"1 Thessalonians 1-5"
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As an only child, I'd watch classic TV shows like The Waltons, Happy Days, and The Brady Bunch, wondering what it'd be like to have a big — sometimes dysfunctional — family. Though I didn't grow up in a house bursting with brothers or sisters, reading Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians this week reminds me how I'm part of a family that's bigger than I could ever imagine.
Family Matters
In chapter 2, Paul sets the familial tone for the letter. He came to them in gentleness, "like a nursing mother taking care of her own children" (1 Thess. 2:7). But he also spoke "like a father with his children," exhorting and charging them to live as they should (1 Thess. 2:11-12). Throughout the book, he calls them his "brothers," the most common word in the book. What do you learn about brotherly love from Paul's intense concern for these brethren, and his longing to see them face to face (1 Thess. 2:17-3:11)?
Family Reunion
In chapters 4 and 5, Paul answers a concern the Thessalonians had about the Lord's coming and the brothers who had already died. This might be the best news of the whole letter, and he saves it for the very end.
"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17).
- Who are you excited to see again?
- What do you learn about the Lord’s coming in this passage (1 Thess. 4:17-5:4)?
- Are you ready for that great reunion that's coming "like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2)?
Family Life
This book is full of encouragement for the way we walk in God's family, living as "children of light" (1 Thess. 5:5). Here's a thought to consider for each day of the week:
- Monday (1 Thess. 1), ask yourself if you receive (1 Thess. 1:6) and send out the word (1 Thess. 1:8) in the same way this church did?
- Tuesday (1 Thess. 2), consider what it means for you to "walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory" (1 Thess. 2:12).
- Wednesday (1 Thess. 3), consider how your commitment to your brethren's spiritual well-being compares to Paul's. Do your prayers for others prioritize holiness, love for others, and right standing with God at Christ's coming (1 Thess. 3:12-13)?
- Thursday (1 Thess. 4), examine your control over your body (1 Thess. 4:4) and your brotherly love (1 Thess. 4:9). Then ask yourself if you "aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands" so you're blameless before outsiders and "dependent on no one".
- The week ends with a bunch of short, pointed commands (1 Thess. 5). Do you respect those who "are over you in the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:12) and pursue "peace among yourselves" (1 Thess. 5:13)? How do you respond to the idle, the fainthearted, and the weak (1 Thess. 5:14)? How often do you rejoice, pray, and give thanks (1 Thess. 5:16-18)? And finally, do you make a practice of carefully examining everything, so you can hold onto the good stuff and stay far away from any form of evil (1 Thess. 5:21-22)?
