Read 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8. How does the drunken/sober analogy help us better understand preparation for the second coming of Jesus? Paul begins verse 6 with “therefore” or “so then,” depending on the translation. He has established that true followers of Jesus are children of the light and of the day. In today’s passage he continues the … Continue reading –>
(1 Thess. 5:4, 5) In the opening verses of the fifth chapter, Paul addresses the condition of those who, for whatever reason, are not prepared. The Thessalonians already know that the reality of the Second Coming is certain; only the timing is unknown. The surprise will be tragic for those who are not ready. Some are … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 and Acts 1:6,7. What is the meaning of “the times and the seasons” (NKJV) in these texts? “The day of the Lord” is a phrase found frequently in Old Testament judgment passages. It describes a decisive, “end-time” intervention by God, with a strong emphasis on the negative consequences of disobedience (Isa. 13:6-9, Jer. 46:10, Ezek. 30:2-12). In our passage for today, … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 3:15-24. List the various ways that God judged Adam and Eve both positively and negatively in this passage. Though the specific word judgment does not occur in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, the passage is very much concerned with it. Paul wants the believers in Thessalonica to be aware that God’s judgment is not limited to something that happens … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Thess. 5:1-11, Gen. 3:15-24, Isa. 13:6-9, Luke 21:34-36, Rom. 1:18. Memory Text: “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8, ESV). Key Thought: The reality of Christ’s return calls us to continual readiness. In … Continue reading –>
“Many interpret this passage [1 Thess. 4:14] to mean that the sleeping ones will be brought with Christ from heaven; but Paul meant that as Christ was raised from the dead, so God will call the sleeping saints from their graves and take them with Him to heaven.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 259. “The Thessalonians … Continue reading –>
“You are going to do what?” demanded Mitalyn’s husband. “I’m going to become an Adventist,” she said as firmly as she could. Mitalyn knew that her husband, her neighbors, and almost everyone she knew would object to her decision. But she couldn’t wait any longer. Mitalyn had grown up believing that Adventists were bad people … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 17, 18. What is the ultimate purpose of this passage about the second coming of Jesus? As we said earlier, the purpose of prophecy is not to satisfy our curiosity about the future but to teach us how to live today. For Paul, the order of final events has practical implications for everyday Christian … Continue reading –>
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, Paul builds on the earthly teachings of Jesus. There are more than a dozen parallels between these end-time passages and the sayings of Jesus recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But when Paul talks about the “word of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (NKJV), he is referring to a saying of Jesus that did … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:14. What hope does Paul offer regarding those who have died? In verse 14 Paul offers the solution to the problem of hopeless grief. In the original language he describes the believers who have died as having “fallen asleep through Jesus.” While falling asleep is a common metaphor for death in New Testament times, the … Continue reading –>
