131. Beginner Bible Course: Paul's letters to the Thessalonians

EPISODE 131:  Simple Bible overview:  THE FIRST AND SECOND LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS

18 months. Paul was in Corinth. He picks up his pen and writes to early new Testament letters. Scholars, think the ink on the first one may have hardly dried before Paul inked. The second one, there are two letters to the church in Thessalonica. Paul had sent Timothy to Thessaloniki to check on these dear new believers who had been one to faith in Messiah Jesus on the three or four weeks there before Paul was essentially whisked out of town undercover. After the Galatians letter, you might be thinking, Oh boy, here we go. Again. The little zealous church planting missionary is going to really let them have it.

1

00:00:44

You couldn't be more wrong after reading Galatians first and second Thessalonians is going to give you whiplash. You'd think Barnabas wrote this thing. Paul could hardly be more encouraging or loving. Let me give you an example of what he says in these two letters to the Thessaloniki. Ans folks we give. Thanks for you constantly. You are beloved brothers. We applaud you as you are examples of what Christ followers should be. And that examples going all through Macedonia and even Acadia, what a wonderful breath of fresh air you are, how you received the gospel. After the way we were treated in Philippi, you accepted the gospel as God's word.

1

00:01:28

And now we hear you're standing firm and even suffering, obeying that gospel. We can't wait to see your faces again. We've tried several times, but Satan's blocked us folks. We are so proud of you. You are our glory and joy. Timothy has reported of your robust faith and your genuine love for us and for each other. Wow, well done. And your situation hasn't been easy. Timothy tells us you're persevering, even though persecuted that the heat you're getting is actually purifying. You, making you even more prepared for the return of Jesus. Paul could have said two thumbs way, way up.

1

00:02:11

I mean, encouragement from Paul is over half the content of these letters. Well, over half when Paul finally does get around to a few exercise stations, explanations of issues and encouragement to move forward with progress. He says it this way. When we were with you, we were gentle like a nursing mother and now receive these exhortations as if the precious children of your father. And here are those excitations. Keep your growing going progress in your sanctification. There's the first time that big word has been used in the letters. So let's explain it. Here's how I explain that word to my students.

1

00:02:51

I asked them if they've seen Charlie Brown, they all have. I asked them if they know the character pig pen that adorable, dirty little who walks around with clouds of dust flying off of him. Sanctification is God taking us precious little guys and slowly washing the dirt off of us. Paul will explain this more in his letters. It's the cleaning process on God's precious, dirty little kids, a lifelong cleaning process. Paul starts with their daily management of the gift of sexuality. He said, learn to control your body. Well in this area, he moves on to love for the brothers and sisters in the church.

1

00:03:32

This was critical to Jesus too, in the upper room. The night before his death, four or five times, he urges the disciples to love each other. Then Paul moves on to an issue that was unique to Thesla Nikah they were confused about the return of Jesus. Paul would preach the Jesus was returning to do the King thing. They were confused about the timing of all that. Paul uses these two letters to clear up some issues. Daniel had begun to frame the answer to that question. When will the Messiah do the King thing in Daniel's visions? We talked about that in episode 73, then Jesus gave his disciples a robust structure for what to expect when he's expected here.

1

00:04:18

Paul returns to the question about the return of Jesus to do the King thing. When Jesus returns, those who have believed in our dead will rise first, then they, and we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then we'll always be with the Lord. Paul says, is that not a great comfort? That word caught up has been grabbed by theologians writers and movie makers. Over the 60 years of my life, Jesus made a comment that at the time of his return, two men would be out in the field. One would be taken in the another left. And two women would be grinding at a mill, one taken and the other left. He urged his disciples, be ready for my coming.

1

00:05:00

When that's combined with this statement in the first letter to the festival, Ionians being caught up it's bread and entire industry under the term rapture, the Latin word for this term caught up one of the interpretive principles. When the Bible speaks of prophetic future events is look at the forest, not the trees. God uses strong analogies to try and describe future. Sometimes very distant future events to the readers, to us Pygmies. It's fine to study this whole idea around a rapture of God's people, but I urge you look at the big picture, take your notes in pencil and make sure that pencil has a good eraser.

1

00:05:41

The forest surrounding the return of Jesus is be ready. Don't be shaken. Jesus' return will be unmistakable worldwide. And for those who aren't expecting him quite unexpected here in the letters to the Thessaloniki, Paul repeats Jesus' return will be like a thief in the night. That doesn't mean he'll come in the night just quickly and unexpectedly. Paul adds as Jesus did be sober and awake, be ready at all times, live each day so that if Jesus does return, he'll smile on your faith, your love for each other, and the hope you have in him. In the second letter, Paul explains a little bit more because apparently the Thessalonians had received a letter or teaching the Jesus had already returned.

1

00:06:32

Paul says in light of the teachings of Jesus, take a deep breath Thessalonians. You won't miss it. Then Paul reminds them of the words of Daniel and of Jesus before the day, the Lord returns, there's going to be this abomination that causes desolation. Paul calls him a man of lawlessness in episode one 10. We compared this to the bloody show when a woman is ready to give birth, but even here, Paul gives his Thessaloniki and readers great encouragement. God spirit is restraining evil now, and it will only be when the Holy spirit withdraws that that man of lawlessness or that abomination causing desolation will be able to briefly run a muck.

1

00:07:15

Then Paul writes, Jesus will take him out with a word of his mouth. He and his minions will be judged. Paul reminds that Thessalonian believers. God has chosen you from the beginning. You're called. It'll be okay. Stand firm, hold on and wait. Expectantly. Apparently some of the Fest, Aloni and believers were a little bit too expectant. You get the idea that they were up on the roof of their houses, looking toward the heavens, waiting for Jesus to return that day at several places in his letters. Paul writes that they ought to get busy. He tells them, keep an orderly life work hard till Jesus comes. We modeled this when we were among you, we expect Jesus' return.

1

00:07:59

But remember how hard we worked when we were there in Thesla, Nikah remember how we told you if an able-bodied person could work and wouldn't work. He shouldn't eat. Please make the most of each day. And for those who are idle, warn them. And if they don't listen, don't associate with them. Paul's going to say a similar thing in his letter to the Corinthians, but here to the Thessalonians, he immediately softens it and says, and even that brother admonish him. And if at all possible show him grace. Paul makes another statement in his letter to the <inaudible> that we should circle and dog ear Paul writes do not quench the Holy spirit of God.

1

00:08:39

Don't throw a wet blanket on the Holy Spirit's ability to work in us and in the world. Really Paul we pee on creatures can throw a wet blanket on God's work and that's not all Paul says about our relationship to the work of the Holy spirit in his letter to the Ephesians. We'll see says, do not grieve the Holy spirit. We can make the Holy spirit of God sad. We'll get more to the second one in the letter to FSS, and we'll get much more about this in his first letter to the Corinthians. Here's the word picture I give to my students in the old and new Testament, the best analogy for the Holy spirit is breath or wind.

1

00:09:22

I give my students two options. You can be in a little stuffy room with the windows sealed tight, or you can be in a room with the windows wide open, which would you prefer most? Choose the room with the windows wide open. They don't want to live in stale air, but then I asked, what's the problem with throwing open the windows. My students are sharp. They say flies and bugs, and even birds will come in. That's pretty astute that will happen. Flies and bugs and birds represent abuses. We'll look at that more too. In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. When you open up the windows to allow God's Holy spirit to work freely, you take the risk of things flying in abuses among individual believers or clumps of believers and churches.

1

00:10:11

Inevitably I'll have a student raise their hand, but Mr. Nelson, why can't you put a screen in the window? Then you have the best of both worlds. That's insightful. And that's precisely what Paul is going to teach in the first letter to Corinth. But here in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is saying, don't slam the window shut. Don't do anything to throw a wet blanket on the work of God's helper. The spirit Paul ends his brief letters saying we're praying our hearts out for you. Return the favor. Pray for us that the word of God, the gospel will spread. If you haven't taken something away yet from Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, maybe take these three short phrases from the first letter, chapter five, Paul writes rejoice, always pray without ceasing in everything.

1

00:11:00

Give thanks. I asked my students if the rest of your life, that was your daily goal, do you think that would change the trajectory of your life? If you believe God is good and powerful and has our best interest, always at heart. Those three expectations from Paul make a whole lot of sense. Do you feel encouraged? I'm guessing that was the response of these dear believers and festival Anika. When they read Paul's letters now back to acts 18, Paul's just finished his second missionary journey almost immediately. He packs his bags to go on journey. Number three, he's going to head back toward glacier and retrace his steps.

1

00:11:42

This third missionary journey will be the longest of all. And we'll follow him on his third missionary journey in our next wordpicture.