Paul’s unfinished encouragement of the Thessalonians

Previously on Paul’s Second Mission

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The apostles sailed to Macedonia, Greece and Achaia

Second major stop

THESSILONICA where they proclaim the Gospel to the Jews for THREE WEEKS.

Paul’s unfinished business with the Thessalonians – 1

THREE WEEKS?

Hardly enough time to establish a firm foundation of faith in NEW BELIEVERS!

~A.D. 51 – Paul writes to encourage the Thessalonian Church

Certainly Paul and other apostles must have wondered how the Thessalonians had fared since opponents of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had forced them to exit to Berea, 100 miles away, and cities further south in Greece and Achaia.

Mentioned among these new believers were Jason (Acts 17:5), Gaius (Acts 19:29), Aristarchus (Acts 20:4), and Secundus (Acts 20:4). Source

.. and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith..

.. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always remember us kindly, longing to see us just as we also long to see you..

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians 3:2,6 LSB

Paul’s First letter to the Thessalonians 1:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father..

The Apostle’s introductory points of encouragement

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit

1 Thessalonians 2:3 LSB

• [You are] brothers beloved by God
• your election [by God]
• our gospel [came] to you in power and in the Holy Spirit
• You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 
• You also became imitators of us and of the Lord [JESUS]

Even though these apostles had not remained in this city of some 200,000 Macedonians, comparable to a Common Era U.S. city of Columbus Ohio, to endure further persecution by the Judaizers, Paul and some of the other apostles would have known from their previous persecutions the afflictions of these new Thessalonian believers.

• You [Thessalonians] have had much affliction [YET] with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

.. you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth..

First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 1:7b-8a Legacy Standard Bible

.. just as you know how we were exhorting G3870 and encouraging and bearing witness to each one of you as a father would his own children..

1 Thessalonians 2:11 LSB

Do you get the picture of evangelism by way of example of our Christ-like love in the community of our local church?

19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not even you, before our Lord Jesus at His coming?

20 For you are our glory and joy.

Corinth – 1st Church Plant in ACHAIA

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Practical Christianity for NEW Christians in Thessalonica

we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to [conduct yourselves] walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

* Specific Ways to excel still more in holiness, hope and love.

* source

2 For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

PAUL’s HELPFUL LIST:

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• abstain from [porneia] sexual immorality
• know how to possess his own [*]vessel in sanctification and honor
  • not in lustful passion

* (literally or figuratively [specially, a wife as contributing to the usefulness of the husband]):—goods, sail, stuff, vessel. 

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Paul’s extensive metaphor mentioning ‘lustful passion’ ‘and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter‘ pointedly establishes the standard of a monogamous marriage to a faithful wife by the Thessalonian brothers and without any adultery or coveting another man’s ‘vessel.’

Sanctification

Sanctification is the theological term describing a refining of our holiness in Christ.

⁷ For God did not call us to impurity, but in sanctification. 

⁸ Consequently, he who sets this aside is not setting aside man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 LSB

God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. – 1 Thessalonians 4:7 New Living Translation

IS YOUR CALL TO CHRIST NOW SANCTIFIED IN HOLINESS?

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Now concerning love of the brothers

‘Now as to the love of the brothers and sisters..’ reads the NASB20:

φιλαδελφία

1 Thessalonians 4:9

This LOVE is NOT erotic ‘love’ with which the world is enamored and against which Paul has already cautioned, but rather a familial love of a biological brother, i.e. philadelphia.

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How many christians, knowing better, have transgressed that line of love?

And as if to further warn believers concerning our sanctification in the loves of Christ Jesus, Paul adds:

“.. for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another..”

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This most personal, godly LOVE is agapaō.

ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλήλους

agapaō allēlōn

you yourselves are taught by GOD [theodidaktos] to Love one another.

of persons

to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

of things

to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

—each other, mutual, one another, (the other), (them-

• make it your ambition to lead a quiet life
• attend to your own business
• work with your hands
• walk [peripateō – lit. ‘behave‘] properly toward outsiders
  • have need of nothing

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DEATH & LIFE

The Apostle Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with a contemporary issue of the A.D. 50’s an ETERNAL and timeless warning also applicable in these last days of the Common Era of the 2020’s.

TWO TIMELINES

• ~A.D. 30 – JESUS Christ crucified by a Roman Governor [Pilate]
• A.D. 50’s – Paul, an Apostle of the risen CHRIST writes to the Thessalonians as ALL still live under ROMAN rule.
• A.D. 70 (Twenty years after Paul’s letter) – ROME besieges Jerusalem, drives out the Judeans and destroys the Temple of the Herod’s.

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A COMMON ERA CAUTION

• 2044 of the Common Era
  • Twenty years from TODAY? ? ?

Without stepping into an apocalyptic mire of last days, let's briefly glance at Paul's exhortation for Christians living for an eternal God.

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Therefore comfort one another with these words.

• Do not grieve for those in Christ who have died.

IF WE BELIEVE..

• Jesus died and rose again
  • (John tells us that those are still living among the 500+ men who witnessed Christ’s resurrection just 20 years earlier.)
• God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [died] in Jesus.
• .. the Lord Himself will descend from heaven..
  • and the dead in Christ will rise first.
  • [Those] who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them [believers who have died] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..
    • NOW, in these last days of the Common Era, this would now include these Thessalonians along with other saints to whom the Apostle wrote.
• and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

..  the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly..

Thessalonians 5:2b-3a LSB

4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief..

Paul then reminds us once more of our obedient sanctification in Christ.

.. let us be awake and sober.

For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians 5:9-10 ~ A.D. 51

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.

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