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1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

February 21, 2021

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13

  1. Paul seems habitually thankful (verse 13 above; also 1 Thess. 1:2). Who in your life is a good example of continual thankfulness? How has their example impacted you? Why is habitual thankfulness an important discipline to cultivate?

  2. Paul describes the Word of God as not being merely human, but literally of God. The books in the Bible were written by human hands. How can the Word of God have both a human and a divine origin? (2 Timothy 3:16 might be helpful)

  3. How is the Word of God at work in you? What is your personal practice in reading, studying and applying the Bible to your life?

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

  1. What did the Thessalonian believers experience that aligned them with the experiences of the first churches in Judea? What does this suggest about what believers can expect to experience? How perspective does John 16:33 offer us on this experience?

  2. Some opponents of the Bible suggest this passage is an example of antisemitism in the Bible because of its harsh tone toward the Jews. Is there any merit in that suggestion? How would you respond to someone who made that claim? What ought a Christian’s response to antisemitism be? On what passage(s) of scripture would you base that?

  3. Paul certainly is not pulling any punches in this passage. Can you discern anything in the passage that might give us insight into his motivation?