1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5

Paul's Joy, Hope and Crown

I Thessalonians 2:17-3:5But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while--

in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. (NASB)

Before We Dive In

• Its time to cover the tricky part of the theology of I Thessalonians first.

• Quickly.

• In the blink of an eye.

• Hopefully we don’t finish this topic because it gets fulfilled first.

• I’d rather you learn this lesson first hand.

Which is to say…

Holly Hills Bible Church interprets the Word of God literally with an understanding that the Gentiles, the Jews and the Church are all three distinct groups in the Bible [Dispensationalism]. We also believe that Christ will return to take the Church to be with Him [the Rapture] while God the Father pours out His wrath for seven years [the Tribulation]. This will be followed by 1,000 years of Christ ruling over the earth [Pre-Millennialism].

The Pre-Millennial, Pre-Tribulational Rapture Position(simplified)

The Rapture in I Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10…you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

The Rapture in I Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17-19But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

The Rapture in I Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:13so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

The Rapture in I Thessalonians1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Rapture in I Thessalonians1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

The Rapture in I Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

Now that We have finished the world off,

lets finish this passage off

I Thessalonians 2:17

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. – “…taken away...” refers to having been

whisked away to Berea in Acts 17:10– “… not in spirit…” Paul was unified with the

believers due to there being one Spirit.

I Thessalonians 2:17

• Can we say intimacy? – Brethren– face to face– This is a love letter to the Thessalonian

believers

I Thessalonians 2:18

• For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. – “…Satan hindered us.”

• Who did the hindering?• How does Satan use non-believers to hinder?• Should believers attribute everything negative to

Satan?

I Thessalonians 2:19-20

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.

I Thessalonians 2:19-20

• The Lord’s work through Paul fulfilled Ephesians 2:10– God prepared the church in Thessalonica for Paul to preach the

gospel and for them to respond– The Lord would reward Paul with a crown because of the church

in Thessalonica• The Church in Thessalonica brought Hope & Joy to Paul

and his companions.– Hope – confident expectation! He knew the Lord would do a

good work in the church– Or – used here to outline an escalating intensity. This is, “It’s a

bird, it’s a plane, It’s Superman!,” multiplied by infinity– Joy – cheerfulness, building on the intensity of hope– Crown of Exultation – a reward from God that reflects His glory

The Lord’s Return

• At all times we should be looking, watching & waiting for the Lord’s return

• When was the last time you caught yourself hoping in anticipating, waiting for the Lord’s return?

The Return With Rewards

• The Lord’s return will come with it a time of judgment, not for salvation (which is sure for the raptured believer), but instead for rewards.– I Cor. 3:9-15

• Rewards will be proved out for Holy Spirit enabled acts

• Believers without rewards are still believers

I Thessalonians 2:20

For you are our joy & glory• The church in Thessalonica brought joy to Paul

and company and caused them to glorify the Lord because of their commitment to the Lord

• No matter what intense situation the Apostle and his crew found themselves in they still had things in their lives that brought joy & glorification. What do you have in your own life that brings those very things?

I Thessalonians 3:1-2

Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,

• Was Timothy’s job something that is not for normal believers? See: I Thes. 2:11

• Do you think of yourself as a, “…fellow worker in the gospel of Christ?”

I Thessalonians 3:3

So that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.

• How can we as believers see afflictions in a non-disturbing light?

• Is being destined for affliction something that Christ was bothered by? See: Heb. 12:2

I Thessalonians 3:4

For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.

• Paul’s recognition of affliction as part of the life of the believer leads us to ask:– What does God use affliction for?– Why would God warn us of affliction?

I Thessalonians 3:5

For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

• Does this verse contrast with I Thessalonians 2:19?

• How does the tempter tempt us?• Why would Paul & Co’s labor be in vain?