Arizona republican., 1916-07-08
International Sunday
School Lesson
for July 9
THE THEssALoNIAN CHRISTIANS

| !
them also that are fallen asleep in
Jesus will God bring with him" !
Thes. 4: IA
| Lesson Text.--I Thes. ,: 1920; 4
1918. Commit 4: 10, II.
% Paul. and Silvanus, and Tim
| otheus, unto the church of the Thes-
salOnians which is in God the Father,
and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace
be unto you and peace, from God |
our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ. (2) We give thanks to God |
always for you all, making mention
of you in our prayers go Remem
bering without ceasing your work of |
faith, and labor of love- and patience |
Of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in ,
| the sight of God our Father; (4) |
| knowing, brethren beloved, your cleo
lion of God. go For our gospel came
rot unto you in word only, but also |
! in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and |
in much assurance; as ye know what
manner of men we We're among you
for your sake. 60 And We became
followers of us. and of the Lord, hay
ing received the word in much af-
Fiction, with JOY of the Holy Ghost
90 So that ye were ersamples to all
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia
tS) For from you sounded out the
word of the Lord not only in Mace
dOnia and Achaia, but also in every
place your faith to God-ward is
spread abroad; so that We need not
to speak any thing go For they
themselves sheW of us what manner
of entering in We had unto you and
how We turned to God from idols tG
serve the living and true God; G0)
And to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the, dead, even
| Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath 10 come. OBJ But | would
not have you TO be ignorant brethren,
| concerning them which are asleep,
| that ye sorrow not even as others
| which have no hope. G4) For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose
again. even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him.
05) For this We say unto you by the
| word of the Lord. that We which are
alive and remain unto the coming Of
the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep. 16) For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel. and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first az Then we wich are
alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds. to
r1eet the Lord in the air: and so
shall We ever be with the Lord GSD
Wherefore comfort one another with
'hese words
Time.-53 A d. Pace-Corinth.
Exposition Serving the Living
and True God and Waiting for His
Son from Heaven. /; Ito. V l sets
forth the local habitation of the
church, ThessalonCa: and its real and
eternal habitation. in God the Faith
er. and the Lord Jesus Christ" The
Deity of Jesus Christ comes out very
clearly in he way in which His name
is coupled with that of the Father.
Here as everywhere grace precedes
peace. there is no peace except
through Gods grace. With his con.
slant thanks went unceasng prayers
Paul must have spent much time II
prayer (cf Rom. / 9: Eph l. 16:
Col. ]: g: l Thes 8: 10: Tim / -
Three things Paul bore in mind that
led him to give thanks for them, On
Their work of faith" 90 Then
labor of love-" 80 Their patience
(or endurance Of hope in our Lore
Jesus Christ" Faith works. love
labors. Ca much stronger world. hope
endures. The object of hope is 9
person rather than an experience: il
is our Lord Jesus Himself (cf Tit
2 Is, r. v; Jno 3: 3, r. W
Their election Of God" was to saliva
ton. holiness. likeness to Jesus an,
service (5-9, cf ] Pet /: ,: Eph. /.
!. s. Rom. s: 29). The evidence OF
their election was that the gospe
had not come in word only mert
words Of exposition and eloquence
but also in power cit had moved
their hearts,. This power was no
the power of human persuasion anC
eloquence but of the Holy Ghost "
>. cf. l Cor. ?: 4, 5; Ac /: 81 Thi.
resulted in their conversion and re-
generation and proved their election
Paul could appeal to the known con
quot of himself and friends. Thi
conduct sprang from love. 1t was no
to win applause hut for your sake
The gospel came to them in "mucl
assurance of its truth: il Away
comes in much assurance" when i
comes lin the Holy Ghost" Pau
lived the gospel lie preached and s.
their reception of the gospel mad
him like him. In becoming imtator
of Paul. they became also "imitator
of the Lord They had received tn
gospel in much affliction." The op
position by the Jews Mt Thessalonci
was very bitter (cf. Ac II: $40;
Thes. 2: IA; B: 2-5). but with tn
affliction was great joy, 10y of tn
Holy Ghost" Affliction for Christ
sake and the 10Y of the Holy Ghost
very often go hand in hand (cf.
Pet 1: A. Ac 5: 4D. The Hol
Spirit is the author of the deepes
and most abiding joy the huma
heart can know, the only real 10
(GM. 5: 90; Rom. IA IL lisa. 81:
J; Heb. l: 9; Jno. 4: IA Z: 32-39
the word had such effect in the
lives that they became a type C
pattern) to all that believed in Mace
donia and Achaia. From them "tt
word of the Lord" had "sounde
forth" Qike the clear -echoir
notes of the trumpeD not only
Nj. and A. but in every place. Fat
to Coward" means faith that HI
God as its destination and object,