Apr 2
As we wrap up our series in 1 Thessalonians, Ben Stuart examines Paul’s final instructions for the church in Thessalonica about the Holy Spirit and reminds us that the church isn’t just an organization: it’s a spiritual movement. If the Spirit of God is moving in us, it will make us different than the rest of the world.
Key Takeaway
The gifts of the Spirit go hand-in-hand with scripture, working together to bring Him glory and sanctify us.
We've got the burning and shining light of God in our hearts by faith in Jesus.
The gifts of the Spirit are actions that manifest the Spirit working in us for the common good.
Test everything that is said and shown to you against scripture.
Test what they're saying against their lives.
“
"Let's not put out a fire of the Holy Spirit in this place. With the Word of God guiding us, the Spirit of God filling us, let's move together."
”
Ben Stuart
Discussion Questions
Have you seen evidence of the shining light of Jesus in your own life? How so?
How have you understood the gifts of the Spirit in the past?
Do you believe in prophecy? In what ways has Ben Stuart challenged you to be discerning in receiving prophetic words?
Have you ever experienced something seemingly prophetic? What was shared with you and how did that align with scripture?
Scripture References
12.Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13.Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14.And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15.Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.16.Rejoice always, 17.pray continually, 18.give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.19.Do not quench the Spirit. 20.Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21.but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22.reject every kind of evil.23.May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24.The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.25.Brothers and sisters, pray for us.26.Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.27.I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.28.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
16.By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17.Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18.A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
3.They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4.All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11 as the Spirit enabled them.
In Corinth
1.After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2.There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3.and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4.Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5.When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6.But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7.Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8.Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9.One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10.For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11.So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12.While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13.“This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14.Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15.But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16.So he drove them off. 17.Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18.Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19.They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20.When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21.But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22.When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
23.After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24.Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25.He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor18:25 Or with fervor in the Spirit and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26.He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27.When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28.For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
A Living Sacrifice
1.Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2.Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3.For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4.For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5.so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6.We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your12:6 Or the faith; 7.if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8.if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,12:8 Or to provide for others do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9.Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10.Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11.Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12.Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13.Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14.Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15.Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16.Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.12:16 Or willing to do menial work Do not be conceited.
17.Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18.If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19.Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”12:19 Deut. 32:35 says the Lord. 20.On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”12:20 Prov. 25:21,22
21.Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Healing at the Pool
1.Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2.Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaida and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3.Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 4.5:3,4 Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had. 5.One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6.When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7.“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8.Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9.At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10.and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11.But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12.So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13.The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14.Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15.The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
The Authority of the Son
16.So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17.In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18.For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19.Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20.For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21.For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22.Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23.that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25.Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26.For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27.And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28.
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29.and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30.By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Testimonies About Jesus
31.
“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32.There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33.
“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34.Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35.John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36.
“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37.And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38.nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39.You study5:39 Or 39 Study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40.yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41.
“I do not accept glory from human beings, 42.but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43.I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44.How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One?
45.
“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46.If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47.But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
8.But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
16.No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:17.“ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.18.Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
3.I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
12.We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
1.Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2.not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
1.Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2.This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3.but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.4.You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5.They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6.We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit4:6 Or spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
15.So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings2:15 Or traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
1.Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2.You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3.Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4.There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5.There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6.There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7.Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8.To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9.to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10.to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28 and to still another the interpretation of tongues.12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28 11.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12.Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13.For we were all baptized by12:13 Or with; or in one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14.Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15.Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16.And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17.If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18.But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19.If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20.As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21.The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22.On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23.and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24.while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25.so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26.If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27.Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28.And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29.Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30.Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues12:30 Or other languages? Do all interpret? 31.Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
Intelligibility in Worship
1.Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2.For anyone who speaks in a tongue14:2 Or in another language; also in verses 4, 13, 14, 19, 26 and 27 does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3.But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4.Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5.I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,14:5 Or in other languages; also in verses 6, 18, 22, 23 and 39 but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,14:5 Or in other languages; also in verses 6, 18, 22, 23 and 39 unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
6.Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7.Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8.Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9.So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10.Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11.If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12.So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
13.For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14.For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15.So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16.Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,14:16 The Greek word for inquirer is a technical term for someone not fully initiated into a religion; also in verses 23 and 24. say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17.You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
18.I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19.But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20.Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21.In the Law it is written:
“With other tongues
and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
but even then they will not listen to me,
says the Lord.”14:21 Isaiah 28:11,12
22.Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23.So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24.But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25.as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
Good Order in Worship
26.What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27.If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28.If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
29.Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30.And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31.For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32.The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33.For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
34.Women14:33,34 Or peace. As in all the congregations of the Lord’s people, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35.If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.14:34,35 In a few manuscripts these verses come after verse 40.
36.Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37.If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38.But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.14:38 Some manuscripts But anyone who is ignorant of this will be ignorant
39.Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40.But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.