making the scriptures plain

Notes

Paul was clearly very proud of the believers in Thessalonica. Despite persecution, they had turned from idol worship and accepted the truth. They had held fast to the Gospel and diligently spread the Good News about Jesus all over the region. He urged them to allow the Lord to help them to grow in love towards one another and to behave as he had taught them. Then the Lord could present them without fault and holy when He comes. Paul could hardly wait to see them with Jesus on that Day.

Paul seemed to be so excited by this thought that he gave a graphic description of that 'Day of the Lord'. Jesus will come down from Heaven amidst shouting and trumpet blasts. This will 'wake up' those who died believing in Jesus. They will rise up into the air to be with Him. Then the other believers whom He finds still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. From then on God's people will always be with the Lord.

Paul longed for all the Thessalonian believers to prepare for that Day so that it does not come as a thief in the night. He urged them to listen to their church leaders and give thanks constantly, so that they may be found blameless on that Day, in mind and body.

In the second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul speaks more about the fate of unbelievers. Jesus will take vengeance by flaming fire on those who do not know God and don't obey His Gospel. They will be punished with total destruction, separating them for ever from the presence of the Lord, and from His glorious power. But on the Day He comes for His own, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

In order to be found in the faith and to keep from evil, Paul told the Thessalonians, for Jesus' sake they should separate themselves from brothers who had rebelled against the things the apostles had taught them.

Paul thought he would be found alive when Jesus comes to take His own. How much nearer is that Day in our time, almost 2000 years later. If Paul was so excited about the Thessalonian believers rising to be with Jesus, how much more excited is Jesus at the thought of gathering together all those throughout the ages who have chosen Him as their Saviour!

Paul, unto the church of the Thessalonians

1Thes.1.1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Thes.1.3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Thes.1.6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

1Thes.1.8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
1Thes.1.10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Followers of the churches of God

1Thes.2.6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

1Thes.2.12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
1Thes.2.14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

In the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

1Thes.2.15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
1Thes.2.19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

Abound in love one toward another

1Thes.3.2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
1Thes.3.8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
1Thes.3.11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
1Thes.3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

1Thes.3.13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

The dead in Christ shall rise first

1Thes.4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
1Thes.4.2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1Thes.4.6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1Thes.4.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Thes.4.15 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.
1Thes.4.16 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:
1Thes.4.17 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.

The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night

1Thes.5.2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Thes.5.9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Thes.5.10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Thes.5.12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

Your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless

1Thes.5.18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Thes.5.23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Thes.5.28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven

2Thes.1.1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Thes.1.2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Thes.1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Thes.1.8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

With everlasting destruction

2Thes.1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

2Thes.1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
2Thes.1.12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Destruction with the brightness of his coming

2Thes.2.1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Thes.2.2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2Thes.2.8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Everlasting consolation and good hope

2Thes.2.13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2Thes.2.14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Thes.2.16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

But the Lord is faithful

2Thes.3.1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2Thes.3.3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2Thes.3.4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

2Thes.3.5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

That with quietness they work,

2Thes.3.6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
2Thes.3.12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Thes.3.16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
2Thes.3.18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.