1Thessalonians 1:1
Outline:
I. \\#1:1\\ Salutation
II. \\#1:2-2:12\\ Remembering
A. \\#1:2-3\\ Remembering Their Devotion
B. \\#1:4-5\\ Remembering Paul’s Confidence
C. \\#1:6-10\\ Remembering Their Character
D. \\#2:1-12\\ Remembering Our Labor
III. \\#2:13-3:10\\ Knowing
A. \\#2:13-16\\ Knowing How the Gospel Changed Them
B. \\#2:17-20\\ Knowing How Much Paul Want to See Them
C. \\#3:1-5\\ Knowing Why Paul Sent Timothy
D. \\#3:6-10\\ Knowing How Thankful Paul Was for Timothy’s Report
IV. \\#3:11-13 \\ Desiring
A. \\#3:11-13\\ Desiring That God Would Establish Them
B. \\#4:1-12\\ Desiring That You Would Walk in Christ
V. \\#4:13-5:22 \\ Teaching
A. \\#4:13-18\\ Teaching about the Dead In Christ
B. \\#5:1-10\\ Teaching about the Day of the Lord
C. \\#5:11-22\\ Teaching About How We Should Live
VI. \\#5:23-28\\ Closing
I. \\#1:1-10\\ Remembering
A. \\#1\\ Greeting
1. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were all together when the
epistle was written.
2. This is important in determining where these books were
written from, i.e. Athens or Corinth.
B. \\#2-3\\ Remembering Their Devotion (Paul specifically
remembered three things about them.)
1. Their work of faith-Upon salvation, they immediately
began to serve the Lord by faith. The "work" here does
not have to be hard labor. All work done and effort
spent by the Christians should be done by faith.
2. Their labor of love-Upon their salvation, they began to
serve the Lord in love.
3. Their patience of hope-Upon their salvation, they
started looking and waiting for the Lord’s return, a
key interest in this epistle.
C. \\#4-5\\ Remembering Paul’s confidence-Paul shared his early
thoughts of these Christians.
1. \\#4\\ "Known… your election"-Paul never doubted their
election. Why?
a. \\#5\\ Because the Holy Ghost’s ministry in that place
was not just words, "not… in word only, but also in
power… and in much assurance."
b. When the Spirit is moving so powerfully, the result
will certainly last.
2. But what is election?
a. Election is God determining some things are going to
happen.
(1) I believe in election.
(2) I do not believe in Calvinism.
(3) Calvinism is the false teaching that God has
determined some to go to heaven and some to go
to hell and there is nothing that will change
that determination.
(4) Election is the Bible teaching that God has
predetermined some things are going to happen.
b. One of the things that God has predetermined is that
those who accept Jesus will be saved.
(1) I suspect that is what Paul meant here; but since
he does not say, it is hard to know for certain.
(2) I believe Paul was saying it was obvious by the
working of the Holy Spirit that these people
were believing unto salvation.
D. \\#6-10\\ Remembering Their character
1. \\#6\\ "And ye became followers of us… of Jesus"
a. That is one of the best indications that someone has
believed on Jesus.
b. These Christians followed Paul as he followed Jesus.
c. Earthly examples are not bad if they are godly
examples who follow Jesus.
d. We should all be aware that others are following us
to follow Jesus; and even more, we should welcome
that opportunity.
2. "having received the word in much affliction"
a. It was not just Paul who mistreated at Thessalonica.
b. Those who believed were as well.
3. But they demonstrated "joy of the Holy Ghost!"
4. \\#7\\ These Thessalonians then became examples of Christ
to the remainder of Macedonia and Achaia.
5. How so?
a. \\#8\\ Although Paul did not spend much time with the
Thessalonians, they picked up his missionary zeal.
1. They had "spread abroad" their faith in Christ
so that Paul did not need to "speak anything"
of Christ when he visited these places.
2. They put Paul out of business in that area!
3. It was Paul’s desire not to build on another’s
foundation \\#Rom 15:20\\; hence, if he found
some places already evangelized by the
Thessalonian Christians, he would continue his
journey to another location.
b. \\#9\\ Those won to Christ by the Thessalonians
missionaries (in a sense, Paul’s spiritual
grandchildren) "shew of us what manner of entering
in we had unto you."
1. They did not just have the right doctrine.
2. They demonstrated the right kind of life!
3. The ultimate proof of the gospel working is the
changed life of those who are professing it.
c. \\#10\\ And to wait on Jesus to return.
1. Paul was not yet teaching on the return of Jesus
to gather the church, but he hinted at a truth
here.
2. The rapture will "deliver us from the wrath to
come," i.e. the Tribulation.
3. Notice that chapter 4 is not the first mention of
the Lord’s return. It is actually mentioned in
EVERY chapter.
1Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come.
1Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or
crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the
presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1Thess 3:13 To the end he may stablish your
hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even
our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ with all his saints.
\\#1Thess 4:13-18\\
\\#1Thess 5:1-10\\
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
