1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 ~ re-forming Church Culture
(Our Reforming Group Guides are designed to be inductive, using the COMA form of study: Context, Observation, Meaning, Application. For more on this method, check out this article.)
By way of introduction: If you could travel back in time, and give your young-self a few words of wisdom - what would you say?
Paul starts his closing words in this letter by writing about leadership. How would you describe what the relationships between churches and their leaders could look like?
When Paul writes the imperative, ‘be at peace among yourselves’, why do you think it needs to be said?
What follows in verses 14-15 is a list of further imperatives, how does Paul urge this young church to relate within the church?
According to verses 16-18, what is God’s will for your life?
Verses 19-20 can seem tricky to us (can the Spirit be quenched? Isn’t He God? What is prophecy? Do we have prophets today?) - yet it’s helpful to read this passage in the light of Hebrews 1:1-4 (and 1 Corinthians 11,14) where we understand that prophecy is speaking the words of Christ in Scripture to one another - like now in a Bible study.
So, what do you think it may mean to ‘quench the Spirit’?
Why do we need to be careful to not despise prophecies, and yet, test everything?
What will it mean for our lives to ‘hold fast to what is good’ in relation to ‘prophecy’?
Paul finishes his letter with what we often uses as benedictions in our gathered worship. What does the benediction do for recipients, especially after hearing a whole bunch of imperatives?
These words are given to us as a church, “written to you’s”, imagine how this passage could continue re-forming church culture among us?
Explain how verse 24 brings us comfort, remembering that the “you” is plural.
Pray for one another of Reforming, and for friends of Reforming, that we would be ready for Christ’s return.
