1Thes 1

Inspiration that inspires

• If it is not an empty phrase, how do you imagine it to look like if grace and peace truly come your way?
• Paul clearly expected these blessings from a trinitarian God (besides God the Father and the Son in v1, v5 mentions God the Holy Spirit): Can there be any true Christian grace or peace in a soul without faith in the trinitarian God of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why not?

• Why did he thank God and not the Christian workers in this town?
• How do you imagine did it look like when Paul ‘always’ and ‘constantly’ prayed?
  • Do you picture him saying specific prayers non-stop, or what?
• What elements were the backbone of his prayers?
  • Faith, love and hope are the three spiritual gifts that are here to stay until the return of Christ, when only love will still be needed (1Cor 13:13). For what exactly did Paul thank God about the particular faith, love and hope of this church?
• If you think that you or your church are not there yet to have such reason to be thankful, where does the example of Paul’s prayer point you to start moving in that direction?
• Why was it no waste of time for this busy missionary to pray and give thanks the way he did? cf 1Thes 3:9 [A source of his own joy and satisfaction]
• What difference does it make if you give thanks for everyone, and not just for your favorites, and not because you must, but for the joy of it?

• Have you ever heard a unbeliever complain about God’s ‘election’ and that (s)he finds it unfair to not be elected to have their share in the sufferings of Christ?
• Why are often Christians more than unbelievers uncomfortable that the Bible speaks of a God who elects (cf Jn 17:6;9)?

• Was it because they experienced miracle(s)? Why or why not?
• What is the ‘full conviction’ that Paul mentioned in v5a and then described explicitly in v5b?
  • How does such Christian conviction (certainty) differ from brainwashing? cf Jn 16:8-11
  • v5b specifically mentions their certainty about who Paul truly was v5b (cf 1Thes 3:6-8). Why was this so important for church growth to deserve mentioning? cf Eph 2:20; 1Cor 3:10-11
• vv6-7: How else did their conviction manifest itself as ‘full’?
• v7: How did this church become so exemplary and a resourceful inspiration for other churches?

• v9 lists biblical criteria for exemplary faith: What are those?
• Was Paul impressed how hard the Thessalonians labored at serving and worship? Or rather that they no longer devoted such service to false gods? Why does it matter? cf Ro 10:1-4; 12:1-2

• What distinctive features of genuine faith do you recognize in v10? One, two, three (or even more)? Which ones?
• How does living faith wait for Jesus? What sort of things will churches do or not do if they so expect that Jesus is alive and that he will return sooner than later? cf Mt 25:1-13
• Why must the church keep these doctrines as ‘articles of faith’ for their faith to be genuine faith?

• What helps you to be grateful, and what obstacles hinder us to more experience the joy of heartfelt thanksgiving?
• How do you make room for such thanksgiving in your own prayers, especially for God’s work in your own church community?
• How do Paul’s criteria for exemplary Christian faith compare to the ideals advocated by your faith community, and to popular movements (‘name and claim it’, ‘prosperity gospel’, etc.)?
• What strategies for church growth does your church advocate, if any?
  • How do those compare to what you found in this chapter?
  • How can you help your local church to focus on a vision and strategies in sync with the ones of this chapter?