![]() Teaching and mentoring them was certainly challenging at times. Paul certainly could have thought of weaknesses or problems and complained about them. How did you do in this area in the past week? Did you grow in thanksgiving? Or did you revert back to complaining? We ought always to give thanks to God for you – Just last week we learned that we should give thanks in everything. With Paul, it is a natural reflection of who he is rather than forced.ģ. Paul certainly practices what he preaches to speak in “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:19) Our relationship with God should seep out of everything we do and say. His greetings remind the recipients of his letters that though they are distant God is watching over them and will be with them. ![]() His greetings convey great warmth and concern for them. Greeting – Did you ever notice Paul’s greetings in his epistles? They are rich in spiritual truth. Since they were young in the faith he treated them with great compassion, nurturing their relationship to the Lord through encouragement rather than a heavy handed approach which could have proved disheartening.Īpplication: Do you show this type of love and compassion for your disciples? Do you only fulfill your duty/obligation or do you go above and beyond what is expected of you to help others? How can you practice this type of love and care for others in your own life?Ģ. In addition to focused prayer for them, he felt the need to write them multiple times (and later send Timothy back) to encourage them. He wanted to make sure they were not like the plant which grows up from the seed on the rocky soil, which would wither and fade away after facing persecution. They were doing well, but they were still young in the faith. He and his companions were forced to leave before he was ready and he was truly concerned with the Thessalonians continued growth. It is almost as if he feels a compulsion to communicate with and encourage them. If he was, one letter was certainly enough to fulfill it. The fact that Paul writes to the Thessalonians twice in such close proximity shows us that he had a great love for them. Both of them were likely written sometime around 51-52 B.C., and as such are probably the two earliest epistles in the New Testament. Many scholars estimate that the time gap between the epistles is only a few short weeks or months. 2 Thessalonians appears to have been written shortly after 1 Thessalonians. What is a work of faith? Are those terms “work” and “faith” a contradiction?ġ.What does it mean that He will be glorified “in his saints?” How can you be worthy of your calling?.What doctrines about hell can you find in verse 9? How should the truth of verse 9 effect our lives today?.What is the punishment for those who don’t accept/follow the gospel?.What will happen when Jesus is revealed from heaven? What event does this refer to?.Why would Paul “brag” about the Thessalonian church to other churches?. ![]()
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