Matt Smethurst on Teaching 1 Thessalonians

First Thessalonians covers a surprising range of massive themes in only five chapters: election, Satan, sex, love, work, and death—just to name a few. Yet perhaps its most dominant theme is the second coming of Jesus.

I talked to Matt Smethurst, managing editor of The Gospel Coalition and an elder at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, about these two often-overlooked but content-rich books. Matt brings to the conversation his knowledge of these books that came from teaching them to adults at his church as well as writing 1–2 Thessalonians: A 12–Week Study in the Knowing the Bible study guide series (Crossway).

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You can listen to part one of the interview here.

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Nancy Guthrie (MATS, Reformed Theological Seminary) teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including through her Biblical Theology Workshop for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast from The Gospel Coalition. She and her husband founded Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of a child, and they’re cohosts of the GriefShare video series.

Matt Smethurst serves as lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. He also cohosts and edits The Everyday Pastor podcast from The Gospel Coalition. Matt is the author of Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel (Crossway, 2025), Before You Share Your Faith: Five Ways to Be Evangelism Ready (10Publishing, 2022), Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (Crossway, 2021), Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word (10Publishing, 2019), and 1–2 Thessalonians: A 12-Week Study (Crossway, 2017). He and his wife, Maghan, have five children. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram.