A continuation of a devotional series of blogs. If you have already read the devotion I posted that was published in Gardner-Webb University's 2010 Advent devotional guide, some of this might seem familiar, as it should. I wrote this devotion in preparation for writing that particular one for the Advent guide. However, as this devotion is based only on the Thessalonians text, it has some things the other one does not, and as I was reading over it, its specific thrust seemed especially appropropriate for an Eastertide post.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
In chapter one, Paul writes to the Christians in Thessalonica, expressing thankfulness to God for them and affirming them for "how [they] 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, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."
Verses one through two of chapter two seem to be an elaboration of verse five from chapter one, explaining in detail how both the Gospel of God had come to the Thessalonians "with full conviction," and "what kind of men" Paul and Silas and Timothy had "proved to be" when they had come to share that Gospel "among [them]."
These are the ideas that keep popping out at me as I read 2:1-12:
Vv. 1-2 After much suffering and amidst oppostion, Paul et al. preach the Gospel of God.
V. 3 There is no "error" or "impurity...[or] way of deceit" in their motives for preaching;
V. 4 they have been "approved by God," who "examines their hearts."
Vv. 5-8 They didn't abuse their power, but were gentle as they proclaimed the Gospel of God. They developed an affection for the church and the people became dear to them.
V. 9 Paul et al. worked as to provide for themelves and not be a burden on the Thessononians, and, (V. 10) "behaved devoutly," "uprightly," and "blamelessly" towards the believers.
V. 11 In sharing the Gospel of God, the evangelists "[exhort]...[encourage]...and [implore]" the people as a father would his children, all for this purpose, spelled out in verse twelve:
"so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."
Paul, Silas, and Timothy have gone through much suffering in their time of work of announcing, or proclaiming, the Gospel of God to the Gentiles. In the city of Philippi, they had been mistreated, but it seems that in these trials, God had been strengthening them for their work of evangelizing in the midst of opposition in Thessalonica. I draw the inference that it is by these sufferings mentioned in verse two that God had taught them to "speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines their hearts." Their hearts...which are free of any erroneous or impure or deceitful motive for exhorting the people.
Now, verse three could be read as being as being placed after the sufferings in verses one through two to show that, because they had endured the hardships to witness, their motives in preaching could be trusted.
I tend to think that while that inference might be true, it might also be true that it is, in fact, these sufferings that God used to purify their motives. That each suffering Paul went through was another journey through the refining work of God, who is a "consuming fire" (see Isaiah 1:21-31, Hebrews 12:29).
Paul and Silas and Timothy exemplify kingdom-of-God living in vv. 7-11, and how could they act otherwise? They have suffered for the Gospel (vv. 1-2), their motives are pure (God has searched their hearts...vv. 3-6), and we see the fruitful results of their ministry as a result of their faithfulness and God's blessing: they are a living witness of the Gospel they proclaim: they not only preach with their words of hope and salvation, they reassure people that there is something to all of this Gospel-talk by the way they behave.
Then you get to verse twelve. This is the punch-line, or at least it punched me pretty hard: all of this suffering, all of this concern over being pure of heart and motive, all of this Christ-like living and proclaiming, and exhorting and pleading, for this purpose:
"so that [the Thessalonians] would walk
in manner worthy of the God who calls
[them] into His own kingdom and glory."
God called the Thessalonians into "His kingdom and glory," and that's where God is calling us.
Don't miss what Paul and Silas and Timothy not only understand, but worked tirelessly in order to share with the Thessalonians: this call from God demands our walking in a way that is worthy of such a God.
Not that we ever could walk worthy of God on our own.
But this is the Gospel of God we're talking about here, the same Gospel the prophets had been heralding for thousands of years, the same Gospel to which the Spirit of the Law had given witness: love God, and love neighbor. And it is not us who are the workers of this Gospel in our own lives, but God (Philippians 2:13). Just as God had chosen Paul, Silas, and Timothy, brought them through trials, purified their hearts and motives, and worked in them to produce the fruit of the Spirit--in essence, made them worthy of their calling--God wanted to work the same thing out in the Thessalonians' lives, and in ours.
[Here is where I will insert new material. If the purpose of mission work is to share the Gospel so that others come to love, worship, and serve God, and walk worthily, et cetera, then why, so often, do we hear of Christians trying to entertain or attract an unbeliever into heaven? Entertainment shapes and forms people, but the shaping and forming it does leads to narcisism, not to the development of people who are willing to take up a daily cross and follow Our Lord. The Gospel is not entertaining. So what are we selling when we try to use entertainment as a method of evangelism? And, for that matter, when we plan a worship service around the unbeliever, (aka, using worship as a method of evangelism) who do we end up worshiping? Not God. If that were the case, we would plan the worship around God. I'll leave you to fill in the blanks. Hint: idolatry. Just a thought.]
God our Father, in Your love,
and by the blood of Your Son
and the power of Your Spirit,
make us, whom you have called into
Your kingdom and glory,
worthy of Your Self.
It is in your NAME we pray,
"Amen."
