I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Thessalonians 1-5.

    Paul starts off his letter to the Thessalonian believers by reminding them of his first visit to them and praising them for their faith. He describes how he first preached the Good News to them. When he taught them he taught them with words and with power from the Holy Spirit. They came to believe what he preached in part because of the example he gave them in the way he lived. He did not use any deceit, or trickery. Paul, and those with him, were honest, devout, and caring towards those to whom they preached. They did not just pretend to care in order to get money, or goods, from the new believers. They demonstrated their caring through their actions and hard work. This is the model we should follow when we preach the Gospel to unbelievers.

    After spending much of this letter writing words of praise and encouragement Paul writes a few words of teaching. He reminds the Thessalonian believers to live holy lives, something he acknowledges that they are already doing. Nevertheless he thinks that it is important to reinforce that teaching. In particular that sexual sin is contradictory to living a holy life. Again and again in his writings Paul reminds us that sexual sin is the most pervasive, and debilitating, type of sin. It is the sin which most people will have the greatest difficulty overcoming.
    Paul goes on to speak about the resurrection of the dead. It appears that there were some who preached about Jesus who were denying that the dead would be raised. Paul makes it clear that the resurrection of the dead is an integral part of the Gospel, without the resurrection of the dead, the Good News is not good news. We should encourage each other in the face of the difficulties of this life with the knowledge that we will spend eternity with Christ. Paul tells us that the day of Jesus’ return, the day of resurrection for all believers, will be unexpected. No one will know what day that will be in advance. However, if we follow Paul’s advice to live a holy life, it will not come as a surprise.