We have recently been reading some of Paul’s early letters to churches. Now the Apostle sends a brief Epistle to Ephesus to set up a parting embrace with the leaders of the Ephesian Church before the apostles sail toward home.
Previously we learned that an epistle is not simply a letter from Apostles but from any authority to others. In Acts 15 we examined one sent from the Council in Jerusalem to several churches.
The apostles send several epistles to churches throughout the MISSIONS of PAUL and others.
Ephesus to Assos – by land and by sea
But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land [on foot].
Picture the Apostle Paul after having been personally involved in the resurrection of a young man in Troas. He journeys on foot no doubt considering this miracle and the Lord’s will for his next destination.
Their route on a Roman ship would have been ~42 nautical miles along the coastline while Paul's overland hike was about 28 miles.
Once arriving in Assos Paul probably sends a message to the leaders in Ephesus where the Apostle had been so instrumental in leading the Church. His messenger may have set sail separately to Ephesus with an Epistle.
14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.
15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios;
and the next day we crossed over to Samos;
and the day following we came to Miletus.
and the day following we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Acts of the Apostles 20:15b-16 LSB – Luke records that the return of the apostles sent out on Paul’s third missionary journey will bypass Ephesus on their way home.
What’s the hurry to worship in Jerusalem?
Paul’s earlier hike to Assos following the time of the miraculous events at Troas would have given the Apostle time to consider his witness of the risen Christ twenty years ago.
In Jerusalem Paul would have met MANY witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.
AND Paul would have met those present seven years before Christ appeared to him who along with the Apostles had received the Holy Spirit in an upper room on Pentecost.
Book of Common Prayer – Celebration of Holy Communion Order One in Traditional language
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
I am about to go 'formal' on you with the Authorized King James Version of II Thessalonians; therefore let us look back to the formality of Paul's long opening sentence [above] written after his formal greeting of this Epistle evoking a sense of duty of a responsive brother receiving a second Epistle of encouragement from our beloved Apostle to the Gentiles (of which you and your wife and children are part) as members of a new and growing church at Thessaloniki (as we now Anglicize it centuries after King James).
Paul’s letters or epistles would have been written to a church and VERBALLY delivered by a man leading worship at any first century church.
The common language of the Roman Empire is GREEK as it was in Thessalonica even prior to Rome’s rule.
In Macedonia (of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great) Greek had been made the language of Alexander’s vast Empire even as far east as the Jews had been banished to Babylon, later ruled by Persia and then Alexander.
Intro to Thessalonica via the Protestant Reformation
JUMPING centuries and millennia toward today..
At the time of the Renaissance, in this same sense under the rule of a later Empire of Great Britain the BIBLE goes into all the world (largely in English) authorized by King James of England .
Unlike an impotent inclusion of anti-Christ philosophies of this Common Era, it was a time when Kings and Queens went out to war AND Sovereigns were not only an authoritative Defender of the Faith, but also men who did determine political religious alliances with the Pope and Bishop of Rome as well as other rulers beyond the realm.
Because the governed now became literate in Scripture the Bible exposed the darkness of Rome’s frequent heretical Bishops and frequently-fallible Popes.
The King James Bible was commissioned in the year of our Lord 1609 and first published in A.D. 1611.
At the time of the Protestant Reformation the Anglican Book of Common Prayer standardized the traditional liturgy of the Roman Catholic Mass from centuries of Christian tradition in the King’s ENGLISH, replacing the ancient Latin (archaic even in Italy and its Papal States) used in its liturgy.
The common language of the King later remained as part of worship in English long after the meaning of its words were common (much as had Latin become unused beyond the Mass) and centuries after Britannia no longer ruled the waves.
Never-the-less, let us not overlook the validity of this worship, whether in Thessalonica of the A.D. first century or an American colony of Britain of the A.D. 17th century or for our present day church.
Meet our ‘word of the day’ – ‘meet‘
For many years Christians from the Anglican tradition proclaimed corporately each week as a church celebrating the Communion of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ sacrificed for us in the following words [in part], theology imprinted upon our worshiping hearts:
Officiant: [Priest leading Holy Communion] The Lord be with you.
Response of the Congregation: And with thy spirit.
Officiant: Lift up your hearts.
Congregation: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Officiant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Response: It is meet and right so to do.
Before proceeding with the opening response of the priest celebrating Holy Communion I would like to PAUSE briefly here to consider the response of the worshipers.
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18 King James Version
Not only does Moses introduce the Hebrew equivalent of meet (as we once translated in KJV in English), the Gospel writers and Paul introduce its importance to solid theology as well.
The KJV translates Strong’s G514 in the following manner: worthy (35x), meet (4x), due reward (1x), unworthy (with G3756) (1x).
weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much
befitting, congruous, corresponding to a thing
of one who has merited anything worthy
both in a good and a bad sense
IS YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD CHRIST JESUS BOTH MEET AND RIGHT?
Our Christian Duty
Returning to & Continuing from the Book of Common Prayer:
Officiant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Response: It is meet and right so to do.
Officiant:
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord.
Ano Domini 51 – Paul writes a Second Epistle to the Thessalonians
a context in Paul's missions to write another Epistle
A couple of reminders to my fellow Christians of this Common Era
A.D., used for calendars and timelines of history since about the fifth century derives from the Latin abbreviation for Anno Domini means “IN THE YEAR OF THE LORD” or “In the year of our Lord,” depending on context.
Epistle – generally a serious letter on an important subject [Greek epistole] “message, letter, command, commission,” whether verbal or in writing
The Apostle to the gentiles sends his Epistle after having clarified the commands of the Council of Jerusalem concerning worship of Jews and gentiles together as believers in Christ Jesus, the Messiah crucified and risen some twenty years ago.
Paul penned I Thessalonians to commend his faithful brethren for their stalwart dedication to Christ and to one another and to encourage them to further progress in love and holiness.
Intro to Thessalonians – AKJV [A.D. 1964]
Once Paul’s messengers deliver his Epistle to Thessalonica they return with their report.
Paul then writes a second Epistle after the returning brothers report certain problems that are not solved. The Apostle writes to encourage believers being persecuted, to clarify the Day of the Lord, commanding them to work and to obey his Epistle.
.. as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure..
AND NOW, in ~ A.D. 50 Paul writes back to the Thessalonians
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..
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
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..
It is from Corinth that Paul writes back to the Thessalonians in ~ A.D. 51
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.
2 For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
PAUL’s HELPFUL LIST:
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.
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?
Now concerning love of the brothers
‘Now as to the love of the brothers and sisters..’ reads the NASB20:
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.
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..”
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
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.
A COMMON ERA CAUTION
9/11/2001 C.E.
~ twenty years ago
2021 of the Common Era
TODAY’s contemporary challenges to Christians
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.
(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 Thessaloniansalong 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.
![Thessalonica [Θεσσαλονίκη] next destination of Paul, Silas and Timothy when they depart from Philippi on the 2nd missionary journey of Paul.](https://talkofjesus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Thessalonica-2nd-missionary-journey-from-Philippi.jpg)
