devotes much space to descriptions of his ministry to the Thessalonians Note the outline that shows three aspects of that ministry The segment division shown at 2:17 is based on this observation Read the paragraphs before and after 2:17 to justify a main division at this point Study also the two related outlines that appear just below the ministry outline One of the prominent subjects of the letter is the Lord’s return It was noted earlier that each chapter ends with a clear reference to this future event The vefold topical outlines shown on the survey chart are organized around this observation of the ve chapter endings These outlines also re ect the general content of each of the chapters For example, the word salvation for chapter refers to the Thessalonians’ conversion, the experience that accounted for their hope of Christ’s return (waiting “for His Son from heaven,” 1:10) Study the topical outlines on this theme Observe on the chart that the title given to the epistle is about the Lord’s return The title is worded this way to anticipate the title that will be assigned later to Thessalonians, which is, “He Has Not Come Yet.” Note also the key verse V PROMINENT SUBJECTS OF THESSALONIANS The prominent subjects of Thessalonians re ect Paul’s purposes in writing Some of the major subjects are in the following list The second coming of Christ The key doctrinal passage of the epistle is 4:13-18, on the rapture of the church Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ faith and endurance 3 Encouragement to the church members in their afflictions Doctrines of various subjects, such as the following: Exhortations to holy living Some of the prominent subjects cited above are described more fully in the pages that follow A LORD’S RETURN In our survey study, we observed various references in Thessalonians to Christ’s second coming The rst of these appears at 1:10 There are di erent views concerning Christ’s second coming Some hold that His coming will be of two phases; others, that it will involve just one phase Chart 91 shows the premillennial view of two phases, the rst called the rapture, when Christ will come for His saints; and the second called t h e revelation, when Christ will come with His saints to this earth, to set up the millennial kingdom The chart shows the sequence of future world events as interpreted by the view of a rapture before the Tribulation (hence the name, pretribulation).6 Keep this sequence in mind whenever you study references to Christ’s second coming (The sequence will be studied further in later chapters.) ... THESSALONIANS The prominent subjects of Thessalonians re ect Paul’s purposes in writing Some of the major subjects are in the following list The second coming of Christ The key doctrinal passage of the. .. 4:13-18, on the rapture of the church Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ faith and endurance 3 Encouragement to the church members in their afflictions Doctrines of various subjects, such as the following:...for their hope of Christ’s return (waiting “for His Son from heaven,” 1:10) Study the topical outlines on this theme Observe on the chart that the title given to the epistle is about the Lord’s