“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward.”— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ASV)
About This Study Guide
The letters to the Thessalonians are the earliest words Paul the apostle ever wrote to a church of Jesus Christ — and they were written to a congregation that was afraid. Afraid of the persecution pressing in on every side. Afraid for the loved ones who had died before the Lord returned. Afraid, even, that the Day of the Lord had already come and left them behind. Into that fear, Paul does not send a lecture. He sends a command wrapped in a promise: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.
Rejoice Always walks verse by verse through both of Paul's letters to Thessalonica, tracing the full arc of his pastoral heart — his thanksgiving for a church born in power, his defense of a ministry slandered by his enemies, his comfort for grieving believers who did not understand what happens to the dead in Christ, his clear-eyed teaching on the man of sin and the restrainer of lawlessness, and his plain command that faith must show up in a day's honest work. Every verse of First and Second Thessalonians is examined in its historical setting and applied to the life of the believer today, with the full American Standard Version text printed alongside the commentary so that Scripture, not the author, remains the center of every page.
Written for personal study, small group discussion, and pulpit preparation alike, this guide is offered in the conviction that the God who began a good work in the Thessalonians is still finishing what He started — in every believer who is still waiting, still watching, and still called to rejoice.
Inside This Book
- Every one of the 136 verses of First and Second Thessalonians printed in full from the American Standard Version, followed by clear, pastoral commentary.
- Careful, verse-by-verse treatment of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 — the dead in Christ, the trumpet, and being “caught up together” — written to comfort, not to confuse.
- Sober, humble handling of the man of sin and the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2, naming the major interpretive views without sectarian speculation.
- Chapter-by-chapter key verses and more than forty reflection and discussion questions for personal study, small groups, and sermon preparation.
- Full-color design with lifelike illustrations opening every chapter and part.
Contents
PART ONE • First Thessalonians
Chapter 1: A Church Born in Power→Chapter 2: A Ministry Beyond Reproach→Chapter 3: Timothy's Report and a Prayer for More→Chapter 4: The Trumpet and the Clouds→Chapter 5: Rejoice Always→PART TWO • Second Thessalonians
Chapter 1: Comfort in the Furnace→Chapter 2: The Man of Sin and the Restrainer→Chapter 3: If Any Will Not Work→A Closing Word→Download the Book
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About the Author
Rev. George H. Stoddard is an ordained minister, Southern Gospel songwriter and producer, and the founder of In His Hands Ministries International. Through print, digital publishing, and web-based ministry tools, he is committed to putting the whole counsel of God — book by book, verse by verse — into the hands of everyday believers.