THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

IN ADDITION TO OUR RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO ‘QUENCH THE SPIRIT.’ G.WE ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD. WHY? BECAUSE GOD’S WORD IS INFINITELY SUPERIOR TO ALL OF THE WORDS OF MAN. “DO NOT DESPISE PROPHETIC UTTERANCES.“ (5:20) 1.JESUS SUMMED IT UP WHEN HE QUOTED DEUTERONOMY 8:3: ”BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.” (MATT. 4:4) 2.“IT IS WRITTEN.” 3.AN EXAMPLE TO US, “RESIST & REPEL!” 4. “SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.” “TWO-EDGED-- PIERCING & PENETRATING” 2

5.“DESPISE” – ‘TO CONSIDER AS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING,; TO TREAT WITH CONTEMPT,’ OR, ‘TO LOOK DOWN ON.’ i.IT CAN REFER TO EITHER SPOKEN WORDS OR WRITTEN WORDS. ii.“PROPHETIC UTTERANCES” – ‘TO SPEAK OR PROCLAIM PUBLICLY; PREACHING.’ iii.THUS, THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS THE SPIRIT-ENDOWED SKILL OF PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD. “HAVING THEN GIFTS DIFFERING ACCORDING TO THE GRACE THAT IS GIVEN TO US, WHETHER PROPHECY, LET US PROPHESY ACCORDING TO THE PROPORTION OF FAITH; (ROM. 12:6) iv.IN NT TIMES, THE “FAITH,” WAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED SYNONYMOUS WITH PREVIOULSY REVEALED TRUTH. “AND THE WORD OF GOD INCREASED; AND THE NUMBER OF THE DISCIPLES MULTIPLIED IN JERUSALEM GREATLY; AND A GREAT COMPANY OF THE PRIESTS WERE OBEDIENT TO THE FAITH. “ (ACTS 6:7) 3

v.CONSIDER WHEN PAUL PREACHED IN BEREA, “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. “ (ACTS 17:11) vi.PROPHECY (PREACHING) IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH OF THE CHURCH, SO PAUL URGES THE THESSALONIANS NOT TO DESPISE IT. vii.PAUL STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPHETIC (PREACHING) GIFT TO THE CORINTHIANS. “ FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY, AND DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BUT RATHER THAT YE MAY PROPHESY. FOR HE THAT SPEAKETH IN AN UNKNOWN TONGUE SPEAKETH NOT UNTO MEN, BUT UNTO GOD: FOR NO MAN UNDERSTANDETH HIM; HOWBEIT IN THE SPIRIT HE SPEAKETH MYSTERIES. BUT HE THAT PROPHESIETH SPEAKETH UNTO MEN TO EDIFICATION, AND EXHORTATION, AND COMFORT.” (1 COR. 14:1-3) 4

viii.PROPHECY, AS A TERM, IS ACTUALLY USED TO REFER TO GOD’S WRITTEN WORD. “KNOWING THIS FIRST, THAT NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. FOR THE PROPHECY CAME NOT IN OLD TIME BY THE WILL OF MAN: BUT HOLY MEN OF GOD SPAKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY GHOST.“ (2 PET. 1:20-21) “ BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH, AND THEY THAT HEAR THE WORDS OF THIS PROPHECY, AND KEEP THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN THEREIN: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND. “ (REV. 1:3) ix.PAUL’S REVERENCE FOR THE WORD OF GOD HAD ITS ROOTS IN THE OT. “ THIS BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH; BUT THOU SHALT MEDITATE THEREIN DAY AND NIGHT, THAT THOU MAYEST OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN THEREIN: FOR THEN THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAY PROSPEROUS, AND THEN THOU SHALT HAVE GOOD SUCCESS. “ ( JOS. 1:8) 5

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