Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your email inbox.
You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-3
1 Wherefore [dio] when we could [stego] no longer [meketi] forbear, [stego] we thought it good [eudokeo] to be left [kataleipo] at [en] Athens [Athenai] alone; [monos]
2 And [kai] sent [pempo]Timotheus,
[Timotheos] our [hemon] brother, [adelphos] and [kai] minister [diakonos] of God, [theos] and [kai] our [hemon]fellowlabourer[sunergos] in [en] the gospel [euaggelion] of Christ, [Christos] to [eis] establish [sterizo] you, [humas] and [kai] to comfort [parakaleo] you [humas] concerning [peri] your [humon] faith: [pistis]
3 That no man [medeis] should be moved [saino] by [en] these [tautais] afflictions: [thlipsis] for [gar] yourselves [autos] know [eido] that [hoti] we are appointed [keimai] thereunto [eis]. [touto]KJV-Interlinear
1 Therefore when we could endure
it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone; 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's
fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to
your faith, 3 so that no man may be
disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been
destined for this. NASB
The history of Pauls travels and experiences in
Thessalonica, Athens and Corinth are found in Acts 17-18.
When driven out of
Thessalonica, he made his way to Athens and then to Corinth.But while in Athens, Paul deeply desired to
return to the Thessalonians, but was prevented because of apparent threats on
his life.Which threats are not
detailed, but the persecutions had to have been of a major magnitude that would
prevent Paul from returning.
And, even though we do
not know the details of his persecutions, they were not apparently intended for
Timothy or Silas or others as they seemed to travel back and forth reasonably
freely and without threat.
In Acts 18 we know that
Paul received a communication from God, reassuring him about his life, and to
keep on speaking the gospel and doctrine, as he was.
So from these events,
we can reasonably assume that the threats were very real, and very dangerous,
and that they concerned Paul greatly.And, that everyone back then, was aware of them and other folks in
general had great concerns for Pauls
welfare.Paul herein reassures folks to
not worry about him, but that his life was destined for these things.
These things obviously
being the teaching of the gospel, of doctrine, of writing doctrine, which we
are enjoying today, and that the threats against him were also a part of his
destiny, and included in Gods plan in detail, for his
life.
And with that I would
like to make an observation for you.
Your life is not by
accident, but was preplanned by God. There is nothing in life that will occur, regarding
you, that is by accident or unexpected, but by design.
And even though you
will make your own decisions (good ones and bad ones) from day to day, and
others in this world will make decisions, which will affect you directly or
indirectly, they are all a part of Gods detailed plan for you and all of us.
There are three very
important people in your life.
Jesus Christ who died
to save your soul, the soldier who died to save your freedom, and the believer
who died to this world to preserve Gods blessing for
your life.
Believers who are
advancing in their spiritual life will encounter many persecutions.They will encounter pressures from their own
wants and needs, pressures from other people, pressures from the bureaucracies
of the world, and pressures from the many environmental or physical or nature
related events and circumstances.
They will be unknown,
unheralded, and easily forgotten.
But their purpose in
this world is to glorify God, through their pursuit of, and obedience to, Bible
doctrine, and through their endurance of the many unfair circumstances that
exist in the world.
No matter who you are,
or what you know, or what you have accomplished in your life, none of it would
have been possible were it not for these three individuals (Christ, soldiers,
and positive believers), who have gone before you and paved the way through
Gods grace, for your life.
Previous Page
Table of Contents
Donation
Next Page
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
If you enjoy these Bible Studies, please consider making a Donation
Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your inbox.