By J. C. Gibson (Scotland)
Firstly we have the date of the epistle. It was apparently written from Corinth during Paul’s second missionary journey, after he had ‘departed from Athens,’ Acts 18.1. The authorities vary as to the exact date, but it was some time between AD50-54. Whatever date we take, it was roughly twenty years following the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ and is therefore acknowledged by most authorities to be the earliest of Paul’s inspired letters, though some would consider Galatians to be the first. It is structured like other secular letters written at the same time (though of course different from our modern informal practice in putting the sender’s name at the end). Compare Acts 23.26, ‘Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.’
Secondly there are the dynamics of the evangelists. They had a united spirit, v1, ‘Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus.’ The three friends are again together after a time of separation with a united interest in the new converts at Thessalonica. In the service of the Lord Jesus Christ we must have the companionship of other believers.
They also had a mutual respect, v1, ‘Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus.’ Paul would naturally put Silvanus before Timothy, as he was an older and more experienced man. We need respect for others and especially those who are older than us.
Thirdly we have the description of the eklesia (church). The Thessalonian believers recognised gift. Some churches, for example Corinth, had doubts about Paul’s apostleship, and Paul had to remind them, but the Thessalonians saw Paul for who he was, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he did not have to even mention it. How important for a church to recognise and encourage spiritual gift. Then there was a separation from the world. The word for ‘church’ translates the Greek word eklesia meaning a called out assembly of individuals. The expression ‘in God our Father’ suggests that this little company of Christians were separate from the surrounding heathen who believed in a multitude of deities. ‘In the Lord Jesus Christ’ distinguished them from the Jewish element in the city that bitterly resented Jesus of Nazareth, refusing to acknowledge Him as the Messiah. Positively, it speaks of complete separation from the world. Believers are to be completely different from everyone else, whether religious or irreligious. The church had a membership of locals, people who lived in the locality. There are some very large churches which could best be described as ‘preaching centres,’ where quite literally hundreds and on occasions thousands come from distant areas. This is not the will of God for the church, He wishes little testimonies scattered in various localities acting as beacons in the darkness. They enjoyed an intimacy of union ‘in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ,’ for the saved are brought into spiritual relationship with the Godhead. We are so close to God that we are described as being in Him, eternally secure, never to be lost: ‘Thou art my hiding place,’ Ps.32.7. They also had the highest regard for the Lord Jesus Christ. The statement ‘in God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ’ supposes the equality of the two and is a clear witness to the deity of Jesus Christ. The word for Lord is kurios, which translates Jehovah in the Septuagint. These saints believed in the full deity of the Lord Jesus. They also experienced an enjoyment of ‘peace’. Although suffering severe persecution they knew the peace of God in their hearts.
Let us all take care how we use our memory, as it can wreak havoc through
grudge bearing or be used as a fountain of untold blessing for others. Firstly
we see the frequency of their remembering. It was ‘without ceasing,’ adialeiptos.
The same word is contained on an old papyrus letter, which was discovered in
Egypt, written as far back as the apostle’s day, which speaks of an ‘incessant
cough.’ It is not uninterrupted prayer, but constantly recurring prayer which is
meant. It is not that they did nothing but think about the Thessalonian converts
twenty-four hours a day, but routinely, on a regular basis, they remembered
them.
Secondly there are the contents of their remembering. They remembered the
Thessalonians’ excellencies, the Christian virtues that had begun to develop in
them. Paul is not laying stress on these virtues alone, that is faith, love, and
hope, but rather on what they produce. They are the essential, active
ingredients of the Christian life, finding their expression in active work,
patient toil, and enduring constancy. They had an active faith. ‘Work’, ergon,
speaks of activity of effort and as believers we are to be active in the Lord’s
service, and this activity is produced by our faith. The faith of the
Thessalonians was no mere speculative belief, but energetic and productive. They
had a labouring love. The word for ‘labour’ is kopos, which meant primarily to
strike or beat and then to toil to weariness. There is a definite difference in
the meaning of these two words for work for ergon might be a pleasant
experience, but kopos implies great difficulty and effort. As Christians we
should be willing to drive ourselves to the point of exhaustion in our service
for the Lord and only love can prompt such laboursome toil. One of the famous
mottoes of the SAS is ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’. Perhaps
a Christian motto should be ‘When the going gets tough, the loving keep going.’
They had an inspiring hope. The word for ‘patience’ is hupomone, meaning to abide under, suggesting anticipation or endurance. The hope held out to the Christian in the Bible is not uncertain but a hope that is unquestionable and definite. As believers we should endure and continue despite the hardships of the way and the intensity of the suffering and this is only possible if we are inspired by a gloriously certain hope.
They also remembered the Thessalonians’ election, v4. ‘Know’ is oida meaning to know by observation, and Paul, seeing their changed lives, knew that they had to be God’s elect. Would it not be good if people, by observing our lives, could say without a shadow of a doubt that we were God’s elect? This election was divine, in that is was ‘of God’.
The results of their remembering were praise, ‘we give thanks to God,’ and then prayers. The order is undoubtedly significant, for we should always offer praise to God before we spread out our petitions before Him.
God has chosen to work out His electing purpose through the vehicle of gospel preaching by His people. It is through the preaching of the gospel that those chosen before the foundation of the world, are to be called to salvation, 1Cor.1.21, and therefore it is vitally important to learn the qualities demanded of preachers. A personal commitment is essential, seen in the description by Paul of ‘our Gospel.’ This good news they preached meant something to them personally as they themselves had wholeheartedly embraced the message and in so doing received eternal life. To preach the gospel effectively it must mean everything to us: we have to make it our own before we can give it to anyone else. Vocal expression is seen in the expression ‘in word only’. The message came in the form of words, not mere acting or entertainment. They had a spiritual conviction, brought about by the indwelling Holy Spirit, for the word came ‘also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance.’ When preaching the gospel we should be 100% sure that what we are saying is absolute truth. Their flawless character is suggested in the phrase, ‘what manner of men we were among you.’ If we are going to preach about the righteousness of God, our lives should in some measure reflect that righteousness. Our lives must be consistent with the message that we declare. They had a selfless attitude, preaching ‘for your sakes’. In other words they did everything for the sake of the Thessalonians, and not for their own gain. In preaching we must always have the interests of our hearers at heart rather than our own.
If preaching is God’s means of spreading the gospel, Christian example ensures the continuation of Christian character down through the centuries. The Thessalonians went from being mimics to being models. They were ‘followers,’ mimetai, in v6, from which we get mimics. They imitated both the missionaries and the Lord in the sense of experiencing deep-rooted joy despite suffering, ‘having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.’ The missionaries experienced simultaneous joy and suffering, Acts 16.22-25, and so did the Lord, Heb.12.2. This has been referred to as ‘the perennial Christian paradox’, joy in the midst of affliction. Having been mimics, they subsequently became models, v7, from being imitators they themselves became a shining example for others to follow. This is how Christianity is to continue down through the ages until the return of the Lord.
‘Sounded out,’ describes the volume of Christian testimony. This does not refer to their preaching, so much as what others said concerning them, since the verb ‘sounded out’ is passive, and v8 notes that ‘in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad.’ Moreover, in v9, ‘they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you.’ Thessalonica was strategically placed to be a centre for Christian witness and news of the conversion of the Thessalonians may even have reached Rome itself, Acts 18.1, 2. Perhaps Aquilla and Priscilla who had just come from Rome to Corinth where Paul was writing the letter, had told Paul of all that they had heard with regard to the church at Thessalonica whilst in Rome. I know of one young believer who was converted whilst at university. On his holidays when back at home he went to his old school to tell his teachers that he had become a Christian. They replied that they had already heard! The fact that he had got saved boomed out and spread quickly. We should ask ourselves, how many people know about our belief in Christ?
They were saved from the coming wrath of the great tribulation. Believers will not go through this, because we are not waiting for wrath but for the Lord Jesus who will take us away before it comes. They had commenced three new activities, which summarise the Christian life. Firstly, they were worshipping, having ‘turned to God from idols,’ and they now had a new affection in their hearts. ‘Ye turned’ translates epestrepsate, which means to turn around physically, Mk.5.30; so spiritually it denotes the turning that had altered the course of these idolaters’ lives so that they were now moving in the opposite direction from which they had been going. This language indicates that most were Gentiles, not Jews or proselytes, and suggests a ministry in Thessalonica directed to the pagan population, one that may have extended beyond the three weeks of Acts 17. Secondly, they were working with a new ambition, ‘to serve the living and true God.’ The Christian life is one of serving the living God as opposed to dead idols, the true God in contrast to the counterfeit gods of idolatry. Thirdly, they were waiting with a new anticipation, ‘for His Son from heaven.’ Their eagerness and expectancy suggests a readiness to meet the Lord, which should characterise each one of us in our daily lives.
—to be continued (D.V.)