Exploring 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Synopsis:

Do you enjoy reading other people’s correspondence, especially the letters of famous people?  This book explores two of the great Apostle Paul’s earliest epistles, those to the Thessalonian church.  In them he bares his heart to reveal his love for those he led to Christ, and his concern for their welfare, as he provides instructions to new Christians.  We also learn something of his travelling companions, his hopes and fears, his personal concerns, his passionate concern for the truth, and much about the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Read this book to learn how to live the Christian life, how to avoid false doctrine, and how the Thessalonians’ zeal and the Apostle’s teaching can be applied to your own life.

Book details:

Page count
256

ISBN
978-1-84625-287-7

About the author:

Stanley Jebb was born in Sheffield, brought up to attend church and Sunday School, and came into assurance of salvation in his late teens at Birmingham Youth for Christ, immediately getting involved in the National Young Life Campaign. Shortly afterwards he became a Local Preacher and served in that capacity for seven years before attending the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow. He went on to further training and gained the BA in Theology from Bristol University, The BD from London University, the PGCE from the London Institute of Education, and the ThD from Trinity Theological Seminary in the USA. He has pastored four Baptist churches in Bristol. Porthcawl, Cradley and Dunstable, the last for 27 years. After 42 years in the pastorate he retired from full time ministry, and has continued to preach, lecture and write. He has been married to Shirley for 54 years and they have two daughters, one son, and nine grandchildren. His previous publication with Day One was No Laughing Matter, an examination of the ‘Toronto Blessing’.

Commendations:

Sound theology? Challenging ethics? Faithful pastoring? Yes—all true, of both Paul’s letters and Stanley Jebb’s commentary! —Geoffrey Grogan, GlasgowThis is a timely book. The ‘coming day of the Lord’ (1 Thess.5:3) should put believers on the tip-toe of expectancy and create a passion for holiness. Unfortunately, happiness rather than holiness has become a prevailing concern in many modern evangelical churches. Trials are regarded as threats to our welfare instead of instruments in God’s hand to promote our spiritual good. Stanley Jebb effectively demonstrates that Paul’s burden for the Thessalonian Christians was that they should become living examples of the holy power of the gospel. We are to live in the light of the coming judgement, and Dr Jebb’s book will help us to do this. —Paul E. G. Cook: retired evangelical pastor and preacher; author and writer, Breaston, Derbyshire.Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians have a personal quality, a freshness and a vitality that make them always exciting to study. Stanley Jebb’s vigorous and straightforward style is admirably suited to them. His commentary is exegetically enlightening without being ponderous, clear and heart-warming, practical and pastoral throughout. Its simplicity disguises, without concealing, the thorough labour behind it. This book could be recommended equally for personal Bible study and to the minister looking for help in preaching. Stanley Jebb wrote this book because he was invited to; we may hope for more such invitations. —Mostyn Roberts, pastor of Welwyn Evangelical Church; lecturer in Systematic Theology at London Theological Seminary.I have known Dr, Jebb for three decades. He was my only pastor. He taught me to reason and argue my case from the Bible and this approach comes out clearly in this commentary. I pastored two churches for 25 years receiving Dr. Jebb's insight throughout. A book reflects the heart of the writer, and this commentary will lead to applied theology. The author is devoted to Christ and studies the Bible with a view to loving Christ better and making a difference to his personal life, his family's life, "his" church, and those he trains and mentors. A Christian needs to be ready to argue his case from the Bible, and Dr. Jebb does this, emphasizing the action to take rather than words alone. This is a commentary looking for godly change in the reader. —David Fortune, Director of Ministry for Christian Prison ResourcesThe Thessalonian Epistles handle issues requiring pastoral wisdom coupled with the firmness needed to help young Christians who were striving to be faithful to God in a hostile world. These very characteristics that marked Dr Jebb’s years of ministry as a wise and widely respected pastor qualify him admirably to expound what are possibly the earliest of Paul’s letters. His unfailing pastoral touch means that even some of the most difficult passages in the New Testament are handled with a freshness and simplicity that show how up-to-date is the message of the Bible. Concise yet profound, the exposition sidesteps no problem. —Graham Harrison, Baptist Minister in Newport, South Wales, and formerly Lecturer at LTS and Director of the EMW Theological Training CourseThis volume combines flawless exposition with far reaching exposition. Drawing from a wealth of pastoral experience and with no sacrifice of scholarship Stanley Jebb has given ordinary Christians a highly readable commentary. The shafts of insight and wisdom will concentrate the mind too of preachers who would do well to use them in their own preaching. I unreservedly recommend this work it would make an excellent gift for any pastor from a grateful parishioner! —Tony Sargent emeritus principal International Christian College, Glasgow, adjunct professor of pastoral theology Olivet University San Francisco