The Thessalonians letters Bible study raises this question, “. . . what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?”  The author of the Thessalonians letters answered the question with the secret of living life in this world: Paul wrote,  “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.”  It should be obvious, according to Paul’s statement, that hope, joy, crown of rejoicing living has something to do with others and the presence of Christ at his coming. In this Thessalonians letters Bible study you can come to understand such mysteries as:

“Dead in Christ Shall Rise First” — 1 Thess. 4:16
“Meeting in the Air” — 1 Thess. 4:17
“Man of Sin” to Be — 2 Thess. 2:3
“Coming of Christ” — 1 Thess. 2:19
Christ “glorified in his saints” — 2 Thess. 1:10
Gain the Knowledge of the Ways of Life — 2 Thess. 1:5

Let Paul reveal what the “coming of Christ” (a phrase, or its equivalent,  that is used over 300 times in the New Testament) really means as you experience the nearness of Christ in your relationship with others. It is your hope, your joy, and your crown of rejoicing.

Thessalonians letters Bible study reveals the mysteries of life.

In one of the first recorded letters of Paul, he referred to this mystery of life when he was encouraging the Thessalonians during severe afflictions. Paul wanted them to understand that when they were be taken down by the persecutions the opportunity for Christ to come among them was occurring.

A seed has to germinate before the essence within the seed can come forth in an expression of new life. Each of the Thessalonians needed to understand that the afflictions and the persecutions they were experiencing were the means that the essence of life within them could come forth in a powerful expression of newness of life.

This experiencing of new life, as the germinated seed, is the experiencing of Jesus in the connections (1 Thess. 2:19-20) with others that always occurred when someone has been taken down. It is when the reality of the outward physical events and circumstances die that the essence of the true life within can come forth in power and in glory. We actually have to die to our belief that the physical event had the ability to produce life. Paul described as,

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Thessalonians letters Bible study examines experiencing the nearness of Christ.

Paul was taken down on the Damascus Road and rose again in the completion of Ananias. Adam was taken down in being put to sleep and rose again in the completion of Eve. Jesus was taken down by his crucifixion and rose again in the completion of the church. Paul tells the Thessalonians to take courage because they too will rise to meet Jesus in the air (literal meaning of the word translated air is new breath). They too will experience the image and the likeness of God in a more clear manifestation of Jesus Christ in their lives..

Paul ask the Thessalonians “. . . what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? He answered his own question for them: “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” Then, he concluded by stating, “For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19,20).

Their hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing was Jesus. Jesus would be experienced but not individually in his fullness. He would be experienced completely only in the connection of the relationship between them. The mystery and the power of life was being declared again: the image and the likeness of God would not be manifested in the single person but only in the two. It was again the need for an Ananias, the need for an Eve, or the need for the church  to complete the revelation that Jesus was the Christ. It was the fellowship of the mystery.

Preface

The Nearness of Christ: the Fellowship of the Mystery

There is mystery throughout the revelation of God. The earliest recorded history of God’s interaction into the physical world contains the mysterious creation of male and female, distinct in their individual personalities yet each existing only through the other. It continues with the incomprehensible gathering of all ethnic groups, genders, and statuses of life into a kingdom where there is neither Jews nor Greeks, males nor females, masters nor slaves. It concludes with the mystery of mysteries, the manifestation of the risen Christ coming into the world of men to bring order out of disorder, harmony out of disharmony, and atonement out of separation. The outworking of the life of God in man has always been mysterious to man.

The essence of the mystery lies in the fact that man is a flesh and blood creature that has been animated by the Spirit of God. Being a creature of two different natures, he is caught in a world of physics yet the essence of life is nonphysical. In other words, man always experiences life in a physical setting yet it is never the physical setting that produces the true essence of life that is being experienced.

Ultimately, the incarnation of spiritual life into the experiences of the physical world is beyond the comprehension of man. Although the natural world is observable and therefore comprehendible, the spark of life that brings animation to an inanimate body is without observation and therefore without comprehension. Man experiences the life of God but he knows not how.

It is this aspect of mystery that man does not understand and more tragically does not want to accept. Man desires to be the sole captain of his ship, the master of his destiny, and the controller of the events of his life. He continually strives to create an orderly arrangement of activities, a comfort zone, in which he can live the days of his life. Failing to accept that the essence of the events of life is beyond his command, he erroneously attempts to control the times and the seasons of the happenings of his life.

When man attempts to control life, man’s intellect (the sensing network) becomes the center of his existence. The living or the experiencing of life itself then becomes the object of his existence. Moreover, when life becomes the object of man’s existence by the use of the mind in the attempt to control life, the simplicity or the innocence of life is lost. Man has fallen and the good life is no more.

Mysteriously, life is not the object of man’s existence in which he attempts to produce life. Life is the “subject,” or the substance of man’s existence itself. Therefore, living in harmony with life is the path to the good life. Coming to understand the ways of life, through the revelation of Jesus Christ as life, is the secret of the rich, full completed life.

Among the early disciples of Christ, Paul seems to have understood this mystery more clearly than others of his time. It is not that others did not understand it, but Paul seems to have made this mystery the core of his preaching. In his letter to the believers at Colosse, he wrote, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory ” (1:25-27). He also wrote to the Ephesians, “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (3:7-9). The heart of Paul’s preaching seemed to be the fellowship of the mystery, or the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.

With the phrase is made manifest meaning, “to render apparent,” the mystery is now apparent among the saints. With the coming of Jesus in the midst of the saints, the fellowship of the mystery is experienced. In other words, the good life is experienced in the interactions, the connections, or the relationships between people. It matters little what one does in life, or what great deed is accomplished, the good life is only experienced in the mysterious connections of Christ.

Unfortunately, man has a tendency to measure the good life by successfully doing things. In other words, if a great accomplishment can occur, man thinks his life will be good. Conversely, if he fails to accomplish great deeds, he perceives his life to be a failure. The good life, however, is not measured in doing deeds. It only occurs in the interaction of people where Christ is experienced. For the greatest of deeds means nothing if it is not shared with someone.

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he illustrated this truth by asking them, “. . . what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?” He answered the question for them, “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” Then, he simply stated, “. . . ye are our glory and joy” (2:19,20).

As stated in his letter to the Colossians, he said the mystery was Christ in you, the hope of glory. With you being plural, the emphasis is again the experiencing of Christ among the people. The hope of glory, or the hope of experiencing the good life, is encountering Christ in the connections with people. It is the fellowship of the mystery or the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.

Paul ask the Thessalonians “. . . what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? He answered his own question for them: “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” Then, he concluded by stating, “For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19,20).

Their hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing was Jesus. Jesus would be experienced but not in them individually but in the connection of the relationship between them. The mystery and the power of life was being declared again: the image and the likeness of God would not be manifested in the single person but only in the two. It was again the need for an Ananias, the need for an Eve, or the need for the church to come and to complete the revelation that Jesus was the Christ. It was the fellowship of the mystery.

Thessalonians Letters Table of Content

Session 1: Introduction to the Thessalonians Letters
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2; 3:18

Session 2: Election of God
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Session 3: Worthy of the Kingdom
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Session 4: Our Hope, Joy, Crown of Rejoicing
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

Session 5: Coming of Christ
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Session 6: The Will of God
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Session 7: Heavenly Places
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Session 8: Living Together
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Session 9: Blameless Unto His Coming
1 Thessalonians 5:13-28

Session 10: Jesus Christ, the Life
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Session 11: Man of Sin Revealed
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Session 12: Patiently Waiting for Christ
2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

Session 13: Not Weary in Well Doing
2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

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