- What was one of your most memorable failures in junior or senior high school?
- What rumors about Paul have been spread by his opposition (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6)? Does Paul sound reassuring to you? What concerns might linger?
- From 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, what does ethical evangelism look like? What would its opposite look like? What do the images of being a mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7) and father (1 Thessalonians 2:11) add to this picture? What do these images say about caring for your own children or for "young" believers?
- What difficulties were the Thessalonians facing (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)? How would Paul's example of perseverance in the face of persecution encourage them?
- List the characteristics of a faithful Christian worker given in this passage. Which do you possess? Which do you want to develop?
- Who has been a positive influence on you for godly living? How so? How can you be a positive influence on someone this week?
- What turns you off about the way some people present the Gospel? How are you attempting to avoid these mistakes, and yet maintain a strong witness?
- What opposition to your faith are you facing? What encourages you to persevere?
SECTION OUTLINE TWO (1 THESSALONIANS 2)
Paul talks about the trip he took to visit Thessalonica and about his desire to go again.
I. Paul’s Past Trip to Thessalonica (2:1–16): The apostle overviews two factors concerning his visit to Thessalonica.
A. How the gospel was relayed to the believers there (2:1–12): The preacher in the pulpit.
1. Paul the persecuted (2:1–2): He speaks of his sufferings at Philippi just prior to coming to Thessalonica.
2. Paul the pattern (2:3–6, 9–10): The apostle served as a positive role model to the church.
a. Concerning his words (2:3–6, 10): Paul’s preaching was bold, truthful, straightforward, and sincere.
b. Concerning his works (2:9): Paul labored long, weary hours so that he would not be a burden to the church.
3. Paul the parent (2:7–8, 11–12)
a. He fed and cared for them as would a loving mother (2:7–8).
b. He encouraged and comforted them as would a loving father (2:11–12).
B. How the gospel was received by the believers there (2:13–16): The people in the pews.
1. The enthusiasm (2:13): They accepted Paul’s words as being from God.
2. The enemies (2:14–16): They persevered through suffering and persecution.
II. Paul’s Planned Trip to Thessalonica (2:17–20)
A. Why the apostle is anxious to revisit them (2:17, 19–20)
1. They are his reward and crown (2:17, 19b).
2. They are his pride and joy (2:19a, 20).
B. Why the apostle has been unable to revisit them (2:18): He has been hindered by Satan.
Learning from the least qualified
Everyone thought they would fail.
Within weeks of Paul and his team arriving in Thessalonica with the good news of Jesus, those who had come to faith were left without leaders, facing persecution and under intense pressure to recant their faith.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy had been forced to leave. Those opposed to this new Christian faith had persuaded some local troublemakers to stir up the assembled crowd with lies about the team. They had no choice but to go.
Paul was desperate to return. “When we were torn away from you for a short time… out of our intense longing, we made every effort to see you” (1 Thessalonians 2:17). However, for reasons unclear, they weren’t able to get back until Timothy finally made the journey on his own.
In an era without mobile phones or internet connections, the wait for news must have been excruciating. Had the church survived the persecution? Were they still meeting? With the longest-standing church members barely a few weeks old in the faith on the day Paul and the team left, did they have any leaders? Who was taking care of these baby Christians?
Eventually, Timothy returned with the welcome news that the church had indeed survived and their faith was still strong. The young Christians were standing firm despite the challenges around them, but that wasn’t all. To Paul’s joy and amazement, not only were the Thessalonian believers still meeting as a church, but they were reaching out to their local community, to the wider area, and even beyond. In fact, their passion for evangelism was the talk of the town for miles around.
What was their secret?
In the same first letter to the Thessalonians, we get some insights: The baby Christians knew they were chosen by God; the gospel had made a deep impact in their lives, and they had experienced God’s supernatural power. None of them had been mentored with leadership skills, none of them could boast any kind of spiritual heritage, but despite their lack of knowledge and training, God used them.
If we were to look for examples of spiritual maturity in the pages of the New Testament, we might point to well-known characters like Paul, Peter, or those trained under them; those who have been faithful in serving God over many years, in which case you can forget the Thessalonians. They don’t qualify.
And yet Paul tells us they had become a model church to all others within hundreds of miles.
Now, I don’t want to minimise the importance of education, training, and the maturity that comes with years of serving God, but maybe we can learn from young Christians too, especially those who have experienced God’s love and power and the deep impact of the Gospel. I, for one, would like some of the joy and zeal of these baby Christians to rub off on me.
The best is yet to come. God bless - Terry
