Day 322 Reading Schedule: 1 Thessalonians 1-5 

1 Thessalonians 1: The Faith of the Thessalonians 

[Overview] 

This chapter is a very short chapter, but its content is very comprehensive and deep for a simple and personal greeting. In fact, this chapter not only mentions grace, peace, and the Holy Spirit, but also clearly states what kind of work evangelism is, and it includes the contents of conversion, faith, hope, and love, and even mentions the resurrection and second coming of Christ. This chapter, which contains such comprehensive content, is completely suitable as an introduction to this book. Through this chapter, Paul shows that the Thessalonian church, which had only recently encountered the gospel and was in the beginning stages of faith, was never discouraged in the midst of tribulation, but rather joyfully devoted to their faith life, becoming an example to neighboring churches. Paul’s intention is to reveal that the Thessalonian church, which was in a state of elementary faith, was able to share joy with one another and keep the gospel even in the midst of difficulties because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The content of this chapter is Paul’s greeting to the Thessalonian church and his prayer of thanks to God (verses 1-3), and his recollection of what happened when the Thessalonian church was first established (verses 4-10). 

1 Thessalonians 2: The Apostle’s Faithful Ministry and Reward

[Overview]

Paul greeted the Thessalonian believers in the previous chapter and in this chapter he goes into the main text and recalls his zeal for the Thessalonian believers. In other words, Paul recalls the persecution he faced in the early days of his missionary work in Thessalonica and says that despite such persecution, he testified to the gospel in Thessalonica because he wanted to please God. In addition, Paul conveys through this chapter that his affection and love for the Thessalonian believers remain unchanged even now that he is separated from them. It also clearly proves that Paul's missionary work in Thessalonica was not in vain, even though it may have seemed like a failure and fruitless effort to his opponents. The content of this chapter is composed of the first half (verses 1-12) that mentions Paul's missionary work in Thessalonica, the middle part (verses 13-16) that clearly shows the power of the word, and the second half (verses 17-20) that shows Paul's passion for Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3: Victorious Faith in the midst of Tribulation

[Summary]

Since Paul could not personally return to Thessalonica due to unfavorable circumstances, he decided to send Timothy to encourage the saints. This chapter records the sending of Timothy against this backdrop. However, Timothy’s sending was not because the apostle Paul was indifferent to the Thessalonian believers as his enemies had accused him, but rather because it showed his determination to make any sacrifice for their benefit. Here, we can once again confirm Paul’s loving consideration and continuous concern for the church in Thessalonica. Furthermore, this consideration and concern of Paul exemplifies Christ’s comfort and protection for the church that is being persecuted and tribulated in various ways throughout the world today. The structure of this chapter is composed of the first half (verses 1-5) where Timothy is sent out, the middle part (verses 6-10) where Timothy’s report and Paul’s joy are shown, and the second half (verses 11-13) where prayers for the preservation of the church are recorded. 

1 Thessalonians 4: A Life that Pleases God

[Summary]

The tone and theme of this chapter change. This is because Paul has finished giving thanks and defending and reflecting on his ministry, and now begins to give practical advice on the Christian life. Through this chapter, Paul points out the Thessalonian believers’ wrong perception of the Second Coming and the End, while teaching them to have the right view of faith. In particular, he sounds the alarm about the phenomenon of free-spiritedness and the pursuit of pleasure, which are representative signs of the End Times, and he urges them to live a life of sexual purity passively and a life of brotherly love actively. The serious phenomenon of the Thessalonian church at that time was that there were believers who were only waiting for the false Second Coming of Jesus. Therefore, Paul needed to advise them to have the right view of the eschatology and to faithfully carry out the work assigned to them until the Second Coming and not lose hope for the Second Coming. The content of this chapter consists of lessons for practical life (verses 1-12) and eschatological lessons (verses 13-18). 

1 Thessalonians 5: Saints Living in the End Times

[Overview]

Paul, who pointed out the disorderly life caused by the wrong view of the Second Coming in the previous chapter, teaches us in this chapter about the time of the Second Coming and the attitude of the saints who are waiting for it. They must always be awake and sober, be armed with faith, hope, and love, and preserve and cherish the Holy Spirit and prophecy. The reason Paul advises in this way is because through this practical life of faith, they can join the ranks of salvation with a pure and holy appearance. Therefore, Paul’s advice and lessons presented in this chapter are not limited to the Thessalonian believers, but can be seen as being applicable to today’s saints living in the last days. Through these facts, the saints must realize the precious lesson that they must always live a life of faith like the five wise virgins in order to fully welcome the bridegroom Jesus who will come like a thief. The content of this chapter is composed of the first half (verses 1-11) that exhorts us to prepare for the end times, the middle part (verses 12-22) that gives final advice to the saints, and finally the closing remarks (vrses 23-28).