1 & 2 THESSALONIANS STUDY 6

Living the new life – in holiness, love and integrity 1 Thess. 4:1-12

Introduction

‘God’s will’ (v.3) seems to be the key idea in this section. Sometimes we get the idea that God’s will is highly demanding and very negative. God undoubtedly makes great demands but we’ll discover how liberating and fulfilling in fact they are. What are some of the common – and largely erroneous – views of God’s will? In fact, vs. 1,2 summarise and introduce positively what doing God’s will is: ‘to live in order to please God’. See how this characterised Paul and also the Lord Jesus (2:4; John 8:29; Mark 1:11). And think about the implications of 1 John 3:21,22. Notice, too, how Paul’s prayer in 1 Thess. 3:12,13 leads directly into this very practical section of his letter. (Chapter divisions can be a bit of a hindrance at times!)

Think about the first emphasis:

1. Be holy (vs. 1-8)

The word basically means ‘set apart for God’. Think of all the complete turn around that this meant for the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:9). Idolatry for the Greeks could often involve immorality with temple prostitutes. In our current culture, what are we called to turn away from in order to be ‘set apart for God’? What inducements are set up against us? Think about the mass media, materialistic philosophies, etc.

So Paul hits hard at a major inducement to unholiness.

a. ‘Avoid sexual immorality’ – a Greek problem; our problem.

Note the consistent emphasis of God’s word: 1 Cor. 6:18; 2 Tim. 2:22; Matt. 5:27,28.

How is it that avoidance of sexual immorality brings pleasure to God and true joy to us,

when secular society often encourages it as the route to happiness?

b. Vs. 4,5 could probably be summarises as ‘honour marriage as holy’

Note: there are two ways of translating v. 4: the RSV and GNB refer to a man’s ‘wife’, while the NIV and NEB refer to a man’s ‘body’. The problem word literally means ‘vessel’ and can equally refer to one’s body as to one’s wife, as in 1 Pet. 3:7 (‘weaker vessel’, AV). Both translations are certainly true, i.e., man is called to a right attitude to sex and marriage, whether the emphasis is on his wife or his own body. Both are necessary.

How does one keep one’s body and one’s marriage ‘holy and honourable’? Does this involve anything more than avoiding physical infidelity?

Why is ‘passionate lust’ (v.5) not Christian?

Think about the implications of breaking up another person’s marriage (v.6). What are

the knock on effects?

Think about the way God reacts to the situation (vs. 6b, 7,8). How would you counsel

someone who said, ‘We just fell in love with each other; we understood each other so

well. One thing led to another…What else could we do? Her husband’s a vindictive

brute anyhow’?

Paul changes the theme to the more general subject of brotherly love:

2. Love one another (9,10)

How would you describe this love? In what ways will it be recognised in a local church? Think about the way it’s bee used already in this letter (2:8; 3:12); also how John used it e.g., 1 John 3:16-18; and Jesus (John 13:34,35).

Why do you think Paul urged them to love ‘more and more’ (v.10b, also 3:12)?

Holy and loving living are expressed in our everyday experiences. So Paul calls the believers to:

3. Live lives which set a good example (vs. 11,12)

Note: ‘Work with your hands’ doesn’t indicate that Christians should be restricted to manual work only! Rather, it indicates that most of Paul’s Thessalonian readers were in this bracket. The principle of Col. 3: 23 applies.

How can we work out the directions of vs. 11,12 in our own situations? What are the implications for someone working in an office where ruthless ambition, back-biting and dishonesty are found alongside the general mix of friendship and thoughtfulness?