By J. C. Gibson (Scotland)
Three prominent words used at the end of chapter three were ‘holiness’, ‘love’ and ‘coming’. The same subjects are addressed in this chapter. V1-8 deal with the subject of holiness in the believer’s life; v9-10 treat the subject of brotherly love; and v13-18 unfold the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This chapter can be also divided into two main sections:
All teaching about future events should have a practical affect upon the believer in the present. It is not meant merely to titillate our curiosity or satisfy our intellect, but to have a powerful sanctifying influence on our day to day living. This whole prophetic section extending from 4.13 to 5.11 is sandwiched between two practical sections.
Initially Paul makes a general appeal to live a life that pleases the heart of God, v1-2. Paul is gentle and caring and uses words suggestive of affection and equality, not putting himself on some kind of elevated spiritual pedestal. He addresses the believers as ‘brethren’, those who are in family relations with him. Also he uses the word ‘beseech,’ erotao, which is often used between those of similar position. The motivation of a life that pleases God stems from, firstly, our association with Christ, for we are said to be ‘in the Lord Jesus’. Pleasing God ought to be the chief aim of our lives because of our close relationship with His Son. Secondly, it is stimulated by our anticipation of the Lord Jesus Christ, v13-18. We endeavour to please God because of the Coming of Christ. His soon return should always energise believers to living more godly and pure lives, 1Jn.3.3.
Paul’s reminder of the ‘commandments we gave you,’ v2, looks back to his first visit, when he taught them the importance of pleasing the Lord. We all need to hear truth repeated, for we are so prone to forget that our main purpose in life is to delight God’s heart.
The metaphor, ‘to walk,’ peripatete, meaning to ‘walk around’ in carrying out the activities of everyday life, compares the Christian life not to a journey aiming towards a destination (although it is that), but the constant and repetitive routine of daily living.
‘The Lord Jesus’, v1, is the ultimate example of a life that brought pleasure
to God’s heart, Jn.8.29. Enoch too walked with God, Gen.5.24 and in so doing
pleased Him, Heb.11.5. Further, the Thessalonians themselves were seeking to do
the same, ‘even as also ye do walk.’ Although they were being reminded to live
such a life, Paul encourages them by noting that they are already practising it.
In one sense such a life brings dissatisfaction, for, while we are to be
perfectly content with the Lord and all His provisions for us, we are to be
thoroughly dissatisfied with ourselves, and constantly endeavouring to ‘abound
more and more’ by God’s grace. Thessalonica was renowned for its hot springs and
perhaps Paul had these in mind when he wrote that the life of the believer
should be bubbling over.
Finally they were reminded of the obligation of such a life. ‘Ought,’ dei, v1, can also be interpreted as ‘must’ and speaks of a definite duty for the child of God. It is not a desirable option, but a compelling obligation. ‘Commandments,’ v2, is the word parangelia, a military expression used to address subordinates, hence carrying authority. To please God is a commandment that we do well to obey. Now Paul turns his attention to specifics.
Believers are to exhibit sexual purity, v3-8. Firstly sexual immorality is exposed and then sexual purity is encouraged.
This is a temptation for the best of saints. In 1.7 we learned that these believers formed a model church, but even they were in grave danger of sinning in this area, like King David in 2Sam.11. ‘Fornication,’v3, is the word porneia which includes every form of sexual activity outside that divinely permitted within the marriage bond. To ‘defraud his brother,’ v6, is not necessarily limited to adultery since promiscuity before marriage robs another of that virginity which ought to be brought to marriage. This sin is one of the greatest foes of sanctification, v3. Of all the sins a Christian can commit, sexual sins have the most detrimental impact on his separation to the Lord, which is what sanctification involves, 1Cor.6.15-16. It needs to be warned against. There is no direct censure of immorality in this epistle as there was to the believers at Corinth and it appears that Paul is writing prophylactically, seeking to prevent these things from ever taking place by advance warning. We must take the same attitude, for there is not as much warning about the dangers of sexual sin in local assemblies as there ought to be. Obviously the body (‘his vessel,’ v4) is involved in the act, but it also suffers the repercussions, 1Cor.6.18. This is partly explained by such things as sexually transmitted diseases, however, although such consequences can be devastating (e.g. AIDS), they do not exhaust the awful effects such sin has on the body, Job.20.11. ‘Lust’, v5, speaks of active desires and intense cravings, and ‘concupiscence,’ pathei, of the ungovernable nature of such longings. The combination of the two terms indicates the surrender of the person to his passions so that he is overwhelmed and carried away with them. We all, believers and unbelievers, have the same types of desires, which spring from the old nature, but God’s people have to learn to control and overcome them. Sexual sin is common among unbelievers, v5. That which is forbidden to the Christian is normal and acceptable behaviour amongst the lost, those ‘which know not God’. We are those however who know the living and true God. An ignorance of God inevitably leads to moral degradation and sin, Rom.1; conversely, knowledge of God should lead to holiness. The society the Thessalonians lived in was much the same as ours today. Sexual sin is a crossing over of a clearly demarcated boundary, v6, ‘go beyond’. This suggests an element of rebellion and transgression. Further, it is a form of theft, v6, (‘defraud’, pleonektein, means to take advantage of, to defraud or cheat) for sexual sin is to take that which is not rightly ours. It is worth saying that ‘in any matter’ should be read ‘in this matter’ or ‘in the matter’, that is to say the specific matter of sexual wickedness, not of business dishonesty and corruption. It may pose a genuine temptation and problem for believers that the ungodly will not face, v6, because a local assembly is like a family where we are thrown together closely with believers of the opposite sex and temptations may arise. These must be resisted, for purity must mark all relations in the assembly, 1Tim.5.2. Such sin will be avenged by God, v6. The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is here clearly alluded to, for in the Old Testament vengeance is the work of Jehovah, Deut.32.35, and here it is the work of ‘the Lord’. Sexual sin carries serious repercussions as in 2Sam.12.10, ‘now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house.’ King David was punished for many years to come because of his sin with Bathsheba. 1Cor.11.30, ‘for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep,’ indicates that because of sin believers had been inflicted with illness and some had actually died. How careful we must be. We must also learn that there is no need for us to avenge ourselves because the Lord carries out vengeance. Uriah the Hittite could not revenge the wrongs done to him, but God did. This principle should characterise our attitude towards those who wrong us, Rom.12.19, in anything. People frequently ask believers why God does nothing to punish wicked men. The answer is that He will in His own good time, and that all sin in the universe will ultimately be judged. Sexual sin is an evidence of a heart that despises God, v8. Though these instructions came from the hand of the apostle Paul, they were in actual fact the commandments of the Lord. David’s sin revealed a contempt for the Lord in his heart, 2Sam.12.9. Let us all earnestly search our hearts for such a spirit.
Purity is the will of God for us, v3, 8. This in itself should be sufficient. It is an individual responsibility, v4, applying to ‘everyone of you’ for we are responsible for our own actions and for what we do in our bodies. This is something we ‘should know’, v4. We can never hide behind the façade of ignorance and plead that we didn’t know any better. It is God’s will that each of us knows how to act in the matter of sex. This demands self-control and restraint, v4. ‘Possess’ is the word ktashai meaning to control, to gradually obtain the complete mastery of the body, necessary for all attainment in the Christian life and achieved through struggle and persistent effort. What may seem beyond us is possible by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, v8. The main emphasis is on the character of the Spirit as holy and the verse should read, ‘His Spirit, the Holy.’ Here is another important factor to consider in sexual matters, the body of the Christian is a temple for the Spirit of God, 1Cor.6.19.
Saints are to exercise brotherly love, v9,10. Here we learn some of the characteristics of brotherly love. It is to be instinctive, v9, for ‘ye yourselves are taught of God.’ The word for ‘brotherly love,’ philadelphia, was used in classic Greek to denote the affection between brothers and sisters, but in the New Testament always speaks of love between fellow Christians brought into the family of God by means of the new birth. One of the tests for genuineness of conversion is a love for fellow believers, 1Jn.3.14. Theodidakto translates as 'taught of God'. This brotherly love cannot be learned at a seminar or college, but should arise naturally from true Christians. Tertullian (c AD 192) quotes a heathen as remarking in amazement, 'Behold how these Christians love one another.' We are taught through being 'partakers of the Divine nature,' 2Pet.1.4 and the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that love for the brethren becomes instinctive. It is to be impartial, v10, embracing 'all the brethren'. We are to love all saints, not just our favourites and the people we naturally like. It is to be overflowing, v10, reaching 'all the brethren which are in all Macedonia.' They showed love for believers outside the boundaries of their own local assembly, for there were churches at Philippi and Berea, and no doubt others in Macedonia. We must be willing to show Christian love to believers in other assemblies and those in other companies, without compromising assembly principles. They were showing such love, but they were to do it even more, v10.
They were to engage in secular employment, v11-12. Paul lists four negative reasons why we should work in ordinary jobs so as to be able to support our dependants and ourselves. We are not to be impetuous, v11, but ‘study to be quiet.’ It seems that the believers had become over excited by the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ, so Paul recalls them to a restful state of mind and a spiritually balanced outlook upon life. They were to be ambitious to lead quiet lives, 1Tim.2.2, in effect they were to be ambitious not to be ambitious! If we took this same attitude at work, not striving for promotion how our Christian lives might flourish! We are not to be intrusive, v11, but mind our own business and not poke our noses into other people’s affairs. We must not meddle in the affairs of others. Nor are we to be idle, v11, but ‘work with your own hands.’ Believers shouldn’t be lazy, and Paul working to support himself was the prime example. We are not to hinder others, v12, but ‘walk honestly toward them that are without.’ Lazy, indolent Christians who assume the Lord Jesus Christ will soon return, can easily become a stumbling block to unbelievers who do work to support themselves. We must make every effort not to offend. We must work in order that we have sufficient for ourselves and our dependants to live without the charity and goodwill of others, v12. It is God’s will for us to support ourselves and so maintain a dignified independence.
—to be continued (D.V.)