Well, reading from 1 Thessalonians 1 and verses 2 through 5, we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father. Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. Amen. Father, we thank you for this, your Word. And as we go through this book, I pray that you would keep my lips from error and enable all of us to just rejoice in the provisions that we have in Christ Jesus. We bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, just a little bit of background on 1 Thessalonians. Paul planted the church of Thessalonica in Acts chapter 17, and it was in the beginning part of the year AD 51, which would have been on his second missionary journey. And I want to read the first 10 verses of Acts 17, just so you can see the kind of tough neighbors that these Christians had. They received a lot of persecution. It was not a fun neighborhood to be in. Acts 17, beginning to read at verse 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying, this Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded. And a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. So there were some Jews who believed, and subsequently there was a huge crowd of Gentiles who came to Christ. Verse five, but the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar. Uh-oh, they've managed to turn the entire city against them. Set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, these who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there was another king, Jesus. Isn't it weird that the very people who turn the world upside down, tear it apart, burn buildings down, are the ones who call us peaceful ones, the ones turning the world upside down. Just the way it is. Anyway, verse 8. And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. these were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scripture daily to find out whether these things were so. Now turn down to verse 13. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the Word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, They came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away to go to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens, and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. So the Jews really were using unfair Antipha-type tactics to turn the Gentiles against the Christians, and based on Acts 17, some commentators believe that Paul was only able to stay in Thessalonica for three weeks, and that's possible, but I believe that he was actually there for somewhere between two and four months, and I won't get into all of the arguments for that. But he ministered for three weeks to the Jews, and then he ministered long enough that there was what Paul calls a great multitude of Gentiles who also believed. And then we learn from the book of Philippians that the Philippians had twice sent funds to help Paul out while he's in Thessalonica, and that still was not enough, so he had to engage in tent making in order to support himself. That doesn't make any sense if he was only there for three weeks. And furthermore, when you look at some of the references to the ministry that Paul and Silvanus and Timothy had engaged in, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, It seems he was there for a much longer period of time, somewhere between two and four months. Couldn't be much more than four months probably, but he was there long enough to develop a very deep relationship with them. And this all happened before the riots. As soon as the riots came, they swept him out. Now, even though this book is not one of the pastoral epistles, technically, it sure has a lot to teach pastors about shepherding and loving the flock. In chapter 2, verse 7, Paul says, but we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. Then he switches images in verse 11, saying, as you know, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children. Now while elders are not surrogate parents by any stretch of the imagination, Paul and other authors indicate that there is some similarity between dad the family shepherd and the shepherding that goes on in the church. There's some similarity between the sacrifices that a mother makes and the sacrifices that elders should make. And Paul teaches on the reciprocal love that members and elders should have for each other. It's very beautiful imagery. And so I've divided the whole book up into two parts. Chapters 1 through 3 show a pastor's heart for his church, and chapters 4 through 5 show a pastor's burden for the continuing problems that his sheep are facing. So he's basically watching over his sheep to make sure that they don't get savaged. There doesn't seem to be a lot of controversy on that two-fold division. reflecting Paul's pastoral heart, and I should have probably put it on the image on there, but he inserts prayers at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the book, and it just makes for a really beautiful structure. Now, I'm not gonna get into all the reasons for why Paul decided to plant a church in Thessalonica, though it does fit in with his strategy of planting churches in the most influential cities of Rome, and then those would be places where everything would spread out But he did this even though everything looked like it was going to go up into flames. Okay. He went into every lion's den of every province to flush the demons out. And of course, sometimes he gets chased out of a town like he did at Thessalonica. Anyway, with that as a background, let's dive into the book. I want to first of all look at the pastor's heart for his people. Chapter one focuses on the church that he loved, while chapter two looks at the apostles' ministry, and then chapter three looks at Timothy's report on the church, and that's going to introduce the second half of the book very, very neatly. All of Paul's epistles are this way. He's a very logical writer. Chapter one is a beautiful description of the church of Thessalonica. Because the book as a whole is going to be giving pastoral concerns, he doesn't just give greetings from himself, he gives greetings from the two pastors who also ministered with him, Silvanus and Timothy, and he comforts the saints in verse one, that they are in God and in Christ, and he pronounces further grace and peace upon them. And I want you to notice something from Paul's epistles that I think we ought to imitate, Rarely does Paul lead with problems. When he's writing, there's usually problems that need to be addressed, but rarely does he lead with problems, nor should we. He usually leads with things that they can share in common. And he gives a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving on their behalf in verses 2 through 4, or it might be more accurate to say he tells them what he was praying on their behalf. And I think it's good for us to let each other know, look, I've been praying for you on this and that that's been going on in your life, just so that there is this kind of connectionalism And Paul, when you look at his prayer, you realize that he definitely had a pastoral heart. He knows his sheep. He values them. He looks at them the way that God does. He has faith that God will keep working in them. So he starts with thanksgiving. He moves on to remembering what God had done in their past. It's always good for us to remember all of the good that God has done in people's lives before we start pointing out their errors. And what a beautiful remembrance it is. Look at verses 5 through 6. but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake and you became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. I just love those verses. In those verses he recognizes the power of God that had been at work in their life and he tells them about the power because many times it's easy when you got so many troubles going on in your life to wonder Where is God? Has God been working in my life? And he says, yes, God has been at work in your life. And then he goes on to say, hey, others have recognized God's work in your life as well. We need these reminders. Verses 7 through 9. So that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord is sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything, for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God. So he's encouraging them. He's building them up. He's joyful on their behalf. He's positive before he brings up anything negative. And brothers and sisters, I think we need to learn to do this more and more. When people are discouraged, give them a scriptural perspective on their problems and share with them what they have meant to you. And if other people have spoken praise on their behalf, tell them, you know, so-and-so just really appreciates this about you. It's important that it's not just the officers that be encouraging. All of us need to encourage one another, just like these Macedonians were such encouragers. Now, the last verse of chapter one introduces a theme that will be repeated throughout the book, and that is that the saints are waiting for Jesus to come and do something soon. He's not talking about people 2,000 years later. He's talking about these newly converted Thessalonians whom he taught, quote, to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. So which wrath to come are they going to be delivered from? Well if you just skip ahead to chapter 2 verse 16 he tells you, Speaking about the Jews who had killed Jesus and persecuted Paul, it says, Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. It was about to fall, and even though Paul had instructed these people like he did others, that they were going to be going through the Great Tribulation, there was no escaping the Great Tribulation, They would never have to face the wrath of God that was about to be poured out upon Israel and the Roman Empire. And we'll get more on that in chapter four. But he's not talking here in chapter one, verse 10 about Christ's coming at the end of history. He's talking about the imminent coming that Jesus had promised in the first half of Matthew 24. where Jesus said he would come within that generation, before that generation had passed away. In fact, the word for wait, if you look it up in the dictionary, means to wait expectantly. Mount says it's got an imminency about it, something that's about to happen, okay? They're gonna experience it. But in chapter two, Paul transitions to remembering his ministry in that church. And this is a chapter that I believe every young pastor, actually every older pastor, should meditate deeply upon. We won't have time to apply everything in these verses, but as I read these sections, some of these sections at least, let me make just a few highlights. Verse one, for you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. Ministers of the gospel do not want their ministry to be in vain. They want fruit. It grieves us when we preach our hearts out and the word just bounces off of hard hearts, but we get energized. We get very encouraged when people immediately embrace the changes that God wants in their lives. It's exciting to counsel people who are eager to adopt it. Verse two, but even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, We were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict." Churches today are still in much conflict. Certainly not as bad in America as other parts of the world, but it is heating up. Kathy and I have been listening to Virgil Walker, who's right here in Omaha. I didn't even realize there was a Reformed pastor right here. But Virgil Walker and Daryl Harrison have a podcast that's really cool. They get into the Puritans and BLM, all the current events. But one of the things that he has been recently saying, and these are both black pastors, you really ought to listen to them. They're fantastic. But they've been saying the church of today lacks a theology of suffering. We completely lack a theology of suffering. Verse 3, for our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. So Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy always sought to maintain those three things, accuracy in their preaching, purity in life, and integrity in their motives. And those are three things that must once again become hallmarks of preachers today. accuracy in preaching. We don't just tell people what they want to hear. We must preach exactly what God calls us to preach, even if that gets us in trouble, as it most surely got Paul in trouble with the Jews. The persecutors nowadays that have made pastor after pastor intimidated into softening their message are the LGBTQ mafia, the BLM intimidators, and other political correctness police. Leon Morris says that the second word may seem shocking, that Paul would even say that about himself and the other pastors, but he says, this does not go without saying, because uncleanness means sexual immorality. Why would you speak about that with a pastor? Well, just as Thessalonica was rife with sexual allurements, There are so many pastors in America that have fallen, fallen out of the ministry because of their involvement in pornography. And so pray, pray these words into the pastors of America. I appreciate very much the ministry of Franklin Graham yesterday, you know, and the rally, the kinds of prayers that they were praying on behalf of the church. They're recognizing the church is in deep trouble spiritually and we need a wake-up call. We need such solemn assemblies of prayer. Now the Greek of the last word refers to catching fish with bait. Leon Morris states, the wandering sophists and jugglers resorted to all sorts of devices to attract people and so get their money. Not so the preachers. They had not tried to ensnare their hearers. So Paul was not a part of the secret sensitive movement that only preached what people wanted to hear. He didn't try to lure people in with gimmicks. You lure them in with gimmicks, you're going to have to continue to use gimmicks to keep them there, right? And I will need to move on very, very quickly to get through the whole book, but I want to give you just enough so you get the feel that yes, this is a chapter that every pastor really needs to meditate upon and make a part of their lives. I'll just start reading at verse 4 without comment, and I think you'll see this. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness. God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives. because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preach to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses in God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe, as you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. So those three ministers served for God's glory and they wanted each member to be made mature in Christ Jesus. I'll just mention concerning the last verse Even though the kingdom had come in 8030, there is some way in which repeatedly in Paul's epistles, he's anticipating something different about the kingdom after 8070. And I've preached about that enough at length in the past, I won't get into it. But 8070 was a critical time. Anyway, when each of these characteristics listed become the characteristics of our ministry, Yes, we'll receive backlash, but the elect will rejoice in it. Verse 13 shows that we need to treat the Bible as a powerful tool that works effectively in the hearers. We don't need to go to psychology or other humanistic wisdom to get people to change. The weapons of our warfare are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We don't need to manipulate with tear-jerking stories and illustrations. Yes, those can be used, but it's the Word and the Word of God alone that has that power to transform people's lives. But now comes another description of the coming of Christ in AD 70. It's definitely a coming designed to deal with the first century Jewish persecutors, such as we read about in Acts 17, beginning at verse 14 here. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, when they do not please God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. So Paul is indicating that the bucket of their sins had filled up to the point where God was not going to tolerate it anymore. He was going to pour out his wrath. So the day of the Lord, kind of wrath and judgment that this book is talking about, is an imminent day of wrath that would destroy the Jews and scatter them to the four winds. And God has not broken His promises. But I want you to notice what gives Paul joy in the face of this Jewish persecution. It was really these believers. It's kind of a test of a pastor's heart. The joke among some pastors is the ministry would be great if it wasn't for the people. And Paul does not have that attitude at all. He rejoiced. He gloried in each one of the saints at Thessalonica. Verse 17 says, he longed to see them face to face on earth. Verse 18 says, but I couldn't. I tried again and again to come and I was not able to do that. But he knows that even if he can't see them on the earth, he will see them in heaven. Verse 19, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming? For you are our glory and joy. Now he's gonna deal with that coming a little bit more in chapter four, but he's introducing the idea that all of us are going to be in the presence of the Lord, which is an incredibly comforting doctrine. Some must have thought that if you didn't make it, you know, at the resurrection in 8070, that you would have to, when you die, go down to Hades. like they did in the Old Testament, and wait for thousands of years before you'd be reunited with your family, and God says, no, no. Even though everybody's taken out of Hades, and even though their bodies were resurrected, or will be from Paul's vantage point in 80, 70, anybody who dies after that will also be joined in the presence of the Lord in heaven. So words of comfort. But in chapter three, Paul shows his pastor's heart by beginning to interact with some of Timothy's report. And some of the report was positive. Some of it was negative. So this is a slightly negative half or section here. But first of all, he deals with the suffering. He brings them comfort. He expresses his concern. He shows them hope. And I think this, too, is a good model for pastors. And this is why I say that even though it's not one of the pastoral epistles, there is so much in the book of 1 Thessalonians to train pastors on what it takes to be a good minister of the gospel. But look at the anxious concern Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy had for what these saints were going through. And also notice the reminders that he gives of how to face it faithfully, beginning to read at chapter 3, verse 1. Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain. Paul does not want a single sheep to be lost. Because they were going through the beginnings of the tribulation a little bit earlier than in some sections of the empire, Paul is so anxious about their state that he says he could hardly endure the suspense. Pastors should have this kind of care and concern for the sheep. It should drive them in their shepherding. By the way, the word mellow is used in verse four. Unfortunately, the new King James a lot of times just ignores the word, does not translate it at all. But mellow means about to. So Paul had previously warned them that the tribulation was about to come upon them. And then the next phrase he says, and that's exactly what happened. And so Paul, when he uses that word mellow, which means it's about to happen, he means it's about to happen because he had promised it'd be about to happen the beginning of AD 51. And it happened later on in AD 51. He had given them that warning. So it is a very, very important word in the New Testament. In verses six through eight, Paul says that he was so relieved to hear that they were continuing in faith and love. He reminds himself and them that they can only stand in the Lord, and he admonishes them to stand fast in the Lord. And again, this is a reminder to pastors that we must be Christocentric in our preaching. We must be gospel-oriented when it comes to the ethics that we are expecting people to follow. It's only in the Lord that it is possible. But in verses 9 through 10, he assures them that he rejoices in them before the Lord and he prays for them before the Lord. And he actually offers up a prayer in verses 11 through 13 that I think is a fine model of prayer and blessing. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Well, that brings us to the second half of the book, chapter 4, 4 through 5. where Paul shows a burden over their sins and their problems. Slightly negative, but not super negative. And let's dive into chapter four, where most of the controversies arise. First controversy isn't a big one, but there is differences of opinion on whether these verses deal with preparing for marriage or deal with marriage at all, or as some people think, it just means gaining control over your body so that you're not being controlled by your sexual desires. And that's the way ESV and some other translations translate verse four. And that's fine, they still have fantastic application, but I think there's a lot more going on. When it says in verse 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, I agree with those interpreters who say that it's talking about how to gain a wife in sanctification and honor. Now, that may seem strange to you, but let me just explain where they are going on this. The key to understanding this whole section is the meaning of two words in verse 4. The word to possess is katah amai, and it's defined this way in the dictionary. to gain possession of, procure for oneself, acquire, or get something you don't currently have. Well, that definition all by itself nullifies the other interpretation. The word does not mean controlling something you already have. You already have your body. Rather, it means getting something you don't currently have. You're wanting to get a vessel. You don't yet have that vessel. That's the point. The second word that needs to be understood is the meaning of that word vessel. The Greek word for vessel, skeuos, was frequently used as a Jewish idiom for a wife. For example, 1 Peter 3, 7 calls the wife the weaker vessel. Same word. So William Hendrickson translates this verse this way. How to take a wife for himself. Now, if this is true, and I am 100% convinced that it is true, then all of verses one through eight are telling us how to engage in courtship and later romance in a way that prevents you falling into sin. Let me read from seven more translations that interpret it in exactly that way. New American Bible translates it, that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself. God's Word translation has, finding a husband or wife for yourself is to be done in a holy and honorable way. TCNT has, taking one woman for his wife. Weymouth has, each of you shall know how to procure himself a wife. EBC has, his own wife. RSV has, how to take a wife for yourself. I'm reading these so you say, this is not just some weird idea. There are many translations that translate it that way. Jameson Fawcett Brown's commentary says, how to possess his vessel, rather as the Greek says, how to acquire, get for himself his own vessel, that is, that each should have his own wife so as to avoid fornication. 1 Thessalonians 4.3, 1 Corinthians 7.2. That's a pretty good goal. How to get to the marriage altar pure? How do we get to the marriage ceremony without falling into sin? And I want to give you eight guidelines that Paul gives. First, Paul is quite adamant in verse 3 that you abstain from sexual immorality. Now, the word sexual immorality is porneios, and it refers to any sexually stimulating contact outside of marriage. Song of Solomon makes it very clear that sexual contact is defined much, much broader than simply intercourse. And so just to be blunt, The Bible indicates that sexual immorality includes petting, foreplay, any other contact that arouses sexual desires outside of marriage. He said, don't do it. Second, Paul uses the word in sanctification to mean totally separated from the world, totally different from the world. That's the root meaning of that word sanctification. Christians should never enter into romantic relationships the way that the world does. Now, verse 5 is even more clear, more explicit, when it says, not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles, who do not know God. So we're not to be like the Gentiles in the way that we acquire a wife. They don't have any problems, you know, with pushing the envelope on touch, but we should. Third, verse four says that every man must acquire his own wife or vessel in honor. In honor. Anything that would dishonor this woman should be avoided. So a good question to ask is would I be embarrassed by what I did to her if she later married someone else? Fourth, during this stage when you're seeking to acquire a wife, verse five says do not arouse the passion of lust. That verse is not just prohibiting intercourse. It prohibits preliminary passions of lust from arising in the first place. So anything that arouses these passions must be scrupulously avoided. I mean, you can see Paul's giving brass tacks, very practical advice. Some people don't like it, but I don't think it's very hard to understand exactly what he is saying. Fifth. In verse 6, Paul commanded every believer to not take advantage of the person whom he is considering for marriage. Just because you yourself are not aroused by some form of physical touch does not mean that the other partner will not be. So sensitivity to the holiness of the other person must be heightened. Verse 6 says that the man who is seeking to acquire this woman must make sure that he does not, quote, defraud his brother in this matter of passions. Now that's an interesting instruction. So there is some male person other than himself that it's possible to defraud in this area of passions. What in the world is he talking about? Well, there are differences of opinion as to whether it's talking about the woman's father or whether it's talking about the woman's future husband. But because it's defrauding in the area of sexual passions and because only the future husband ever has any right to that, I do believe that it's talking about defrauding the future husband. The point is that the suitor must not take what is not yet his to take. He must not give or offer what is not yet his to offer. These are forms of defrauding. John Thompson states, but who is this brother that is being defrauded? It can only be the woman's future spouse. Leon Morris agrees. He says, the future partner of such a one has been defrauded. It reminds us that all sexual looseness represents an act of injustice to someone other than the two parties concerned. So he's basically saying, don't do anything with this woman that you would later regret if you don't end up marrying her. Now, Paul anticipates the flippancy of some who think that stealing kisses is no big deal. by warning them, no, this is serious stuff. Do not imitate your culture. Just because everybody's doing it does not mean you should be doing it. Here's what he says, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit. So he doesn't mince any words. This is serious stuff, and he has the authority to command it. Seventh, we're to avoid all uncleanness in our relationship, verse 7. Eighth, we are to actively pursue holiness in the relationship, verse 7. So basically what he is saying, we must have a God-centered perspective on our relationships when we are courting or when we are pursuing romance. It must be God-centered. Now, I've spent more time on this section simply because this is the area that people tend to fudge in. But moving on. And verses 9 through 12, Paul brings up a different area of love, specifically that people mistake love for you know, mooching off of other people. And he says, no, I mean, he was so subtle here that apparently some of the Thessalonians didn't get it. So he waxes eloquent and the second Thessalonians really gets on their case. And he says, no, some of you guys think you're so spiritual, you don't have to work. And he says, if a man will not work, neither shall he eat. No, that's just not the way it works. Don't be lazy is basically what he's saying. But now comes a topic of huge, huge controversy. And I have no illusions that I will say the last words on these verses. 1 Thessalonians 4 through 5 is a difficult passage on any view of eschatology. I still think that there are three very respectable, legitimate interpretations of chapter 4, verses 15 through 17. When I say legitimate, there's only one that could be right. But I'm just saying it doesn't flagrantly break, any of these three don't flagrantly break any rules of hermeneutics. So I want you to, I want to process through you why I've come to the position I've taken. But first of all, let me give you the three views. The least likely of the best three views is the one I abandoned about two years ago. Been pushed and pushed on this, and I finally realized it just does not hold water. Yet it's the one that most people hold to. It is that those three verses describe what happens to believers on the last day of history. There are four facts that have made me move away from that, including the chapters four through five. When you take them together, sure look like those who remain after the resurrection of verse 16 will die and then live. live again. That doesn't fit any view of the resurrection future to us, premill, aumill, or postmill. Now I won't 100% rule that out, there's probably ways of rescuing that view, but I will explain why I don't think it fits all the evidence. The second interpretation is that verse 16 refers to the first resurrection in AD 70, and verse 17 refers to the second resurrection on the last day of history. Now that does fit Paul's assertion that those who don't get raised in verse 16 will, as chapter 5 indicates, subsequently die and then live again. But there are other facts that it doesn't seem to fit, but it actually is a fairly strong option. The third interpretation that's becoming popular, and this is the one that I tentatively hold to, is that verse 16 tells us what happens to the bodies of those who died in AD 70. that body and soul will go to heaven, while verse 17 tells us what happens to the souls of those who die after 80-70, and then he doesn't deal with their bodies until a brief statement in chapter 5. Okay, so those are the three views. Let me give you the two views that I completely reject. I reject the full Preterist view of Ed Stevens, that there was both a resurrection and a rapture in AD 70, and that 100% of believers left the earth. There were zero believers on the earth after these events, and he says, Somehow Christianity started up again, maybe by people reading books, and that's why, because they didn't have leaders and good teaching, that everything got messed up in the early church. I think it's just a wrong, wrong interpretation. There's so many facts against it. The second interpretation that I reject is the dispensational one that says that verse 16 is a secret resurrection that no one will notice. that happens 1,007 years before the end of history. In other words, right before the tribulation, they say, that's seven years before the millennium. And that verse 17 is a secret rapture. So you got a secret resurrection, verse 16, a secret rapture in verse 17. of believers who are living at that point. And again, it happens so fast, nobody notices it. Now, there are way too many facts against that. As I said before, it's a tough passage for any view of eschatology. But let me explain where I've landed. I do not deny a future coming of Christ at the end of history. Very, very important, I believe, to hold to that. But let me give you my reasons why I believe that this particular passage speaks of the very visible appearing of Christ with his angelic armies and chariots that came against Jerusalem. This is the coming referred to in Matthew 24, where he said, this generation's not gonna pass away till I come and I do these things. Theological liberals love to criticize Christ and the apostles. They say, it's obvious on the surface they expected Christ to come within that generation, but they were wrong. It didn't happen. And we say, no, they were not wrong. Christ came exactly as he said he would and as Paul says that he would. And again, this is not a denial of the coming at the end of history, but here are the reasons why this coming is most likely the first century coming. First, the words you, we, and us in this passage seem to refer to the Thessalonian Christians who aren't around today. If you read both chapters with those words in view, it sure seems like this is not a general you, we, and us. Now it's possible, but it seems like a real stretch to take it that way. Second, verse 15 says that some of those living at that time would live to see this coming and would continue to live after that coming. And this is one that I had a real hard time getting around. Verse 15 says, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. Now, very briefly, the word we implies that some of them in the first century would live past the coming of verse 15. The word remain implies that some then living wouldn't die. And the word precede implies two resurrections of the same type, one preceding the other resurrection. First one in 8070, which is spelled out more clearly in verse 16, and a resurrection of those who live past 8070. Now in a bit we'll see when they are raised, they're gonna die, okay? It's not right away. But for now, just notice that there is a resurrection of those who have died prior to something, and that resurrection won't precede our own. That's all that verse 15 demands. Now, some people believe that verse 17 deals with that second resurrection at the end of history. It's possible. I'm open to that. But I'll give you my reasons why I don't believe that. First of all, verse 16. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Now let me make a few preliminary comments about this. Dispensationalists state that this descending from heaven seems to be different from the second coming that is described elsewhere. And I see some of the same differences that they bring up. However, they believe that it's a secret rapture that precedes the second coming by seven years. If it was a secret, it's the noisiest secret in history because there was a voice of an archangel, there was a trumpet, loud trumpet sounding, and these dispensationalists will say right back, okay, back to you. Did that happen in the first century? Ha ha. And I say, yes, it did. Exactly as written. The descent of Christ in the sky in the first century was by no means a secret. The Romans saw it and described it, as did Jews, as did Christians. We have several ancient eyewitness accounts of an awesome man in the sky, of chariots of fire, angels in the sky. Both Romans and Jews said that they heard a loud voice from heaven. Suetonius, the Roman historian, says the people heard a loud trumpet. And I've quoted these things in the Revelation series, so I'm not going to go over those quotes now, but we also saw in the Revelation series that this event was accompanied by other loud noises. and the sky appearing to be ripped open and every mountain and island in the Mediterranean region being jostled and moving in some cases by several meters. Seismologists and archaeologists working in the Mediterranean in the last decade have said this, field studies of salt deposition and of erosional features indicate that the upward crustal displacements raised the land by as much as 6.66 meters on the average above the ancient sea level, corrected for eustatic sea level variation. Maximum uplift in one area was as much as 9.9 meters." Now, for those of you, well, you're all homeschoolers. You know what meters are, right? But for those of you who don't know what a meter is like, 6.6 meters is 21.6 feet that the earth moved upward on average. And in one place, it moved up 32.4 feet. That is massive movement that it would have scared the daylights out of the people back in that day. This event was no secret. It was a noisy and earth-shaking event, but Contrary to Amillennialism, it was not the end of history either. You keep reading in Revelation 6 that describes a lot of those things as well. And people continued to live after that event. And these verses indicate that people lived past that event as well. Verse 16a was clearly not the end of history. Now, the next event to happen after Christ appears in the sky was the first resurrection in verse 16b. Now, in my Revelation series, I pointed out that the voice of the archangel happened in AD 66. And the resurrection happened three and a half years later in AD 70. And if you look at verse 16, you'll see that he uses the word first in connection with this resurrection, not the word second. This is not the second resurrection. Revelation 20 speaks of two resurrections. The first one takes place in the first century, and it goes on to say, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. On every view of eschatology, the thousand years don't get finished till the last day of history. We'll take a look at the last clause of verse 16, and the dead in Christ will rise first. All Christians who had died prior to AD 70 rose from the dead. Now in Revelation 20, I documented the difference between this first literal resurrection of the dead and the second literal resurrection of the dead that will happen on the last day of history. It's the difference between the barley harvest and the wheat harvest that I've pictured on the back of your outlines. The barley harvest was the first resurrection. It came in two stages, resurrection of Christ and the main harvest, which happened in AD 70. Wheat harvest is the general resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous on the last day of history. On that day, the unrighteous will be raised first, and then the righteous. That's different than here. Matthew 13, verse 30 says of the final day of history, let them both grow together until the harvest. And at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares Tares represent unbelievers, right? Gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. So that's significantly different. So there was a resurrection in 8070. Verse 17 goes on to say, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Now, this might seem to defeat my whole argument, but the word then is not the Greek word tata, which means then at that time. If this was simultaneous with that event on the same day, it would have used the word tata, but it uses the word epeta, which is a sequential word that means after that. Doesn't tell you how long after that, but it's after that. So that opens up two possible interpretations of verse 17. The first interpretation is that verse 16 is the first resurrection. Verse 17 is the second resurrection. So that would focus on one resurrection in sequence after the other one. And that certainly fits the meaning of that same word in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. That's definitely a possibility. But there is another definition of that. It doesn't have to be sequence. It can simply mean after that. And let me explain for the sake of argument why it is very, very difficult for an omnil or a postmill to take both verses as referring to the last day of history. First, if it was on the last day of history, no one remains alive after the resurrection of believers, since Jesus indicated that the tares would be raised first and then the wheat. Whatever verse 16 is talking about, believers are still alive and they remain around for a time. In fact, the word that is defined in the dictionaries as to survive, they survive something. In verse 17, literally, it's the alive ones, the surviving ones. There's no and in the Greek. So alive ones equals surviving ones. So the meaning is that the survivors of the judgment against Jerusalem and or those left behind who remain after the resurrection will themselves die, as he will make clear in chapter five, verse 10. Well, the major on the majority view, it doesn't have anybody dying after verse 17. doesn't have anybody dying after those living ones are caught up on their view bodily up into the air. And yet chapter five will make clear that everyone will die. Hebrews 9.27 says, it is appointed unto man once to die. So here's the thing. Paul was addressing the question, what happens to those who don't get resurrected in AD 70? Does their soul go down to Sheol, Hades like they did in the Old Testament to wait until the resurrection of their bodies? If that was the case, then they wouldn't see their loved ones for thousands of years. Their loved ones would be in heaven. they themselves would be in paradise Hades. And Paul says, no. If you remain after 80, 70, your soul will immediately be caught up to heaven when you die. And that's the third argument, that the word for being caught up is harpazo, a word that never once refers to a resurrection. Never. Now, it doesn't mean it can't one time refer to a resurrection right here, but it doesn't elsewhere. But it does refer to Paul's soul being caught up to heaven when he was stoned to death. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 2 through 4 say that Paul had died. And by the way, he died more than once and got resurrected. 2 Corinthians 12, 2 through 4 says that Paul had died and that his soul was, quote, caught up to the third heaven. And the next verse is it repeats that word. It says, was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. So when he died, his soul was caught up to heaven, exactly the same word that is used here, just used twice. So verse 16 relates how those who had already died prior to 8070 would have their bodies raised from the dead. Verse 17 tells us what happens to everyone else who survives after 8070. After that time, We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And the clouds is raining with Christ in heaven, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. The fourth argument is that this makes sense of the parallel language between chapters 4 and 5 of those who have fallen asleep and those who remain alive. Everyone agrees that chapter four verse 13 is referring to people who had already died when it speaks of those who have fallen asleep. There is no controversy there. They all agree that those who remain alive in verse 17 is those who remain alive after the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep. No controversy there. But take a look at how chapter five verse 10 words it. Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, We should live together with Him. That's a very important word order that parallels chapter 4, verses 16 through 17. I think it's a historical order. Everyone agrees that whether we wake in chapter 5, verse 10, is referring to those who were resurrected in chapter 4, verse 16. Now, if that's true, then the parallelism on comfort requires that those who sleep mean those who die after the waking event. Well, that would completely rule out any interpretation that places both verses at the last day of history. There are people who die after the resurrection and then come to life. So look at chapter 5 verse 10 again. Who died for us that whether we wake, that would be the 80-70 resurrection, or sleep, That would be bodies dying after 8070 resurrection. We should live together with him. Now the word live could either mean the souls living or more likely as a reference, a hint to our future resurrection. Again, it's letting people know that if they miss the resurrection of 8070, they won't lose out. They too will be caught up to heaven to be with the Lord. and to be with the resurrected saints forever. And I do plan to, Lord willing, write out a detailed analysis of all of the other options from every eschatological perspective so that people can see which facts are missed, which facts all fit. And I believe the two interpretations fit the evidence fairly well, but that mine not only fits the facts, but also the flow of Paul's argument of bringing comfort. What's the original audience worried about? They're worried that they wouldn't see their loved ones for a long time, perhaps thousands of years, and Paul says no. And I think my view best fits together with chapter 5. Chapter 5 continues to give several pleas for faithfulness during the troubled times that they were living in. And it's quite clear he's not talking about the coming at the end of history. For example, though unbelievers would be caught, he says, completely off guard when Christ was coming, in the coming that he's talking about. Paul had given the church enough information that they would be totally prepared. In other words, they would know when this coming would happen. In contrast, they would not know when the last day of history would be. Starting to read it, verse 1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. The wrath of verse 9 that they're concerned about is the wrath that God was about to pour out upon Israel and the Roman Empire. That was the wrath he introduced in chapter 2, verse 16. That wrath was not intended for his people. It was actually designed to rescue his people from their tribulation that the Jews were producing. Second, chapter 5, verse 4 explicitly says that Jesus would not come as a thief in the night for those Thessalonians since they knew the signs. Yes, he would come as a thief in the night for unbelievers, but not for these believers. They were not in the dark. Likewise, verse three says that it would be as obvious to them, as obvious to them that Jesus is about to come as it's obvious that a baby is about to be born when a mother goes into labor pains. That is not the condition of the earth at the end of history. No one will have a clue when Jesus is coming back at the end of history. There are no signs leading up to his final coming, but there are numerous signs of this coming. They were not in the dark about it. But again, verse 10 comforts them that whether Christians like Paul have their bodies awakened in the resurrection, go to heaven in their bodies, or whether their bodies subsequently sleep, their souls will be in heaven together with Jesus. Their souls will not sleep. I know all of that's complicated, and I won't say anything more on the subject, but Paul, always a pastor at heart, ends this book with several admonitions that would be needed during the last days leading up to 8070. Verses 12 through 13 encourage them not to abandon the church. It's very easy for preppers to go off the grid, all by themselves, completely miss out on fellowship with the saints. He knew that these Thessalonians would need the church. They would need leaders. And he calls them to recognize and esteem their pastors very highly. He said, don't go it solo. Verses 14 through 15 are admonitions that would be needed since during troubled times it's very easy to snap, it's easy to become impatient with others. Then verses 16 through 17 says, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Again, it's so easy to allow persecution to rob us of our joy, rob us of perspective, And all of these admonitions were perfectly suited to the first century saints who were about to go through the Great Tribulation. Many applications, but there's only one intended meaning for the first century audience. Verses 19 through 20 are warnings concerning becoming cynical with all of the false prophets that would descend upon the church. in the Olivet Discourse, Jesus had predicted, then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And it'd be very easy for them to just become cynical and reject all prophecy. It's safer to just reject everything. And Paul says, no, no, no. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Those prophecies were God's inerrant word to them, and they needed to value the prophecies. One of the prophecies that Paul didn't want them rejecting was the uncomfortable book of 1 Thessalonians that was pointing out their sin. He wanted them to cherish that book, not despise it, since the book was a prophecy. We're in deep water when we despise any prophecy of Scripture. Why? Because it's the inerrant word of God. These congregations in Thessalonica were also despising other prophets that had been sent to them. By the way, the prophets had three functions. Just like in the Old Testament, there's one additional function Ephesians 3 talks about is warning them about, I mean, telling them about the Jew and Gentile being in one body. But the second one, these prophets were always sent to bring covenant lawsuits against Israel. And I've got a whole bunch of scriptures, so even the New Testament prophets were designed to bring covenant lawsuits. Third, they were warning about the coming apostasy. And 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 will warn about that great apostasy. But there were other prophets who did as well. So those prophets were valuable. The prophets God sent to the various congregations were trying to keep them from falling away, yet despite their valiant efforts, a massive apostasy was happening. Even in the days of the apostles, people were despising the prophets God had sent to them. So when continuationists ask, why would God put a temporary command in the Bible when it cannot apply to us all, I would reply, it was desperately needed in the first century. Second, there are lots of temporary commands that God gives in the scripture. And third, there actually is general equity because we've got feminist hermeneutics and Marxist hermeneutics and gay hermeneutics that are twisting the prophecies of Scripture to their own hurt. So even though the meaning of this passage is not manifold but one, in other words, it's directed to the Thessalonians during the Age of Prophecy, the applications continue. And it's important that we not stop reading at verse 20. Verses 20 through 21 say, test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil. Verses 19 through 20 are all one paragraph dealing with good and bad prophecy. Just as prophets needed to be tested in Deuteronomy as to whether they were true or false prophets, The way they were tested is testing their fruit. Paul called the Thessalonians to test the prophets, to hold fast to ones that were good, to completely reject, that's the word for abstain, every prophetic tree that was evil. Matthew 7 says much the same. Jesus warned about false prophets, how to tell the false ones from the true ones, and he said false prophets don't bear any genuine prophetic fruit, words. while the good ones are 100% good prophetic trees. So Paul was telling the Thessalonians that once you've tested a prophet to be false, because one prophecy proved wrong, don't treat any of his prophecies as being authoritative. Then he gives a wonderful benediction in verses 22 through 23, calls for prayer on behalf of his team in verse 25, gives greetings. and ends with another benediction. So from start to finish, whether praising and blessing them or warning and pleading with them, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy model in this book what it means to pastor and to shepherd a flock. He cares for their souls, he pours himself out on their behalf, he protects them from wolves, and I would encourage you to pray that we elders would be faithful shepherds, amen. Father, we thank you for trusting us with difficult Scriptures, and we pray that whatever is false would be swept away as hay wouldn't stubble. Whatever is true would be lasting in our hearts. We pray that you would grant us that we would continually grow in our understanding of your word, our love for one another, and that you would indeed enable the elders, the deacons of our church to be passionate in serving your people, loving upon them. Bless us, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.