Study questions

Life-Study of 1 Thessalonians

1. Introduction to a Holy Life for the Church Life

  1. Why is it helpful to study 1 and 2 Thessalonians?
  2. What are the three elements of the structure of the Christian life for the church life?

2. Characteristics of a Holy Life for the Church Life

  1. What is the origination of a holy life for the church life?
  2. What are three characteristics of a holy life for the church life?

3. The Living God and the Work of Faith

  1. Why must we seek to understand the Word in a spiritual way rather than in a natural way?
  2. How do we know that our God is the living God? What is Paul’s understanding of what it means to “serve a living God”?

4. Some Basic Matters

  1. How did Paul reveal the Triune God in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 with His person and work? What is the significance of the phrases "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (verse 1) and "His Son" (verse 10)?
  2. How can the Triune God be conveyed and transmitted to us? What is the result of our accepting the word of God?

5. The Triune God Embodied In The Word To Produce A Holy Life For The Church Life (1)

  1. What is the source of a holy life for the church life?
  2. What are the deep significances of the phrases, "in God the Father" and "in the Lord Jesus.Christ" from 1:1?

6. The Triune God Embodied In The Word To Produce A Holy Life For The Church Life (2)

  1. Use 1 Thessslonians 1 as a good illustration to show the proper gospel is the Triune God coming to man.
  2. Given that faith is produced by God as the word being received by us, what is the work of faith and who should practice it?

7. The Church in the Triune God (1)

  1. How can the church be IN the Triune God?
  2. What is the difference between "God" and the "Triune God" and what does it mean that the Triune God is the "processed God"?

8. The Church in the Triune God (2)

  1. What does it mean for the church to be in the Lord Jesus Christ?
  2. How can we apply the vision of being in the Triune God?

9. The Church Becoming The Embodiment Of The Triune God (1)

  1. What is the difference between the significances of the names Jesus and Christ? Where is this Christ?
  2. How can we experience this Christ as the anointing one?

10. The Church Becoming The Embodiment Of The Triune God (2)

  1. According to divine fact, what coming of the Lord does He speak of in John 14:2-3? What should we be able to declare now?
  2. How is it possible that our living can be "worthy of God" as in 1 Thessalonians 2:12?

11. The Church Becoming The Embodiment Of The Triune God (3)

  1. What does it mean to be boxed into God? Have you been fully "boxed into Him"? (Use 1 Thes. 5:23-24 to explain.)
  2. What are four characteristics, conditions or requirements, of our being the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?

12. The Care of Nursing Mother and an Exhorting Father

  1. From 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, how can we see that our living is important in fostering the new believers?
  2. What are twelve aspects of a good pattern to new believers?

13. The Reward of Fostering

  1. Why is fostering so vital for the church as the family of God? How did Paul feed the young believers according to 1 Thessalonians?
  2. What is the reward of those who work with the Lord in fostering the believers to walk worthily of God?

14. Encouragement for Faith, Love, and Hope

  1. What are the two aspects of faith? From your experience, what is the relationship between these two aspects of faith?
  2. What was Paul’s main concern for the new believers in 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10? What flows forth from and is the issue of faith?

15. An Exhortation Concerning a Holy Life for the Church Life

  1. How can we have a walk that pleases God and why did Paul provide a word of warning at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians 4?
  2. How will Paul’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 affect the way you care for new believers?

16. The Hope of the Christian Life

  1. According to 1 Thessalonians 4, what is our hope as christians? How is this different from the expectations of unbelievers?
  2. What is our hope at the Lord's coming, or parousia? How is what is presented in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16 in contrast to the concept of heaven today?

17. Watchfulness and Soberness

  1. Why, in our waiting for His coming, do we need to be watchful?
  2. Contrast the sleepy or drunken state for a new believer versus watching and being sober. Practically, how can we watch?

18. Cooperation with the Divine Operation (1)

  1. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:14, what constitutes shepherding of the saints and who should do it?
  2. What kind of church life should we expect and live out according to this verses 14-21?

19. Cooperation with the Divine Operation (2)

  1. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, how do we cooperate with God's operation?
  2. How does God operate to sanctify us wholly—spirit, soul and body?

20. Our Heart to be Established Blameless on Holiness (1)

  1. What is the difference between holiness and sanctification?
  2. What does it mean to have our heart established blameless?

21. Our Heart to be Established Blameless on Holiness (2)

  1. What is the position of the heart in our inner being? What is the function of the heart?
  2. How can we have our heart established blameless in holiness?

22. Our Heart To Be Established Blameless In Holiness And Our Body To Be Preserved Clean In Sanctification

  1. God want to preserve us wholly, but are you willing to be preserved? How can we cooperate with His preserving work?
  2. Why is fornication most defiling sin? How can the preservation of our soul help us againt it?

23. To Be Sanctified Wholly with Our Spirit, Soul, and Body Preserved Complete (1)

  1. Explain the distinction between being sanctified wholly and being preserved complete in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
  2. How can we preserve our spirit according to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23? What is your experience in practicing this in your daily living and in the church meetings?

24. To Be Sanctified Wholly with Our Spirit, Soul, and Body Preserved Complete (2)

  1. What are the three main arteries of our psychological heart and how can we unclog these arteries?
  2. How can we preserve our body and cooperate with God's operation?