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More I Thessalonians commentaries

I Thessalonians 1:1-5
Ingredients for growing a Christian

I Thessalonians 1:6-8
An exemplary people

I Thessalonians 1:9-10
An obvious change takes place

I Thessalonians 2:1-2
Paul, Silas and Timothy were bold

I Thessalonians 2:3-4
Paul’s conduct was never questionable

I Thessalonians 2:5-6
Paul’s ministry characterized

I Thessalonians 2:7- 8
Paul was always gentle

I Thessalonians 2:9-12
The concerned father

I Thessalonians 2:13-16
Persecution is bound to come

I Thessalonians 2:17-20
Three motivations for Christian growth

I Thessalonians 3:1-5
Paul’s concern for the believers

I Thessalonians 3:6-8
Remember where you came from

I Thessalonians 3:9-13
Prayer changes things

I Thessalonians 4:1-8
A plea for purity

I Thessalonians 4:9-10
How are you showing love to others?

I Thessalonians 4:11-12
Goals for everyday living

I Thessalonians 4:13-18
The rapture of the Church

I Thessalonians 5:1-11
The Day of the Lord

I Thessalonians 5:12-15
Responsibilities as believers

I Thessalonians 5:16-22
Exhortations for holy living

I Thessalonians 5:23-28
The elements of worship

Persecution is bound to come

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I Thessalonians 2:13–16
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

I once read about a young blind girl from France who was given a New Testament in raised letters. She was so excited and read it so much that the tips of her fingers became very calloused so that she could no longer feel the characters. She started crying because now she couldn’t … More

Desire

This passage can be divided into two topics:

  1. The Word of God within you (v. 13). We must never treat the Bible as we would some other book. This verse communicates the idea that the Word of God is to be taken by us. It means to welcome eagerly. When we receive the Bible, we’re saying that we acknowledge its authority. When we accept it, we are allowing it into our hearts so that we can be changed by it. We should never say, “I know what the Bible says, but...” If we know what the Bible says, then there’s no “but.” We should say, “I know what the Bible says, period.” How can we say we believe the Bible and except its authority if we do not spend time daily in the Word? Too many people have substituted entertainment for the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
  2. The enemies of God upon you (vv. 14-16). Just as the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were persecuted, so were the Gentile Christians persecuted in Thessalonica. When the Word of God is within us, the enemies of God will be upon us. If you believe the Bible you are going to have some enemies. One of the evidences that God’s Word continues to work is that believers all around the world experience affliction and suffer persecution. Every generation of Christian has known persecution and martyrdom. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ to not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Phil. 1:29). “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted: (I Tim. 3:12).

Application

Would I rather have the Bible than food, money, or sleep? My desire for loving and serving the Lord can be measured by my desire to read and study the Word on a daily basis.

I Thessalonians 2:13-16 (English Standard Version)

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved--so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last!

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