Chap 4 _ 1 Thessalonians
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OOOOOOO 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 (NIV84) Living to Please God 4 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
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 his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Paul addresses “how they Live” - not so much about what they know but how they behave towards one another. And continue in good behavior but increase this more and more. He refers to instructions provided with the authority of Jesus. Remember in one of his earliest writings Paul stated by whom he received the Gospel message. >>Galatians 1:11–12 (HCSB] 11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on human thought. 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ......Galatians 1:15–18 (HCSB) 15 But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, Paul who was knocked off his horse by Jesus who blinded him and then instructed Paul, this same Jesus taught Paul. Paul says that no human taught me, but the gospel was revealed to him by Jesus himself, Nor did Paul go the Jerusalem unti 3 years later. He went into the wilderness, into Arabia. Many believe that Mt. Sinai was located in Arabia, not Egypt. So Paul received his teaching from God in the same region that Moses received his God’s teaching on the commandments.
You are to be sanctified and part of that is >>4 that each of you should learn to control his own body .
Sexual Purity was one of the most obvious behaviors which went against the pagan culture. The Greeks were notorious for extra marital sex and with young boys. The Romans had a one time that extra marital sex was illegal unless it wa with a woman of higher class. The Jews of Jesus time thought that they would rather die than engage in extra or premarital sex [ but divorce was common depending which Jewish school you aligned with. one school of GAMALIEL of Paul’s said that displeasure was enough for a divorce. During the days of the Roman republic [ 500 yrs] there was no history of divorce, however by Paul's’ time Roan writer Seneca said that woman were married to be divorced and divorced to be married. Multiple marriages- a fad.
Christians were distinct here. The Jewish influence was small compared to pagan gods. Extra marital sex or all types of sex were common and one of the pleasures or benefits of life. The Christians said you will suffer and be persecuted, you will not allowed sex outside of marriage. This had to be stark comparison to the culture. Christians were watched because they were so “peculiar” yet seemed to be joyful
Some translations say in V4 “should” avoid sexual immorality, some say that you “must” avoid. some translations just say don’t. Tou are not to trick or exploit a brother- lead him into temptation. But you are called to holiness. But it is a strong command. Paul begins this chapter in V2 saying that these commands came through the Lord Jesus and then in> V 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. This is not just Paul’s saying, if you reject this call to purity you are rejecting God. You are not just ignoring or being a little disobediant, or foolish, or lacking discipline BUT your are rejecting God- turning your back on him and allying with the pagans. Very strong.
OOOOOOO 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 (NIV84) 9 Now about brotherly love 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 the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to 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.
The word for love is “philadelphia” which is an affectionate lover, a brotherly love.
Your love extends to brothers all through the area, not just in your group or church or city, but your love abounds. But he urges to increase even that. Their is no limit to love. our capacity for love is never satiated or completed.
Paul has emphasized love and holiness and sexual purity.
He goes on to say not to be a burden to anybody. Work with your hands and be independent. But also it was slaves who worked with common labor. The aristocracy or the philosophers - work was beneath them. Again a difference in that culture. Why are so many falling away from church if the Christain life is the same but a little nicer than the world. We are to be different.
In this way outsiders will respect you and if they respect you, it is reasonable for them to listen to your message. The Christians must be beyond reproach and distinct or their message is just another message.
OOOOOOO 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NIV84) The Coming of the Lord
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 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 own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till 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 each other with these words.
The young church of Paul had legitimate questions about the priority sequence of resurrection of believers. The pagan influenced area in Macedonia with its strong Greek influence. this influence was fairly dire - no resurrection, no being with the “gods”. It was bleak without hope of eternal existence. Yet all mankind has this strong curiosity about the eternal - pagans and Christians. We see this desire in the world with the interest in fortune telling, astrology, The Greeks and Romans talked about their fate and how to accept it in the future, Deepak Chopra [of PBS fame ]with the Hindu philosophy of we are all a part of the greatness l- we return back to being what we were made of the same stuff as stars and we have multiple life cycles. There is a desire implanted in every human being >Ecclesiastes 3:9–11 (NIV84) 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
so today we will give a cursory address to the some of the end time questions of the Thessalonian church - we went over this in more detail during our Revelation study, for today give a brief look at the end times.
Also it is important to put the end times meanings into the right perspective. The various end times descriptions are all secondary issues within Christianity. Believing one understanding versus another does not affect the core issues of Christianity. Salvation, Jesus, etc. are not affected by which end time belief that one holds to.
The question in this section is about the sequential order of resurrection or rapture after death, specifically this focuses on concern about happens to those who have already died. It’s also probable that during this period of persecution from Nero that some had been martyred.
Paul validates this information as coming from God- strengthens the case. We are using the NIV version that you are using. The NIV which is thought for thought rather than word for word translation leaves out the word “for” or “because”=Greek =yap gar conjunction. In verses 14, 15, “because” is the first word of these verses. So the Lord’s revelation of dead rising first, is reinforced by giving the next action= because the Lord himself shall descend. And a different word in V16 =”otl” the word “that because”
V13...Paul uses the term falling asleep. This wwas a common term in early Christianity. 2 Corinthians 5:6–9 (NIV84) 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
> Romans 8:37–39 (NIV84)37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As one commentator said “what is important is that in life and in death the Christian is in Christ and that is a union which nothing can break.”
15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. we talked last week about the authority or credibility of Paul’s words. - said that after his conversion he was taught by no man, but by jesus and he went away into Arabia. In this case Paul also says that what he is saying is from the Lord’s own word.
After he says that the living will not have any preferential treatment over the dead. The dead will rise first-
So Paul gives 3 statements which should erase all doubt about the state of those who died before the coming of Jesus
we believe in the resurrection of Jesus
by the word of the Lord
the return of the Lord
The archangel is
MICHAEL
this descent is accompanied with a shout from the archangel - the only archangel in the Bible is Michael Daniel 10:13–14 (NIV84) 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ......Daniel 12 (NIV84) The End Times 12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. ....>Jude 9 (NIV84) 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” >
Who is this one? An unnamed angel appears to Daniel and touches him and gives him a message.....>Daniel 10:13–14 (NIV84)13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. .....Daniel 10:20–21 (NIV84) 20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. ...Daniel 12:1 (NIV84) The End Times 12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Revelation 12:7–9 (NIV84) 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Revelation 12:7–8 (NIV84)7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
Some have said that Gabriel was also an archangel
GABRIEL - a great messenger of God
...Islam regards Gabriel as an archangel sent by God to various prophets, including Muhammad.[8] The first five verses of the Al-Alaq, the 96th chapter of the Quran, is believed by Muslims to have been the first verses revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad.[]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold that the angel Gabriel is the same individual as the prophet Noah.[9][10]
We see Gabriel as the great messenger in >>Lk 1:13. Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. Luke 1:18–19 (NIV84) 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news....
Then later >.Luke 1:26–27 (NIV84) The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Or earlier in the OT > Daniel 8:15–16 (NIV84) The Interpretation of the Vision 15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
Daniel 9:20–21 (NIV84) The Seventy “Sevens” 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
Now give a brief review of the rapture.........V 16: 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
Three views of the millenium and the order of the rapture. The millenium refers to the 1000 yr reign [ or a very long time] of people with Jesus as the devil has been bound yet not yet destroyed.
Amillennialism -
Church age
Resurrection of believers, resurrection of unbelievers,judgement and new heaven and earth
eternal state
Postmillennialism - post means after
After the church age and the millenium
After the millenilium - resurrection of everyone, judgment , new heaven and earth for eterniny
Premillennialism - Most popular today - especially protestants “pre” meaning before the millenium. There are 3 subsets of this concept
Classical or historical idea and held by early church is:
Church age
Tribulation follows this
and resurrection of believers is after the tribulation
then the millenium begins
after millenium - all resurrected and then final judgement and
eternal state
Pretribulational Premillennialism [Dispensational Prelim] -
this involves two raptures. an early rapture of believers before millenium followed by a completed rapture after millenium
there are 3 types of Pretrib in relation to tribulation - pretrib rapture before tribulation, mid trib rapture~ about 3 1/2 years into trib, and rapture after the tribulation [post trib]
All types of This emphasize or enable a sense of urgency in that the rapture could occur at any moment, this is attractive to those who view OT prophesies as literal not spiritually represented about state of Israel. Church will be taken away before Israel end.
This concept has become increasingly popular in the current years [last 150 yrs or so] Growht after WW1 and WW2.
Church age
a partial rapture of believers - some met in the air. this is secret, suddenly, expectantly..Christ will return part way and extract believers
then begins the tribulation - a period of 7 years
after tribulation = millenium
After millenium there is completed Resurrection of remaining believers and unbelievers
After this is judgement
The millenium follos this
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 (NIV84) The Man of Lawlessness 2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx2 Peter 3:10 (NIV84) 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. T
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rapure Sequence >1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NIV84) 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.