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 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Paul continues with his pastoral treatment of the return of the Lord, counselling a church body that has some erroneous thoughts on the topic. It seems that some of the believers may have thought that those who passed away, or better said, had fallen asleep, were in some way at a disadvantage to the living believers. Paul addresses this topic in verse 13.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
Now given that resurrection was the expectation of believers, the grieving referred to in verse 13 to couldn’t speak to the resurrection, for Paul compares them with those who have no hope.
But Paul brings up the topic of grief. Why?
Verse 15 may give us a clue, for Paul introduces the concept of timing. Specifically the timing of events upon the coming of the Lord for both the living and the sleeping saint. Could some of the Thessalonian saints be thinking that those who have fallen asleep without experiencing the coming of the Lord, with the transformation of earthly body to resurrected body occurring, be at some disadvantage? After all, those who had fallen asleep were in the grave, even decomposing. It seems to be a delay that is causing some to be discouraged, for later on Paul instructs them to encourage one another by the truth he is revealing to them.
Paul speaks of those who have fallen asleep as those who will experience the transformation first, for he instructs those still alive as not being transformed/resurrected before those in the grave. Paul will address some specifics in the next verse, but from our verse this morning, he is laying down a truth about timing. The dead in Christ will rise first.
But Paul – When you speak of those asleep rising first, are the living saints now at a disadvantage. Could the dead in Christ have the advantage, and should the Thessalonians transition their emotion from grief to jealousy?
Stay tuned, for Paul proceeds in the next verse to explain in a positive message the connection the living have with those asleep. This verse provides a truth that we shall not precede those who are asleep. Our next verse will tie it all together, helping those who are alive understand the unity of the body, and the purpose of God in the Messiah’s return for His church.
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 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
The smallest of words sometimes have the greatest of impacts. Consider the Greek word for “since” in the beginning of our verse, sometimes translated as “if”. It is primary particle of conditionality, introducing a premise assumed to be true. Paul was speaking to those who had accepted this premise as factual, and could argue logically based on that condition.
Also, what Paul begins in this verse is not primarily a schedule of events, though there were many years where I thought this passage was only a schedule of events. I call it the timing trap. Hopefully, I will stay focused!
Paul writes of the condition, or state of those being involved in the resurrection as being those who believe in the resurrection of the Messiah. It is not a church teaching or denomination that is of importance or a morally sanctified lifestyle that provides the assurance of God’s promise for the believer. It is Jesus alone who is the resurrection and life.
John 11:25 …I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
If we are in Him, we too shall be resurrected to life, even as the Messiah was physically raised from death. Timing of this resurrection is of little concern to Paul, since he is acting in a pastoral manner, dealing with a church that is saddened over fellow saints who died before the return of the Lord. Did they miss out on the expected resurrection transformation? Will their early death somehow impact future opportunities to be with those still alive? The fact of the resurrection, and God’s method of including the believer in this promise of life out of death is the concern in Paul’s mind.
The promise is found in Jesus. Jesus alone.
Yet there are timing issues that may be considered. For the saint in Jesus, at physical death, can we expect to eventually, or immediately come into the presence of God?
Eventually?
There are some who would look ahead to verse 17, and declare that when Paul speaks of the “dead in Christ”, he is indicating that those who die before the return of the Lord, are sleeping in the grave, resting until that fateful day. One passage that may be referred to is found in the gospel of John.
John 5:25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Those hearing the voice of the Son of God are described as “dead” in this verse. Might Jesus be referring to those who are spiritually dead, yet still physically amongst the living? This thought may be justified when the next few verses are considered.
John 5:28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice John 5:29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Jesus changes the description of those responding to the voice of the Son of God, speaking not of the dead, as in verse 25, but of those in the tomb.
One assumption that has to be made is that the voice of the Son of God occurs only once, at that hour, and the resurrection of both those who have done good and those who have done evil are simultaneous.
Immediately?
Others consider the apostle’s writings.
2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Paul seems to be indicating that once we are away from the body, understanding this as the point of death, we enter the presence of the Lord immediately.
Both positions (that of eventually seeing Jesus after death, and of an immediate entrance before Him at the point of death) have support in the Word. Both positions have dedicated adherents to their teaching.
I would respectfully submit that I have fallen into the timing trap, and have not focused on the intent of Paul’s message to the Thessalonians in this passage.
As an aside to this timing discussion, considering the sleep metaphor, I would suggest that any time passed in the grave prior to the resurrection will be null and void, at least in our experience. When I pass out on my favorite couch, I do not experience time. I am asleep. Might it be a similar condition in the grave?
Back to our focus though. Paul is speaking of the greatest event in history, and of the greatest person who ever walked on this earth, having entered death, and is now alive. I would strongly suggest we consider the truth of the resurrection, and try to relegate the timing question to it’s proper importance. After all, whether it be immediately or eventually, (in four hundred and thirty two years?), we will be with the Lord.
Paul begins the verse in laying down the truth of the Messiah’s resurrection out of death. Note that it is through Jesus, that God will bring with Him, that is if we are with Jesus, God will also use His Messiah to be the One whom we are enabled to be raised.
Even as Paul speaks of those who have passed, he brings to light the continued blessing of the Lord in our lives. Consider how he mentions death when speaking of Jesus, but for believers, he speaks of sleep.
In this short verse, Paul focuses on Jesus. He focuses on His impact on those who believe in Him. My friends, as I am learning through this avenue of posting in this blog, considering the Word, I am coming to a simple conclusion.
Jesus is better.
A simple thought, easily and abundantly found in the Word, yet not as embraced in my life as it should be.
Jesus is the One who has provided us hope, resurrection, life, peace, grace, comfort, challenge, blessing, truth – need I go on?
He is better than anything you might imagine and fully worthy of chasing after. He is better!
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 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
We are entering into one the most popular passages referred to in the New Testament. The following passage speaks of the pretribulational rapture of the saints which happens at the beginning of the seven year great tribulation. The great tribulation is a period of tremendous persecution of the Christian church, with the Lord Jesus coming back at the end of the seven year’s. During this time, the anti-christ appears and the revived Roman empire rises up, eventually ending with the Chinese army crossing over the dried up Euphrates, in order to battle at Armageddon.
At least that is how I use to speak of this passage, but as I read the New Testament, I found our verse this morning becoming specifically applicable to yours truly, for I was severely uninformed. As Paul spoke to a small church 2 millennia ago, he spoke to me also.
Paul opens up this passage due to the pain the believers were experiencing in having lost brothers in the congregation to death. As a first generation church, newly born into Christ just years after the resurrection of the Savior, there may have been an expectation in the church that wasn’t being realized.
Let me postulate. Given the history of the resurrection, some may have expected the same three day “turnaround” for the brothers. Three days in the grave/tomb, and the brothers would be lifted out of death. Could this have been the expectation of some in the church?
As we now know, the believer will not be raised bodily until Jesus comes back, with the intermittent time between death and bodily resurrection being at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
But I am veering from the core message of this verse.
Paul was aiming to help the believers “not grieve as others who have no hope”. Paul is blunt. Those without Christ have no hope. Those in Christ have hope. This fact alone makes it possible for the believer to experience a different grief at the death of a fellow believer.
The difference? The hope we have in Jesus. As we work our way through the remaining portion of chapter 4, Paul addresses this young churches understanding of the end times in a way that speaks to the churches grieving. He is working pastorally, teaching them of their joining together with their brothers at the same time they join with the Lord Himself.
For those who have lost a loved one in Christ, there is comfort in this passage. We will join with the Master and our brothers at a point in time chosen by our Father. We will all be around the Messiah, as we should be, and there will be joy and rejoicing for all the marvelous work He has done to save our lives, our souls, our loved ones.
May we be patient in our faith, and look to Him for direction and comfort, even as we may loose a loved one in the Lord.
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 4:12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Paul is summing up the topic of brotherly love he started a few verses back, and naturally his thoughts flow towards those whom we rub shoulders with in our day to day lives. Our witness before those outside of the church.
Paul speaks of this many many times in his writings, for those outside of the church don’t know (and don’t care) about the intricacies of our faith, of our doctrines and of our internal debates. All of that is for the Body to handle and if we are obeying the Master in relating to one another per the New Testament commands, the impact will be beyond the family of God and towards those outside of the faith.
As an aside, I found a great site that freely provided the “One Another” commands graphic to the left. Check it out – https://overviewbible.com
To return to this verse, Paul is speaking of the result of the believers obedience to verse 11 commands. (Note the “so that” link at the start of the verse.)
What were those three commands?
Aspire to live quietly
Mind your own affairs
Work with your hands
Three commands that enable us to walk properly before outsiders. Without these traits, no matter how great our message is, (and it is great!), we are not enabled properly to approach or witness of any work of God in our lives.
Boisterous, nosy and lazy believers bring nothing to the table in presenting a godly lifestyle for those watching from outside of the Body. I firmly believe those outside of the church are all from Missouri – the show me state – for they want to be shown a life that is desirable, peaceful, loving and giving.
Who can argue against that?
It is interesting that though Paul summarizes the three “tasks” of the previous verse for believers to exhibit before those outside of the church, he goes on with a specific requirement for those in the church. Be dependent on no one. Surely he is breaching the topic of a believers dependence on those outside of the church. But Paul – you have already told them to work with their own hands. Now telling them to not be dependent on anyone? Are you beating a dead horse here?
This topic is not the only time Paul addressed this trait amongst the Thessalonians. One of my wife’s favorite verses, as we raised our kids and developed thier work ethic was in Paul’s second letter to this church
2 Thessalonians 3:10b ….If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
What is going on with these saints? Was there a tendency amongst the saints to depend on government handouts? Is this a common problem for the modern day saint? Do you know some saints afraid of a good day’s work, preferring a life of leisure, willing to abuse state handouts and government “gifts”? An ol’ Jewish man once told me – “With shekels, come shackels.” Depending on government assistance removes God from the position of provider in the saint’s life. I firmly believe that depending on government assistance is a costly, possibly deadly, decision.
I personally have not met many believers who openly depend on the government for a handout, but I have witnessed many believers that are in the habit of constantly expressing their needs. It is this challenge or that expense that they are “waiting on God” for. Though the family of God is called to bear each other’s burdens, each blessing can be abused. I have personally witnessed many that have become highly skilled with manipulation strategies seeking support to live off the Body. ‘Nuff said.
With my little rant over, I would end with the admonition for each believer to reach those outside the church as Paul has provided guidance. That guidance included the goal to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our hands. Out of this foundational lifestyle, we can bring to the table a life changing message for the unbeliever to consider. This is the saints proper walk towards those outside of the church. We have much to give, and no need to depend on those who know not the Lord.
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 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
I admit it. I am not a showy evangelist, one who can enter a room and start preaching the gospel, sharing my faith easily and with abandon. I struggle with that image in my mind, and my nature is one of some reservation.
I have spent years seeking to find ways to share the gospel, from door knocking, asking surveys, and handing out tracts. None of it seemed natural, and though I take the command to evangelize seriously, it is definitely not my gift.
That is where a verse like todays provides some comfort for an ol’ fool like me.
Three commands encourage me. Let me work it out for us.
aspire to live quietly
I am a relatively quiet man, (except when my grandbabies are around!) When Paul speaks of aspiring, it has the intent of ambition in this term. As believers, we can be ambitious to be quiet, which seems to be a contradiction in terms in our modern society. We are often told to be ambitious, do things is a big way, to “show off” and enter the competition of life.
Paul seems to think otherwise. Be ambitious to lead a quiet, godly life before the Lord. Seek the quiet, rest in the silence, exhibit a calmness that is the fruit of being before Him quietly.
There are times when I fear our modern faith is dependent on entertainment, action, activity and commotion. Granted, much of this is the impact of our modern society, with a constant barrage of news, movies, videos, television and internet bombarding our eyes, yet Paul speaks of a quiet life.
A quiet life, where our hearts and minds are at rest, and our lives exhibit this truth. Even when I git ’round those grandbabies!
mind your own affairs
Some may tell the evangelist, of which I am not, to mind your own business. This is the throwing of a Biblical command into the face of a believer who is following after the Lord. What a diversion the enemy has in this!
To mind our own affairs is not addressing those who are gifted in the work of winning souls, but in the gossippy lifestyle of those who always are correcting others while they ignore their own issues.
You know the type. Those who interfere in other’s lives unnecessarily, judge others constantly, or spread stories (known as gossip) to those who have no power to remedy any situation.
We all have fallen victim to this type of “busybody”, but that is the course of life we live. The issue is that Paul is telling believers to be concerned with our own lives before the Lord, and not to dwell on other’s apparent failings.
We have enough to deal with. Focus on our lives before the Lord, and let our brother or sister do the same. Getting involved unnecessarily may only distract from an issue in our own life.
I say unnecessarily due to the teaching that is throughout the Word regarding the “one another” lives we are to live. We are to love one another, encourage one another, exhort one another. All of these commands beckon us to be involved with our brothers, and as life rears it’s head in areas of weakness, we are to humbly visit with our brother or sister, knowing we are prone to falling, and offer assistance.
Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
We need the wisdom of the Lord, and a humbleness that is not of our own heart.
work with your hands
I like to use a hammer, and if you give me a shovel, I can be happy for hours. I don’t know what it is about mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow, or planting a tree with a spade, but I like it! I like it alot!
Nevertheless, for Paul to tell the Thessalonians to work with their own hands, might have rubbed them a bit the wrong way, for it was common thinking in their day (and ours) that to avoid manual labor is a sign of success.
To sit behind a desk and to bark orders to underlings is considered by many to be the goal, to signify success, and to show worth of person.
Paul says to work with our hands. Manual labor. Consider our Savior. A carpenter. The apostles, many of which were mere fishermen. And the one writing to the Thessalonians? A tent maker.
It seems God is not offended by His people working manual labor. If I read Paul right, God may prefer manual labor to be an important part of the believers life.
One thing I do know. There is a certain satisfaction in working with my hands. And one thing that occurs to me is that when I am working with my hands, my interfering, gossipy mouth seems to be less active.
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 4:10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
Paul has just come off a topic that involves God as the avenger of a brother in the church, an avenger that will impact another soul in the church due to sexual immorality within the body of believers. A heavy discussion, even to the point of noting the rejection of God by the rejecting the message God provides.
But in the midst of this stain in the body, Paul does not loose sight of the bigger picture. He pivots to the topic of brotherly love, for the sake of the internal relationships within the Thessalonian body of believers, and confesses that thier witness of brotherly love is not simple a local phenomenom. Thier love is known throughout the churches of Macedonia.
Now I cannot imagine the size of the Thessalonian church by the time Paul has written this letter. At the birth of this congregation, according to Acts 17, the church accumulated “some Jews”, many devout Greeks and numerous leading women of the city as follower of Jesus.
Acts 17:4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
The church populated quickly and due to the persecution, the church learned to love each other, to lean on each other and to watch each other’s backs. After all, this is the nature of the believer, to mimic God in His saving acts towards those He loves.
For the Thessalonians, they took this matter to heart, not only internally within thier congregation, but throughout the Macedonian region.
Paul spoke of this zeal for others in the second Corinthian letter, a letter directed to a church just south of the Thessalonians in the Roman province of Achaia. He spoke of the grace of God given to the churhes of Macedonia, of thier readiness and thier support of the apostle.
2 Corinthians 8:1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,
2 Corinthians 11:9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
The thessalonian church was not restricted to thier city limits. Their impact was regional, and as Paul was exhorting them to reach farther out with thier brotherly love, the witness of this little church was immortalized in the Scriptures. Thier impact of brotherly love to other believers has become global as the good news is spread throughout the world,
This church is a stellar example of brotherly love, encouraging and leading many, even to this day, to sacrifice for our brothers.
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!
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 Godwho givesHis HolySpirit 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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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 4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
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!
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 4:1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
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.
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 3:13 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.
In our last verse, we hear Paul praying that the Lord would increase the love of the Thessalonians for both the saints and sinners they lived amongst. Truly Paul is seeking a noble end for the Thessalonians, a righteous life before God. The Scriptures are clear, for to love is to fulfill the law of God.
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.
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
1 Thessalonians 5:23 -24 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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
For now we are in the heart of Paul’s prayer thoughts for the Thessalonians and since this is a very short prayer of only 3 verses, this verse represents the very middle, dare I say the heart of Paul’s desire and prayer for the Thessalonians.
So after such a long introduction, what is it that Paul has reserved for the focus of his desires before God for these folks?
One topic, with one verb!
And the topic is….
LOVE
Paul was, as we all should be, consumed with the life of love. This love each of us have found in the Lord Jesus, – if we are true believers – is to be dispersed, spread and experienced with all in the body of Christ.
As I read this passage and considered the plea to God, I find that Paul is not concerned with only those in the Body, that the love is to only be extended to the saints, but he adds the short phrase “and for all“
He seeks to see the church care for each other, but he does not allow them to simply grow into a cocoon of Christians, but that they live a life of love to all around, even those outside of the church.
Notice that Paul’s prayer is for thier love is to be spread throughout the body, and extend outside of the small community of faith, into the lives of “all” each believer meets with, interacts with and struggles with.
Even that boss that is a micromanager, or that peer in the office that is constantly challenging decisions that need to be made. It seems we are not provided an exception to this call of love for all. He is not setting any limits on who we are to share the love of Christ with.
Ok, so Paul want’s us to include everyone in this life of love we are called to. Yet, he does not allow us to be satisfied in simply the extent of love being dispersed by the believer, that is to both the saint and the sinner, but he also is looking for increased depth of love towards both those in and out of the church.
Consider how Paul describes the action of this love.
GROW
As Paul speaks of two groups that are to recieve the love of Jesus, he also speaks of two actions associated with the love within the Thessalonian church.
Increase
πλεονάζωpleonázō. Paul is beginning to describe a condition that has no lack, that is always more than enough for the condition it finds itself in. Consider Paul’s usage of this term in 2 Corinthians 8:15. I am using the NASB in this passage for clarity sake
as it is written: “THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED LITTLE DID NOT HAVE TOO LITTLE.”
This passage translates our term as “too much”. Although Paul negates it in 2 Corinthians, the idea is clear. In Paul’s mind, to increase is to have “too much” and he is good with “too much” sacrificial love
Abound
περισσεύωperisseúō. This term speaks of exceeding a fixed number, and is used in passages that describe a superabunance, such as the overflow of bread recovered from the feedin gof the five thousand
Matthew 14:20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
Paul is looking for a love that extends to both saint and sinner, that is meets the needs of those around, and goes beyond the basic need, being surprizing, superabundant and over the top.
Quite the challenge for a small church. Turns out this little church got on task, even as they recieved this challenge. It was just a short time later, as Paul was writing his second epistle, that He speaks of the Thessalonians in relation to this very desire and prayer of his.
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.
Paul’s absense from the church was distressing for both the apostle and the faithful. But the saints were faithful, and were chasing after the Lord, living out thier faith and love even as Paul was away from his people. Pretty amazing!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Considering the Bible 