"No one analyzes the biblical text better than John Phillips. I have benefited greatly from his commentaries and recommend them heartedly to pastors, teachers, and Bible students everywhere." --Dr. David Jeremiah, Senior Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God’s Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions that help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) “Gospel Glimpses” that highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) “Whole-Bible Connections” that show how any given passage connects to the Bible’s overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) “Theological Soundings” that identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God’s grace on every page of the Bible. Over the course of 12 weeks, this study connects Paul's letters to the Thessalonians to the lives of Christians today. These epistles encourage readers by reminding them of the salvation God will bring to all those whom he has called—strengthening them to pursue lives of holiness and love as they anticipate Jesus's return.

In this addition to the critically acclaimed BECNT series, respected New Testament scholar Jeffrey Weima offers pastors, students, and teachers the most up-to-date and substantive commentary available on 1-2 Thessalonians. Weima, a Thessalonians expert, experienced teacher, and widely traveled speaker, presents well-informed evangelical scholarship at an accessible level to help readers understand the sociological, historical, and theological aspects of these letters. As with all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text, extensive research, thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, and a user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility.

The gospel shapes the church and the church spreads the gospel. In his heartfelt letters to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul calls believers again and again to these essential truths. To encourage and correct the young church in Thessalonica, Paul addresses many issues that are still of vital importance today, such as Christian community, church leadership, moral living, evangelism, and what we need to know about the end times. With scholarly rigor and pastoral care, John Stott opens up the rich truths found in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He guides readers through each passage, exploring historical background, key themes, and applications for today. In 1 Thessalonians Stott highlights the themes of the relationship between the gospel and the church, and in 2 Thessalonians he identifies a Christian perspective on history. Both letters provide valuable insights into Paul's model of ministry and the life of a congregation in a highly challenging context. This revised edition of a classic Bible Speaks Today volume includes updated language and Scripture quotations and a new interior design. A study guide for individuals or groups is included to help readers engage more deeply with the text.

Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians stand as some of the very earliest Christian documents, yet they appear well into Paul's missionary career, giving them a unique context well worth exploring. In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Ben Witherington gleans fresh insight from reading Paul's text in the light of rhetorical concerns and patterns, early Jewish theology, and the first-century historical situation in Macedonia. Witherington's distinctive socio-rhetorical approach helps unearth insights that would otherwise remain hidden using only form criticism, epistolary categories, and traditional criticism. Witherington details Thessalonica's place as the "metropolis" of Macedonia, and he carefully unpacks the social situation of Paul and his recipients. Scholars will appreciate the careful analysis and rhetorical insights contained here, while Witherington's clear prose and sensitivity to Paul's ideas make this work ideal for all who desire a useful, readable commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Study guide for the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

The letters of Paul to the Thessalonian believers not only provide insight into the challenges faced by one of the early Christian churches, but also allow a glimpse into the great pastoral heart of the stalwart evangelist. Yes, he endured beatings, stoning, and imprisonment on his missionary journeys and even rejoiced that he was found worthy to suffer for his Lord. Yet in the midst of his own trials he longed to nurture and encourage those converts who were experiencing persecution as well. Intertwined among such familiar themes as the Second Advent, the resurrection of believers, church discipline, and the man of lawlessness. Paul's recurring emphasis is how to live while waiting for Jesus to return. It may come as a surprise to Christians steeped in a postmodern culture, but holiness separation from the ways of the world and commitment to the ways of God and the requisite dependence upon God's power are commanded. This user-friendly devotional commentary divides the text of these two letters into short passages followed by exegetical explanation and practical application. Though these messages were penned nearly 2,000 years ago, the apostle's words are just as relevant to Christians now as they were to the fledgling church in the first century. Book jacket.