The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-08
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMSGIOOL
LESSON
RBy e. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course In the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicag0.)
Copyright by Western Newspaper Unlon.)
LESSON FOR JULY 9
THE TAEssALoNIAN CHRISTIANS

Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will
God bring with him.-I Thess, 4;14 r. V.
This epistle is probably one OF tho
earliest of Paul's letters "a. d. 50-53D.
1t links itself closely with the seven
teenth chapter of the Book Of Acts.
Driven from Berea, Paul goes to Ath-
ems and later to Corinth, while Tim
othy returns to Thessalonica and car
ries a report to Paul at Corinth.
Whereupon, perhaps within six
months, Paul writes his epistle. A
study of the two letters addressed to
this church teaches us how Paul ad-
vised and instructed his Gentle con-
verts. The first is a particularly cheer
ful, positive and helpful exhortation.
I. Thanksgiving and Testimony q:
100; 2:17-20). (1) salutation 0:1)
The phrase, the church of the Thes-
salonians which is in God" is nowhere
else used. Some think it to be unique
because Paul had so little to condemn
or to criticize. The deity of Jesus
Christ and that grace and peace pro
coed from God is clearly set forth.
t2) Thanksgiving wv. 2 and 81 (a)
For works of faith; Cb) for their
labor of love-" and (c) their pa
thence" (enduranCe). That these
works were lin the sight of God" is
evidence of their genuineness, and
such spiritual fruitage awakened
C3) knowledge in Paul's mind ". A..
They were elected" to salvation, holi.
ness and likeness to Jesus wv. 90;
l Pet 1:2; Eph. IA, 5; Rom. S:29).
ca Testimony wv. 6-10). Paul could
appeal to the known conduct of him
self and his friends to s~ubstantiate, to
prove, the standing of those candi-
dates for holiness who had been elect
ed" His words had not come to them
in mere ex%hortation and eloquence but
also in power" which governed their
conduct. This was not to win ap-
plause, but in his wi case he labored
for their sakes ". 81 and in their
case they had received the word with
joy" in the midst of affection to the
end that they became examples (pat-
terms or types; literally, like the far
echoing notes Of a trumpet) ". y to
all that dwelt in the regions there
about. Their obedience, consistency
and missionary spirit wv. 800 sound
ed forth everywhere and all that
needed to be done was to say, Behold
the church of Thessalonica!" (5) Paul's
glory and jby (2:17-20). Paul sets
forth his character as a Christian
worker (2:1-16). (a) His physical
holiness wv. l., p; (b) his faithful, i'm
partial teaching wv. $50, affectionate-
ly kind (7,S), unselfish, working for
his own support ". 81, holy and con-
sistent (13-16). No one had anything
on him." and such a life dares to be
bold, though it is not free from per-
secution ". 15). (6) Paul's desire
~(2:17-20). He here sets forth why this
letter was written. Separated from
them by persecution, he desires to
return and supply the things they were
vet lacking and to see face to face
those whom he loved. Satan pre-.
vented ". 1S) doubtless using the bit
ter persecution stirred up against him.
He had therefore sent Timothy from
Berea to comfort them (3:15), who
had made such a good report (3:1-1O)
that it urged Paul to greater prayer
wv. 11-13) on their behalf.
II. Ignorance llIumined (4:13-1S).
Paul rebukes certain sins (4:1-12), ex-
horting them to godliness and to love
one another. He then touches upon a
doctrine which was one of his
strongest reasons for writing to these
Thessalonians. The imminent return
of Christ had been strongly empha-
sized, but in the months of Paul's alb
sence some of their number had died,
died without seeing Christ's promised
glory. Would those who remained
have any advantage over the dead
saints when Christ should come? 1t is
to set their thinking Alright that Pau
writes. This he does by outlining the
great and blessed hope of the church
in it's rapture" at Christ's coming
This is more clearly set forth here
than anywhere else in the New Tesla
ment. Those who mourned over de
parted loved ones are not to SORROW
as those who had no hope" Jesus
the risen, everlasting Savior and king
Is certainly coming again in his king
dom Of glory, with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel." Their sor
row is not that Of the world, for those
departed are but sleeping" and will
come back with Jesus when he comes
Together they who sleep and we WHIT
are alive shall be caught up ito NEE
the Lord in the air" all to dwell to
gether forevermore with the Lord. il
enc glorious company when his king
dom is fully come and his will is com
pletely done ON earth as well as II
heaven. Their bodies. risen from tn,
grave and reunited to their souls In
gIorifed condition, and we who re
main, the whole church or body o
Christ caught up like Enoch of oil,
(Heb. III or EliJah-a glorious hope
This is not alone Paul's word upoI
this question, but this he Gays "by 10
in) the Word OF God" ". 15). N
wonder, then, that we should comfor
one another with these words" {,
49,.
The Lord, who is now In heave
facts 1:9; Eph. 1920, shall himseI
descend from heaven; not his spiri
not a great revival, army of angels. G
social reconstruction Of society. b.
descend himself. personally. visibl