1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 – You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
For those who know the Lord Jesus and believe in His coming Kingdom, living on this fallen cursed planet can be very dark, discouraging, and disorienting. This longing for Home causes Christians to ask numerous questions. In the New Testament, there are parts of the Bible where the author is answering questions that were sent to him by local church leaders on behalf of people in the church.
One example is 1 Corinthians. Throughout the letter, Paul frequently quotes directly from the letter he received from the Corinthians (e.g. 6:12, 6:13, 8:5, 10:23). He also notifies the reader of when he is transitioning from one topic to another with the simple phrase “now” to answer specific questions they sent him in their letter that he is answering in his letter (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:1, 7:8, 7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1, 16:12).
This is precisely what is also happening in 1 Thessalonians as Paul is also answering questions the leaders in the local church were asking him. One Bible commentator says, “The apostle’s use of ‘now about’ (4:9, 13; 5:1), which is like the way he introduces answers to points in a letter the Corinthians wrote to him (1 Cor. 7:1, 25; 8:1, etc.).” (1)
Since we don’t have the letter that the Thessalonians sent to Paul, we can only try to determine their questions based upon his answers. Here are some of the likely questions that they had, and that many – if not most – Christians still have:
- How long do we need to wait for Jesus’ Second Coming?
- How will we know when human history is coming to an end?
- What will Satan, demons, and the wicked be doing before the return of Jesus?
- What should we do while we wait for Jesus’ return?
- What happens to people who die before Jesus returns?
- How do we discern who is telling the truth and who is lying to us?
When presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is common for the Christian to tell the non-Christian that if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you go to Heaven when you die. That is true, but not complete. Jesus is not just for dying, but also for living. Eternal life does not begin the day you die, but rather the day you are saved by Jesus. Before you go to Heaven, Heaven comes to you. This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). This is the big idea behind the main message of 1 Thessalonians: “How do we invite Heaven down while we are surrounded by Hell?”
What questions do you have about being a Christian? Find a Christian leader (life group leader, etc.) or pastor that you trust to talk through these questions with.
- Leon Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 13, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 25.
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