1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (MSG)

9-10 Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You’re already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it.

11-12 Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (MSG)

General Context Questions

• Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
• Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
• Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
• Is there anything that stands out to you?
• Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?

Specific Questions

• What does it mean to be “God-taught”?
• What sort of love do you think is being advocated here? How can someone show that kind of love?
• Are your friends evidence of your love? What do you think other people think of you because of your friends?
• Can you think of an instance where someone didn’t stay calm, mind their own business or do their own job? What effect did that have on the people around them and your perception of them?
• Do you sponge off your friends? How can you tell that a friend is sponging off of you? What are some ways that you can deal with these situations?