START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
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OBSERVE:
According to most scholars, 1 Thessalonians is the earliest written work included in the New Testament. Paul may have written this letter to the church in Thessalonika from Corinth sometime around 52 AD.
He had only recently left Thessalonika. He was at this time on what is called his Second Missionary Journey, which took him through Syria, Cilicia, Galatia and Asia — and then, for the first time, across the Aegean Sea into Europe. His journeys in Europe took him to key cities where he planted churches — in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonika and Berea) and in Achaea (Athens and Corinth).
This letter to the Thessalonians represents one of the earliest samples of Christian preaching and doctrine, some twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.
As was common with ancient letters, Paul begins with a salutation. He is writing this as a corporate letter, with greetings from the other two missionaries who are with him in Corinth — Silvanus, and Timothy. And the recipient of the letter is also corporate — the entire church at Thessalonika.
Silvanus and Timothy both appear elsewhere throughout the New Testament record.
Silvanus is believed to be the same person known as Silas in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. At one of the key councils in Jerusalem, Silas was chosen, along with Judas Barsabbas, to accompany Paul and Barnabas as they set out for Antioch (Acts 15:22). This was the beginning of the very missionary journey that would take them to their present location in Corinth. Silas is mentioned twelve times in Acts. One of those accounts describes Paul and Silas in jail together in Philippi, which proved to be a pivotal moment in their ministry there (Acts 16:25-32). Paul mentions his colleague and travelling companion Silvanus three times in his letters (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:19). And we also find Silvanus mentioned by the Apostle Peter in his first letter, giving the impression that Silvanus actually helped Peter in the drafting of the letter (1 Peter 5:12).
Timothy, of course, is well-known as Paul’s young protege. The relationship of Paul and Timothy is that of an affectionate father with an adopted son. We know much more about Timothy — he was from Lystra in Galatia, the son of a Jewish woman and a Greek father. Paul made a point of having Timothy circumcised because of his Jewish heritage, in order to avoid offending the Jews in Galatia (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy often acted as a messenger for Paul, bearing his letters and bringing personal possessions that had been left behind. We last see Timothy in Acts saying farewell to Paul in Asia, and there is some evidence that Timothy became the overseer (Greek episcopos, or bishop) of the church in Ephesus. Timothy is mentioned six times in Acts; twelve times in Paul’s letters (not including the two letters that were written specifically to Timothy by Paul, 1 & 2 Timothy), and once in Hebrews 13:23.
These co-workers in the Gospel may also have been co-writers with Paul of this letter.
But let’s return to the Thessalonians. Their identity and relationship with God are immediately established. The church is described as:
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…
While we might be tempted to scan this greeting rather quickly, we do well to pause just a moment. Because this is likely the first written record of the New Testament, these are significant words. It is clear that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are being given equal billing. Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned until verse 5 and 6 in this passage, we have the beginnings of a doctrine of the Trinity.
That God is Father is a given from the Jewish perspective. But when Paul says that Jesus is Lord and Christ, he is making an important claim about Jesus. Jesus is not only the Christ (aka Messiah), fulfilling the Hebrew prophecies and expectations — he is also Lord. Lord denotes more than merely a title of aristocracy for Paul. In Hebraic thought, the word Lord is synonymous with the title given to Yahweh in the Old Testament — Adonai. Based on that evidence, Paul is describing Jesus the Christ as God.
And Paul offers a greeting that will become familiar to the reader of his epistles:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace is one of Paul’s consistent themes throughout his epistles.
As he continues the body of his letter, Paul is personal when remembering the Thessalonians, their faith and their work. He speaks in the first person plural on behalf of Silvanus, Timothy and himself, describing their intercession for the church:
We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
Paul calls the Thessalonians his brothers, and reminds them of their new identity. They are chosen — the theological term is elect — and Paul celebrates the fact that they not only heard the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit reinforced this word with power and assurance.
This provides a glimpse into the doctrine of Pneumatology (theology related to the Holy Spirit). A survey of the work of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament suggests that power and assurance are frequently associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s power is manifested in such events as:
- The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary and conceives the holy child within her, despite her virginity (Luke 1:35).
- The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus with power, enabling him to heal all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).
- The outpouring on Pentecost, with its mighty wind, tongues of fire, and speaking in tongues (Acts 2).
And along with power, there is the unique work of assurance — what is also called the witness of the Spirit. This sense of assurance describes the inward witness given by the Holy Spirit within the spirit of the believer. This inward witness makes possible the personal relationship that exists between believer and the Spirit:
- The Spirit affirms the believer’s identity as a child of God:
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). - The Spirit is also the intimate agent of communication between God the Father and the believer. Because the Spirit is God’s Spirit, he knows the mind of the Father; and because the Spirit is omniscient (all-knowing) he can penetrate every person’s thoughts, motives and emotions:
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God (Romans 8:26-27).
Paul then continues by reminding the Thessalonians of the ministry that he and his colleagues offered when they were in Thessalonika, and the impact that it has had on the church. He says boldly that the Thessalonians became imitators of the three missionaries, and of the Lord. The implication is clear — Paul is an imitator of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). Therefore the example that the Thessalonians see in these missionaries is a good role model for new believers.
Moreover, because the Thessalonians received the Gospel with joy, despite their affliction (presumably persecution), they now have become:
an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.
The rumors of Thessalonian receptivity and repentance have preceded the three missionaries throughout Macedonia and Achaia even before Silvanus, Timothy and Paul arrived in those regions!
For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
At the very conclusion of this portion of 1 Thessalonians, which serves as a salutation, Paul sums up the essence of the Christian Gospel that he proclaims:
- That God is the true God, and no idol such as the Greeks have previously been worshipping.
- That Jesus is the very Son of God, and therefore divine.
- That God has raised Jesus from the dead.
- And faith in Jesus delivers us from the consequences of sin.
This is the eschatological hope for which they are waiting — for Christ who will come from heaven for his church.
APPLY:
Anyone who has ever tried acting on the stage knows that part of what he or she is doing is imitating a character — and the best actors learn to think, feel, move, and behave like the character they are seeking to portray. This applies to one of the themes of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians — that we are to imitate those who imitate Christ, so that we may be an example to others. The ripple effect of such a lifestyle can be profound. The more we imitate Christ, the more others are drawn to Christ.
As Paul and his colleagues have proclaimed the Gospel and lived in imitation of Christ, the Thessalonians have sought to replicate that example in their own lives. And as the Thessalonians have lived in this radical, new way, others have also been influenced.
We see this clearly when Paul writes:
You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.
The concept of the Imitation of Christ has a long and distinguished history. Although Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous book by the same name sometime between 1418 and 1427, the principle originates in the New Testament.
This is a serious challenge to all Christians, which has both inspired and discouraged multitudes for many centuries. On the one hand, this is a high calling to a heroic life. As C.S. Lewis says:
Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ. If we do, we shall then be sharing a life which was begotten, not made, which always existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we share in this kind of life we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has — by what I call “good infection.” Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else (from Mere Christianity).
Sadly, we also have many bad examples of Christians and Christian leaders who have failed to follow the teachings and example of Christ. Today, we tend to hear this excuse most often — quite often even on bumper stickers — Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. This becomes a rationale for behavior that is quite unChristlike.
The excuse “well, I’m only human” may be true. And, yes, it may be necessary for Christian leaders to publically repent and apologize — but a lifestyle that is inconsistent with the life and teaching of Christ can be subversive to those who seek to be disciples, especially when those leaders refuse to change because “they’re only human.”
The saying is cliche — which makes us prone to dismiss it — but it is nonetheless true:
Your life is the only Bible some people will ever read.
The Thessalonians saw the Gospel and the character of Jesus Christ when they saw Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. And they were inspired not only to believe, but to follow their example. And they in turn became an example to others.
This is the way the Gospel spreads — when our words and our works are in harmony with one another.
RESPOND:
A family member of mine used to say that her God was a “God of love, not a God of wrath.” I think I understand where she was coming from. She had been raised in the church, and I’m sure had heard more than a few sermons from the “fire and brimstone” genre. I surmise that God’s wrath was a frequent theme in those days instead of God’s love.
And yet. And yet. We cannot escape language about wrath, and judgment, and, yes, Hell. Not if we are faithful to the Biblical text. After praising the Thessalonians for their faith, love and patience of hope, Paul assures them that they are loved by God and are chosen. And then he reminds them that they now worship the living and true God who raised his Son from the dead, who is:
—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
How do we reconcile God’s love and God’s wrath?
Perhaps the simplest way to do so is to be reminded that for humans, love really describes our desire that the one we love be happy and blessed and receive good things. Isn’t that generally true when we think of God’s love for us? God desires that we have abundant life, blessing, and receive good things. That seems to be a consistent theme of the Bible. God’s ultimate goal is our well-being. And that goal requires great sacrifice on his part to achieve it for us. And it also doesn’t mean that we won’t endure temporary suffering before we receive an everlasting reward.
What is wrath? Wrath is anger, and in terms of relationship, anger occurs when we are disappointed in someone or something, or when something has fallen short of the goal. Wrath describes God’s reaction to the disparity between his will for us and, our will for us! This is what happens when we settle for something less than God’s best for us. Biblically, God is angry when our lives and character separate us from him, harm others, and harm ourselves. This is another way to describe sin. Therefore God’s anger can be seen as an expression of God’s love.
God the Son has given up his life that we might be saved. When we read language about God’s wrath we can often miss the point that his wrath — his anger — is not at us. God’s anger is against sin and evil and injustice.
As I’ve often said, expanding on an oft used cliche —
God loves the sinner, but hates the sin, because of what sin does to the sinner.
Another way of putting this is another expression —
We aren’t punished for our sins; we are punished by our sins.
The following metaphor helps me get a little closer to understanding this concept, although I admit it is a very imperfect picture — suppose you, your family, and your whole neighborhood have been captured by a terrorist band. They are holding you hostage. They are threatening to shoot all of you, and the danger is imminent. A rescuer arrives to rescue you, and he manages to free you so that you and the others are able to run away from the terrorists. The rescuer warns you that you must run as far and as fast as you can, because he intends to destroy the terrorists and their weapons. But instead of running away, you linger. You have grown fond of your captors. But they are not fond of you. They have you in their clutches, and are raising their weapons to fire on your family. your neighbors, and on you. They begin to fire. The rescuer must prevent the terrorists from harming all of the other people. He must fire immediately in order to prevent their violence. They will be destroyed. And because you did not separate yourself from the terrorists, you are also destroyed because you did not flee the wrath to come!
Granted, this is a crude analogy. Our damnation is collateral damage because we refused to seek the safety that was offered.
John Wesley once answered his critics, who denounced him for suggesting that there was only one way to be saved. He said that his critics were right. He did believe that:
For as there is but one heaven, so there is but one way to it, even the way of faith in Christ, (for we speak not of opinions or outward modes of worship,) the way of love to God and man, the highway of holiness. And is it uncharitable to think or say that none can be saved but those who walk in this way?
He then offers Biblical evidence that it is God who warns us that we must believe or be damned, follow holiness or we won’t see the Lord, and love God and neighbor. But all of these warnings, from God or from God’s messengers, are inspired by love:
But is there any uncharitableness [charity is also translated as love; so to be uncharitable is to be unloving] in this, in warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come? On the contrary, not to warn a poor, blind, stupid wretch that he is hanging over the mouth of hell, would be so inexcusable a want of charity, as would bring his blood upon our own head. (John Wesley: A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion, Section III,paragraph 3).
Our ultimate goal is to grow in grace, become imitators of Christ, and anticipate his return and the joy of fellowship with him in heaven. But we must begin with the admission that we are sinners, and as such deserve the wrath of God. We are immensely grateful for the grace and mercy that God has shown us in his love by sending his Son on our behalf. And that means that we ask his forgiveness.
This is illustrated by John Wesley’s description of the early Methodists who met regularly to “watch over one another in love”:
There is one only condition previously required in those who desire admission into this society, — “a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins.” (from A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists, Section I, paragraph 8).
So, to my family member who believed in “love” over “wrath,” I would have to say that the most loving thing we can do is be aware that God’s wrath is the flip side of God’s love — he destroys the poisons and the pestilences that corrupt the good world that he has made. And we must flee those poisons and pestilences and find refuge in God in order to be saved.
Our Lord, I pray that I might be encouraged to faith, love and patience as I seek to imitate you. Thank you for delivering me from the wrath that is to come against all evil. Amen.
PHOTOS: "iPhone app of Imitation of Christ" by minoru matsukawa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.
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