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Overview
“Has Jesus already returned?” That was the rumor circulating in Thessalonica. Had they missed it? Uncertainty had thrown their future into question, their hope into doubt. Fear and anxiety hovered at the edges of the fledgling community. Paul wrote to restore their confidence and set the record straight. When fear, anxiety, or doubt threaten to set your faith adrift, 2 Thessalonians will help to anchor your hope and steady your resolve.
LifeChange
LifeChange Bible studies will help you grow in Christlikeness through a life-changing encounter with God’s Word. Filled with a wealth of ideas for going deeper so you can return to this study again and again.
Features
- Cover the book of 2 Thessalonians in 7 lessons
- Equip yourself to lead a Bible study
- Imagine the Bible’s historical world
- Study word origins and definitions
- Explore thoughtful questions on key themes
- Go deeper with optional projects
- Find the flexibility to fit the time you have
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781641580908 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The Navigators |
| Publication date: | 08/07/2018 |
| Series: | LifeChange |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 96 |
| Sales rank: | 323,252 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
The Navigators is an interdenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people "know Christ and make Him known” as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives.
Navigators have invested their lives in people for more than seventy-five years, coming alongside them life on life to study the Bible, develop a deepening prayer life, and memorize and apply Scripture, The ultimate goal is to equip Christ followers to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2—to teach what they have learned to others.
Today, tens of thousands of people worldwide are coming to know and grow in Jesus Christ through the various ministries of The Navigators. Internationally, more than 4,600 Navigator staff of 70 nationalities serve in more than 100 countries.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF 2 THESSALONIANS
Imagine receiving a letter from a trusted friend, one who has been through what you're going through and is offering valuable advice. You might take several approaches to the letter. You may read it through quickly, looking for first impressions and any news. You then read it a second time, taking time to savor it. After setting it aside, you may read it a third time, with pen in hand for note-taking and a considered response.
This overview lesson is like that. It asks you to read and reread this brief letter several times, each time with a different purpose or approach.
First impressions
1. a. Read through 2 Thessalonians quickly, looking for the overall message and first impressions. Is there any good news worth shouting about?
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b. Any bad news worth watching out for?
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c. Any concerns to pray about?
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d. What other reactions or impressions do you have after reading it?
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2. a. Read Paul's letter again, this time more slowly. What do you notice about his mood? (Is he hopeful? Formal? Concerned? Thankful? Stern?)
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b. Do you detect any shifts in mood? (Where? Why?)
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3. Think about how Paul communicates his message. How would you describe the style or delivery of this letter? (Sermonic? Argumentative? Personal?)
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4. a. Repetition, or how often an author uses certain words or phrases, gives a clue to the author's intent in writing a letter. What words or phrases occur over and over? (Hint: Don't get hung up on the exact wording used, as this may vary from translation to translation. Instead go for broad themes.)
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b. What main themes or topics are suggested by these repeated words?
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Broad outline
5. Read through 2 Thessalonians a third time (preferably in a different translation). Think of a short sentence that captures the main point or gives a title to paragraph divisions or other bite-size Scripture portions. The first one is done for you. (Paragraph divisions, even verse numbers and sentence punctuation, were not in the original Greek or Hebrew manuscripts, but were added centuries later for ease of reading. The divisions in your Bible may differ from the ones given here.)
After titling the smaller portions, give an overall title to each chapter or main block of Scripture.
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1:1-2 Paul, Silas, and Timothy greet believers at Thessalonica
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1:5-7a __________________________________
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1:7b-10 _________________________________
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1:11-12 _________________________________
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2:1-17 _________________________________
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2:1-2 __________________________________
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2:3-8 __________________________________
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2:9-10 _________________________________
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2:11-12 ________________________________
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2:13-15 _________________________________
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2:16-17 _________________________________
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3:1-18 __________________________________
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3:1-2 ___________________________________
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3:3-5 ___________________________________
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3:6-10 __________________________________
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3:11-15 _________________________________
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3:16-18 _________________________________
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After doing this outline procedure on your own, compare your outlines with each other and with the sample outline and chart provided (see pages 26 and 27). There is no single correct answer, so discuss in your group why you prefer one sentence summary over another.
6. Drawing from your own first impressions and outline summaries, what do you think was Paul's purpose(s) for writing this letter? (Hint: Wherever the author pauses to address his audience as "brothers and sisters," he is accenting a main point.)
1:3 _____________________________________
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2:1-2 ___________________________________
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2:13 ____________________________________
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2:15 ____________________________________
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3:1 _____________________________________
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3:6 _____________________________________
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Overall theme ___________________________
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7. If you have not already done so, read the historical background on pages 9–15 of this study guide. Did the introductory material get you to rethink some of your presumptions about the text? Explain.
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8. In your readings of 2 Thessalonians, what concepts did you come across that you are curious about and will warrant further study in the weeks to come? Jot down your questions below. (Some of your questions may be answered later in this study guide. The resources listed on pages 83–87 may help you answer the tougher questions.)
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Your response
9. What does your group have in common with the original readers and hearers of 2 Thessalonians? (Note: Readers today might have a different purpose for studying the letter than the author had in addressing his original readers.)
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10. Of all the things Paul was telling his audience to do, what could God be leading you and your group to do in the next several weeks? (See the "For the group" section.)
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For the group
Warm-up. The beginning of a new group study is a good time to lay a proper foundation for honest sharing of personal goals and concerns, as well as insights from your Bible study. One way to establish common ground is to share what each member hopes to get out of this study of 2 Thessalonians. As you take several minutes to share your hopes and expectations, have someone write them down. Weeks from now you can look back at these goals to see if they are being met.
Discussion. Take turns sharing some of your "first impressions" (questions 1–4 in this lesson). Sharing from your notes will help members get comfortable with each other, and establish common ground for your study.
Likewise, take several minutes sharing your sentence summaries or titles (question 5), as well as any comparisons and insights gained from looking at the 2 Thessalonians chart on pages 26 and 27.
Don't try to harmonize all your answers, but discuss your differences. Learn why you prefer one sentence summary over another.
Consider the occasion or purpose of this letter (questions 6 and 7). What difficult concepts would the original readers and hearers of 2 Thessalonians have readily understood, but which you will need more time and in-depth study to understand (question 8)? Take your last ten minutes to share concerns. This input will affect how your group should pace future studies.
Wrap-up. Pray about how your group will blend your different strengths and backgrounds. Some of you will have strong analytic skills, others of you will be good at facilitating group discussion, or driving home a point of application. Give thanks that God has put your group together and be willing to help each other. Don't be embarrassed to give and request help. That's why you're studying this as a group, and not just as individuals.
How you divide the time spent in individual and group study will vary according to the group size and purpose, your members' familiarity with Bible study methods, the willingness of group members to do homework, and the optional questions in the margins. The number of weeks you want to spend on the overall book study will also guide the decision on how to pace the group.
A good rule of thumb for this opening overview study is to allot twenty minutes for individual study and note-taking, and twenty minutes for sharing your first impressions and outline summaries. The remainder of your hour can be spent in reviewing individual expectations and setting group goals.
This timeline assumes you assigned the "How to Use This Study" and the "Introduction" material as homework prior to this group session. If not, you will need another twenty minutes to review that.
Chart of 2 Thessalonians
Purpose: To encourage believers to persevere in faith, loving others as Christ did, working diligently, resisting evil, and hoping in the Lord's return — all so that believers might be worthy of and sure of God's calling.
1:1-12 The Lord's Return Gives Impetus for Christian Growth
1:1-2 Paul, Silas, and Timothy greet believers at Thessalonica
1:3-4 Thessalonians are growing in faith and love, amidst trials
1:5-7a God's judgments are right and just and merciful
1:7b-10 Unbelief and disobedience will be punished at the Lord's return
1:11-12 Those worthy of God's calling glorify Jesus by their faith
2:1-17 A Misunderstanding About the Lord's Return
2:1-2 The Lord has not already come and passed them by
2:3-8 Blasphemous "man of lawlessness" is revealed and restrained
2:9-10 Satan deceives those who refuse the truth about Christ
2:11-12 God uses the big "lie" to punish unbelief and wickedness
2:13-15 Those loved, chosen, and saved by God's Spirit obey the truth
2:16-17 God's grace stirs up hope, faith, and love
3:1-18 A Lifestyle Befitting the Lord's Return
3:1-2 Paul asks prayer for deliverance from faithless, evil people
3:3-5 God protects us from the Evil One
3:6-10 Paul condemns idleness, exemplifies what it means to work
3:11-15 Paul warns against idle busybodies
3:16-18 Paul extends grace and peace from Christ
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "2 Thessalonians"
by .
Copyright © 2014 The Navigators.
Excerpted by permission of NavPress.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Lesson 1:
Overview of 2 ThessaloniansLesson 2: Good Works Worthy of God's Calling
Lesson 3: The Day of the Lord
Lesson 4: Truth and Consequences
Lesson 5: Answers to Prayer
Lesson 6: No Work, No Food
Lesson 7: Final Words and Review
Study Aids