Day 344 Reading Schedule: 1 Thessalonians 4-5

1 Thessalonians 4: A Life That Pleases God 

[Overview]

The tone and theme of this book change in this chapter. 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 times, 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 urges them to live a life of sexual purity, and to actively love their brothers. The serious phenomenon in the Thessalonian church at that time was that there were believers who were only waiting for the false Second Coming of Jesus, believing that He would come soon. Therefore, Paul needed to advise them to have the right view of the end times, to faithfully carry out the work assigned to them until the Second Coming, and not to lose hope for the Second Coming. The content of this chapter consists of lessons for real life (verses 1-12) and eschatological lessons (verses 13-18). 

1 Thessalonians 5: Saints Living in the End Times 

[Overview]

In the previous chapter, Paul pointed out the disorderly life caused by the wrong view of the Second Coming, and through this chapter, he teaches about the timing of the Second Coming and the attitude of the saints who are waiting for it. They must always be awake and sober, armed with faith, hope, and love, and they must preserve and treasure the Holy Spirit and the prophecy. The reason Paul exhorts them like this is because through this practical life of faith, they can join the ranks of salvation with a pure and holy appearance. Therefore, we can see that the exhortations and teachings presented by Paul in this chapter are not limited to the Thessalonians, but are also applicable to today’s believers living in the last days. Through this fact, the believers must realize the valuable 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 consists of the first half (verses 1-11) exhorting them to prepare for the end times, the middle part (verses 12-22) giving final advice to the believers, and finally the closing remarks (verses 23-28).