Connecting a 27" Thunderbolt Display to a MacBook Pro (mid 2017)

I have two problems.

First, I'm trying to connect my 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display to my Apple MacBook Pro (mid-2017), but judging from the product reviews, there appears to be no adapter made by Apple to do this — at least not in a way that has the ports and the screen on the Thunderbolt Display working as they do when I plug my 2013 MacBook Pro into it.

This leads me to my second problem: there are plenty of well-meaning people out there generously giving their time and expertise addressing this problem, but (sadly) the advice out there conflicts with what others are saying, including manufacturers.

Has ANYONE out there actually connected a mid-2017 MacBook Pro to Apple's 27" Thunderbolt Display?

If so, do all the ports on the back of the Thunderbolt Display work for you?

If they do, *PLEASE* tell me exactly which adapter you are using to do this.

This problem seems to be made worse by the fact that USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 use the same connection, and mini display port and Thunderbolt 2 use the same connection, so advice given on the topic is often incomplete and confusing.

By the way, answers like "use a mini display port adapter" aren't helpful, because literally manufacturers of mini display port adapters AND Thunderbolt 2 adapters are saying their adapters do NOT work with Apple's 27" Thunderbolt Display.

What I am hoping for is not a theoretical answer, but one that comes from someone who has actually found something that works and is using it.

Thanks.