Dylan Johnson – Allen
BBST 103
Michelle Lee-Barnwell
Exegesis Paper 1
In this exegesis paper, “1 Thess. 4:13-18 – The coming of the Lord” will be the passage of scripture broken down approximately from 8 to 10 pages, within 7 categories; Genre, Historical Background, Literacy Context, Big Idea, Questions or Observations, Interpretation, and Application. Let us begin
Genre:
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, ar the fourteen books of the testament, composed of letters that are usually attributed to Paul the Apostle, albeit authorship of some is in hand. Among these letters are a number of the earliest living Christian documents. they provide a perception into the beliefs and controversies of early Christianity and as a part of the canon of the testament, they're foundational texts for each theological system and ethics. The letter to the Hebrews, albeit it doesn't bear his name, was traditionally thought of Pauline for cardinal years, but from the sixteenth century forwards opinion increasingly rapt con to Pauline authorship and few pupils currently judge it to Paul, oft thanks to the actual fact it will not scan like every of his different epistles in fashion and content.
Epistles area unit letters of the New Testament that were written to explicit folks or gatherings for specific desires and functions. The traveler Paul, let's say, would detain bit with the Romans to portray Christian confidence although 1st Corinthians word to deal with problems that might happen. These books to boot utilized these letters as a way to likewise support and guide a young church pioneer in an exceedingly difficult spot of his life, prime example, an adolescent was named Timothy. missive letters composed when the event which suggests the most method Paul would write these letters was a result of true that occurred before the message being written. These principles seem to be most relevant in the passages written towards the Thessalonians by Paul. Support by principles, research, and memorization from notes taken thus far, both 1st and 2nd Thessalonians prove to have a rightful place in the genre of “Epistles”
Historical Background:
Paul wrote his initial letter to the Thessalonian church from a town of Corinth around AD fifty-one, simply a number of months when having preached in an urban center on his second missionary journey. Upon going away urban center beneath force, Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveled to Athens by manner of Berea. however when a brief time in Athens, Paul felt the requirement to receive a report from the newborn church in an urban center, thus he sent Timothy back. Paul needed to envision on the state of the Thessalonians’ religion, for worry that false academics may need to be infiltrated their range. However, Timothy shortly came back with a decent report, prompting Paul to pen one Thessalonians as a letter of encouragement to the new believers. each one and a couple of Thessalonians was written from Corinth throughout the apostle’s eighteen-month keep in this town (cf. Acts 18:1-11). the primary missive was written throughout the sooner a part of that amount simply when Timothy had come back from an urban center with news of the progress of the church. The second letter was sent simply a number of weeks (or at the foremost a number of months) later. Any date appointed can be approximate, tho' in all probability A.D. 51-52. the aim and burden of the apostle in writing to the Thessalonians are often summarized as follows: to specific his gratitude for what God was doing within the lives of the Thessalonians (1:2-3), to defend himself against a campaign to slander his ministry (2:1-12), to encourage them to square quick against ill-usage and pressure to revert to their former pagan lifestyles (3:2-3; 4:1-12), to answer a belief question referring to the fate of Christians WHO had died (4:1-13), to answer queries concerning the “Day of the Lord” (5:1-11), and to handle bound issues that had developed in their company life as a church (5:12-13; 19-20).
First Thessalonians is that the eighth of Paul’s letters. Of the twenty-seven testament books, Paul wrote thirteen. 9 of those books are letters to native churches (like the one in Thessalonica).
Paul opens his letter commending the Thessalonians for his or her “work of religion,” “labor of affection,” and “steadfastness of hope” (1 Thes 1:3)—themes that echo throughout his letter. Paul writes to cue, encourage, and instruct them regarding a number of areas of interest
Paul had sent Timothy to them, and Timothy had come back with a glowing report. The Jews in the urban center had opposed Christianity since it came to town (Acts 17:5), and also the church there had come back beneath ill-usage from their own countrymen. However, despite this suffering, the Thessalonians stood firm in their convictions. Paul commends them: they're following the samples of Paul, the church elders in the geographical area, and even the Lord Logos Himself (1 Thes 1:6). Paul communicates his pride within the Thessalonians, even occupation them his glory, hope, joy, and crown (1 Thes 2:19–20). He was each mother and father to the present church (1 Thes 2:7, 11), and he loves them dearly.
The church was setting a fine example (1 Thes 1:7), and Paul challenges them to try and do additional and additional (1 Thes 4:1). He reminds them of the hope of Christ’s come (1 Thes 4:13–5:11) and lists ways that to act till He will (1 Thes 5:12–24).
Literary Context:
The context of this passage begins with Paul spoken language that “we,” that means Paul, Silas, and Timothy, didn't wish the Thessalonians to be ignorant over “those WHO area unit asleep” (v.13). The living believers gave the impression to are disquieted regarding people who had already died, most likely inquisitive if they were about to miss out at Christ’s returning.
Some of the Hellene Christians have died associate degreed their friends and relations an area unit disquieted regarding their position once Christ returns: can their death place them at a drawback compared with people who area unit still alive? Paul’s primary purpose in writing isn't to enunciate philosophical system, however, to reassure them in respect of this; to try and do thus he has but to inform them one thing additional regarding the parousia: there's no have to be compelled to worry for once Saviour comes he can have the dead with him (vv.13f); he confirms this with an adage of the Lord which incorporates an outline of the Second Coming of Christ (vv. 15-17)
Although we tend to cannot settle such extensive matters during this context, we tend to should note that our gift passage doesn't appear to lift the event pictured in vv. 16-17 joined preceding a breakaway the Second Coming of Christ, the day of the Lord (cf. 5:4-9). First, in v. fifteen Paul expressly termed the event he was describing the “coming” (parousia) of the Lord and connected a similar term with a judicial decision (2 Thess 2:8; cf. one Thess 2:19). Since Paul didn't predict 2 Second Coming of Christ, then the one event should include each the gathering of the church and judicial decision. Second, v. seventeen doesn't need the removal of the church from the globe. It is, in fact, open-ended, describing nothing on the far side the gathering of the church, on the other hand, the actual fact of constant within the presence of the Lord. Finally, vv. 15-17 appear to be forged in language and pictures portraying the arrival of a grand high muckamuck. The heralds announce his returning. The crowds surge out of their town to fulfill him and celebrate his arrival. At this time, such a high muckamuck wouldn't take the group with him and leave. Rather, the group would escort him into the town. In alternative words, the foremost doubtless thanks to complete the situation Paul painted is by presumptuous that once grouping his folks Christ wouldn't leave however would proceed along with his Second Coming of Christ. What our passage depicts isn't the removal of the church, however, the first stages of the day of the Lord
Here is the comfort for the relations and friends of these WHO die within the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we tend to might express emotion for our own loss, although it should be their gain. Christianity doesn't forbid, and charm doesn't escape our natural affections. nevertheless, we tend to should not be excessive in our sorrows; this can be an excessive amount of like people who haven't any hope of a much better life. Death is associate degree unknown factor, and that we understand very little regarding the state once death; nevertheless the doctrines of the resurrection and therefore the Second Advent of Christ, area unit a remedy against the concern of death, and undue sorrow for the death of our Christian friends; and of those doctrines we've full assurance.
Big Idea:
Paul reminds the church to have hope within Death for those who believe in Christ, informing the Thessalonians how Jesus resurrected they will be resurrected through His 2nd coming.
Questions or Observations:
What verses in 1&2 Thessalonians show US that they believed and hoped within the Savior’s return?
Why would a Thessalonians grief diverge from one WHO didn't grasp Christ?
Where in Scripture will we discover facilitate to grasp what Paul is locution here?
What will happen once Christ returns?
How will the rapture have an effect on our daily lives?
What direct application did Paul provide to his readers?
How will it influence our lives?
Interpretation:
Whatever Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy announced whereas they were with the Thessalonians, it seems to possess left the Thessalonians with the impression that the instant once Christ would come back to introduce the reign of God was close. then a drag arose: a number of the Thessalonians died. This left them with an unclear downside. What would happen to people who had died? Would they be excluded from participation within the new creation?
This doubtless left the Thessalonians concernedly not just for people who had died, except for people who were still alive: what if they, too, ought to die before the approaching of Christ? Would they even be excluded, and, if so, what hope did this provide them within the present?
That this issue is primarily a matter of hope is signaled by the incidence of the language of hope among the letter. within the gap prayer of thanksgiving, the Thessalonians are praised for his or her "work of religion and labor of affection and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Christ Christ" (1:3). once Timothy returns from his visit with the Thessalonians, however, he brings news solely of their religion and love; no mention is created of their hope (3:6). Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy thus write to clarify matters, so the Thessalonians might not grieve as those do WHO haven't any hope (4:13).
What they describe in 4:13-18 presumptively instilled new hope within the Thessalonians. For us, however, it's going to merely sound strange. What are we tend to create of this apocalyptic state of affairs within which Christ descends from the clouds with a cry of command, and therefore the sound of a trumpet, and lifts the trustworthy up into heaven? ar we tend to needed to require this at face price as an outline of what's to come?
It may be useful to acknowledge during this language a challenge to imperial Rome. Christ is delineated incoming with exactly constant pageantry Associate in Nursing fanfare that may announce the arrival of an imperial courier or perhaps the emperor himself, a happening that was usually in the midst of a declaration of "good news" The relevance "peace and security" in 5:3 additional underscores the imperial context: the reign of Gaius Octavianus is claimed to possess established the 'Pax Romana' (the peace of Rome). reflective this, Roman coins bore the inscription 'peace and security'.
The description of the approaching of Christ, then, is maybe supposed less as a literal description than united supposed to assure the Thessalonians that the guarantees of God were insured by an influence even bigger than that of Rome. Further, that true peace and security (and hope) are found in God, not in Rome that established peace and security through force of would possibly. The Thessalonians, therefore, were inspired to place on a plate armor of religion and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation (5:8) and to let God be the supply of their peace (5:23) for "The one WHO calls you is trustworthy, and he (God) can do this" (5:24)
What is the great word that we'd like to hear? In therefore respects it's going to not be so totally different from the great word that the Thessalonians required to hear: 2 thousand years later, we tend to still search for signs which will assure U.S.A. that God has not forgotten the U.S.A., that we are going to not be 'left behind', that we are going to not be separated forever from people who have already died. And, as time marches on, we tend to could notice ourselves putting additional and additional hope and confidence in governmental powers that, by force of would possibly, seem to supply U.S.A. peace and security as we tend to with patience look forward to God.
In this context, it would be comforting to receive a vision of Christ returning down, with a cry of command, the archangel's decision and therefore the sound of a trumpet, however maybe all we actually want is solely the peace of mind that the ability and therefore the promise delineated by that state of affairs is real. wanting Christ returning down from the sky, however, will we grasp this is often real, real enough to supply us. the hope we'd like to induce by every day?
Ultimately, we tend to should ever speak to the present out of our own expertise. For myself, I notice this hope within the very little things instead of the apocalyptic situations. nevertheless, they're things that also are known within the letter: within the encouragement we tend to receive from each other (4:18; 5:14); within the apply of praying while not ceasing (5:17) so I learn to measure within the presence of God; of discovering how of giving thanks, notwithstanding the circumstances (5:18) as a result of this helps American state to check God at add all circumstances; in not turning into self-satisfied, however keeping awake even after I would favor numbing my senses through alcohol, mindless tv shows, or looking sprees; in trying to recognize what it means that to measure by the grace and peace of Christ so I'll attach to what's smart and abstain from evil (5:22-23).
Through these little things, lived day by day, the ability and presence of God become real, as real as Christ returning down out of the sky, and offers American state hope to face every new day with bravery.
Application:
We should recall that the numerous reason for these verses is that the comfort for Christians in perspective of the delight of the Church and therefore the restoration of Believers. As we have a tendency to carry on living during a fallen and sin-ridden world, we have a tendency to need the solace of God's revealing viewing our future as professors in Christ. For Christians, the people United Nations agency trust that Jew died and rose over again. The comfort from distress is lastly known with what is future since we have a tendency to comprehend that we have a tendency to board a corrupt world with all that living in such a world suggests that. In any case, an excellent future lies ahead, and meantime, we have a tendency to square measure to measure as sojourners, as outsiders on task, as ministers of the Savior.
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