingent on the decision of the Jews concerning Jesus. As we know, everywhere the gospel was preached, it was preached to the Jew first then also to the gentile. It was also mostly rejected by the Jews as well. As a nation, they did not embrace the Christ, the kingdom was suspended, and the return of Christ was indefinitely postponed. As we read 1 Thessalonians, we get the feel of the emphasis on the eminent return of Christ as they waited for the response of the Jews. We would also note that the more obvious it became that the Jews would not receive Christ, the talk of the return of Christ in the letters of Paul and others became less frequent. It did not completely fall off the radar, but it became less frequent. The Jews were blinded, the kingdom was suspended, the church age was ushered in, and the church now waits and looks for the still eminent return of Christ. Paul s ministry in Thessalonica was brief, chaotic in the sense that it was greatly opposed by the Jews, but was highly successful in terms of new believers and the planting of the church. The first letter to them is simple in structure. In the first part,

3 Paul encouraged them to look back, and in the second part, to look ahead. Looking back, Paul reminded them of how their relationship was established. He talked about them as new believers and how the message of the gospel brought new and eternal life to them, opening the door for their own impact in the world. Chapter one gives a wonderful five-fold process which takes us from salvation to service. It reveals the disciple-making process which must follow a believer s conversion if he is going to make his impact in the world. For this reason, I Thessalonians is a great study on the process of disciple-making. Paul also spoke of his evangelical team which had brought the gospel to them. He spoke of how they modeled before them the kind of lives they should live as a result of their embrace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul and his team worked with intention and clarity to present the good news of salvation in Christ and the difference it would make in their lives. They were careful to exhort and encourage plainly so as to leave no doubt in the minds of the new converts as to the life-long implications that comes along with belief in Christ. They did all of this also in the face of intense opposition and severe persecution in order to preach the gospel. Following this, Paul reminded the believers to recall the tender care that Paul and his team showed to them as new babes in Christ. With the tenderness of a nursing mother and the toughness of a protecting father, Paul and the evangelical team provided the care that a new Christian always needs in order to learn to grow, talk, walk and work for Christ. In the second part of Paul s first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul turned a corner to have them fix their gaze in a forward and future direction to the return of Christ. Someone had told these young believers that Christ had already returned and that they had been left behind. Paul corrected this error by explaining how the return of Christ would come about and that Christ would leave no true believer behind. In this truth, they could comfort themselves as they went about the work of the church and the waiting for Christ to come again. The second letter to the Thessalonians also addressed the second coming of Christ but with a different emphasis. The first letter deals with the believer. The second letter speaks much of the bearing the return of Christ will have on the unbeliever. In the first place, Christ is coming again. If the Jews had received him, he would have returned to set up the kingdom at that time. Since they categorically rejected him, he is still coming again, but he will have to do a terrible work in the world first to turn the heart of Israel toward him before he sets up the kingdom. For now, the church is looking for the return of Christ to take it out of the world before this work can be done. When Christ comes again, those who have refused to believe in Christ unto salvation will be further deceived. They will not have the opportunity to believe after Christ returns since they rejected him during the time of the ministry of the Holy Ghost through the church in the world. These unbelievers will ultimately be destroyed; not annihilated but destroyed. The Antichrist will come on the scene and will rule the world for a brief, devastating period of time. The restraining power of the Holy Spirit through the church will have been removed from the earth, making way for the reign of terror of the Antichrist over the whole world. While Paul taught the Thessalonians of the cruelties of the Antichrist, he told them not to worry about them because Christ has delivered them from this wrath to come. Until Christ returns to take the church out of the world before the time of Jacob s trouble, they were to wait for the Christ and to be busy going about the work of evangelizing the lost and making disciples of the believers until he comes. As we still look for the return of Christ today, we too must wait and work. He is coming again.

4 LESSON OUTLINE THEME 7: THE GENTILE CHRISTIAN LETTERS LESSON 4 (100 OF 216): CHRIST AND HIS COMING: 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS I I THESSALONIANS A. Looking back 1. The Thessalonian believers 2. Paul and his evangelical team 3. The parental care of disciple-making B. Looking forward 1. Christ is coming again 2. Walk in the light II II THESSALONIANS A. Christ is coming again 1. Deceit of unbelievers 2. Destruction of unbelievers B. The Antichrist 1. Restraint removed 2. Reign of terror C. Until he comes 1. Wait 2. Work SCRIPTURES TO BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. Historical background for the Thessalonian letters Acts 17: Read Paul s letters to the Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians LINES OF THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION 1. SOTERIOLOGY The process of salvation 2. DISCIPLE-MAKING Teaching Training Parental care

5 3. ESCHATOLOGY The return of Christ The Antichrist 4. PNEUMATOLOGY The restraint of the Holy Spirit 5. ECCLESIOLOGY The effect of the church in the world The mission and ministry of the church QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY 1. What key point should we remember as we study the letters to the Thessalonians? That they were written during the suspense period of the book of Acts 2. What is the theme of the letters to the Thessalonians? The second coming of Christ 3. When Christ returns, what will happen to unbelievers from the church age? They will be further deceived and destroyed 4. Who will briefly rule the world after the rapture of the church? The Antichrist 5. What is a believer to do until Christ comes again? Wait, Work 6. Besides the return of Christ for the church, what great benefit do we have in the letter of 1 Thessalonians? We learn of the disciple-making process 7. What picture did Paul give of his care for the disciples at Thessalonica? A nursing mother, a protecting father 8. What do the pictures in the previous question say to you about caring for a new believer? Student response

6 THEME 7: THE GENTILE CHRISTIAN LETTERS LESSON 4 (100 OF 216): CHRIST AND HIS COMING: 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE THOUGHT 1. What key point should we remember as we study the letters to the Thessalonians? 2. What is the theme of the letters to the Thessalonians? 3. When Christ returns, what will happen to unbelievers from the church age? 4. Who will briefly rule the world after the rapture of the church? 5. What is a believer to do until Christ comes again? 6. Besides the return of Christ for the church, what great benefit do we have in the letter of 1 Thessalonians? 7. What picture did Paul give of his care for the disciples at Thessalonica? 8. What do the pictures in the previous question say to you about caring for a new believer?

The letter clearly says that Paul the apostle is the author (1:1; 2:18).

8. 1 Thessalonians A. Authorship The letter clearly says that Paul the apostle is the author (1:1; 2:18). B. Recipients 1) The Thessalonian church was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey (see