Why we will be going SLOW

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Why we will be going SLOW
Hermeneutic Key to Understanding Scripture By
Rev. Charles Cooper

• In order to consistently understand the Bible, a
  student must have a wholistic biblical method of
  interpretation. A wholistic hermeneutic evaluates
  all aspects of the Scriptures before any
  conclusion is drawn. By wholistic we mean all the
  components that constitute the nature of
  Scripture. Scripture has literary, supernatural,
  historical, grammatical, and theological natures.
  Seldom will a correct understanding of a biblical
  passage be secured if any one of these components
  is misapplied or absent from the process of
  interpretation. Many of the contradictory
  conclusions reached in Bible study can be traced
  back to this one fact the interpreter did not
  consider all the avenues available when trying to
  discover the Author/author's intended meaning.

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Read Acts 171-11

• Thessalonica was a very large, populous, and
  flourishing city, a free city, and the metropolis
  of Macedonia (Today its the second-largest city
  in Greece and the capital of Macedonia, the
  nation's largest region. )
• The center of trade then and still is for North
  Greece and parts of Europe
• Deep Jewish history

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A place of many Jews

• Thessalonica was inhabited by Christians, Turks,
  and Jews, and chiefly by the latter, their
  number, according to their own account, is
  fourteen thousand, and their synagogues
  fourscore. There always were many Jews in this
  place (see following slide for updated info), and
  so there were when the apostle was here, for it
  follows
• where was a synagogue of the Jews it seems as if
  there was none, neither in Philippi, nor in
  Amphipolis, nor in Apollonia why these two last
  places should be passed through by the apostle,
  without making any stay at them, cannot be said
  it is very likely he had, as in some other
  instances before, some particular directions from
  the Spirit of God, there being none of the chosen
  vessels of salvation to be called there, at
  least, at this time, when there were many at
  Thessalonica. Jon Gill commentary
• CITIES WITH MANY JEWS ALWAYS BROUGHT PROSPERITY

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• The invitation of the Sephardic Jews expelled
  from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella, was an
  Ottoman demographic strategy aiming to prevent
  the Greek element from dominating the city.5
  The city remained the largest Jewish city in the
  world for at least two centuries, often called
  "Mother of Israel". by 1519, there were 15,715,
  54 of the city's population

5
Nazi Terror

• Thessaloniki fell to the forces of Nazi Germany
  on April 22, 1941, and remained under German
  occupation until 30 October 1944. The city
  suffered considerable damage from Allied bombing,
  and almost its entire Jewish population was
  exterminated by the Nazis.

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An important note

• This was the first epistle written by Paul
• Date The Time of Writing was evidently
  immediately after having received from Timothy
  the tidings of their state (1Th_36) in the
  winter of a.d. 52, or early in 53. For it was
  written not long after the conversion of the
  Thessalonians (this had to be during his 2nd
  missionary journey of 51-54 AD)
• At least 20 years before the temple in Jerusalem
  was destroyed

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Questions needing answers

• How were there already Christians in Thessalonica
  before Paul came and preached?
• Received a pledge from Jason? . That is, received
  satisfaction from them, by the defence which they
  made for themselves, and the apostles

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How does this apply to

• Spiritual Warfare (Flesh, Devil, World system)
• Sufferology (Standing and preaching truth always
  costs you something)
• Eschatology (1Th 19-10 For they themselves
  report about us what kind of a reception we had
  with you, and how you turned to God from idols to
  serve a living and true God, and to wait for His
  Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
  that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to
  come.)