A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

Paul has given direction to the saints on the will of God for their lives in the previous passage, specifically in the area of sex. He speaks of the saint’s sanctification, and the specific call of God on the believer to abstain from sexual immorality.

He doesn’t bring up the topic of theft, or lying, or anger. All of these topics are completely in line with the sancification of the saints life.

Of course I suggested that this line of teaching was fueled buy a specific act of sexual immorality in the church by a brother against a brother, and though Paul does not name names for us, it surely was obvious in the church body of the tresspass.

He addresses the transgressor (and the entire church), bringing to note that the “Lord is an avenger in all these things”.

Sexual immorality in a saint’s life will result in the Lord making things right. To avenge a man’s right for his wife has got to involve serious actions on the part of the Lord. As considered, the best situation the transgressor could hope for is that he fall into a contrite repentance before the church, seek reparation and restoration of relationships he has destroyed, and plead for mercy from the Lord.

And brace for the inevitable consequences of his actions!

Now that I have given a brief overview of what I think is happening in the church in relation to the beginning portion of chapter 4, it is amazing that Paul pulls in our verse this morning.

Brotherly love.

Emotions must have been running high in the church, for if Paul had heard of this sin amongst the believers, being many miles away, we can safely say that the local rumor mill produced stories for the church to hear. And as such, attitudes and opinions would flare up, with each believer taking sides on story, justifying or excusing those they stood by.

Is it right? Of course not. God is the judge, and Paul has clearly laid that out.

It is human to take side. Oh my gosh – Do bears peepee in the woods?

But Paul leads off after a brutal discussion on a sinful situation in a small body of believers, with the topic of brotherly love. Does he not know of the pain, the emotional turmoil the believers are experiencing?

This is the very reason he brings the topic of brotherly love up, for the emotional strife that may be going on in the body has the potential for completely splitting the church, destroying the unity of the Spirit and damaging many lives!

He will teach, as we shall see in future posts, of the general truth of botherly love being worked out amongst the believers and before the world around them.

But for those in the church, this topic is the balm that they need to hear. The call of God to exercise brotherly love includes honest communication with each other, not simply listening to gossip. Brotherly love includes the forgiveness of each others faults and frailty, knowing we all fall into the base nature too often! Brotherly love includes the repair of any relationship amongst the sainsts that is damaged through misunderstandings, though listening to half truths, or simply believing all the gossip! Broterly love does not include judgement and condemnation.

Brotherly love is actually the very thing these saints need to exercise, instead of emotional tirades against each other, statements of judgement being flung about and feelings of hurt and pain being nursed by others.

Let me remind those who are reading this post, that brotherly love is not a feeling that we are given at salvation, that provides us the “warm fuzzies”. Brotherly love involves hard decisions to follow up with in the hope it is for the best of the brothers. Truth and grace is to be exercised amongst the saints, and brotherly love is the grease that makes this healing process happen.

So for Paul to bring up this topic right after a sinful act was exposed within the church makes perfect sense. And this approach is instructive for those of us who seek to lead others. Emotional distress is not to be catered to as it destroys relationships with the body. Brotherly love involves truth telling, forgiveness as required, a calmness of mind, an understanding heart and grace towards others, along with the rejection of gossip within the body, story telling to gain adherents and whispers of destruction.

My friends – if there is sin in your church, remember Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians. Practice brotherly love and bring healing to the body!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Paul clearly understood he was speaking for God.

It is one thing to encourage in the name of God, to provide comfort in Jesus name, to build up and establish the saints in God’s name. These are activities that all believers can and should take part in, for we are to strengthen each other.

But to speak as Paul speaks in this verse is telling me that Paul, without a doubt, is speaking directly as of from the Lord. He is telling his faithful that though he is speaking the words from his mouth, though his secretary is writing the words on the parchment, the message is to be taken as directly from the Lord.

Paul is not providing his opinion, or the consensus of those with him. His words are the message of God for the sinning brother. Pay attention!

Yet this emphasis of Paul identifying God as the author of the message is not a lone message in the Word. Paul is apostolic, having been granted the authority of the Risen Christ in his message to the world.

Thankfully we have much of his message recorded for our edification, and in this particular instance, for our warning! This message is dire.

To disregard is not the same as to ignore. I think he may have rightly assumed the sinning brother would hear of this letter, and would read it, either on his own or by proxy, through a teacher in the church. Whichever way this brother hears Paul’s message, Paul wanted to make it clear. If this matter isn’t cleared up, it is because the brother has disregarded the matter.

It isn’t as if the brother did not have the conviction, for any saint that has the Spirit must surely have the inner conviction of the Lord in this instance. Beyond that, the written message of Paul would only compound the knowledge this saint had. Internal and external knowledge of his sin.

No restoration and repentance by the sinning brother would equal disregarding the conviction of the Lord, both internally and externally. To “disregard”, according to the Greek dictionaries, is to cast off, despise, disannul, frustrate, bring to naught or to reject.

To reject.

Paul is not mincing words here. He is speaking of the need for holiness in the life of the saint, which includes the abstaining of sexual immorality. If the saint does not respond, Paul is speaking of the rejection of God for his life.

If I understand this passage, Paul is saying much more than I first assumed. Given the synonyms for “disregard”, could not we replace the word disregard with reject, and get a somewhat clearer message?

Whoever rejects this message, rejects not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

As a matter of fact, a number of translations do that very replacement.

NKJV – Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

NLT – Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

NIV – Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

CSB – Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

NASB20 – Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit  to you.

This passage speaks of Paul’s authority to pronounce the oracle of God, a message from God for a sinning brother. A message that indicates the consequence (rejecting God) of rejecting a message (from God)

This is the common refrain of the Word, that to reject the message is to reject the messenger.

Paul is God’s messenger!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

We have just waded through a passage speaking of the believers call to a life of sexual purity, of abstaining from sexual immorality. It appears that Paul had a message to provide the church, and it may have been related to a known incident in the church.

This is incredible, given his high praise for the church at the beginning of the epistle, how it had such a great witness amongst the unbelievers, and that even the believers far away spoke highly of this church’s faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:7-9 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

Yet there seemed to be a dark spot in the Body, and Paul wanted to make sure they understood the severity of it.

Our verse this morning reminds us of the general truth of God’s call on our lives, specifically in the realm of sex. At first glance, purity seems to be the call of God on our lives. Note that is not specifically Paul’s message. Paul’s term of reference in opposition to impurity is holiness. He speaks of impurity as that which is to be avoided, but holiness as the goal.

Paul went from a specific arena of potential sinful behavior and expanded it to the whole of the believers life. He does not limit the goal of the believer as simply purity in the sexual realm, but holiness. A complete setting aside of a life to God, including, but not only, sexual purity.

As the life is set aside for the Lord, sexual purity will become one area of life the Lord can minister to. If the believer is consecrated to the Lord, the door of opportunity for the Lord to work in the believers life is wide open.

For some this morning, sexual impurity may be the issue that has to be addressed in your life. For others, it may be gluttony, or tardiness, or foul thoughts.

Fighting one sinful area, while ignoring other areas will only provide the saint a frustrated life. A willingness to bend the knee to Him in our lives, not just a specific part of our lives, is the secret to overcoming any particular sinful action. Of course, by this I mean a continual, repetitive giving of our lives to Him, repenting of our sinful actions and thoughts.

A single decision for Him decades ago is not His calling for His child. I must remember that!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

Ok – lets get this straight. Paul is talking to believers, and he is bringing up the subject of the Lord being an avenger.

An avenger!

Before we dig into this verse, let’s remember the context. It has been a week since I have considered this passage, and the old memory glands (or whatever holds my memories these days), is kinda leaky.

So let’s review.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6a For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter…

Ok so we have reestablished that Paul is addressing believers, that his concern is their sanctification, and this consecration/being set apart for God includes staying away from sexual immorality.

Now when Paul brings up the topic of sexual immorality (πορνεία porneía), he uses the broadest term available. This term is used when describing illicit sexual intercourse, adultery, fornication, incest, harlotry, bestiality and more. In my mind, any sexual activity outside of the bond of marriage would fall under this description.

This restriction was a massive challenge for the Greeks, as the culture they were saved out of reveled in this debauchery. Another example of this behavior was in the Corinthian church, a church which Paul continually expressed his amazement by their immoral sexual “freedoms”

For the Thessalonians, Paul had addresses this concern early on, warning them of the consequences, and that the Lord is the avenger.

Now it is important for the believer that all sexual immorality is to be abstained from. This is the base, or a foundational truth Paul has taught them, and that believers know is true. But in this passage, Paul adds a wrinkle we should take note of.

He speaks of transgressing and wronging his brother in this matter.

What? It is bad enough if there is a believer that is involved in sexual immorality, but Paul is speaking of a brother sleeping with another brother’s wife. Sexual immorality with a brother’s wife, a brother that he worships God with.

Consider the brother who is wronged.

Is it not incumbent on the Lord to deliver that brother justice for the wrongdoing? The betrayal this man felt must have been deep, and the Lord’s message to love his enemy placed him in an even deeper challenge.

Sometimes being a Christian is exceptionally difficult.

Consider the brother who sinned.

Now he has the hound of Heaven chasing him down, the Lord Himself being the wronged brothers avenger. The term used when Paul describes the Lord as an avenger is describing the one who exacts a penalty from the wrongdoer. The term also includes the concept of punishment.

Consider the only other time this Greek term is used in the New Testament.

Romans 13:4 ……But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

The avenger in this case is the government, the civil authorities that use punishment as their management tool of the masses. When describing this avenger, the wrath of God is linked to the avenger. This is heavy stuff!

And what a mess! This one act, (if it was only one act by the sinful parties), has the capacity of completely destroying the work of the apostle, of decimating the church and of providing offence to so many in and out of the church,

The damage is great, and the Lord Himself is the avenger. This isn’t going to turn out well! The best possible solution is the complete repentance of the sinning party and full reconciliation of the damaged marriages. If this is possible, through the Lord’s mercy, there may be some recovery of church body.

But I surely would not want to be in the sinning brother’s boots. He has some hard times coming to visit him!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

In our third verse of this chapter, Paul’s introduced the will of God for these believers, and the first topic was that of sex. How is a Christian to live honorably towards God in the arena of sex in his life. First off, Paul speaks of abstaining from sexual immorality. Don’t sin.

It is somewhat obvious that a Christian is not to sin, but Paul reminds us of this requirement in our calling. But he simply does not give us a negative, without providing a replacement for the bed. Enter verse 4, where he speaks of being self controlled, and as mentioned earlier, the core idea is to rest in the Lord, to dwell in Him in order for the fruit of the Spirit, which contains self control is provided as we walk in the Spirit.

Now in verse 5, we find he is dealing with the Thessalonians regarding their specific background or history prior to salvation.

Remember, the Thessalonians were primarily a church of converted gentiles, and when converted, many if not all of the church, had been steeped in the culture of the Gentiles, living in the passion of lust.

This condition is prevalent in our modern society, and the modern church has somewhat abandoned this demand upon new converts. If a new convert is in a compromising relationship with someone, it is not dissuaded or condemned. It might simply be ignored.

In some cases it is encouraged, as if the church was never to make any judgement on the life choice of the convert. This is foolishness, and the death of the church.

To live in the passion of lusts, is to be controlled by feelings and cravings, to be led about by desires that are dictated by an unregenerate heart. This is not the condition a believer lives in, and Paul reminded the Thessalonians they had been called out of that life.

Paul tailored his message to the needs of the congregation he was dealing with, and when he was teaching the Thessalonians, the lustful passions of their prior existence came to the forefront of the discussion.

This verse is the beginning of a harsh warning to the church. It is not a light subject, and Paul loved them enough to challenge those he cared for.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Paul continues with his teaching about sexual immorality, reminding the people of Thessalonica of the will of God for them.

The first topic out of Paul’s pen is the topic of sex. He had taught them of God’s will previously (vs2), and now is reminding them of God’s will (v 3), getting in this verse very specific as to who this applies to.

Each one of them. He does not allow the readers to gloss over this specific requirement, as if it applies to someone else but not them.

Each one of them (us)!

Ok Paul, you told us to abstain in the previous verse, which is the negative command, the command to “not” do something. This verse addresses the positive command, that which we are to “do”.

Control our own body. Self control. A fruit of the Spirit. It is the flip side of just abstaining, in that this particular fruit of the Spirit is not produced merely by our efforts in the sexual arena, but in the relationship we have with the Spirit.

Are we controlled by the Spirit? If so, self control is a “natural” experience we experience from the Lord.

Our effort to obey? Abstain. God’s work in our lives? Self control, a fruit of the Spirit. Both are to work in the believers life to bring about the will of God for each believer.

This is a common refrain in the Word. Compare Paul’s expanded teaching on this topic of our work and God’s work in the believers life for the Philippians.

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

We are to abstain, but if our abstaining from sexual immorality is a work of the flesh, the evil we seek to avoid will erupt in some other area of our life. Self, without the control of the Spirit, will not be stopped. It is a voracious consumer of all things not of God, and though some may find success in abstaining from sexual sin, unless we are controlled by the Spirit, the self will simply find satisfaction in some other area of sin.

Our effort is to abstain, but if we ignore the repeated command to be controlled by the Spirit, to dwell in the Lord, to walk in His strength, we will simply be chasing our tail, experiencing no victory in our lives.

Be controlled by the Spirit, and find self control in God!

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Let’s remember that Paul is reminding these dear folk of his instructions for life in this and following passages. And he starts this list, describing the sanctification believers are to follow after with the topic of sex.

I find that very instructive, as we live in a culture drowning in sex. A culture that has not only exposed everyone to every sexual temptation, but is perverting in every way the sexual aspect of our lives.

And what does Paul say regarding sex? Abstain.

Well not absolutely!

It is sexual immorality that the believer is to abstain from. Let me remind my reader that Scriptural passages speak of sex within a marriage is “to be rejoiced in” and a pleasure to be experienced between two people. The Proverbs get quite explicit in describing the sexual intimacies!

Proverbs 5:18-19 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

I will let me reader peruse the book of Songs, where Solomon speaks of his love, and sexual desire, for the object of his love.

So when Paul is directing the believers to abstain from sexual immoralities, he is directing them to be faithful to their wives as a first step. Entering an unfaithful union outside of the marriage bond is strictly forbidden per multitudes of Scriptural commands, but I think Paul is going further than simply informing them of this restriction.

I think this way due to the term he uses in describing the actions the believers are to follow. They are to abstain.

Now, when I hear the term abstain, I think – Don’t do it! Simply don’t get involved. It is like the old saying that I hear from some – “You can look but you can’t touch”.

As long as we “don’t do it”, we may feel we have obeyed this instruction from Paul. Yet the term “abstain” in the Greek seems to carry with it the concept of distance.

Strong’s Dictionary actually defines the term for us.

ἀπέχω apéchō, ap-ekh’-o; from G575 and G2192; (actively) to have out, i.e. receive in full; (intransitively) to keep (oneself) away, i.e. be distant…. (italics mine)

How should we understand this alternate idea? Does it allow for viewing of sexual immorality, as long as we “don’t do it”? I would suggest this might not be Paul’s intent. And the application for those of us in our sexually dominated culture may be quite extensive.

How do we choose the movies we watch? If scenes of sexual immorality come up, (and when do they not?), do we turn away, do we skip the scene or do we simply turn off the flick?

If we go to a party and the music starts, with the dancing becoming explicit, as we have seen become popular in days past, do we jump on the dance floor and participate, or do we turn away, even leaving the celebration? This particular case needs wisdom, as some responses to this experience may be perceived as a “holier than thou” stance. It may appear as a judgmental position that is not, in my opinion, a good witness!

How about when you are grocery shopping and the magazine covers show too much skin – whatever that may be in your estimation – do you turn away, do you seek to honor God?

Even as you are interacting in the office or the work site, there may be some who seek attention and provide temptation for the eyes. How can we be “distant” from the sexual immorality that may be offered to the eye-gate for consumption.

Paul’s command to abstain from sexual immorality is far reaching, and is not restricted only to those who are in a married relationship. It is a challenge for each of us as we seek to honor the God we love.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

Paul is the proverbial teacher, teaching his people what he is going to teach them, teaching them the subject matter, and then reminding them of what he taught them.

For our verse this morning, Paul introduces the subject of the next set of verses, informing them (and us) of his general teaching of the responsibility of believers in their walk of faith. Before we get to Paul’s repetition (for them, not us) of his teaching, I think it wise to remind each believer of the value of repetition.

For a young convert, the repetition of Godly teaching in a grace filled, loving Bible believing church is critical. Beyond that, the reading of the Word is to be repeated over and over in our lives, being constantly reminded, and thereby strengthened by the grace of God and His mercies.

After a period of establishment in the faith, the repetition of hearing and or reading of the Word continues to be a lifeline to the truth for the maturing believer. There is never a time when a believer can safely walk away from the Word, thinking he has acquired sufficient information. After all, the Word is not simply a book to provide information but the message of a loving Father to His children.

Paul instructed Timothy to remind his people

2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

Peter was of the same opinion, going so far as to say he will always remind his people of truth.

2 Peter 1:12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

But what is it that we are to be reminded of? For Paul, he was speaking to a small body of believers that were fully committed to the Lord, and he would begin in the next few verses getting somewhat specific – at least for their consciences!

Generally, the greatest subject of remembrance is revealed by the apostle Paul in his last letter to Timothy. He boils it all down to One subject

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…

Even the Lord Himself directed the disciple that deserted Him to feed, to tend and (then again) to feed His sheep, to remind them of His teachings and then to simply follow Him

John 21:15 …”Feed my lambs.”
John 21:16 …”Tend my sheep.”
John 21:17 … “Feed my sheep.
John 21:19 … “Follow me.”

Remember Jesus Christ today, and if you have a chance, remind someone of Who the Messiah is. We have clear instruction that this will not displease the Father!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

Consider the humility of the apostle Paul. He has been singularly appointed to be the apostle to the gentiles, to release the gospel of Jesus on the masses, while the original apostles work amongst those who should know better.

Paul, a man who was a force to be reckoned with, that led the charge to kill and stomp out that false religion sprouting up amongst the followers of that false prophet. This man was a go getter, and when he was arrested by the Lord on that road to Damascus, everything changed. Was he still strong willed, a force to be reckoned with? Yes of course, but now under the reign of the Patient One, Pauls metamorphosis is evident as we see him interact with those he ministers to.

He asks them to walk properly and please God. But watch out. Now he is getting forceful with his adherents. He urges them!

What happened to that force that took the bull be the horns and caused things to happen? Where is that man that force his will on others, even his will of death on others?

He asks. He urges. Come on Paul. Crack the whip!

But such is the servants life. A life of seeking the best for others, of appealing to the heart and not the mind, of reaching out in love as opposed to forcing by fear.

I realize I may have mentioned this passage before in previous writings, but consider 1 Corinthians 16:12

1 Corinthians 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

Here Paul goes out on a limb “strongly urging” Apollos to do his will in visiting the Corinthians. Yet Apollos walked. WHAT? Was not Paul the Apostle of the Freaking Apostles? Apollos should have bent the knee immediately to Paul’s wishes, but he had the freedom to choose otherwise. And Paul allowed this to take place.

Amazing! This freedom amongst the apostle is hard to fathom.

But I have gotten distracted from the core of this verse a bit. Note that Paul is admitting the Thessalonians are walking well, but he is seeking greater love, more compliance to the will of God, greater pleasure for the Father with His children.

And to consider the very idea that our walk may be pleasing to God. That very concept blows me away. That our frail efforts, broken intentions, weak obedience and soft desire for His will actually may please the eternal One.

My friends – this should cause us great amazement if we consider this response of God. The God who has provided us all things, provided us His very Son, and yet finds pleasure in us.

But alas – before the head expands to bursting, it is good to remember that the Father finds pleasure in His children as they reflect the Greater Son, the Lord Jesus. Our efforts are as nothing to the Father if we are off the vine, away from the life of God.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

My friends – please God. Follow Jesus!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Having reminded us of the prayers in the previous verse, we enter verse 13 with two words.

“So that.”

Paul, by starting this verse, (or at least continuing his prayer) using “so that”, is indicating a purpose in the call of God to increase in love towards saint and sinner! You see, God’s life of love is not simply a quality of life, great as it is, or the attainment of a goal in life to please both God and man, but also a means to an end for our own souls.

A life of increasing love toward saint and sinner establishes our hearts blameless in holiness. Paul is seeking a state of being for the believers before God, and the method is through love.

Now, we have considered the concept of blamelessness in this blog a number of times, but for brevities sake, blamelessness does not imply sinlessness. Nor perfection. A blameless man is one who has corrected mistakes, sought forgiveness, lived properly amongst others, and when he falls, repairs any damage to those impacted.

As we walk with the Savior, we will naturally become more sensitive to any relationships with those we come in contact with, willing to give not only the tunic but the cloak also.

Matthew 5:40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

In giving though a self sacrificial love for others, our own lives will be established in holiness. This fruit of the love we exercise towards others grows within us as we seek to serve both God and man through the Lord Jesus and His leading. Integrity of the soul becomes a gift back to the Lord, a treasure we can experience and a characteristic we will guard in our lives. Blamelessness in holiness becomes a desire that develops a constant review of our lives, seeking to keep short accounts with both the Lord and those we know.

Paul had high goals for the Thessalonians, and his prayers showed not only his love for them, but the expectations of the apostle regarding his people.

He loved them.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

We are in the middle of Paul’s middle prayer for the Thessalonians. As you may remember, Paul opened up his letter the the Thessalonians with a prayer found in verses 1 & 2.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will close his letter to this church in Chapter 5, with

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,

In our next three verses, we are going to be seeing Paul’s heart for the Thessalonians through a prayer to God for them and himself.

Yes the prayer is specifically focused on the Thessalonians, but he is so desiring to see them, he can’t help but to ask the Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus to steer Paul’s journeys back to them.

It is as if Paul had forgot that God had called him to evangelize the nations, and he was coming back to what might be considered a pastoral, or a discipling action with those who have already committed themselves to the Lord, and by all accounts are doing quite well.

Was it not just a few verses back that Paul had received the good news of their faith and love?

1 Thessalonians 3:6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love..

Yes, Paul mentioned a lack in their faith in a previous verse, but did he not have multitudes of lost he needed to minister to?

1 Thessalonians 3:10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

How is it that this apostle felt he needed to return to those who had already committed to the Lord, and spend his precious time with them? Other’s were waiting!

Let’s remember that the body of believers in Thessalonica were birthed during Paul’s first missionary journey, approximately 49 AD. This letter was written from Corinth, a few months after Paul had left the Thessalonians.

Paul did get to return to his people in Thessalonica, but it wasn’t instantaneous. During his travels, as recorded in Acts 20:1-6, it appears he was in the region of the Thessalonians and most certainly had up to 3 months of time to be with them. Our date for this visit is about AD 55.

He may also have had an opportunity to visit with the Thessalonians after his first prison lock up. We see Paul’s continued intentions during his lock up, to visit the Philippians, and that would place him very close to the Thessalonians.

Philippians 2:24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

His first Roman imprisonment was from 60 to 62 AD, with a 4 year window until his next visit with jail. This four year window is the time he possibly got to visit with the Thessalonians.

In all of this brief timeline, we see that God’s answer to Paul’s request to visit with the Thessalonians was granted, possibly twice. But as I mentioned, it was not instantaneous. Up to six years until he was able to visit the area, and then again, another six years until free from prison.

In our highly connected world, we get anxious if we don’t see (or hear from) a friend or ally over a period of weeks, or in some cases days. The apostle prayed and waited for up to six years to visit with his church.

Sometimes we are impatient with the Lord in our faith, thinking things must happen faster, to get things done quicker. The apostle waited six years for an answer, with many distractions and trials in between. As he prayed to the Lord, he was asking for guidance back to his loved ones, but I imagine he may also have been leaving this request before the Lord, knowing the Lord’s faithfulness, and commitment to the little church in Thessalonica.

Extended wait times for answered prayers are sometimes “saint perfecters” themselves, training us to be patient and trusting, knowing the Lord has His interest in His mission within our lives!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

At first glance, three things are going on in this verse.

Prayer

Paul was a man of prayer. He often spoke of continual periods of prayer, and instructed his churches to be of the same nature. In this verse it might be wise to consider that Paul speaks in the plural. He says “we” pray, and I assume he is not using the royal manner of indicating himself as we, but that there was a group that prayed for the Thessalonians.

Was it a formal group, strictly monitored and ordered, to meet at 6am, 2:30 am and 9 pm? Somehow, I doubt it, and I tend to think that as a man of prayer, he sought opportunities to pray, to sit before the Lord, in this case with those he travelled with, or those in the church he was ministering to, and prayed. Prayed for others, and prayed for an opportunity to see his dear friends.

He wanted to pray and he prayed. And I think if he didn’t feel like praying, he prayed. And if he was discouraged, downtrodden and dismayed, he prayed. And he prayed.

Personal Touch

Now Paul is asking the Lord in this verse for a specific request. He wants to see the Thessalonians face to face.

This may seem to be a minor issue for some, but as a fellow who spends most of his day on a computer, in video calls, discussing issues, problems and tasks to be completed, I can tell you that to be face to face is a level of communication that cannot be improved upon. Sure I can hear the inflection of a voice on a call, and sometimes if on a video call, some body language is available to interpret, but there is nothing like a firm handshake and visiting with someone “face to face”.

As a matter of fact, I have a designer in my office that I spend 15 – 20 minutes each morning to chat with, because I know I will be in front of a computer talking to a machine for hours the remaining day. That initial 15 minutes helps me remember the humanity we all share.

Paul had much less than I do in relation to communication tools, so this prayer of his must have taken on a deeper desire than I can imagine in my situation. He really wanted to see his brothers and sisters!

As a matter of fact, he breaks out in prayer in our next verse, simply laying out his desire to get to see them.

1 Thessalonians 3:11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,

Giving

Paul did not seek to visit them to let them take an offering, or to get a free will offering, or even receive a love offering. He wasn’t dropping any hints abouts what he might get from them.

But he was straightforward in telling them his desire to provide them a blessing, to provide guidance in the faith for the Thessalonians, to move them forward to maturity.

You know, I have met some believers (and been one at times) who are offended if it was inferred they were lacking in their faith. It is funny how it works out, that this act of taking offense actually reveals a lack of maturity, that those who claim to be super mature, correct in all doctrine and practice, may be the very ones who desperately need humility and a good dose of reasonableness.

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

The fact that Paul could breach this subject with his friends of their need in the faith, also showed an openness of communication with his people. Paul understood the humility of the Thessalonians, and wrote without fear of treading on sensitive feelings.

Now to get personal. If someone came to you and asked a question that revealed a weakness, how would you respond? Would you cut off ties with that soul, claiming they are dead to you, refusing to take a call, or respond to an email or text? Would you justify that blocking of a brother by claiming he was full of heresy, that he was a “sinner”, impure of thoughts and actions?

How would you justify your pride? How would you justify hating your brother? How would you hide from your sin?

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

To walk with the One who is gentle and lowly in heart is to become like Him. And to be lowly of heart is to be open to our own weakness.

Oh to have the heart of Jesus!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.

Paul’s life was conditioned on the standing fast of the Thessalonians.

Is that what he wants the Thessalonians to understand or is that only what a “literalist” would understand? As a former literalist, I tend to initially fall into extreme understandings of poetic expressions, and admittedly thought this ridiculous interpretation for a moment! For a discussion on the literal interpretation of the Word, consider a short 2 part series I published a few years back. A Literal Bible – Part 1 & A Literal Bible – Part 2

Obviously, Paul was expressing a quality of spiritual life he entered into upon the notification of the Thessalonians ongoing commitment to the Lord. He opened up to them of the joy he experienced, the spiritual energy and abundance he received upon knowing of their continued trust in the Messiah, of their faithfulness to God.

But Paul used the term “if”! What is Paul trying to say here Carl?

For some who follow this blog, they may recognize that Conditional Security is discussed in a series I have been developing since 2022. Each week, a passage is considered in relation to the conditional security of the believer, and 1 Thessalonians 3:8 definitely entered the litany of passages considered.

First off, let us not consider this verse to imply Paul was using this verse as a fulcrum to maintain, manipulate or influence the Thessalonians in continuing in their faith. I think he simply wanted the believers to know of the impact of their faithfulness on a man that had told them good news.

This is a recurring theme in these current verses. Paul is expressing his heart to a people that he loved. He wasn’t upbraiding them on some heresy, or correcting them on a moral failure or rebuking them on division within the group. Yes he would address their misunderstanding of the second coming of the Lord, but this was the bulk of his concerns theologically. He was baring his heart, and connecting with a small group of believers the best way he knew, given the circumstances.

If my reader is curious regarding the conditional term “if” used within the Word in relation to the believers responsibility before the Lord, I would refer you to the series noted above.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.

From our last post, we learned that Timothy had returned to Paul, and informed him of the Thessalonian’s condition. You see, Paul had been anxious about those believers – yes the very same apostle who advised believers not to be anxious – but I think I understand how he could command believers not to be anxious (Philippians 4:6) and yet confess to anxiousness in verse 5 of this chapter. If curious, we dealt with this allowance for anxiousness on the part of the apostle in an earlier post. See 1 Thessalonian Bits – 3:5.

Nevertheless, Paul has been informed that the Thessalonians are living a life of faith and love, and that Paul is remembered well. They are longing to see him again.

What a comfort for a man who has risked his life to reach the lost, and that those few who adhered to his teaching are faithful to the message, and caring for the messenger!

It was years ago, when a brother, a preacher friend who was struggling financially (at least in my opinion) borrowed my old truck, and when he returned it, had filled it with fuel, and cleaned it up. I argued with him that I gave him the use of the truck expecting nothing in return, and that he shouldn’t have put so much gas in. He had children to feed and bills to pay.

I will never forget, as he looked me straight in the eye and said. “It is more blessed to give than to receive – do not take that joy from me!” I was young, and I didn’t quite grasp that concept well, but for the apostle, he found joy in the gift of the Thessalonians faith and love. They found joy in the service to the Master.

The Christian life is a life of faith where each believer may enter into blessing, and the route to all blessing and comfort is faithfulness to the Master. No matter your place in life, look to the Master, seek Him out, obey His precepts and when spoken to specifically about an action or decision , jump on the obedience bandwagon. As we do, the joy multiplies, and any apparent loss vanishes.

Paul found comfort in the Thessalonians faithfulness. They were faithful because they loved the Messiah. Paul ended up getting blessings simply because he had steered them to the Crucified One, who is the fount of all blessing!

It is a good life, no? God is good, and He is good all the time!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you–

A simple verse speaking of Paul receiving Timothy from the Thessalonian body of believers.

If you remember, Timothy was originally on his way to minister to Paul as he was working as a tent maker, while preaching and teaching in Corinth. Paul simply couldn’t resist giving up the assistance f Timothy, in the midst of a large church expansion in Corinth, in order to find out about the folks in Thessalonica. It seems the massive success of the Corinthian ministry did not weigh on Paul’s heart as much as those he had left behind in Thessalonica.

And what great news Timothy brought. It was literally the gospel, for when Paul describes the good news that Timothy brought, he used the very same word that he used in relation to the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and of the coming kingdom of God.

And in this sole location, Paul uses the very same word – εὐαγγελίζω euangelízō, the announcement of good news – in relation to the Thessalonians.

Should we make much of this abberation of the focus of this term? Or might the relationship between a Christian leader and those whom he cares for be on the same footing as the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Lord?

It is a curious use of the term, and granted, the depth of the love is found in the object of the good news, yet to see Paul pull that word to describe the news of the Thessalonians relationship with their apostle speaks volumes for me.

Story time

I was recently chatting with a fine Christian lady about many things and eventually discussing the concept of why we pay Christians for ministry in our lives. It was a time of curiosity on my part, and as I delved into her thinking, she mentioned that her pastor would answer the phone at 2 am if she needed help with something, would pray with her as needed, and would provide counselling when required.

I admitted I understood the concept of paid service, but still I had a comment for her, for I know this ladies mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law is a fine, sacrificial Christian, who would gladly wake at 2 am to help in any way, prays for this lady (without request), and has provided biblical counsel, though spurned at times. Without pay, without salary, without guilt or compulsion, this mother-in-law loves her, and wishes God’s best for her.

Where are those who will minister to others, instead of referring others to the hired clergy to “do their job”? Are you of the disposition that you would give up comfort for the sake of someone else? Would you let an unexpected interruption disturb your plans for a weekend? This is commonly considered Body Life, where all believers have the privilege of understanding God’s will, and are expected to share not only the written will of God, but their life experiences with others. Life experiences of errors and encouragement, not just facts but real life truths that reach not only the mind but the hearts of others.

Paul was an apostle who worked with his hands, staying up late, getting up early and in the midst of the labor, spent time serving others by teaching and leading others into the life of Christ, a life of service for others and a life of sacrifice for God.

Might we be missing out by depending on some professional clergy to do their job, thinking we have no responsibility? In this thinking, are we actually convincing ourselves we couldn’t minister to others, and therefore not even try?

I fear we all are too comfortable with the current church situation. May we as individuals seek to mimic the relationship of the apostle and his saints in Thessalonica.

A relationship that gives and gives for the other. I think the term is “love one another”, and I’m pretty sure God is happy when we love one another.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

Paul was so human. Many times in my walk, I thought of this apostle, this great man of God, as one who could do no wrong, who could walk on water if he wanted to. But he didn’t! Only One did that, and we know Him. He was so human also, yet so much more!

Paul could bear it no longer! Paul has previously directed his converts, I should say those who follow the Lord, to refrain from all anxiousness. I can hear him telling me not to worry!

Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

But Paul, who has provided this direction for the believer in his epistles, shows his humanity here. He speaks of his concern, his anxiousness over the condition of those in the faith.

This is the human Paul, the mighty man of God who could not contain his concern for others. He was stricken with concern about others.

And there lies the solution to the apparent confusion between Paul’s direction to believers regarding worry and of his own admission of worry in this passage.

In Philippians, might Paul have been discussing personal concerns, private issues, items that are related to the needs of the person? I’m not sure I want to limit Paul’s use of the term “anything” in the Philippians passage to some small segment of a believers life, whether it be financial concerns, employment opportunities or relationship issues, even though verse 6 is smack dab in the middle of a passage describing two women fighting.

Euodia and Syntyche surely needed reasonableness (vs 5) and possibly Paul was directing this specific restriction of rejecting anxiousness to the relationship between these two women.

Nevertheless, there are abundant passages to consider the believers relationship to anxiousness and worry, directing us to refrain from worry! I am sure my readers are thinking of some of the passages even as I type this sentence!

But could there be a situation where anxiousness is possibly fueled by good motives, not necessarily selfish motives?

Maybe, for I assume those who read this will agree that any anxiousness that is due to greed, or anger or disputation, or any other evil action or thought is surely forbidden. That type of anxiousness is born of evil desires.

But in this case, Paul’s heart is breaking, thinking of his young church that may be falling victim to some trap of the enemy. His anxiousness is born out of a love for someone other than himself. He is tore up over the condition of his people and he just needs to know of their faith. He so wants to hear that his labor has not been in vain, that these folk are not victim to the ravages of the enemy.

Was Paul worried in a selfish way? Did Paul exhibit an anxiousness that was solely to satisfy his own needs? Maybe – I know I want to see him satisfy Philippians 4:6, and yet it is also good to see the great apostle weak and worried over his people.

Oh – the tensions we as believers experience in our lives. No wonder it will take all of eternity to understand the ways of the Lord. Hopefully, that will be enough “time” to give thanks to a Savior who rescues us from the enemy, and even from our own worries!

Praise God.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

Some prophecy is just no fun!

Who wants to hear of problems coming, of tribulations and trials on the horizon. It seems Paul just kept on telling them of afflictions coming, and considering the short time he was present with them, this must have been a predominant emphasis of his message.

This desire of Paul to communicate the upcoming afflictions for the body of believers seems to make sense once a review of the book is considered. You see, at the end of each chapter, Paul summarizes each chapter’s thoughts by referencing the Lord Jesus and His return for the church.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
For you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I realize Pula never considered his letter would be broken up into chapters, but the recurring theme of the return of the Lord is a common thought in this book. Paul, in referring to afflictions over and over again, seems to have two overarching messages for the Thessalonians

Troubles are a coming. But so is the Lord Jesus!

Yes Paul spoke of afflictions, and he reminded them over and over again of the trials they should expect, but more importantly, he taught these young believers of the soon coming of the Lord to rescue them from this environment of sin and death.

Some may say it has been thousands of years for the church waiting on the Lord, but my friend, for these Thessalonians, they were prepared if He came, and eventually, they met the Lord in their own time.

As I mentioned earlier, some prophecy is just not fun, but as Paul mentioned the trials coming, he also wrapped those trials in hope. A hope of the Lord’s return in His timing. Each of these believers met the Lord, and each of these believers were looking for His return. And because of that, they were ready for the afflictions, and they were ready to meet the Lord, whether by His return, or their departure from this old world.

Come Lord Jesus!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

We are not destined to be unmoved.

A careful reading of this passage will uncover an untruth I leaned on for years.

Let me explain. I would read this passage as follows.

Let no one be moved by these afflictions for you know that we are destined to be unmoved, destined to never falter, destined to always and only be sturdy, stalwart, and without stumbling.

Of course as I read this, (or at least was encouraged to think this way of my life in Christ), I have to admit that inside I became despondent, down and depressed, for I knew otherwise. I had been “moved” by affliction, torn down and ravaged by the afflictions arriving in my spiritual life.

I wasn’t experiencing that abundant life that had been promised! My abundant life was not all that abundant!!!

It is so important to take my time with the Word, to consider what the author is trying to say, before I make my assumptions, before I walk away from the Word with an untruth!

Paul is giving the Thessalonians a challenge, an exhortation as described in our earlier verse. Let’s read the short passage together.

1 Thessalonians 3:2,3 …..we sent Timothy ….to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

Paul provided exhortation, through Timothy for a distinct purpose. And what was that purpose Carl?

That no one would be moved. That means that without these exhortations, we may be moved. Afflictions that come will move us, will impact us, will “wag” us.

Wag? What confusing wordplay are you trying to get over on us this time Carl? Well it seems Paul used a term here that was typically used of dogs “moving” their tails. Dogs wag their tail.

If I follow the metaphor, it is the affliction that “wags” the believer as the dog wags the tail. The tail has no say in the matter, but is only a helpless appendage that wags as the dog desires.

Afflictions can have that power over us. Complete control and impact. Unless we are warned, exhorted, taught and built up by the Word, afflictions can dominate our lives.

My friend, believers are destined for affliction, but we are not without power in the midst of the trial or turbulence. We are not to be tossed about, back and forth, without a response from our inner man. We will have trials, troubles and problems. It is the life of the follower. As a follower though, we have the opportunity to find strength in the Word, to find strength in the the truth that we can cling to when all else is falling around about us.

Beyond that, is it not the grace of God that provides each of us those “Timothy’s” to enter our lives, either through congregational messages, or via personal challenges, that we also may find strength to stand. This is Paul’s specific message to the Thessalonians in this passage, that Paul was sending a helper to provide a strengthening, a source of resistance against afflictions. Paul is reminding the Thessalonian church of the believer’s fate to experience affliction, but also of the resulting strength we can find in our Savior.

Through afflictions, we can stand, not “wagged” about every which way, but firm in our faith in the Savior.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,

Timothy. Paul’s son in the faith.

A young man who has already been through much to enter into the kingdom of God. A young man who has been selected by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, an apostle who has experienced the greatest of persecutions for his faith.

Timothy is a young man who has been granted great privilege and great responsibilities in his life. And he is being sent out to provide ministry to a tiny church Paul can’t get to.

It is interesting that though Timothy was presumably Paul’s closest son in the faith, there were extended periods of time when the two were separate from each other. This truth is spoken of here and in Philippians 2:19, where Paul speaks highly of Timothy, and of the need to send him away again.

It is as if to be Paul’s servant is to be the servant of others in need, and not necessarily of Paul himself. What I mean is that Paul did not gain the companionship comfort and supply of nis needs we sometimes assume Timothy provided. He gave him up for others. Paul exercised a sacrificial giving, even in the time he had with his closest friends.

For our verse this morning, Paul speaks of Timothy in two ways and in two efforts.

Two descriptions

Brother

Timothy was a brother to Paul. This may seem obvious, but this relationship bears a bit of reflection.

Though Paul was the great apostle to the Gentiles, his authority, though directly proffered to him by the Messiah, seems to be exercised by example and not by lording it over someone. This is reflected in Paul’s description of Timothy as a brother. Timothy was an equal in Paul’s eyes before the Lord, at least in responsibility to his call of God.

Timothy, like Paul, and like each believer today are brothers in a family that relates to the Father directly and not through any intermediary other than the Son of God, the Savior of us all.

God’s co-worker

As mentioned above, as a brother, this may relate to the equality of each of us in our calling of God. We are each responsible before the Father to know our calling and to exercise that calling in our lives. Paul was called as an apostle to the Gentiles. He was to be faithful to that calling. Timothy was called to be an evangelist, and an elder in a church. He was to be faithful to that calling.

Though it may be claimed that Timothy was an apostle of the churches (2 Corinthians 8:23), Timothy was never to answer to God for Paul’s calling as an apostle to the Gentiles. Likewise, Paul was not responsible to God to fulfill Timothy’s calling.

Both men, as brothers and co-workers with God, had different callings to the same God, and both owned the same helper in God.

Two missions

establish

Timothy was to establish the church in their faith. To establish is to make firm, to strengthen, to render constant and to confirm or make resolute. Timothy was to be the one that would continue Paul’s original the teaching of the Thessalonians, providing the same guidance and instruction, repeating the old story that we all love, the story of a loving God, His sacrificial Son and the proper and righteous way of life He has called us to.

exhort

Timothy was also to exhort the believers. To exhort, is somewhat of a more personal ministry, for it not only was a term of teaching and encouragement, it included the concept of being alongside in a struggle, to walk with, to console and to comfort.

This term is what takes the teaching (establishing) that is required and puts flesh on it. Though the facts of the gospel are wondrous, to see it lived out in a life of service and communion with God provides an example that can’t be argued against. It provides a powerful motivation for those who come into contact with that facts simply do not provide.

Personally, I have met a few believers that, though I had not the honor of being in their presence for long, impacted my life far deeper than they could have imagined.

An example may help. One night, one late late night, as I was making deliveries, I passed a brother’s home, and his lights were on. Did I tell you it was late that night? He invited me in, made me a drink, and provided an “off the cuff” Bible study on a question that I was struggling with. I spent too few hours with this man, but he exhorted me, and lived a life of example I could not argue against.

How about you? Have you a brother that has “exhorted” you, that has provided an example, and the encouragement in real life that has made a lasting impression? If so, be thankful.

How about you as that example? We need to be God’s co-worker if we are to impact others, which means we need to be open to God’s call on our lives each moment, so that God can use us in other’s lives.

That is the life that is satisfying!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone,

As a young believer, many many moons ago, I searched the Scriptures to find the truth regarding the premillennial pretribulation rapture teaching. For those who may not have heard of this teaching, it refers to the sudden catching up of the saints prior to the great tribulation that was/is to come upon the earth in the last days. I scoured and found every hint of teaching that might slightly refer or suggest such a glorious teaching. I was expert, taught it passionately and lived in anticipation of being taken up.

After all, Revelation 4:1 speaks clearly of the pretrib rapture.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

Since John was told to “come up here”, obviously acting as a model for the church more than 2000 years in the future, and was called up before any of the following horrible depictions described in Revelation was provided, logic led me to believer this was irrefutable evidence of the pretribulational rapture.

Irrefutable logic!!! Or so I thought!

Our verse this morning seems to fight against that teaching though. It must be obvious to all that when Paul spoke of being “left behind”, he was referring to the teaching of the tribulational time schedule and date declaring that many find scattered throughout the Word.

Of course I jest, for when I saw the “left behind” term in our verse, my mind lept to foolishness. This minor side comment reminded me how easy it is, at least for myself, to find a passage and build a teaching that takes me down a garden path.

Irrefutable silliness!!!!

Suffice it to say, Paul is not speaking of the end times in this verse. I tend to think John wasn’t thinking end times either, but that is for a different time.

Paul is speaking of a self sacrificial giving up of one who was near and dear to him, one who was his closest ally while he is on mission, his child in the faith, the man he was grooming for great things. Timothy would be sent, with Paul left behind in Athens, a city he found little fruit in.

As a matter of fact, it appears that according to Acts 17, Paul had commanded Timothy and Silas to come to him as soon as possible in Athens. I assume that as these two men were on their way to minister to Paul, he gave instructions for Timothy to detour to Thessalonica.

Act 17:14-15

14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

So though this verse does not speak of end time escatological timing or provide a detailed rapture schedule, it does speak of the love of God, the self sacrificial love of God being expressed in the actions of an apostle that cared more for his people than for his own needs.

To balance out this self sacrificial act, Paul does speak of his inability to bear the burden of not connecting with his church, but even if we consider this to dull the point of the self sacrificial love he had for them, and that it was simply to provide him relief from this burden of taking care of the church, the end result is the same. He gave up for his church, not only out of love for them, but also to relieve the concerns and cares he had for his church because HE LOVED THEM.

No matter how you slice this little passage up, we can glean two truths, a varying importance from it.

Our first truth? This is definitely the greatest truth to cull from this passage!

Paul loved his church self sacrificially. This is a heart worth having, a heart that reflects the very love of God, in a sacrificial, other centered love.

Our second truth? This is definitely the least important, silliest “truth” to come across, even to the point that if you ignore it, my feelings wouldn’t be hurt in the least.

Paul was willing to be “left behind” for his church, modeling the church in relation to a tribulation schedule. Yes – this is a foolish statement, but it is good to remember the great teaching throughout the Word, and to avoid distractions such as time schedules and date settings.

Let us remember the major teachings of the Word, the infinite love of God, the sacrificial love of the Son and the patient endurance of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we seek to follow the Living God. Timing and schedules are for those who want to major on the minors, and miss out on so much. Leave the highly subjective and overly detailed schedules behind and focus on the One who leads us.

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 2:20 For you are our glory and joy.

We have dealt with both the joy and the glory aspects of Paul’s heart regarding this church in a previous discussion. See last weeks posting 1 Thessalonian Bits – 2:19.

For this mornings brief verse, Paul simply wants to summarize his heart towards those he longs to see, Yes it appears as though he has vanished, yet all the more he desires to see them, and to let them know of how circumstances and forces have restrained him.

As a minor add on to the discussion of glory, as we previously mentioned the association of glory with boasting and that boasting in others may be a righteous activity, a unifying energy, and a faith building exercise that not only honors God, but builds up the church.

Of course, self boasting, that type of boasting of which I am expert at, seems to be the problem. Did you know that I am the greatest boaster of them all? Boast boast boast – Look at me!

Not going to go there!

Paul continually boasts of the Lord Jesus and not himself. And Paul is boasting of a tiny little band of folks that may be struggling with the apparent absence of their father in the faith. He is boasting of a small congregation that has turned their lives around in the face of opposition, even in the face of the evil one.

Yes Paul was separated from his loved ones, but he took great pride in his little church.

Struggling little churches are not to be looked down upon. Without velvet or silk pews, fancy hymnals and solid oak pulpits, God can still perform mighty miracles in the lives of the sanctified. Churches that may be vilified by the common man, or the high powered influencer can still produce a light for those who are seeking.

If my reader is in the midst of a struggle, be it personal or body life, remember God is the God of little things. He seeks to change the world through one life at a time, and He has been pretty dang successful so far.

Trust Him in the difficult times, when loneliness, distractions and discouragements seem to pile up. His heart towards the little church just may be the same as the apostles heart to the Thessalonians!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?

Paul can’t get back to his friends. He has experienced an opposition that is frustrating him, hindering him from returning. It isn’t just the roadblocks that were being put up by the adversary that was the frustration, serious though they be, but the fact that the young church may be thinking he was a “one and done” type of fella, a flash in the pan, a man that comes into a town, disrupts the status quo and then runs away.

We must remember the times Paul lived in. No cell phone, no internet connections, not even a modern type of snail mail. Communication between parties was rare in the ancient world. So while Paul is being directed by God, and Satan is putting up roadblocks, Paul has time to think about the Thessalonians. Think about how they received him and his team, took the side of truth when the powers of deception came to shut them down. He thought of their possible sense of abandonment. And of how special these folks were in the faith.

He needed them to know that though he was not able to make it back, his heart was overjoyed in hearing of them, of remembering their faith and steadfastness. He speaks of them in the most glowing terms, and as such, wants them to know of his love for them.

Hope

We have spoke of hope in previous studies, and of the different uses of the term depending on the context of the discussion. It has been over 5 years ago, when I stumbled over the Greek term for hope and included it in a 16 part series on faith (Faith – Introduction). I provide the link for my new readers.

One somewhat unorthodox way of understanding a word or thought is to consider the antonym, or a word that presents an opposite thought or concept.

For hope, opposing thoughts or emotions would include despair, fear, disbelief and uncertainty. Paul was not entertaining these thoughts toward the Thessalonians. He had great expectancy, and this is the nature of a great leader, a great minister, a great father.

A great father figure presents an expectation to his children, and with encouragement, discipline and guidance, sees his children enter into those very expectations. Paul’s hope was not merely a warm fuzzy, but included an expectation of good things ahead for the church.

Joy

It is not surprising that joy and hope are closely linked together in the believers life. To continue our exercise in antonym offerings, opposing thoughts of joy would include despair, misery, anguish and gloom.

Note that both hope and joy are the very opposite of despair. Ours is not the life of despair. The Christian life is not looking to the troubles and trials of day to day problems, finding and focusing on the hills we need to climb, but realizing we have such a great salvation that roadblocks, frustrations and hinderances, though causing us concerns, are not the focus of our lives.

The focus of our lives is to be about others, and specifically to focus primarily on One other person. He has provided us the joy of the Lord, for in His sacrificial offering, He showed us the drawing power of joy as He endured the cross.

Hebrews 12:2a looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross..

Joy is a powerful motivator, not only in the present but also for the future!

Crown of Boasting

Now this term, at first glance, seems to be out of sync with Paul’s list. Is not boasting linked to pride and pride is one of the seven sinful activities that God hates?

Proverbs 6:16-17 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

That may be an early conclusion but consider the focus of the boasting. In the proverb, Solomon is describing the worthless person, the one who devises wicked plans and sows discord amongst the brothers.

Not so with Paul and the Thessalonians. Two differences for Paul’s use of the term boasting should be considered.

Righteous

Paul’s boasting is related to a people who were not evil. The Thessalonians had become imitators of the Lord (1:6), examples of the faith (1:7), and had turned from idols to the Living God (1:9). A completely different context.

Others

Secondly, Paul was boasting of someone else and not his own accomplishments. There is nothing I like less than to hear someone continually speak of his or her accomplishments. I am of the opinion that any works we perform or seek to accomplish should speak on their own merits. For one to remind others of our accomplishments is offputting.

Although the Lord was specifically speaking of giving in Matthew 6:3, I see a principal that relates to this topic and is applicable throughout our daily lives.

Matthew 6:3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

A similar teaching was provided regarding prayer.

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

While I am at it, this teaching is also found in relation to fasting.

Matthew 6:18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Keep your deeds between you and God. Boasting or showing off of my achievements provides an instant reward, an instant reward that is fleeting, empty and temporal!

Matthew 6:2 …. that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Matthew 6:5 …that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Matthew 6:16 …they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Paul speaks of the opportunity for believers to boast of other believers, and openly speaks of not commending himself to them

2 Corinthians 5:12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.

All of that to say, when Paul speaks of boasting, he is speaking of others, of their faith and the work of God in their lives. To boast of myself is wrong. To boast of others is proper and an expression of love and unity within the church.

It would be wise for us to remember this difference!

Although Paul was not able to come to them as he wanted to, he wanted them to know of his deep love for them, and of a day when One would be coming for them, when the Messiah would have no roadblocks, no frustrations, no impediments in visiting this church. He would arrive in glory and that glory would include the little band of faithful in Thessalonia!

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Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 because we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, again and again–but Satan hindered us.

Last time in our study of Thessalonians, we were breaching the subject of the source of Paul’s separation from his young believers. Yes he had mentioned those who displease God and oppose all mankind! He had become specific in identifying the the human instruments of persecution, even calling out the religious Jews persecuting the new believers in Israel, and the Thessalonian countrymen persecuting this tiny church.

Both experienced a similar suffering. From appearances, the actions of those against believers were so similar that it surely represented a single source of hatred. Those performing the persecution seemed to be motivated and directed by a single source, and Paul is not shy in identifying this source.

Satan, the adversary is the source of the persecution, but in this passage, it seems Paul is directing us to a method of the enemy that is unexpected.

Yes, Satan at times uses brute force (spiritually speaking) for his opposition to the gospel, but for Paul in this passage, he speaks of a different attack, a subtle, indirect method Satan uses in fighting against the gospel.

Hindering. To cut into or impede progress by interruption. The specific term Paul uses here is very relatable for the author, as I have spent my life in the design and construction of modes of transportation, being either roadways or railroads. The term to hinder in this passage was used in the first century of impeding people by the “breaking up the road, or by placing an obstacle sharply in the path; hence, metaphorically, of “detaining” a person unnecessarily”.

Now of course any rebuilding of any road I was involved in was not “unnecessary” so I take exception to this description, and the breaking up of any road was for the purpose of increasing safety of access for the public.

Not so for Satan, for we know he is the enemy of our souls. Paul is graphically describing Satan’s method of slowing us down or impeding us in our seeking after God. Paul, in a similar passage in Galatians, speaks of those Judaizers who were throwing up obstacles and “breaking up the road” believers were travelling in following the Lord Jesus.

Galatians 5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Now before I jump to any conclusions, focusing on Satan and his methods, it would be wise to remember that he is only a created being, a rogue spirit that seeks to topple the King of Kings. He is, even from the very beginning, on a fool’s errand, for who can fight against the King. His ways are of eternity, and though He allows hinderances, delays and “broken up roads” that we need to traverse, He is faithful, and all wise.

In Paul’s case, he did not allow any hindering to stop him, but continued to look for ways to visit with his people in Macedonia. He speaks in 1 Corinthians 1:15-16 of his plans to visit that area, and in Acts 20:1-3, Luke describes his journeys through Macedonia strengthening the churches.

For us today, what hinderances are before you? What portion of the way is broken up before you, making progress harder than expected? It is good to remember that the context of Paul’s concerns was the hinderance of both the spread of the gospel and the fellowship of the saints together. Both are critical for the church.

May we find strength in Him as we travel the way of God.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.