Study > Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School Lesson
Third Quarter--2012--SDA SS LESSON 4--Joyous and Thankful
Wally:
Lesson 4 *July 21-27
(1 Thess. 1:1-10)
Joyous and Thankful
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Thess. 1:1-10, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Tim. 1:15, Gal. 5:19-23, Dan. 12:2.
Memory Text: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3, ESV).
Key Thought: Paul has many good things to say to the Thessalonians, at least when he begins writing to them in the first letter. What he praises them for is worthy of our attention.
Paul opens his first letter to the Thessalonians by emphasizing prayer, stressing how much he prays for them, which itself reveals the deep love and concern he has for the church there.
In this passage Paul then rejoices that the Thessalonians, on the whole, appear to be remaining faithful. Their lives offered abundant evidence of the life-changing power of the Spirit, despite the many challenges that they faced.
Paul concludes his first chapter by remarking how the Thessalonians’ openness to Paul and his teaching led them to become true “Adventists.” They were believers who lived every day in anticipation of the day Jesus would come from heaven to deliver them from “the wrath to come.”
In this lesson we get an intimate glimpse of how new converts dealt with the challenges that come after evangelism has taken place.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 28.
Sunday July 22
A Prayer of Thanks (1 Thess. 1:1-3)
In the opening words of 1 Thessalonians, we catch a glimpse of the selflessness of Paul. While he was clearly the author of this letter (1 Thess. 2:18, 3:5, 5:27), he gives recognition to his coworkers Silas and Timothy.
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3. For what things are Paul, Silas, and Timothy giving thanks? What do these things mean in a practical sense? That is, how would they be manifested in daily life? For example, how is the “work of faith” expressed in how we live?
The opening of this letter is typical of ancient Greek letters, but with an interesting twist. To the typical Greek opener (“grace”), Paul adds the familiar Jewish greeting “peace” (shalom in Hebrew). “Grace” and “peace”-apt depictions of what an experience with Jesus is all about.
Who was Silvanus? The name reflects the Latin equivalent of the Aramaic name “Silas.” Jews who lived outside Palestine usually adopted Greek or Latin names to go along with their Jewish ones (this is how “Saul” became “Paul”). Silas was a Jerusalem Christian like Mark, who was one of Paul’s first traveling companions. By having trusted leaders of the Jerusalem church with him on his missionary journeys, Paul was doing his best to maintain unity in the church.
What group of words in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 has become famous because of the way they are used in 1 Corinthians 13? Which of them has the primary emphasis in 1 Corinthians, and why?
In his prayers, Paul concentrates on reality, not giddy spirituality. Faith provokes serious work. Genuine love produces much labor. And hope requires much patience. The stress in these words is on action, not abstract ideas. The order of faith, love, and hope varies in the New Testament, but the most important of the three is listed last in each case (see 1 Cor. 13:13). The order in verse 3 underlines the importance of last-day events in Paul’s mind throughout the two letters to the Thessalonians.
Paul is also thankful before God because he remembers the way in which the Thessalonians have responded to the gospel. He probably hopes, too, that their positive emotional response to the praise Paul offers them will incline them to be more open to the concerns that he will soon express to them.
Monday July 23
God Has Chosen You (1 Thess. 1:4)
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:4. What does it mean that God has chosen or elected us? Does that mean we don’t really have a choice? On the other hand, does it mean that someone who is not chosen by God cannot have salvation even if he or she wants it?
Verse 4 continues the same extended sentence that Paul began in verse 2, with “we give thanks.” One of the reasons Paul gives thanks to God is that he knows God has “chosen” the Thessalonians.
Some Christians have taken this idea of being “chosen” to an extreme. They want to move the believer away from any focus on lifestyle or behavior. Instead, they teach that our salvation depends on God’s choice rather than on our own. Such a teaching can also lead to the idea that God’s grace is only for a few and that, once saved, a person cannot choose to be lost.
How do the following texts help us to understand that salvation is our own choice? Josh. 24:15, 1 Tim. 2:4, Rev. 3:20.
Faith is impossible without God’s drawing power. Yet, in the end, God allows human beings to make their own decisions regarding Him and what He has done for us. And what He has done for us is to “choose” us in Christ. We have all been “elected” to have salvation. That some won’t be saved-won’t claim that salvation for themselves-reflects their choice, not God’s. God’s choice is for all humanity to be saved. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:4, God wants “all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (NKJV).
Think through what it means to know that you have been “chosen” by God, that God wants you to have salvation, and that to be lost is an aberration from God’s desire for all of us. What encouragement can you draw from this wonderful truth?
Wally:
Tuesday July 24
Assurance in Christ (1 Thess. 1:5)
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:5. How do we gain the assurance that we are right with God? What three evidences in the lives of the Thessalonians indicated to Paul that they were right with God?
Verse 5 begins with “for” or “because.” In this verse Paul details the grounds for his conviction that the Thessalonians were “chosen” by God (1 Thess. 1:4). He is also underlining further reasons as to why his prayers are so filled with thankfulness (1 Thess. 1:2). Paul rejoices at the real-life evidence that the Thessalonians have responded to God and that He approves of them.
Paul begins the verse with rejoicing at a visible and outward sign of the Thessalonians’ position before the Lord. Their acceptance of the gospel was not merely a mental assent to teachings or doctrine. Their daily lives exhibited the presence and power of God. In everyday church life, things were happening that could be explained only as divine intervention. Prayers were answered and lives changed. The reality of their faith was being manifested in their works.
How does one know that the Holy Spirit is present and real in one’s life and in the local church? See Gal. 5:19-23, 1 Cor. 12:1-11.
The “fruit” of the Spirit is powerful evidence that God is actively working. Things like love, joy, and peace can be faked only for so long, but in the day-to-day stress of relationships within the church, the genuine is eventually sifted from the false. When the Holy Spirit is a living presence, things that are not natural to sinful human beings start to become natural. Christians find themselves doing acts of grace and kindness that would not have occurred to them before. Paul saw plenty of evidence that the lives of the Thessalonians had been changed by the supernatural working of the Spirit.
For Paul, the final evidence that God had chosen the Thessalonians was their deep conviction and inner assurance that the gospel was true and that God was real in their lives. Though such convictions don’t prove true in every case, strong assurance that we are right with God usually accompanies the genuine gospel.
How much assurance of salvation do you have? On what, in the end, must that assurance be based?
Wednesday July 25
Doing What Paul Would Do (1 Thess. 1:6, 7)
Read 1Thessalonians 1:6-7. What is Paul’s message there? How are we to understand this in light of the idea of Christ as our ultimate example?
Most translations do not show this, but in verse 6 Paul continues the same sentence that he began in verse 2 and carries it on through verse 10. The main topic of this lengthy sentence is Paul’s list of reasons for the thanksgivings that he recites in his prayers. Verses 6 and 7 add two items to that list of thanksgivings, building on the “because” (NIV) at the beginning of verse 5. Paul gives thanks (vs. 2) because (vs. 5, NIV) the Thessalonians have both imitated him and his colleagues and have themselves become an example to imitate (vss. 6, 7).
We often caution people that it is dangerous to imitate anyone but Christ. That’s true, because even the best of people will let us down sometimes. But the reality is that we need role models. People need each other at times for guidance, counsel, and help in working through specific issues and even hard times. Who hasn’t experienced the blessing of good counsel and of a good example?
Also, whether we like it or not, once we become leaders in the church, people will imitate us. How important, then, that “veteran” Christians live what they preach and model in life the things that they say.
At the same time, Paul has placed a couple of safeguards here. First of all, the imitation (vs. 6) follows the receiving (vs. 5). The primary focus of the Thessalonians was on receiving the Word of God and applying it directly to their lives through the Holy Spirit. God’s Word can always be trusted. Second, Paul directs them to the Lord as the primary model (vs. 6). What Jesus did, and would do, is a much safer model than what even Paul would do. After all, Paul was under no illusions about himself or his character (1 Tim. 1:15).
Having said this, however, Paul affirms their desire to imitate him as a beloved teacher and mentor, and also to become models worthy of imitation themselves. In this particular case, what was being modeled was joy in suffering. Suffering can make one bitter or better. In the context of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Thessalonians discovered supernatural joy in the midst of suffering, just as Paul and Silas had earlier (Acts 16:22-25).
What kind of role model are you in the church? What things about your life are good for others to follow? What things aren’t?
Wally:
Thursday July 26
Further Evidence of Faith (1 Thess. 1:8-10)
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10. In what ways does this passage offer additional evidence of the Thessalonians’ faith?
Paul continues the sentence that began in verse 2 by explaining how he knows the Thessalonians have become a model or type to the other believers in Macedonia (where Thessalonica was located) and Achaia (where Corinth was located).
First, they were a model of evangelistic effort and success. From them the word of God “rang out” (NIV) into both these provinces, and beyond. Paul also considered them to have a model faith because of their openness to him and the gospel. They were willing to be taught. They were also willing to make radical changes in their lives, such as giving up idols and other popular forms of worship.
Communication was relatively rapid in the ancient Roman world, thanks to well-built Roman roads and widespread travel. So, the claim that their faith was known “everywhere” may indicate that people in places like Rome and Antioch had already made reference to it in their communications with Paul.
It is also true that people want to live up to the high expectations of others. Praise contains an implied expectation. By praising their faith in such an overwhelming fashion, Paul was encouraging them to grow in that faith more and more.
It seems there was something uniquely remarkable about their conversion. As pagan idolaters they had to overcome two major barriers. First was the “crazy message” about some man who was dead and came back to life again. Then there was the fact that it was a crazy Jewish message. Many Gentiles probably laughed when they heard the Christian message. The Thessalonians didn’t. Instead, they completely rearranged their lives in light of the gospel.
“The Thessalonian believers were true missionaries. Their hearts burned with zeal for their Saviour, who had delivered them from fear of ‘the wrath to come.’ Through the grace of Christ a marvelous transformation had taken place in their lives, and the word of the Lord, as spoken through them, was accompanied with power. Hearts were won by the truths presented, and souls were added to the number of believers.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 256.
Read again 1 Thessalonians 1:10. What’s Paul talking about? What is the “wrath to come”? What does the resurrection of Jesus have to do with the point he is making? Why is this promise so crucial to all that we believe? See 1 Cor. 15:12-17; John 11:24, 25; Dan. 12:2.
Friday July 27
Further Study: “The arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, during Paul’s sojourn in Corinth, had greatly cheered the apostle. They brought him ‘good tidings’ of the ‘faith and charity’ of those who had accepted the truth during the first visit of the gospel messengers to Thessalonica. Paul’s heart went out in tender sympathy toward these believers, who, in the midst of trial and adversity, had remained true to God. He longed to visit them in person, but as this was not then possible, he wrote to them.
“In this letter to the church at Thessalonica the apostle expresses his gratitude to God for the joyful news of their increase of faith. . . . ‘We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.’
“Many of the believers in Thessalonica had ‘turned . . . from idols to serve the living and true God.’ . . . The apostle declared that in their faithfulness in following the Lord they were ‘ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.’ “-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 255, 256.
Discussion Questions:
Dwell more on the question of role models, other than Jesus. What advantages and disadvantages come with them?
Paul spends a great portion of this letter giving thanks to God for the Thessalonians. What role can, or should, thanksgiving play in our worship experience, both personally and corporately?
If people around you were looking for evidence of your church’s faith, what would they find? How could, or should, things be different?
Why is affirmation of others so important? At the same time, why must we be careful as we do this?
Think through again how important the doctrine of the Second Coming is to our faith. What good reasons do we have for trusting in something that’s so radical, that’s so unlike anything that has ever happened before?
Summary: Paul found much joy in offering thanks to God for the abundant evidences of His work in the lives of the Thessalonian believers. In sharing the content of his prayers with them, Paul hoped to motivate them to continue growing in the faith and in their outreach efforts toward others.
Richard Myers:
Sabbath Afternoon
1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
1:9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
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.
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Thess. 1:1-10, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Tim. 1:15, Gal. 5:19-23, Dan. 12:2.
Memory Text: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3.
Key Thought: Paul has many good things to say to the Thessalonians, at least when he begins writing to them in the first letter. What he praises them for is worthy of our attention.
Paul opens his first letter to the Thessalonians by emphasizing prayer, stressing how much he prays for them, which itself reveals the deep love and concern he has for the church there.
In this passage Paul then rejoices that the Thessalonians, on the whole, appear to be remaining faithful. Their lives offered abundant evidence of the life-changing power of the Spirit, despite the many challenges that they faced.
Paul concludes his first chapter by remarking how the Thessalonians’ openness to Paul and his teaching led them to become true “Adventists.” They were believers who lived every day in anticipation of the day Jesus would come from heaven to deliver them from “the wrath to come.”
Could we say that they were "true" Seventh-day Adventists? Were they not worshiping on the Sabbath?
In this lesson we get an intimate glimpse of how new converts dealt with the challenges that come after evangelism has taken place.
Richard Myers:
Sunday July 22
A Prayer of Thanks (1 Thess. 1:1-3)
In the opening words of 1 Thessalonians, we catch a glimpse of the selflessness of Paul. While he was clearly the author of this letter (1 Thess. 2:18, 3:5, 5:27), he gives recognition to his coworkers Silas and Timothy.
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3.
1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
For what things are Paul, Silas, and Timothy giving thanks? What do these things mean in a practical sense? That is, how would they be manifested in daily life? For example, how is the “work of faith” expressed in how we live?
These are very good questions that we need to prayerfully consider.
In a Laodicean church, there is great need to understand what "conversion" means. Paul in verse three illustrates for us the answer to our questions. When this experience is missing, then conversion is not present.
"Work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Let's look at each fruit Paul is stating he sees in the church in Thessalonica. "Work of faith". When one is truly converted, he is justified by faith. He is justified in having eternal life by accepting the sacrifice of Christ for his sins. He has turned to Christ for his wisdom and power. The life is hidden in Christ and self is dead. Faith is trusting in Christ to provide for all that we need. Many professing Christians have not this faith and it is seen when difficulties arise in the life. In good times there are many Christians, when persecution comes, the world will see as God sees. Those who have not fully trusted in Jesus for all things, will be seen for what they are, unconverted, unsanctified, unlovely professors of faith. Today, we are given the opportunity to develop a character that trusts fully in God.
"Labor of Love." With fallen human natures we are not able to love others in the manner that God loves us. Why? Because God's love is selfless. We are evil by nature and not capable of doing any good thing. But, our heavenly Father has provided a remedy for our sin sick souls. He sent His Son on a very expensive mission to take our sins upon Himself. Unselfish love is the fruit of true conversion. When we allow Christ to come into the heart, He transforms the life, the character. We are then able to truly love the sinner who hurts us. Look at your life and ask yourself if you love those who hurt you. If you are unwilling to love the unlovely, then there is need of conversion. The law of God reveals the character of God and all who are converted. If we love God and our neighbor, we will not break His law. Sin is the transgression of this law and reveals a lack of love for others and God.
"...and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." If we consider the evidence of conversion that Paul shared in Galatians we recognize that patience is one evidence of true conversion. Those who are unable to endure temptations, who are easily upset, who are impulsive and impatient reveal they lack the infilling of the Spirit of Christ. They do not trust in God to take care of the matter they are agitated over. They feel they must correct the matter and do not leave it with God. It is one thing to be overcome infrequently, it is altogether another matter to have it revealed in the character. Moses at the end of his life, manifested impatience with the people and was angry. But, it was not his character. It was not a habit to let his evil fallen nature take over. For almost 40 years he had been faithful to abide in Christ and had power to do God's will and not follow his fallen nature. He lived in the light of God's love and glory and reflected that to the church and the world. Character is not revealed in an occasional good deed of evil deed, but the trend of the life. Moses was in the habit of turning to Christ. When he saw his sin, he immediately fell on his face and repented. Without Christ in his heart, he had no power to do good. When he repented, it was a revelation of his connection with Christ being re-established. He was again justified and in a converted condition. When great trials come, how do you react? Do you love those who are hurting you and your family? Or do you strike back revealing the works of the flesh and the need to be converted?
Paul is commending a church that has faith in God and His Word. Unlike many who turn from the Bible to tradition and the wisdom of man, this church had turned from self and the world and was walking in the light of the Word of God and were filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The lesson is for the churches of our day. Is your church walking in the abundance of light entrusted to it? Or, when the truth is brought forward, does your church ignore it? Here is the truth that is revealed in the church at Thessalonica: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:6,7.
The opening of this letter is typical of ancient Greek letters, but with an interesting twist. To the typical Greek opener (“grace”), Paul adds the familiar Jewish greeting “peace” (shalom in Hebrew). “Grace” and “peace”-apt depictions of what an experience with Jesus is all about.
Who was Silvanus? The name reflects the Latin equivalent of the Aramaic name “Silas.” Jews who lived outside Palestine usually adopted Greek or Latin names to go along with their Jewish ones (this is how “Saul” became “Paul”). Silas was a Jerusalem Christian like Mark, who was one of Paul’s first traveling companions. By having trusted leaders of the Jerusalem church with him on his missionary journeys, Paul was doing his best to maintain unity in the church.
What group of words in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 has become famous because of the way they are used in 1 Corinthians 13? Which of them has the primary emphasis in 1 Corinthians, and why?
Yes, this is the truth that Paul was bringing forth. If we love God, if we love our neighbor, if we are converted, then we will reveal this in our daily life. If we are bitter and neglect to walk in the light, then there is a need to fall on the Rock and die to self. There is a great deception that has come upon many professing churches. The connection between obedience to the counsels given and love and conversion is missing. Too many think they possess eternal life when self is still alive and the fruits of the Spirit are missing in the life. When we abide in Christ and He is us, then all of the fruits of His Spirit are seen in the life, not one is missing. " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Galatians 5:22-24/
In his prayers, Paul concentrates on reality, not giddy spirituality. Faith provokes serious work. Genuine love produces much labor.
Yes, when we love God supremely, then the life hidden in Christ will be seen to be a life of unselfish labor for others. For "it is Christ, not I."
And hope requires much patience. The stress in these words is on action, not abstract ideas. The order of faith, love, and hope varies in the New Testament, but the most important of the three is listed last in each case (see 1 Cor. 13:13). The order in verse 3 underlines the importance of last-day events in Paul’s mind throughout the two letters to the Thessalonians.
Paul is also thankful before God because he remembers the way in which the Thessalonians have responded to the gospel. He probably hopes, too, that their positive emotional response to the praise Paul offers them will incline them to be more open to the concerns that he will soon express to them.
Maybe Paul is already encouraged that this church is going to follow the truth because it is truth rather than responding to his words of encouragement. Of course we all like to know we are doing well. But, I do not think "praise" is the correct word for the love and counsel Paul is writing to the Thessalonians. Paul praised God, not men. The church had accepted the teaching of Paul and that teaching had pointed them to Scripture and the living God. These two letters to this church continue to do this.
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