Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: thessalonians

  • Paul’s unfinished encouragement of the Thessalonians

    Paul’s unfinished encouragement of the Thessalonians

    Previously on Paul’s Second Mission

    Start new Second Missionary Journey of Paul in Acts 15 and 16 as the Apostle must journey by land to Lystra and Derbe
    Start New Second Missionary Journey

    The apostles sailed to Macedonia, Greece and Achaia

    google earth of Aegean Sea coast between Troas and Macedonia

    Second major stop

    Thessalonica [Θεσσαλονίκη] next destination of Paul, Silas and Timothy when they depart from Philippi on the 2nd missionary journey of Paul.
    Thessalonica

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

    Paul’s unfinished business with the Thessalonians – 1
    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..

    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.
    sailing from Macedonia through the Aegean Sea to Achia, home of ancient Athens and a larger city of Corinth

    .. 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.

    Roman ACHAIA (as we studied in ACTS) includes Athens of ancient Greece as an intellectual center

    AND CORINTH, its capital and largest city of ~100,000 (including its rural areas).

    Corinth – 1st Church Plant in ACHAIA
    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. 
    * source

    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:

    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. 

    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..”

    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

    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

    911 attack plane flying into a second world trade center tower
    • 9/11/2001 C.E.
      • ~ twenty years ago
    collage of worldly leaders - ACTS 2:40 "Be saved from this perverse generation.
    • 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.

    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.

    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

    Letters in your spare time
    Letters from the Apostle Paul — To be continued… God-willing…
  • Paul’s unfinished business with the Thessalonians – 1

    Paul’s unfinished business with the Thessalonians – 1

    Apostles sent out – Leading through Letters

    Paul’s THREE missions over ELEVEN years from ~ A.D. 49 to ~ A.D. 57 would have included 10 winters. All of the apostles would have had time to write while onboard ships traveling from one Roman port to another.

    Furthermore all would have had time to write during inclement weather and send messages back and forth by messengers of their mission – many who we have met in various places in Acts of the Apostles.

    During Paul’s FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY we read of several stops in CYPRESS including Paphos, as well as several towns in the general Roman region of GALATIA between Perga Pamphylia, Antioch Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (all in the inland mountains of GALATIA.)

    Acts of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas sent by the Holy Spirit on a mission to the gentiles
    Paul and Barnabas sent from Antioch Syria to the gentiles

    Letters from other apostles?

    We have just glanced at a letter during this time written by Paul to these Galatian churches. ALSO, during this time we know that JOHN MARK departed from this First Missionary Journey and recorded the first of four GOSPELS.

    photo of earth from the moon the Great Commission of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Mark 16:15
    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

    Bar-nabas (Son of encouragement), the Levite Joseph of Cypress, may ALSO have sent letters and messages back and forth to his hometown and familiar towns where the apostles had build budding churches (although we have no record of it).

    Through Many Afflictions Saul and Joseph return to Antioch

    Luke records the names of several leading disciples of Christ from Paul’s second missionary journey in Acts of the Apostles.

    a Who’s Who of Paul’s Three Missionary Journeys
    Silas [or Silvanus], Timothy, Aquila & Priscilla, Luke

    Even though the New Testament doesn’t include letters from any of these church leaders, we should be able to safely surmise that many wrote to leading churches where these disciples of The Way had worshiped before.

    Apollos, perhaps Lydia and even Luke may have communicated with one or more churches to which they had proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    And we know from Luke’s Second Account to Theophilus that James, one biological half-brother of the risen JESUS wrote a letter to the church in ~ A.D. 49 in addition to a later Epistles from him and his brother Jude.

    Epistle from the Council of Jerusalem – Acts 15:20

    Cities and Towns of Paul’s Second Mission

    Start new Second Missionary Journey of Paul in Acts 15 and 16 as the Apostle must journey by land to Lystra and Derbe
    Start New Second Missionary Journey

    “The apostles and the brothers who are elders,

    to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, 

    greetings.

    Acts of the Apostles 15:23b – Legacy Standard Bible – Letter from James and the Jerusalem Council

    The A. D. 49 Letter from JERUSALEM sends out brothers and elders in ALL directions to many geographically nearby cities and provinces of Rome.

    As a leading apostle from Antioch, Paul sets out to cities of Syria first (this time with Silas). Cilicia, of course, includes Paul’s familial city of Tarsus which the Apostle bypasses on his return to Derbe.

    LUKE, as the Apostle’s physician, witnesses a major part of Paul’s second missionary journey of about 2800 miles first hand in ACTS 15:36-18:22.

    And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

    Acts 15:41 – Paul ministering to the churches nearest to Jerusalem
    • 16 Now Paul also arrived at Derbe
    • and at Lystra. And behold, a disciple was there, named Timothy..
    • .. he was well spoken of by the brothers who were in Lystra and Iconium.

    So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily.

    Acts of the Apostles 16:5 LSB


    6 And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region.. (which includes Antioch Pisidia of Paul’s first missionary journey)..

    Through these cities and towns PAUL sojourns purposefully with the Gospel and ENCOURAGEMENT of the churches, some (in GALATIA) to whom the Apostle has written first.

    SAILING toward Macedonia, Greece and Achaia

    google earth of Aegean Sea coast between Troas and Macedonia
    Paul arrives in Europe

    First stop

    –The leading ROMAN city of Macedonia, PHILIPPI, is by no means Jewish.

    (It doesn’t even have a synagogue.)

    The Gospel wins some to Christ and opposition from others.

    Paul will encourage the Philippians in an epistle a few years later.

    Second major stop

    Thessalonica [Θεσσαλονίκη] next destination of Paul, Silas and Timothy when they depart from Philippi on the 2nd missionary journey of Paul.
    Thessalonica

    Then Paul and apostles sent with him travel through Amphipolis and Apollonia to THESSILONICA AND proclaim the Gospel to the Jews in their synagogue for THREE WEEKS.

    Paul had preached:

    “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ.”
    And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,
    along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

    Acts of the Apostles 17:3b-4 LSB

    They are forced to slip out of town quickly, but this letter will be penned by Paul to encourage the church in his absence.

    10 And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

    Read full chapter ACTS 17
    Google Earth map of mountains near Berea, Macedonia, Greece. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 NIV

    Later Luke records:

    13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing the crowds. 

    Other NEWS ~ A.D. 50

    Why write to the Thessalonians?

    All of these challenges to Christ occur in times and places when the Jews are not the only opponents of the Church. And recall how easily the pagans are lured into bad behavior in behalf of their own sinful practices.

    • ~ 5 years ago the Romans changed to a 365 day calendar with a ‘leap year’ and ignored an unnamed year from an inaccurate calendar of the past.
    • A.D. 49 the Caesar Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome

    I was so glad to hear about you

    When we are away from those we love we lose touch until we return or when someone sends a message about them to us.

    Out of necessity Paul had to leave the Thessalonians after just three weeks. Of course these apostles had much more to say, hear and teach.

    Paul writes:

    .. 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

    The Apostle does NOT write these Epistles to the Galatians, Thessalonians and other churches they have established on a whim.

    NEXT

    We will take a closer look at Paul’s purpose in writing a letter to their dear brothers back in Thessalonica.

    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

  • Eschatology – a walk from Thessaloniki to the holy city

    Eschatology – a walk from Thessaloniki to the holy city

    Paul has already given the Thessalonians walking instructions to please God more. So why does the Apostle to the gentiles proceed toward eschatology and their walk in the last days?

    1 Thessalonians 4:

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

    1 Thessalonians 4:8 LSB
    Sanctification and your Walk Toward Holiness
    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. – 1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV

    Paul actually holds the Thessalonians up as an example of brotherly love to other churches.

    But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

    ” Walk properly before outsiders.”

    The Apostle’s letter commends the Thessalonian example of love that makes their witness to OTHER gentiles a genuine light of Christ Jesus.

    Sanctification

    Before we dig into any deep study of the nature of God’s plan for the end times, let’s recall a simple definition from last time critical to understanding why Paul and other Apostles require the GENTILES to walk in purity as faithful followers of the LORD.

    1. consecration, purification,
    2. the effect of consecration: sanctification of heart and life,

    ἁγιασμός hagiasmos, hag-ee-as-mos’; properly, purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier:—holiness, sanctification.

    STRONGS G38 – blueletterbible.org

    Note the connection of purity traditionally associated by the JEWS with holiness.

    In many strict applications of Hebrew LAW a Jew (separated to the LORD) could NOT remain pure or HOLY by contact or association with any GENTILE. The BLOOD of THE NEW COVENANT of Jesus Christ changed this!

    The beginning of the last days (and fulfillment of JEWISH Scripture) began with the teaching and Sacrifice of Jesus, God the Father’s Perfect and Holy Son.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    Eschatology

    The term “eschatology” comes from two Greek terms e[scato” and lovgo” meaning (roughly speaking) “last, end, or final” and “study of,” respectively. Theologically speaking, then, the term eschatology refers to “the study of final things” in the Bible. It concerns both personal eschatological issues such as death and the intermediate state as well as themes with a more general or corporate focus. The latter would include such ideas as the return of Christ, resurrection, judgment, tribulation, the millennial kingdom, and the eternal state.

    Bible.org

    Even discussion of your DEATH is eschatological.

    And of course any more complete study of our walk with God before and after death goes beyond the scope of this letter from the apostles to the Thessalonians.

    WHAT NEXT?

    Where does your body go? Does you spirit sleep, go directly to Paradise or wait somewhere this side of the highest Heaven for a Judgment of your mortal life?

    HOW WAS YOUR WALK with JESUS CHRIST so far and until your inevitable DEATH?

    Will HE know you?

    What happens to the earth? 
Will Thessaloniki Greece (or anywhere else) burn up and those who did NOT flee our own City of Destruction face the WRATH of GOD?

 How will we escape the sin of our own disobedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and the judgment of the SON Sacrificed on a CROSS?

    Paul’s warning to the Thessalonians

    WALK TO THE END (even if it is unexpected).

    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.

    Like every faithful follower of Christ Jesus SOME OF YOU HAVE DIED. Do not mourn their loss.

    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.

    Want to talk of JESUS during this walk of these last days?

It's no different TODAY in the year of our Lord 2023 than it was in A.D. 51 for the Thessalonians. 

SOME have died AND Jesus will return for them. BUT WAIT, there's more only for you who walk with the Lord on the Day of His return...

    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.

    16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.

    And the dead in Christ will rise first.

    Taken UP to the HOLY CITY!

    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.

    1 Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 4:17 ESV

    18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

    And in THE END..

    First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 5:

    Although the apostles to the gentiles Paul, Silas and Timothy encourage these Thessalonian believers to walk in the faith of what they know and have already been taught Paul will later write a second letter addressing these same things.

    Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying,

    “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

    4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

    I encourage you, even exhort you my fellow believers to READ THE REST of Paul's letter. - RH
    song: "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf? [repeat] from inside our answer: "Not me.'

    Remember the three houses (including the one you thought was safe)?

    a helmet of hope for your walk

    Of course even when SAVED from the evil one CHRIST FOLLOWERS must leave the BIG HOUSE in the CITY of Destruction to WALK a narrow path to the HOLY heavenly New Covenant City of the Lord.

    8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

    9 For God has not destined us for wrath,

    but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

    Eschatology - a walk of these last days from any city of destruction to the HOLY City.

    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

Do you SHARE the Gospel by either email or text?