(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV]) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you.
(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV]) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
All of the studies, book or topical, found here, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history, archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, lexicons, concordances or commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, but they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief. We do not need them. That Word of God written and preserved for us in our own language is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and the New Testament for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc. There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:
(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!
1 Thessalonians Chapter 1:
(1 Thessalonians 1:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This epistle has five authors, two persons are God three authors are men-Paul, Silvanus, Timothy
Peace always is to follow grace in our lives, as we have peace after we receive grace from God the Son, God the Spirit, God the Father at our salvation
We, as saved, are IN Christ and IN God the Father, safely secure in our salvation, hid, permanently sealed by the Spirit of God, even as we dwell in these mortal bodies
SILVANUS
(2 Corinthians 1:19 [AKJV/PCE])
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
(2 Thessalonians 1:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
It would appear that Paul, Timothy and Silvanus were constant ministry partners, companions
(1 Thessalonians 1:2 [AKJV/PCE])
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
This is the horizontal part of the Cross-others
That first verse is why, because we are IN Christ and IN God the Father, that vertical part of the Cross that holds up the horizontal part, without which we can do nothing for God and others that will count for anything, amount to a hill of beans
(1 Thessalonians 1:3 [AKJV/PCE])
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
This is how this epistle begins and ends, by being thankful and praying without ceasing
(1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 [AKJV/PCE])
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
(1 Thessalonians 1:4 [AKJV/PCE])
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
We chose God willfully; God chooses all of us, but most reject God, even though He does not want that ,and that is because they have free will
Knowing this is why we pray and are thankful to God Who saved us
(2 Peter 3:9 [AKJV/PCE])
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(Matthew 7:13-14 [AKJV/PCE])
ΒΆ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(1 Thessalonians 1:5 [AKJV/PCE])
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
The Thessalonians saw miracles at the hands of Paul, Timothy and Silvanus, by the Holy Ghost, and were assured of their salvation by the Gospel preached, telling them of eternal, everlasting life, not temporal salvation
(1 Thessalonians 1:6 [AKJV/PCE])
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
Paul wants us to follow Christ, and only follow those who follow Christ
We are also not to follow those who do not follow Christ, but the doctrines, behaviors, ways of this world, carnal, fleshly men, especially following them because they have "degrees", "worldly wisdom"
"In much affliction", as in persecution, imprisonment, beathings, martyred death for the sake of the Gospel
ONLY FOLLOW THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST
(1 Corinthians 4:16 [AKJV/PCE])
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
(1 Corinthians 11:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
(Philippians 3:17 [AKJV/PCE])
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(2 Thessalonians 3:9 [AKJV/PCE])
Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
(1 Thessalonians 1:7 [AKJV/PCE])
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
This is a commendation, appreciative of their work for the LORD in that they walked uprightly, believed the Gospel
(1 Thessalonians 1:8 [AKJV/PCE])
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
Their reputation went far and wide in the Roman Empire
So God-ward is the vertical part of their faith, the spread abroad is the horizontal
This change in their lives was the result of salvation, the Holy Ghost working in them, the opposite of what their lives were
They went from the useless, false, created by human minds and hands gods to the Living God ,the Creator God, the Saving God
(1 Thessalonians 1:9 [AKJV/PCE])
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
Proof of the work that Paul, Timothy and Silvanus did was their lives changed, their own works in the labor of the Gospel, their walk with the LORD Jesus Christ, their abandonment of the false gods to serve the Living, only true God of now the Gentiles, before the God of the Old Testament Jew and Gentiles who came to Israel
(1 Thessalonians 1:10 [AKJV/PCE])
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Jesus Christ took our wrath upon that Cross, was resurrected from the dead, so we now wait for Him on earth, to be saved from the wrath of hell and the Great Tribulation, a time of wrath on all mankind who rejects the Savior, and the realm of the enemy (for now, soon to be Christ's Eternal Kingdom on earth)
