Points to Ponder in 1 and 2 Thessalonians

To accompany your Come Follow Me study for October 16-22

In addition to reading the indicated chapters, you may wish to:

Read the applicable portion of the New Testament Institute Student Manual at:

Chapter 46: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians (churchofjesuschrist.org)

See the following videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6D1kgumxk

Book of 1 Thessalonians Summary: A Complete Animated Overview at (1) Book of 1 Thessalonians Summary: A Complete Animated Overview – YouTube

Book of 2 Thessalonians Summary: A Complete Animated Overview at (1) Book of 2 Thessalonians Summary: A Complete Animated Overview – YouTube

If you would like a Kahoot game related to this material which you could use for personal study or use with your family or your class, click here: https://create.kahoot.it/share/1-and-2-thessalonians/82a5843c-cd1f-409a-b85c-989b76c6edcd. (To use it with a group, after clicking on this link, you will need to log into Kahoot, creating a free account if you have not done so previously, then click on the blue “Start” button.)

1. What does Paul mean when he says, “Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power”? (1 Thessalonians 1:5.) What is the difference?

2. Why does Paul say in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 that he spoke the gospel unto his listeners in Philippi “with much contention?” Don’t the scriptures tell us repeatedly that contention is of the devil?

3. What does Paul mean by the words, “sanctification” and “holiness,” and what is the easiest way to find out? How do the two terms differ? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7.)

4, Why does Paul tell his readers to “study to be quiet?” How does we reconcile that with D&C 112:5, which tell us to “contend … morning by morning … and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech”?

5. Which is the more enviable position: To live in the flesh until the Second Coming or die first and witness it from the spirit world?

6. What is the difference between what Paul means by “sleep” in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 and what he means in verse 10? Can you reword each verse, using some synonym for “sleep” in each case?

7. Paul has some great counsel for ward members in their relationships with each other in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14, but it may be even more impactful in another Bible translation. Look at some possibilities at BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages. Which one did you like best?

8. What is the practical interpretation and application of Paul’s counsel to “pray always”? (1 Thessalonians 5:17.) Obviously, we need to do other things in a day’s time besides praying.

9. In twenty words or less, how would you interpret Paul’s counsel to “quench not the Spirit”? (1 Thessalonians 5:19.)

10. Latter-day Saints have often quoted 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 as a prophecy of a general apostasy to precede the Second Coming of Christ, thus necessitating a restoration. Others argue that Paul is not talking about an apostasy of the Church but an apostasy of some from the Church. How might you respond?

11. How can we help bring back those who have gone astray if we follow Paul’s counsel to “withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly” and “have no company with him”? (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14.)

FIND (in 1 and 2 Thessalonians):

12. The true church shouldn’t have a paid ministry.

13. The Second Coming shouldn’t catch the righteous by surprise or unprepared.

14. It is a commandment to be happy.

15. Those who insist that there are no more prophets either don’t understand or don’t believe Paul’s teachings.

16. It is not a good idea to go into a bedroom alone with a member of the opposite sex to whom you are not married, even if you “don’t do anything wrong.”

17. God will not try to convince people of the truthfulness of the gospel if in their hearts they would not want to accept it.

18. A basic underlying principle of the Church welfare program.

19. What other passages in 1 and 2 Thessalonians did you find worth marking, and why?

Possible Answers to Points to Ponder in 1 and 2 Thessalonians

1. What does Paul mean when he says, “Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power”? (1 Thessalonians 1:5.) What is the difference?

It was not the verbal eloquence of Paul’s message which converted the Thessalonians but the fact that it was accompanied by the witness of the Holy Ghost. It should be that way with all missionaries and speakers in the Church.

A review of alternate translations of the passage at 1 Thessalonians 2:2 – Bible Gateway clarifies that Paul meant he spoke in the face of much contention from their adversaries, not that he himself was the cause of the contention.

3. What does Paul mean by the words, “sanctification” and “holiness,” and what is the easiest way to find out? How do the two terms differ? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7.)

The simplest way to find out is probably to look up both terms in the Guide to the Scriptures in the Study Helps accompanying the scriptures in the Gospel Library. It tells us that “sanctification” simply means “The process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” The entry for “holiness” tells us it is: “Spiritual and moral perfection. Holiness indicates purity of a person’s heart and intent.” So, the two terms are essentially synonyms. Both differ from a related term found in the scriptures, “justification,” which means simply being “pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless,” but does not necessarily imply that the justified individual has reached the point that righteous living is part of his nature, as do the terms “sanctification” and “holiness.”

4. Why does Paul tell his readers to “study to be quiet?” How do we reconcile that with D&C 112:5, which tells us to “contend … morning by morning … and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech”?

The two passages deal with different topics. Paul is telling us to be peaceful and not be known as public agitators and troublemakers. The D&C is telling us to be energetic missionaries, with which Paul would no doubt completely agree—provided we do it with love and peace.

5. Which is the more enviable position: To live in the flesh until the Second Coming or die first and witness it from the spirit world?

Paul tells us that both are equally desirable: “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not ‘prevent’ [have any advantage over] them which are asleep…. The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.) It reminds us of the Lord’s words in D&C 101:35, where after speaking of the glory of the Second Coming, He promises, “All they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory.”

6. What is the difference between what Paul means by “sleep” in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 and what he means by the same word in verse 10? Can you reword each verse, using some synonym for “sleep” in each case?

In verse 6, Paul means, “Let us not be unaware, or careless.” In verse 10, he uses “sleep” as a synonym for being dead. So here he is saying, “Whether we live or die, we should live together with him.”

Your choice. I personally love the New Living Translation, which reads:

11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

8. What is the practical interpretation and application of Paul’s counsel to “pray always”? (1 Thessalonians 5:17.) Obviously, we need to do other things in a day’s time besides pray.

One could argue that Paul simply meant, “Pray frequently.” But I like even better the idea that rather than think of prayer as a phone call, where we dial up God periodically and hang up when we are through, we might think of it as an ongoing call where we both stay on the line permanently, connected with each other. It is certainly not necessary for us to always be on our knees or to close our eyes, but we can constantly be thanking the Lord for little blessings we recognize in our lives, asking for His help, and listening for His guidance.

9. In twenty words or less, how would you interpret Paul’s counsel to “quench not the Spirit”? (1 Thessalonians 5:19.)

How about: Do nothing sinful, frivolous, or irreverent which would keep the Holy Ghost from being comfortable in your presence.

There have been individuals in every age (and in most families) who have left the faith. That could hardly be considered a noteworthy “sign” to precede the Second Coming. But a general apostasy of the entire Church, with consequent loss of divine authority, would certainly rise to that level.

Paul is specifically speaking of those in Thessalonica who were idle and disruptive and who could have a poisonous effect on other saints. We need to be loving and caring for those who are genuinely candidates for reactivation, but we need to be cautious about our associations with those whose primary interest is to lead us into the same forbidden paths in which they are walking. We might compare it to discerning the difference between an injured lamb who needs our help and a wolf in sheep’s clothing whose primary interest is to eat us. Yet, Paul said that even those with whom we would be wise not to keep company should not be counted as enemies (3:15) but admonished as brothers.

FIND (in 1 and 2 Thessalonians):

12. The true church shouldn’t have a paid ministry.

1 T 2:9; 2 T 3:8

13. The Second Coming shouldn’t catch the righteous by surprise or unprepared.

1 T 5:4

14. It is a commandment to be happy.

1 T 5:16

15. Those who insist that there are no more prophets either don’t understand or don’t believe Paul’s teachings.

1 T 5:20

16. It is not a good idea to go into a bedroom alone with a member of the opposite sex to whom you are not married even if you “don’t do anything wrong.”

1T5:22. Some might argue that Paul isn’t talking about avoiding the “appearance” or something that looks evil, but any “form or kind” of evil, as most translations render it. But the Greek word used here is “Eidos,” which Strong’s Concordance tells us means “the external or outward appearance, form figure, shape.” So, it appears that “appearance” may well be the best translation of the word and that Paul really is encouraging us to avoid anything which, even though it might not be sinful in itself, could appear so to other observers.

17. God will not try to convince people of the truthfulness of the gospel if in their hearts they would not want to accept it.

2 T 2:10-12

18. A basic underlying principle of the Church welfare program.

2 T 3:10

19. What other passages in 1 and 2 Thessalonians did you find worth marking, and why?

Your choice. My list includes:

1 Thessalonians 1:6: I love the reminder that joy comes from having the Holy Ghost, which, of course, comes through righteousness.
1 Thessalonians 1:7-8: The Thessalonian converts were such good examples that Paul and his associates didn’t have to say anything to bring others unto the gospel. We find again in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 that they were extraordinarily charitable with each other, full of patience, faith, and endurance in righteousness.
1 Thessalonians 3:7-9: Faithful missionaries find much comfort and joy in the faithfulness of their converts.
2 Thessalonians 3:13: “Be not weary in well doing.”