“Answers for a study in the book of 1 Thessalonians” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.
Note: The answers will focus on what the text of the Bible says, and commentaries and speculative answers will be noted as such. There are many scholarly commentaries out there but it will be important, as students of the Bible, to keep the text of the Bible as our first source. Commentaries can be used, keeping in mind that they are human thoughts about God’s Word. Scripture references here are taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.
The Goal for the notes, questions and answers: Share and reuse to lead your own Bible study!
Review and Bible Study
Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.
Class Bible study:
Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions. Cite your sources to share with your group.
1. Review of Class Topic:
With your table group, discuss today’s presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.
Answers will vary…
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 with your group then, to the best of your ability, answer the following questions:
2. As we continue to grow in our walk with the LORD, like the Thessalonians, Paul says we should desire sanctification. Research the meaning of the word “sanctification” and what it means to be “sanctified” as it relates to our faith in Christ.
For an in-depth study of “sanctification” go the following link
From biblestudytools.com:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/sanctification/
What it means to be “sanctified”
From Christianity.com:
“Sanctification is one of those religious sounding words that people in the church use, but may not understand what it means. In its most basic sense, to sanctify something is to set it apart for God’s special use and purpose. Therefore, God’s people are sometimes said to be sanctified because they are set apart for God’s special purposes in the world: “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Lev 20:7–8). As this verse helps us see, the word sanctification is closely related to holiness.
The word sanctification can be used in a similar sense in the New Testament, and in one sense, believers are already sanctified because of what Jesus has done for them. Hebrews 10:10 tells us that as followers of Christ “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
But most of the time when Christians use the word sanctification, they are referring to the progressive work of God to make a believer more like Jesus Christ. As such Paul can write, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thes 4:3). He commands Christians to “present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Rom 6:19). Because believers have been set free from their slavery to sin, “the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Rom 6:22).
In sanctification, both God and the Christian have specific responsibilities. Paul commands believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12–13). God is the one who does the work of making us more like Christ, and we participate in that work by a life of continually turning away from sin and demonstrating our faith in Christ by obeying God’s commands. The Holy Spirit plays a key role in this process: as we walk in the power of the Spirit we “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).”
3. What were the things that Paul said they should abstain from, and what should they focus on doing, to be worthy of God’s will in sanctification (4:3-11)? Besides sanctification, why is this important (4:12)?
“3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 (NIV)
Paul told them to…
- Avoid sexual immorality
- Learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable
- Do not be like the Pagans who act in passionate lust
- No one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister
- Live a holy life
- Love one another (in brotherly love)
- Make your ambition to lead a quiet life
- Mind your own business and work with your hands
Beside sanctification, it is important because…
- this lifestyle will win the respect of outsiders (this can help bring non-believers to belief in Christ through our example), and will not give cause for them to accuse us (“they’re hypocrites” or “they’re no different than us” or “if that’s being a Christian, I don’t want to be like them”)
- this lifestyle will make you dependent only on God, and you would not need to be supported, or receive help from non-believers (especially monetarily), such as many “false teachers” desire.
4. In verses 4:13-18, Paul is writing to tell the Thessalonians about the hope they should have in Jesus. Summarize what Paul says, and why it would be important for them, and us, to understand.
“13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)
Paul wrote this section to …
- give hope to the Thessalonians by telling them that their loved ones who had died before Jesus returned would be the first to resurrect and come with him.
- encourage the Thessalonians by telling them that if they are still alive on this earth at Christ’s return they will also be taken up “in the air” to join those who had “died in Christ.”
- assure them that they would all be together with the Lord forever at that time.
This would be important for all to understand because…
- It helps us to have hope in times of sickness and death.
- It gives us confidence that we will be with the LORD and our loved ones in God’s eternal home.
- It helps us keep our eyes off of the temporal problems of this world and look to the perfect, complete and holy future we are promised with the LORD forever.
5. Memory verses: Recite – Acts 17:11 (having Biblical discernment and truth); 1 Peter 3:15 (the call to give an answer for our faith – Christian Apologetics); Acts 17:30-31 (through the work of Jesus, a call to repentance and eternal life vs. judgment); and add 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (the hope of the Resurrection)
- “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
Acts 17:11 (NASB)
- “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
- “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
Acts 17:30-31 (NASB)
- “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NIV)
Please continue to join us as we read and study the Bible as part of our Christian Apologetics’ class each week!
Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study questions are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers (like these) are posted mid-week.
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
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Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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