Bible Study Interpretive Analysis

An Interpretive Analysis
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

by
Andrew Maniaci

Presented to Dr. LeRoy R. Bartel, Instructor

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
In BIB 2213-70
Bible Study

Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Waxahachie, TX
12-1-11
An Interpretive Analysis
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 1. Structural Analysis a. “our appeal” i. Paragraph 1- vss. 1-2: “coming to you was not in vain” ii. Paragraph 2- vss. 3-6: “not to please man, but to please God” iii. Paragraph 3- vss. 7-12: “like a nursing mother…like a father with his children” iv. Paragraph 4- vss. 13-16: “when you received the word of God” 2. Topical Analysis b. Master Title: God’s Command from Paul v. Paul’s visit was worth the struggles. 1. Paul suffered. 2. Paul endured. 3. Paul shared the gospel. vi. God’s approval is greater than man’s. 4. Paul is writing in response to error. 5. Paul has authority from God. 6. Paul’s intentions are pure and selfless. vii. Paul as a spiritual parent. 7. Paul was nurturing. 8. Paul was selfless. 9. Paul was relatable. 10. Paul was a good example. 11. Paul encouraged. viii. Being saved. 12. Hearing the gospel. 13. Accepting the gospel. 14. Living the gospel. 15. Suffering for the gospel. 16. Claiming victory in the gospel. 3. Situational Analysis c. Paul was concerned that the believers in Thessalonica thought that his earlier visit was a waste of time. During his previous visit, Paul experienced the division between the Greeks who easily accepted Christ, and the Jews. Paul’s ministry was humble and obedient, whereas the ministry of other religious leaders had been greedy and selfish. The ministry of Paul was a nurturing and encouraging ministry. The Jews in Thessalonica were hostile against the Christians, and attempted to remove the believers and hinder them from sharing the Gospel. 4. Purpose Analysis d. Paul wanted the believers in Thessalonica to realize that he was selfless and that his visit was not in vein, because they were thinking that he was not looking-out for their best interest. By explaining his selflessness and service, and comparing his ministry to that of others, Paul was trying to gain the trust of the believers in Thessalonica. Paul wanted the believers in Thessalonica to understand that apostleship is about being a servant, and being nurturing, and being encouraging. By reminding the believers of why they accepted the Gospel in the first place, Paul was trying to encourage them so their faith could be strengthened. Overall, Paul was trying to reassure, remind, and encourage the church in Thessalonica. 5. Supplementary Studies e. Previous Passage: Both passages mention how Paul and his associates lived with the Thessalonians in order to help them. Also, both passages mention how the gospel was sent to the Thessalonians by God and that the Thessalonians were persecuted. (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10) f. Personal Observations ix. Paul and his associates had been persecuted. x. Paul wants to be clear about his intent. xi. Paul and his associates have spiritual authority when it comes to sharing the gospel. xii. Paul and his associates served selflessly. xiii. Paul and his associates were nurturing and encouraging. xiv. The Thessalonians were strongly receptive of the gospel. xv. The Thessalonians were persecuted. g. Word Studies: xvi. Appeal: In this context the word ‘appeal’ means, an earnest request. xvii. Charged: In this context the word ‘charged’ means, held liable. xviii. Hindering: In this context the word ‘hindering’ means, to cause difficulty. h. Passage Following: Both passages mention how Paul had to leave Thessalonica for a short time. (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20) 6. Interpretation i. After being away from Thessalonica, Paul hears that the church is facing persecution. He writes to the church in an attempt to encourage them. Paul tells the church that he and his associates were sent by God, and that they have always looked-out for the church’s best interests. He reminds the church what it was like when they first accepted Christ. Also, Paul tells the church not to give up on their walk with Christ, because God will deal with the persecutors. 7. Application j. I was born into a Christian family, and I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. I accepted the Christian faith very easily. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I experience serious doubt about my faith. This occurred because a friend of mine brought things to my attention that I had never thought about before. He knew more about the Bible than me, and he was very well educated. By using science and logic, he was able to hinder my growth in Christ. I eventually brought some questions to my mom’s attention. She was able to answer my questions, and she was confident that her answers were right because she had no doubt that her faith was right. Since she had already gained my trust by raising me, her faith and explanations encouraged me and reminded me of when I lived my Christian life without doubt. My parents are the reason I got saved as a child, and my mom’s guidance and encouragement kept me from getting off track.
Bibliography
Logos Bible Software Version 4.X Scholar’s Library. Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corporation, 2000-2010. Shenton, T. (2006). Opening up 1 Thessalonians. Leominster: Day One Publications.

Bibliography: Logos Bible Software Version 4.X Scholar’s Library. Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corporation, 2000-2010. Shenton, T. (2006). Opening up 1 Thessalonians. Leominster: Day One Publications.