It may come as a surprise to some, but when the enemies of Christ come for Christians, they won’t come for the pew-sitters first. They will come for the clergy, the Sunday School teachers, the writers of Christian materials. Lacking understanding that our Head is not some human, but Jesus Himself, they will attempt to silence Christianity by attacking the public ministers. This is why we should be so grateful to them now, because they might not always be with us.

“Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,
and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are lazy, (Or undisciplined) comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

“Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every form of evil.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
Brothers, pray for us also. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!”  1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

I love the word “pastor” for ministers because I speak Spanish (badly) and the word means “shepherd” in Spanish.  Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, the Israelites were depicted as God’s flock, so that leaders of the flock would be considered shepherds.  In this passage, Paul gives instructions to the congregation in how to treat their pastors and other congregation members.

My friend Sylvia grew up on a sheep station in Australian. She tells me that her father and uncles hire shepherds to watch the sheep, keeping them safe from dingos (Australia doesn’t have a wide variety of predators, but the ones they have are cunning).  The shepherds rarely own the sheep; they work for the master. In this, they are an archetype for pastors, who should never delude themselves into thinking the congregation belongs to them. Pastors are merely God’s servants. Jesus Christ is the true Master of the flock.

Ministers of the gospel are called to serve and honor the Lord. Their duty is to give good counsel, to warn the congregation of dangers, and give correction when things are amiss. The congregation should honor and love their pastors, respecting their ministry of evangelism and discipleship.  This does not set the pastor as dictator over the congregation. Churches function best when they follow a New Testament pattern of the entire church being involved in ministry.  Pastors are only guides. Being a Baptist by membership and therefore congregational in mind-set, I consider the pastor and the congregation to be co-laborers, each with strengths that God can utilize.  I would never be a member of a church where the pastor drives the ministry, because I feel that the ongoing congregation should give that sort of direction, but I would also not be a member of a church where the pastor is not respected for his abilities in his areas of responsibility. I find support for this stance in today’s passage.

Paul mentioned specifically that the congregation is responsible to be at peace among themselves doing all they can to guard against any differences. The desire for peace must not make us wink at sin, however.  Congregations (not the pastor, but the people who make up the membership of the church) are called to discipline one another through Christian accountability.  A former pastor of mine used to joke that people would see him coming and say “Here comes Dave; let’s act saved.”  We are often much more “real” with our friends in the congregation than we are with the pastor. It makes sense that the church members are responsible for accountability among their own group.

Furthermore, we are accountable to God for duties we have within the church.  What should be our response to lazy church members?  These may be folks who refuse to work a steady job, or those who refuse to do their part around the church.  Church members should provide accountability for such folks, not because we want to be mean, but because working a job or cleaning the church are services we can do for the Lord that help to build our characters. All Christians should participate.

I admit to having little or no patience with mourners or scaredy-cats.  Alaska doesn’t suffer the faint-hearted. I can encounter a moose in my driveway on any given morning. Moose are plant-eating undulates who will stomp you to death if you annoy them. We respect them, but we don’t fear them.  Furthermore, my farm-girl mother taught me that death is a part of living. We mourn, often in private, and we move on. Therefore, in neither of these instances do I have great compassion for some folks. This does not mean that I don’t show compassion. God has helped me “fake” it many times. I understand that life is scary for some people and those others (or, more often, the same) need to rend their clothes and weep for weeks when a loved one dies. Just because I don’t feel the same way doesn’t mean I can’t show tenderness to those who do.

For me, it is much easier to “help the weak.”  I don’t drink in part because I know too many alcoholics in recovery who might be derailed by my freedom.  When a drunken woman showed up at youth activities the other night, my husband left me with her to deal with because he knew that I’d get her home and make sure she was okay without enabling her behavior.  She probably didn’t like the AA pamphlet I left with her, but helping sometimes involves more than just giving someone a ride.  We are always to pursue what is good and healthy for the temple of God that we are and the Body of Christ as a whole.

Christians are called to bear one another’s burdens and to forebear one another’s weaknesses.  We must be long-suffering to all who need it.  We are allowed to feel anger, but we must not sin by returning rage to those who harm us.  This is a high and difficult calling, but it is part of the sanctification process.

We human beings are accustomed to rejoicing when our creature desires are fulfilled. When something makes us truly happy, then we are willing to rejoice. Yet, truly faithful life is one of constant joy. We should rejoice at all times, in every circumstance (Philippians 4:4).  How do we do that, though?  Paul provided the answer.  Pray more!  A constant attitude of prayer will improve all lawful behavior and increase the harvest of every good work. If we pray constantly, we will easily see thanksgiving in every thing. While in communion with God, we are more likely to see reason to give thanks for sparing and preventing, for common and uncommon, past and present, temporal and spiritual mercies. Not only would we rejoice for prosperous and pleasing things, but also for afflictions, chastisements and corrections. Yes, this is as important as rejoicing over the “fun” things, for God designs everything for our benefit, though we may not see it at the time.

Quench not the Spirit!  What does that mean? Christians are said to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He works as fire, by enlightening, enlivening, and purifying the souls. A fire can be quenched with water or earth and metaphorically, the Holy Spirit can be so quenched by indulging carnal lusts and affections, minding only earthly things. Believers often hinder our own growth in Christ by not giving ourselves over to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our heart. I know people who will reject any prophesies, yet will eagerly listen to a sermon that interprets and applies the Scriptures, not recognizing this as prophesy (Acts 15).  We must not despise preaching, but we should test it. We must search the Scriptures to prove the correctness of what we are told and we should reject that which differs from Scripture. This can be a controversial statement, because some would have us believe that the congregation should never question the pastor, but if the pastor seems to be preaching a gospel other than what the Bible teaches, we are called to correct him.  This is the antidote for heretical teaching, that teachers are correctable.

We should abstain from sin, what leads to it, and what borders upon it. He who is not shy of the appearance of sin, who does not shun the occasion of it, and who doesn’t avoid temptation and approaches to it, will not long keep from doing sin. James warned that the entertainment of sin leads to sin itself.

Paul concluded this letter very briefly, perhaps aware that he would be writing to the Thessalonians again in a matter of weeks or perhaps because his courier was waiting.  The apostle prayed that they might become more perfect in Jesus Christ.  This process of sanctification (becoming more like Jesus) remakes our spirits, minds and bodies in this process.  Of course we must remain faithful in order to continue progressing toward Christ-like perfection.  We will fall, because we are human, but God is faithful to help us to that goal, if we will continue to bend our will to His.

Paul asked for the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions.  We should pray for one another.  In the Middle East of that time, as now, it was not unusual for people to greet one another with a kiss.  There was no sexual content to this. It was a sign of affection.  Our 21^st Century equivalent might be a hug or a slap on the shoulder.

Note: This epistle was to be read to all the brethren. It wasn’t just for an elite class of clergy or the elders.  It was for the entire congregation.  Not only are the lay-people of the church allowed to read the Scriptures, but it is our duty to do so.  We should be encouraging one another to read and study the Scripture. The word of God should not be kept in an unknown tongue, but translated into as many languages as we have, so that all who are interested may be able to read them. The Scriptures should be read in all public congregations, for the benefit of the unlearned especially.  My son is a 3^rd grader who is struggling to learn to read, but he often surprises us with his Bible knowledge. He hasn’t read it for himself yet, but he has heard it and it lives in his young Christian heart.

We need no more than Jesus Christ to make us rejoice, He is an ever-flowing and an overflowing fountain of grace to supply all our wants.  We must make the effort to daily turn to Him and allow that fountain to fill our souls.  Prayer, Bible study, contemplating the things of God – this is how we bring the grace of God into our lives.

These things are our responsibility. It is not the work of pastors or priests. We have no intermediary between us and Jesus Christ.  We are personally responsible before Him and our life's work is to pursue the knowledge of Christ and walk in His ways. 

The youth of my Sunday School class want to study Revelation.  They want to know about the future.  In this, they are no different from the Thessalonians, who wanted to know all about Jesus’ return.  Paul moved from what happens to Christians when they die to what happens when Jesus returns and we’re still alive.

We in the 21^st Century United States spend a lot of ink and time speculating on the “end times”.  In fact, I think my very first inkling that there was actually something in the Bible worth reading was Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth” on the end times. I didn’t read it, but I saw it often on the bookstore shelves. I might have been in the 7^th or 8^th grade. I would say I didn’t read it because I wasn’t a Christian at the time, but I know a lot of non-Christians were buying the book. I suspect I didn’t read it because before I was a Christian I scoffed at the things of God and after I became a Christian I didn’t need Hal Lindsey to tell me what was in the Bible I could read for myself. It seems a part of human nature for us to wonder about the future.

“About the times and the seasons: brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that this day would overtake you like a thief.

"For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We’re not of the night or of darkness. So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. Isaiah 59:17

"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or  asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

I love a good end-times book or movie myself (although the Left Behind series has stretched out too long, so my attention has waned), but in reality, Paul told the Thessalonians that it is useless to ask about the particular time of Christ's coming because Christ did not reveal this to the apostles. There are times and seasons for us to work in, and these are our duty and interest to know and observe; but as to the time when we must give account for our good works, it isn’t necessary for us to know. The coming of Christ will be a great surprise to us. How do we know this? Our Lord Himself said so (Matthew 24:36-44; Luke 12:35-40). None of us can predict when a thief will break into our homes. We’ll be snuggled under our quilts dreaming of Hawaii when it happens and it will utterly stun us.  This is the same as with Jesus’ return.  The world will seem lovely and peaceful, perhaps, to those who are not expecting Him on the day that Jesus comes and people will be surprised by it.  And, the birth-pangs of the new world will sweep over our planet like labor pains taking a pregnant woman. Trust me, men and childless women, you don’t know anything about being overwhelmed until you’ve been in labor.  There will be no means for those who are not ready to escape the terror or the punishment of that day.  However, the day will be a happy day for Christians, who have been made right by Jesus. We are not in darkness; we are the children of the light. Judgment Day will be a celebration day for all true Christians.

Paul warned, however, that Christians should not be surprised when it happens.  We are children of the light and so should not be surprised when the light comes on.  We should always be prepared for the Lord’s return.  Paul used a curious word “sober.”  Now, sober can mean reserved and thoughtful, but it also means not to be drunk.  This is the connotation Paul gave to it when writing to the Thessalonians.  He noted that sluggards and drunks both engage in their preferred activities at night. Since we are not children of the night, Christians should not participate in the activities of the night.  Let us endeavor to awaken ourselves and each other, and guard against our spiritual enemies. We should not be lulled by the world into thinking that this is all that there is.

Paul further alluded to a topic he would develop further in a later letter – the armor of God.  He only mentioned love, faith and the helmet of salvation here, but in Ephesians 6:4-17 he would further develop his metaphor.  As Christians we have come to Jesus by faith and are protected by our salvation. We are to be engaged in love as Paul had discussed with the Thessalonians earlier in the letter

Most of mankind does not consider the things of another world at all, because they are asleep; or they do not consider them aright, because they sleep and dream. Our moderation as to all earthly things should be known to all men. Shall Christians, who have the light of the blessed gospel shining in our faces, be careless about our souls, and unmindful of another world? We need the spiritual armor, or the three Christian graces, faith, love, and hope. Faith; if we believe that the eye of God is always upon us, that there is another world to prepare for, we shall see reason to watch and be sober. True and fervent love for God and the things of God will keep us watchful and sober. If we have hope of salvation, let us take heed of anything that would shake our trust in the Lord. We have ground on which to build unshaken hope when we consider that salvation is by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, to atone for our sins and to ransom our souls. We should join in prayer and praise with one another. We should set a good example among the congregation. This is the best means to answer the end of society. Thus we shall learn how to live for Jesus, with whom we hope to live for ever.

The kids in the youth group want to know how the world will end, but they aren’t so interested in learning to live as if that ending might be this afternoon.  A part of basic human nature is to want to catch hold of the future, to grasp some fragment of that which we finite beings cannot truly know. Yet, we should consider less what the future will hold and more whether we will be ready for it when it comes. There are no college courses that will prepare us for this one-of-a-kind advancement in the human race. We can only work for Jesus, learn from His Scriptures and be prepared for that unknown time when we will be caught up in the clouds with Him.

Are you ready? Are you watching?  It could be this afternoon!

A former pastor of mine was a military chaplain in Vietnam.  Several times during his tenure there, he performed funerals for American service men who were married to Vietnamese women, but he also did a handful of services for South Vietnamese soldiers who were killed on American-led missions.  He told a story of how he conducted two funerals in one day. In one, the wife threw herself on the coffin, wailing and scratching, and had to be dragged back to prevent hurting herself.  His translator said this was fairly common mourning within the Vietnamese community.  In the second, the wife sat quietly, tears streaming down her face.  My pastor did not speak wonderful Vietnamese, but he noted at the conclusion of the funeral, the wife went up and patted her husband’s arm, removed a thread from his dress uniform and said something JD recognized as “Go on now. I’ll see you there.”  He asked his translator to speak with the woman and he learned that she and her husband were Christians.  The translator himself was a Buddhist, but he noted after their conversation with the Christian woman that “They are always so calm, like they think they will see each other again.”  JD couldn’t help grinning as he told his translator, “Ah, but they will!”

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Or asleep in Jesus.  For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are still alive 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.
Therefore encourage Or comfort one another with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Paul offered comfort to the relations and friends of those who die in the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we may weep for our own loss, though it may be their gain. They’ve gone to be with the Lord, which is to their great joy, but we will still miss them and, thus, we sorrow.  Christianity does not forbid, and grace does not disconnect, our natural affections. Yet we must not dwell in our sorrows, for this resembles too much those who have no hope of a future after death. Death is an unknown thing in that we know little about the state after death, thus it is frightening.  Yet the doctrines of the resurrection and the second coming of Christ are a remedy against the fear of death, and undue sorrow for the death of our Christian friends.  We may have full assurance of these doctrines. Although the abiding joy in heaven will be standing in the presence of the Lord, seeing Him, living with Him and communicating with Him in a way we can only glimpse today, a secondary joy will be that all Christian will meet and remain together forever.  In times of sorrow, we should support one another with this knowledge, which does not deny sorrow or grief, but gives us hope.

Note that Paul made a distinction that we also must make.  He is discussing “those who have fallen asleep in Christ.”  Even in the 1^st Century, people were well acquainted with death. In fact, they were more acquainted than we are, since dying usually happened in the home, not in a segregated hospital. There was no question those discussed had died.  All people die. But Paul described dead Christians as asleep in Jesus. Death does not annihilate us. It is but a sleep to the Christian. They have retired out of this troublesome world to undisturbed rest from all their labors and sorrows. They shall be raised up from the dead, and awakened out of their sleep, for God will bring them with Him. They then are with God, and are better where they are than when they were here; and when God comes He will bring them with Him as He gathers those Christians still living to Him.

Paul mentioned those who have no hope and this is one reason that he did not want the Thessalonians to be ignorant of what happens after death. Non-Christians have no hope of awakening in the glorious presence of the Lord.  A different fate awaits those whose spirits have never been kindled to life.  Christians enter heaven at the time of the death because our spirits have been made alive through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the critical difference between Christians and non-Christians.

The death and resurrection of Christ are fundamental articles of the Christian faith, and give us hope of a joyful resurrection; for Christ, having risen from the dead, has lead the way for all who dwell in Christ; and therefore Christian who die may be thought of as asleep and not at risk of perishing or being lost. Christ’s resurrection is a full confirmation of the gospel, which has brought life and immortality to light.

I leave off today with sage advice from the Christian group, Superchic(k):

Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is storming
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day is a gift somehow, someway?
So get our heads up out of the darkness
And spark this new mindset and start to live life cuz it ain't gone yet
And tragedy is a reminder to take off the blinders
And wake up and live the life we're supposed to take up
Moving forward with all our heads up cuz life is worth living

We live we love
We forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

Death comes to all of us and at some point in our lives we will mourn.  But every day is a gift from above, so we should live it and allow those who have passed to Christ before us to dwell in gentle memories and not in horrible sadness.  We will see one another again.

“About brotherly love: you don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.”  1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

This was Paul’s very first ministerial letter, as far as we know. In it, he spent considerable effort praising the Thessalonian Christians for their walk as Christians. He praised their steadfast in persecution and the fact that their witness had been noted by those around them. He praised their love for one another.  He encouraged them to grow in those things that are praise-worthy.

We should notice what is good in others and praise it, to encourage more of it. The other day I was sitting in my car awaiting my lovely freshman as she finished up in the high school and I got to listen to a group of teens talking with one another.  They seemed to outdo one another in put-downs.  I don’t remember that sort of trash talk when I was in school – not to that extent, not among friends. It seems as though we are less grateful for the skills of others today than we were in, say, my father’s day.  I remember my father, a professional chef, praising the baking of a coworker. They so admired one another’s skills that they began their own “school”, teaching each other those skills.  I find it difficult to believe those teenagers would do that.  Paul did not so much as command the Thessalonians to love their neighbors, but he commended them that they were doing it already and asked them to do it more. He acknowledged that this was not so much their own effort, but God’s work within them.  Echoing James, Paul reminded his readers that nothing good lives in us except what comes from God.

All those saved by God are taught by the Holy Spirit to love one another. A hallmark of Christians, we are commanded repeatedly by Jesus, John, Paul and Peter (and possibly Barnabas or Apollos) to love the brethren (John 13:34-35; Romans 12:10, Hebrews 10:12; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:11).  It is something we should feel at a visceral level, because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to love one another.  Empowered by their relationship with Jesus, the Thessalonians were spreading their agape love throughout Macedonia, so that all around them recognized them for and by their love for their fellow Christians. Paul recognized that none of us on this side of heaven can love in perfection. There will always be difficulty in exercising any of God’s graces. But, we are called to strive for perfection (Philippians 3:12-15), working to become more Christ-like in all our ways.

The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men, which is vain and useless unless empowered by God. Those remarkable for love or any other grace need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end.  It is sometimes hard to love our fellow Christians. There’s an independent Baptist church in our town that has a large electronic reader board on a main highway. I’m sure the person responsible for what is on the board seeks only to induce non-Christians to think about their lives and consider Christ as an alternative, but more often than not the sayings that flash across the board are rude and injurious to the cause of Christ. Because I am a Baptist by membership, I am often called upon to defend my fellow Christians at that church. It does no good to explain that I am not a member of that church and would oppose to misuse of the reader board if I were.  It is sometimes hard to love our fellow Christians.

This is one reason a calm and quiet temper is desirable.  I am not blessed with such, but I try to remember to count to 10 before I speak in anger. We are commanded to be angry, but do not sin.  Sometimes we verbally counter-attack all comers when we should exhibit peaceable and quiet behavior. It is in Satan’s interest to trouble and annoy us and if he can do it through our fellow man, particularly our fellow Christian, he will do so.  The human heart is filled with disquiet, which is not of God; therefore let us study to be quiet. Learn to turn aside annoyance, confronting it when needed so as not to let it take root, but not bearing grudges toward one another, for the sake of Christ.  This is accomplished by contemplating Christ-like quiet within our souls.

This does not just pertain to anger issues, but also to gossips.  Busybodies, meddling in other folks’ matters, have little quiet in their own minds, and greatly disturb their neighbors. This comes from not minding their own calling, most often to work with their own hands. Christianity does not take us from the work and duty of our particular callings, but teaches us to be diligent therein. Laziness toward good honest work only leads to want and a culture of interference in the lives of others; while those who diligent in their own business earn their own bread and can find great pleasure in their accomplishments (Colossians 3:23).

Although we must always be careful to follow God’s commands rather than the expectations of people, Christians should live creditably in this world.  By this, I mean, we should deal honestly with others and be decent and forthright even with those who are enemies of the faith.  Like a gem-cut diamond in an exquisite setting, Christians who are meek and quiet of spirit, who focus upon their own business and do not meddle in the affairs of others, draw attention to themselves by their rarity.  Christian need not strive to “keep up with the Jones”, but should live comfortably within their economic means and be content with what God has given them (Philippians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 6:8). By working for our own living, we do not have time to get into mischief with our enemies and are not burdensome to our friends.

Such behavior speaks for itself.  Christians in the 1^st Century did not need to advertise their Christianity. It was clear to those around them, and had been reported to Paul via Timothy, that there had been a sea-change in their lives.  Christians in the 21^st Century ought to consider this and ask ourselves, “Are we doing as well?” Is it possible that part of what is wrong with our world today is that Christians are not doing all that they could in these areas?  It is a question each of us ought to ask ourselves and then do what we can individually to meet God’s standards. We do not serve ourselves or, for that matter, those around us, so much as we serve God by serving those around us.

Am I doing all that I can in service for the Lord? Do I do all that I do – including the things I don’t like to do – as unto the Lord?  These are questions we should ask ourselves and, upon the answer, obey God to our fullest.

For Christians, to abide in the faith of the gospel is not enough; we must abound in the work of faith.  The Thessalonians had already received some teaching from Paul and his companions. Now they needed more, for the world that they inhabited is much like our own – full of temptation.

“Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing —do so even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

"For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, so that each of you knows how to possess his own vessel (to control his own body or to acquire his own wife) in sanctification and honor,
not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don’t know God. This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.

"Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.”  I Thessalonians 4:1-8

The pattern according to which all Christians ought to walk is obedience to God.  Called to act upon the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our duty to become Christ-like.

The Thessalonians had learned from Paul, Silas and Timothy the basics of Christianity and they were doing as they had been taught.  Now Paul asked them to strive toward more maturity in their walk.  We sometimes use a big church word (long-time readers of this blog know I don’t like church words) – sanctification -- to mean the same thing.  We are justified from sin by faith which is a gift from God and not anything we do so that we have no room to boast. Justified is a legal term that means “not guilty”. A not-guilty verdict didn’t mean you did not do the crime. It means that you are declared justified in doing the crime. Faith moves our status as sinners from those found guilty to those found not guilty.  Jesus paid a debt He did not owe so that we wouldn’t have to pay the debt that would destroy us. We owe Him everything. Therefore, we should strive to obey Him, not because we are required to do so, but because we love Him and are grateful for His sacrifice. We are sanctified (made more like Him) by using the faith in our daily lives to become more like Christ.  It’s that good, better, best formula. A good pianist doesn’t become a concert pianist simply by desiring to become one. They must practice, practice, practice. In the act of trying to become a concert pianist, they become a concert pianist. In the act of becoming more Christ-like, we become more Christ-like. While salvation itself is a one-time life-changing event, it does not stop the day we’re saved.  As we continue to live in the Lord, so we continue to grow in the Lord.

Obedience follows many forms.  In Acts 2:41, 8:12-13, 8:36-38, 9:18, 10:48, 16:15, 16:33, 18:8 and 19:5 we see early Christians following their salvation experience with immersion baptism as a first step of obedience.  In some instances, the text mentions that they then settled down to studying the teachings of the apostles, prayer, fellowship and good works.  This is our pattern. In order to grow in Christ, we must be obedient to His commands, renewing our souls under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  God will provide appointed duties for us to attend (I Corinthians 12:4-11). No one of these jobs gets more weight than any other job (I Corinthians 12:12-20).  We humans often get this wrong, wanting a more showy position, thinking sometimes that this honors God more, when in reality it is sometimes the unassuming position that is most important. It’s hard for the pastor to preach in Alaska if the building and grounds people don’t keep the furnace running, for example. We never see the work done on the furnace, but believe me, when there’s no heat in the building nobody is interested in listening to the sermon. Neither of these jobs is more important than the other. They each have their part in God’s work force.

More than just the work we do for the church or even outside the church for the benefit of the Body, we have personal work to attend.  Strict restraint must be put upon the appetites of the body as well as on the thoughts and inclinations of the will.  As James (1:13-15) had previously explained, temptation is a normal part of living, but lingering thoughts on temptation will lead to sin. Jesus doesn’t call us into His family to live unholy lives.  We are taught and enabled to walk in Christ-like holiness. This idea will not always be met with open arms. Some think the precepts of holiness are something to be ignored, reckoning them to be men’s rules; but they are God's commands.  Breaking them is a show of distain for God.

Christians are, obviously, still human after their salvation experience and sometimes flesh-and-blood will act like flesh-and-blood, but we must remember that we were given the Holy Spirit to guide us and encourage us in well-doing.  Resisting temptation is hard and it will remain so, for it is a narrow and rocky path we are called to trod, but God has given us the means to resist (I Corinthians 10:13).

The Thessalonians were living their faith out loud in a world where such activities could bring persecution and even death. Yet, they continued to do as Paul had taught them to do. Now, Paul urged them to live even louder for Christ.

Let us never forget that this letter was also written for American Christians in the 21^st Century! We should strive to be more than what we started as when we came to know the Lord, not for the sake of empty rituals, but because we love Jesus and we want to show Him that love through our obedience. There are many things in the Bible that I find difficult to obey.  I’m sure most people are with me in that, if they’re honest. Yet, the act of obedience is a discipline that builds our character in Jesus. The Thessalonians were learning this. Though nearly 2000 years separates us and them, it is a lesson we need learn just as urgently.

The Thessalonians were facing persecution that might result in death. Living for Jesus was the reason for the persecution, but it was also their saving grace, for because they lived for Jesus, they did not need to fear death. We in 21st Century America are very lucky that we don't face death for our beliefs -- yet. Activities on the world stage indicate that may be something we will come to know in our lifetime, and most certainly -- barring some major change -- our children will know persecution.  We must learn the lesson that Paul taught the Thessalonians.

After a good deal of rhapsodizing for the quick and healthy harvest in Thessalonica, Paul at last turned to the meat of his message.  He started where we should all start, in prayer.

“Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

"And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you. May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.  Amen."  1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 

In these words we have the earnest prayer of Paul for the fruit of his labor. He desired to be of further benefit of the Thessalonians, but he could not guarantee a return visit; as such, the best way to be helpful from a distance was by praying for them.  I think that from his prayer arose this letter. Paul desired that their faith might be perfected.  Recognizing his incapacity, Paul also recognized God’s ability to do what he could not; therefore he concluded with prayer for them.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful." James 5:16

Prayer is one aspect of worship.  Worship is anything we direct to God alone, a much vaster subject that we might suppose.  As the Bible is God’s communication to us, prayer is our communication with Him.  I used the word “with” because the prayer line is a two-way flow.  We speak to God our hopes, aspirations, groans and complaints while His Holy Spirit speaks with us in response, often through remembered Scripture passages, songs, and that which stirs our innermost soul.

Prayer is communication with the Creator of the Universe, signifying some required awe is in order, but it is also “hanging” with our Savior, indicating intimacy is attainable.  Paul understood this.  He directed his prayer to God the Father and God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer is to be offered to God as our Father, and provider of our very existence.  He is indeed our Father in a sense that our physical fathers can never be.  We owe Him all awe and respect, but we must quickly remember that the Father and Son are one.  Paul also directed his prayer to Jesus. Overmuch formality with the Savior of our souls seems inappropriate.  The intimate relationship with Jesus requires that we converse with Him, not in ritualized speeches signifying nothing that touches our souls, but in real and honest words of affection and closeness.  Often in evangelical circles, I’ve heard it said that we should pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, but we see here that Paul offered up prayer to Christ himself, as Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ is God Himself, but our contact with Him can be much more intimate. God the Father cannot even look on sin; Jesus became sin for us. We should be able to speak most intimately with the Savior of our souls. 

Paul prayed that he and his companions might have a prosperous journey to Thessalonica by the will of God.  I cannot help but think that Paul had read James’ letter of a couple of years before.  Therein James had admonished his readers to not make plans for their lives apart from God’s guidance.  So often we think a journey is something that we plan and execute, but Paul understood that Christians live and move in God.  Our very existence is tied to Him. Without Him we are dead men walking.  Christians ought to depend upon God in all our actions and plans and, truly, understand that every heartbeat bears His name. This was Paul’s understanding of Christian submission.  If the Lord willed, he would return to Thessalonica; if not, he would send letters.

Further, Paul understood that if the Thessalonians were going to prosper in the faith, it would be God’s grace at work in their lives.  They needed to rely on God as much as Paul did.  We need to rely on God in the same way!

There’s a line from a Newsboys song that I truly love – “I’m not following a god I can lead around”.  Our Lord Jesus Christ directs the motions of His faithful ministers.  We should always be cognizant of this, that we acknowledge God in everything we do and allow Him to direct our paths. It’s not our lives we live any longer, but Christ Who lives in us.  We no longer are in control.  He is!

Paul next prayed that the Thessalonians would increase in love for one another and for those around them.  Christians should love one another, but we should also have a charitable disposition toward the world.  God is the source of love, which is an action more than a feeling. Perhaps Timothy’s report included a lack of charity among the Thessalonians toward those outside the church. Certainly, issues of employment discussed later in the letter indicate this might have been a problem.  It’s hard to know for certain if Paul was addressing a lack at this point, but Paul prayed that their agape love would increase.

Christians should always be ready to grow in every good fruit.  We must depend on the Spirit’s influence to obtain this growth.  We are required to become Christ-like. This behavior is required of those who have accepted Christ by faith.  We should not live in ways that contradict the gospel.  We are His workmanship, established in Christ Jesus, but we are also His workmen, and our work is representative of Him. It should be the very best result we can manage.

Paul reminded the Thessalonians once more that Jesus would be returning some day.  He was preparing for some major lessons on the Return of Christ.  In preparation He acknowledged that the source of all wisdom and all goodness is God and he humbly asked for God guidance as he taught the Thessalonians and as they learned from him. 

Harry Blackaby, a Canadian pastor who wrote the ground-breaking Bible course “Experiencing God”, wrote “You know that saying ‘Don’t just stand there, do something’? Well, God turns that around.  To the Christian, He says ‘Don’t just do something. Stand there.’  Far too often Christians plan ministry without consulting God about what He wants us to do. Paul didn’t do this. He wanted to go to Thessalonica, but only if it was the Lord’s will.  In the meantime, he would write to and pray for them.

Because God delayed Paul’s plans, Paul was forced to write letters and those letters would become the Bible.

Ah, don’t you just love when God is smarter than we are!

There’s this flower bed along my driveway that doesn’t grow anything but weeds.  It’s not that I haven’t planted good flowers in it.  When we moved into the house, the soil looked wonderful and I planted.  The plants sprang up and set little buds and I thought, ah, that fence will look lovely with those sweet peas along it.  I watered and weeded, but about mid-June (Alaska has a short and fast growing season) the plants stopped growing and just didn’t get any bigger.  I tried something else the next summer and the same thing happened.  Then I just let the flower bed go fallow until this spring when my husband and I dismantled the box and discovered the soil was really quite shallow and sitting on top of concrete blocks.  In Alaska the ground is cold, so raised beds help plants to grow by getting heat to their feet. The previous owners must have thought raising the bed was a great idea, but concrete block in contact with the ground stays cold. My flowers were hitting the cold concrete and refusing to grow.

Paul worried he might have a similar problem. Thessalonica had been a quick harvest and he’d had to leave that field in the care of novice gardeners. The budding church had encountered the cold concrete of persecution. Were they still growing?  Within months of leaving Thessalonica, Paul could no longer endure wondering about his new children in the Lord.  He yearned for news of the harvest.

“Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens.
And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s co-worker  Other mss read servain the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith, so that no one will be shaken by these persecutions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.  In fact, when we were with you, we told you previously that we were going to suffer persecution, and as you know, it happened.

"For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.

“But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love, and that you always have good memories of us, wanting to see us, as we also want to see you.

"Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about you through your faith. For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God for you in return for all the joy we experience because of you before our God, as we pray earnestly night and day to see you face to face and to complete what is lacking in your faith?” I Thessalonians Chapter 3

Not too surprisingly, Paul had concerns for this baby-church of Thessalonians.  His call was to evangelism, but he also deeply cared for the churches he had established, as well as other churches he simply had contact with.  He’d only had a week with the Thessalonians.  They were undergoing persecution, as he had warned them they would. He feared that his labor among them would be in vain – a crop quickly sprung up only to wither and die for want of care.  If the devil cannot hinder Christians from spreading the gospel and teaching doctrine, he will attempt to hinder the success of their labors. People do not willingly labor in vain. As Paul explained earlier in the letter, persecutions work miracles in the lives of God’s people, which is why God allows them. The apostles, far from flattering people with the expectation of worldly prosperity in religion, told them plainly they must expect trouble in the flesh. After all, the Founder of our faith, Jesus Christ, set the example of being persecuted for the faith. Paul worried that the Thessalonians might have listened to Satan’s lies that an easier life might be had by forsaking Christ.

Imagine Paul’s relief when Timothy returned with the excellent news; the Thessalonians exuded faith and love and remembered Paul and his coworkers with affection.  Paul was greatly encouraged by their faith.  The goal of preaching the gospel, as evangelists do on mission fields, preachers do from pulpits and writers do on blogs, is to advance faith forward. That which was the instrument to obtain faith is also the means of increasing and confirming it.  Preaching teaches salvation by faith and salvation by faith will produce preaching.  The Thessalonians were now bearing their own fruit.  Paul had multiple harvests to rejoice in.

There’s a village on Alaska’s south-west coast called Togiak.  Twenty odd years ago, there were a group of students who came from Togiak to the University of Alaska to study. Togiak’s only operational church at the time was a Russian Orthodox church cut off from the hierarchy of Russian Orthodoxy by the Iron Curtain and utterly ignored by the American Orthodox organization.  The priest had long ago become a born-again Christian through personal Bible study and began preaching salvation by faith. His congregation had clasped the message firmly and joyfully.  These students were a joy during my college years.  Yupik people are generally merry and quick with humor and, when they know the Lord, shekinah glory just seems to pour from them.  One of those students, under the tutelage of the long-time minister of music for the Alaska Baptist Convention became convinced he should go into ministry, but circumstances drew him back to Togiak, where he became a commercial fisherman. I’m sure Mike, the musician for the Lord, sometimes thought his crop had failed. The priest had died and Togiak’s Christian ministry seemed not to grow.  Different Baptist missionaries had tried to work there, but for one reason or another, the efforts had failed. Then Paul the fisherman received a call from the Lord and he started using his fishing to build his ministry starting right there in tiny little Togiak.  He and his wife soon had a church meeting in their living room – up the stairs, spilling into the kitchen, people standing in the bedroom doors.  Just this spring they completed a church building that will also be a ministry training center for Native Christians from around Alaska.  Mike lived just long enough to see the frame of the building go up.  I’m sure he would have understood what Paul the apostle felt when Timothy returned from Thessalonica to report that Paul’s crop there had not only survived, but was thriving and was planting crops of their own.

Paul the apostle recognized that the church in Thessalonica was young. It had made a good start, but he knew there was much they still needed to learn about the Lord. There was not the time as he had had in Antioch to grow a strong and Biblically-based church (recognize that at this time, the Bible had not been written, but that Paul and the other apostles carried it with them where ever they taught). Recognizing this, Paul would write two letters to Thessalonica in order to round out their knowledge, but he also hoped to be able to visit them for a lengthier visit from the seminary.

Paul and his companions preached the gospel with humility and respect for those around them, but just like today, not everybody wanted to listen.  The Jews of the synagogue were angered by their message which seemed to say their rituals were not enough (they weren’t). The Greeks were further angered by the Thessalonians because Christians only worship ONE God – Jesus Christ. That left no room for the worship of the emperor, required by Roman citizens.  Thus, sharing the gospel in the First Century was a much riskier activity that it is today.

“Also, this is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews. They killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us; they displease God, and are hostile to everyone, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always adding to the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them completely. Or to the end

“But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.

"For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy!”  I Thessalonians 2:13-20

We should receive the word of God with affections suitable to its holiness, wisdom, truth, and goodness. The words of men, like themselves, are frail, perishing and sometimes false, foolish, and fickle; God's word is holy, wise, just, and faithful. We should receive and regard it accordingly.

The word worked in the Thessalonians to make them examples to others in faith and good works, in patience under sufferings, and in trials for the sake of the gospel. God hates murder and persecution of His people or by those claiming to be His people.  Religious zeal of any stripe is no excuse.  All sins are equal, but God hates no sin more than opposition to the gospel, because it hinders the salvation of souls. Now as then, many abhor the pure gospel of Christ and hinder faithful preaching of it.  God is especially displeased by those who forbid preaching to the unsaved, for they are dead in their sin.  It is evidence of a cruel heart and enmity to God and the salvation of His people to deny access to the gospel or, in our day and age, the Bible.

In the constantly changing world we live in, we will not be together always or long, unlike where in heaven, being eternity, we may dwell forever with those believers whom we love.  Paul reminded his readers that, though he could not come to them yet and might never be able to return to them, nothing would prevent the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will come. Paul urged the Thessalonians to be ministers on his behalf in their area.

This prayer could be echoed by us today, for there are still areas where people dwell in darkness for want of missionary voices.  Christians today are rarely without excuse for sharing the gospel, yet we do not. The apartment complex at the other end of the block from my church sorely needs to hear the gospel message, but I see the drug dealers and users on the porches and think “Ah, maybe not!” I am without excuse.  My mind dwells on the South Korean missionaries who have recently been martyred for their faith. They answered the call of God to take the gospel of Christ to those who dwell in darkness. Although some of them have died in the attempt, we should pray that their testimony, like that of Stephen’s, will ring out from their deaths.  Considering their sacrifice, why are American Christians so hesitant to share their faith with their coworkers and friends?  Nobody’s killing us (yet), so where’s the hindrance?

“But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! (Isaiah 52:7; Nah 1:15 )
But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? (Is 53:1)  So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”  Romans 10:14-17

Paul planted seeds in Thessalonica and reaped a rapid harvest. In less than a week before he was thrown from the town by angry Jews, he established a church.  It must have been an event-packed week, because Paul makes some claims about what happened during that time.

“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result. On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and been outrageously treated in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition.

"For our exhortation didn't come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive. Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts.

“For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness— and we didn't seek glory from people, either from you or from others. Although we could have been a burden as Christ's apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children. We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

"For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you.  You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers.  As you now, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted and implored each one of you to be worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."  1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Paul referred to incidents recorded in Acts 16 and 17.  In Philippi, he and Silas met Lydia, a seller of expensive dye who became a Christian and founded a church in Philippi along with other Christians. Paul healed a slave girl of a prophesying evil spirit and ran afoul of the local constabulary. I guess the owners of the girl didn’t appreciate the loss of income.  Paul and Silas were imprisoned, whereupon they established one of the first prison ministries by converting the jailer. (We could all learn from this. We establish jail ministries to the prisoners, which is good, but often the guards need to repent of cruel and vindictive behaviors as much or more than the prisoners. Prisons would be a lot more effective if administered with compassionate discipline rather than arbitrary caprice as is often the case).  Released because of their Roman citizenships, Paul and Silas conducted one last worship service in Philippi and then moved on to Thessalonica.

Suffering in a good cause should sharpen Christian resolve. It certainly worked that way for Paul. The gospel of Christ at first met with much opposition. It stirred much debate; Paul rarely faced a receptive crowd. He didn’t face one in Thessalonica, but he did reach a minority who loved what they heard. The apostle's exhortation was true and pure; the manner of his speaking was without falsity. The gospel of Christ is designed to identify and eliminate corrupt affections, so that people will submit to the power of faith. This is the great motive to sincerity, to consider that God not only sees all we do, but knows our thoughts and searches the heart. It is from this God who tests our hearts, that we must receive our reward. Paul presented the evidence of his sincerity -- he avoided flattery and covetousness. He avoided ambition and vain-glory.

I don’t for a minute believe that Paul was a mild-mannered sort of guy.  Everything in his writings and the Acts accounts indicates he was not the Kwai Chang Cain of the First Century. Yet, he curbed his stronger personality traits in the exercise of ministry.  Though an extremely literate man, he approached the Thessalonians with courtesy and respect.  He was not only an evangelist, but also a friend.  He shared his life with them.  And, he intimated, that he and Silas worked while they were there, not burdening the new Christian church with their upkeep. Instead, they spent their time encouraging these new Christians to live Godly lives.

Tolerance and gentleness are great recommendations for Christian beliefs.  By dealing graciously with sinners, using the gospel as our guide, we stand a better chance of winning people to Christ.  We should always remember that what we teach is true. That others reject it does not make it any less true. We do not need to resort to sinful aggression and personality bombardment in our defence of the Truth. All we are called to do is share what we believe.  As long as we do this with respect and civility, we are serve Christ's calling faithfully.

We should not only be faithful to our calling as Christians, but in our particular callings and relations. It is our great privilege that God has called us to His kingdom, but this should not make us arrogant. Our gospel duty is to walk worthy of our Savior. Living as those called to such a high calling, our overriding concern should be to honor, serve, and please God, and to seek to be worthy of Him. When our lifestyle lines up with our witness, and we live our Christian lives in humility, no person may legitimately find fault with what we teach.  This is not to say that they won’t find fault, but that fault will be unfounded.

Paul approached the Thessalonians like people with brains who simply needed to know Christ.  In less than a week, he founded a church there that endured for a long time.  He used tact, gentleness and civility to reach these people.  He angered those who were not receptive due to their own agenda (the synagogue Jews), but those who accepted his message would grow a church even in his absence.

Paul draws on common images here -- a mother nursing her infant, a father teaching his children how to be civilized human beings.  These strong images bring to mind gentleness, nuturing patterns of interaction. I know with my own children, who have two very different personalities, a certain degree of give-and-take has been necessary to raise them properly. It's not just all about what I want to teach them. It's also about what they want and how they learn. The same can be said in ministry. One size does not fit all and the effective minister listens to his people and adapts to their needs without compromising the gospel message.
 

We could learn a lot from Paul and not just about theology.  In a mere week, he was so impressive in his humility (yes, I said “impressive in humility”) that a church sprang up without much effort.  A street preacher I sometimes talk with at the athletic club (our kids are in the same swim class) told me that sometimes the Holy Spirit has to remind him to “shut up and let God work.”  I like this guy, but I can see where humility might be a problem for him. I think humility might have been a problem for Paul the theological scholar as well, but he seems to have overcome and let God work through him rather than let his own intellect overshadow Christ’s working in the hearts of the Thessalonians.

Good thing, since he only had a week to evangelize the town.

“Paul, Silvanus,and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

“We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers. We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing your election, brothers loved by God.  For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance.

“You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit, and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with the joy from the Holy Spirit.

“As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  For the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that the news of your faith in God has gone out, so we don’t need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”  1 Thessalonians Chapter 1

After a brief introduction of himself and his companions, Paul praised the Thessalonians.  He was thrilled to hear from them, thrilled to correspond with Christ-lead individuals.  Paul was bursting with joy.  As the letter progresses we find out why he is so joyful, because prior to Timothy returning to Corinth, Paul had doubted that the fledgling church in Thessalonica would survive the harsh climate of paganism without care and feeding from God’s missionaries.

Echoing one of James’ themes, Paul reminded that as all good comes from God, so no good can be hoped for from sinners. The finest good may be expected from God, as our Father, for the sake of Christ. Paul recognized three attributes in the Thessalonians that he considered good and Christ-like, thus issuing from God:  their faith, their love and their endurance.  Encouraged by the reports of the pagans around them and Timothy, Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, remembering them without ceasing.

This should be our own pattern, recognizing the weave God has placed in our lives. Wherever there is a true faith, it will be driven to work, affecting both the lifestyle and inner life. Faith works by love; it shows itself in love to God and love toward our neighbor. Wherever there is a well-grounded hope of eternal life, this will appear by the exercise of patience.  This faith is a sign of sincerity, when in all we do we seek the approval of God. By this we have proof of our salvation, if we not only speak of the things of God with our lips, but feel their power in our hearts. This is done by turning our lusts over to God, weaning ourselves from the world, and allowing the Holy Spirit to raise us up to Christ-like living.

Unless the Spirit of God comes with the word of God, we will not understand it. Thus the Thessalonians entertained Paul’s message by the power of the Holy Spirit. They were fully convinced of the truth of it, so as not to be shaken by objections and doubts.  This is not to say they had no questions, but that they did not allow their questions to become destructive doubts.  They became willing to leave everything for Jesus, and to bet their souls and everlasting condition on the truth of the gospel revelation.

Salvation is, according to Hebrews 11, the evidence of itself and here we find Paul echoing the sentiment.  When careless, ignorant and immoral people turn from their fleshly pursuits and relationships, to believe in and obey the Lord Jesus, to live soberly and righteously, (which is what is meant by Christ-like), the matter speaks for itself. The pagans around the Christian community of Thessalonica had noted the change – that the members of the Thessalonian church had stopped worshipping idols to worship the One True God and were now waiting upon the Lord’s return.  God raised Jesus from the dead so that Jesus could ransom salvation and rescue us from the coming judgment.

Of primary concern to the Thessalonians was when Jesus would return. Later in this letter, Paul spends much effort in discussing the Lord’s return. Here, he merely reminds his readers that Jesus was the ransom for their salvation and that which rescued them from the future judgment.

As we move into this letter, we will hear a message from the greatest theologian of the Christian era to one of the earliest churches, but we also should read this letter as if it were delivered to us today. For the glory of God is that He is not constrained by time and space. In AD 50 when Paul was penning these words, God knew that we would be reading a blog on TownHall 2000 years later.

These words are meant for us!  Would God or Paul rejoice in the condition of our faith in 2007? We have the Bible to consult for our spiritual road map. Are we doing as well as the Thessalonians who had to wait upon a letter from Paul in order to have their questions answered?  We should be, but are we?

Walking through the grave stones, following the casket, tears running down their cheeks, the bereaved ask the questions “Why? Where? What’s beyond?”  These questions are common to mankind throughout the ages.  The Thessalonians were no exception as they watched loved ones die while awaiting the Lord’s return and wondered “What will happen?  And when is the Lord returning?”  Paul, great missionary and theologian thought to answer these important questions and in doing so, gave us one portion of the Bible.

A recognition that the New Testament was written in chronological order has caused me to consider how theology developed in the early Christian era.

James was written first, in about AD 48.  In AD 49 was the Jerusalem Council where the issue of the Gentiles was finally decided.  The two letters to the Thessalonians were written about a year later, in AD 50, the second within months or even weeks after the first. Thus we stand on our side of a watershed event where we can watch theology progress forward with the recognition that Jesus definitely was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  This letter is the first Christian letter written to Gentile believers.

Thessalonica was the largest city in first century Macedonia (northern Greece, to us) and the capital of the province.  It was a free city, so did not have a Roman garrison.  According to Acts 17, Paul, Timothy and Silas arrived in Thessalonica not long after the Jerusalem Council, but their preaching in the synagogue stirred up the Jews who had them driven out of town. Despite only being there perhaps a week, they established a church through those who had believed what they preached.  There was little time to give much instruction to the new converts, so it is not surprising that questions arose as to the meaning of some aspects of the Christian faith and of the conduct demanded of believers.

To help the new church, Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians not long after Timothy came to him in Corinth (1 Thess. 3:6, Acts 18:5). An inscription referring to Gallio (Acts 18:12) dates the proconsul’s time in Corinth to early AD 50 (proconsuls served one year, typically). Although not completely certain, plainly, the letters to the Thessalonians were among the earliest of Paul’s letters and among of the earliest extant Christian documents.

The authenticity of 1 Thessalonians is almost universally accepted. It is Pauline in style and is mentioned in early Christian writings such as the lists of New Testament books given by Marcion in the first half of the second century and by the Muratorian Canon a little later. Some of the problems with which it deals must have arisen quite early in the life of the church (for instance, what will happen to believers who die before Christ returns?).

Among the problems the Thessalonian church faced was persecution by pagans (2:14) and a temptation for believers to accept pagan sexual standards (4:4-8). There was uncertainty about the fate of believers who had died as some Thessalonians appear to have thought Christ would come back soon and take them all to be with Him.  What would happen to those who had died before this great event?  (4:13-18) Moreover, some of the Christians seem to have given up working in anticipation of Christ’s return and to have relied on others to supply their needs (4:11-12).  Paul’s reply to this gives us information about Christ’s return that we find nowhere else. Again, some of the believers seem to have been concerned about the time of Jesus’ return (5:1-11). So Paul wrote this pastoral letter to meet the needs of inexperienced Christians and to bring them closer to Christ.

Paul began the letter by assuring the Thessalonian Christians that the Church is founded on past faithfulness. He started by introducing himself.  He explained that past faith, love, and hope inspire thanksgiving.  He assured them that opposition and persecution cannot halt the gospel.  He related that concern for the church dominates the heart of ministry.  As there were many questions concerning the Lord’s Return, Paul addressed these.  He then exhorted the Thessalonians to respect Christian leaders, care for one another, always be thankful and to test prophetic utterances for truthfulness. Their goals should always be to commit themselves to God.

As our goal should be likewise, let us turn our attention to what Paul had to say to some of the earliest Gentile Christians.

It’s interesting what you see in a different way when you begin to look at Scripture with a more measured eye.  I found myself struck by the recognition that Paul was not the sole writer of this letter, or of many of the others that bear his name.  He was not alone when he wrote to the church in Thessalonica.  Silas and Timothy were with him. Paul ascribes some authorship to them. Though the Pauline letters all bear the mark of Paul’s particular style of writing, he appears to have had some help in this ministry.

This doesn’t seem unusual to me.  For the most part, Paul and the other apostles worked in community.  Christian community provided companionship and teamwork, but it also provided accountability. There is substantial evidence that Paul made liberal use of scribes during his writing ministry. Some think this was because of poor eyesight.  I can’t help wondering if perhaps it was more about accountability. Writing in isolation is very much more risky than writing in community because of the lack of accountability. Paul was a bold personality, as evidenced throughout Acts and in his letters.  Writing in community might have tempered that somewhat.  So who were these companions in ministry who might also have been co-authors of this letter?

Silas (or Silvanius – Greek or Latin form of the name), whose name was possibly derived from the Aramaic or Hebrew name Saul, was a leader in the early Jerusalem church.  He accompanied both Peter and Paul on separate missionary journeys. We don’t know a lot about him, but a few things can be gleaned from the New Testament evidence.  He was a Jewish Christian with Roman citizenship (he had a Roman name and he claimed Roman citizenship when arrested in Philippi), which means he likely did not grow up in Judea, but in some distant Roman outpost, as had Paul.  One of his first missions was to carry news of the Jerusalem conference to the believers at Antioch (Acts 15:22). He was a called preacher (Acts 15 relates him delivering a long sermon in Antioch).  He and Paul left Antioch together on a mission to Asia Minor (15:40-41) and later to Macedonia. In Philippi the two were imprisoned (16:19-24), but they later won the jailer and his family to the Lord after God delivered them from prison. Later in his ministry Silas teamed with Peter on missions in Pontus and Cappadocia (central Turkey). He also served as Peter’s scribe, writing 1 Peter and perhaps other letters. Many believe that he assisted in composing and arranging most of the letter since Peter probably had little formal education.

Timothy, whose name means “honoring God”, was a friend and trust coworker of Paul. A native of Lystra, he was taught the Scripture as a child by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15). He may have been converted to Christianity on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 14:6-23). Paul called Timothy his “child in the faith” (1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2), which indicates that Paul was instrumental in Timothy’s conversion.  When Paul came to Lystra on his second journey, Timothy was a disciple well-respected by the believers (Acts 16:1-2) and Paul asked Timothy to accompany him. Although his mother was Jewish, Timothy had not been circumcised because his father was a Greek; because they would be ministering to many Jews, Paul asked Timothy to submit to circumcision to alleviate any conflicts in that area. (Acts 16:3). Timothy assented to this.

Timothy not only accompanied Paul but also was sent on many crucial missions by Paul (Acts 17:14-15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 16:10; 2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Thess. 3:2,6). For example, when Paul was unable to go to Corinth, he sent Timothy to represent Paul and his teachings (1 Cor. 4:17). Later when Paul was in prison, he sent Timothy to Philippi (Phil. 2:19).

Paul felt that no one had any more compassion and commitment than Timothy (Phil. 2:20-22).  They were such close companions that both names are listed as the authors of six of Paul’s letters (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1). In addition, Paul wrote two letters to Timothy (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2). As Paul’s ministry neared the end, he challenged Timothy to remain true to his calling (1 Tim. 1:18). As Paul faced death, he asked Timothy to come to be with him (2 Tim. 4:9). At some point in his life, Timothy was imprisoned; but he was released (Heb. 13:23).

There are a lot of extra-Biblical traditions surrounding Timothy. Most of them cannot be verified through Biblical or by other historical means other than traditional stories.

Outstanding missionary and early church writer, Paul the apostle wrote 13 letters of the New Testament that bear his name and is the subject of extensive biographical information in the Book of Acts.  From these two sources, we can piece together a reasonable portrait of one of the major personalities of early Christianity.

When starting a retrospective of someone’s life, we normally start at their birth. The New Testament writers did not do that. They started, primarily, at the new birth in Jesus Christ or at the start of ministry. Therefore, it is necessary to draw on historical information and clues scattered throughout Paul’s writings and Acts in order to surmise some things about Paul’s pre-conversion life.

Paul was probably born as much or more than a decade after Jesus’ birth.  His Jewish name was Saul, given at birth after his father or some near kin, or possibly after the famous Old Testament King Saul, who like Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin.  Being born in a Roman city and claiming Roman citizenship, his official Roman name was Paulos (Paul). Normally, a citizen would have three names similar to our first, middle, and last names. The New Testament records only the name Paul which would have been the middle or last name, since the first name was usually indicated only by the initial.

Tarsus, the place of Paul’s birth, is today a bustling city a few miles inland from the Mediterranean on Turkey’s southern shore. In Paul’s day it was a self-governing city, loyal to the Roman Empire. We do not know how Paul’s parents or forebears came to live in Tarsus. Jewish immigration to non-Jewish areas for reasons of commerce or due to foreign intervention was not uncommon.  A non-Biblical story claims that Paul’s parents migrated from a village in Galilee, but this cannot be verified.

As a member of a Jewish family Paul was well trained in the Jewish Scriptures and tradition (Acts 26:4-8; Phil. 3:5-6) beginning in the home with the celebration of the Jewish holy days: Passover, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, and others. By about seven years of age he entered the synagogue day school where he learned to read and write by copying select passages of Scripture. He learned the ancient Hebrew language from Old Testament texts (the Septuagint was a Greek translation of these texts, but most scholars of the day considered it a corruption and it wasn’t used where people spoke Aramaic). At home his parents probably spoke the current dialect—Aramaic. As Paul related to the larger community, he learned the Greek language. Every Jewish boy also learned a trade. Paul was apparently trained as a tentmaker, which he used to support himself during his ministry years (Acts 18:3).

Paul was probably about 13 when he went to Jerusalem to study under the famous rabbi, Gamaliel. Such instruction would have continued until he was about 18 years old, which some scholars believe would have been around the time he attended the stoning of Stephen. Paul had been well trained by the best Jewish teacher of that day and, zealous for the traditions (teachings) of his people, Paul became a Pharisee.

This zealous commitment to the study of the Old Testament laws and traditions provides the genesis of Paul’s persecution of his Jewish brothers who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Luke introduced Paul in the Book of Acts at the execution of Stephen.

Stephen was executed because he placed Jesus (1) superior to the law and (2) superior to the Temple. Furthermore he claimed (3) that the fathers of the Jewish nation had always been rebellious.

Paul, from his training, vigorously disagreed with Stephen’s point of view. Stephen opposed the very foundations of Judaism since the days of Moses. Stephen’s sermon apparently stimulated Paul’s persecution of the church (Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2; 26:9-11; Phil. 3:6; Gal. 1:13). To be an effective persecutor, Paul would need to know as much as possible about Jesus and the church. He knew the message of Christianity: Jesus’ resurrection, His claim to be the Messiah, and His availability to all humankind. It was not that Paul had not heard the gospel; he was standing there when Stephen preached and died for that preaching.  Paul simply rejected the gospel..

Three accounts tell of Paul’s Damascus Road experience: Acts 9:3-19; 22:6-21; 26:13-23. The variations in details are accounted for by recognizing that each story is told to a different audience on a different occasion. In about AD 35, Paul was traveling to Damascus to arrest Jewish people who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah. This was legally possible since city governments were known to permit the Jewish sector of the city a reasonable degree of self-government. A journey from Jerusalem to Damascus in that day would take about a week.

Nearing Damascus, a startling light forced Paul to the ground. Paul acknowledged this as a visitation from God. A voice asked: “Why do you persecute Me?” and identified the speaker as Jesus—the very one whom Stephen had seen at the right hand of God when Paul witnessed Stephen’s stoning. Paul did not deny this contact. He knew that it was God speaking to him.  Now he knew that God and Jesus were one! Struck blind, he had to be led into the city, where Ananias met Paul and told him that he had been chosen by God as a messenger to the Gentiles (9:17). It’s seems Paul did not protest this calling, but I’m sure that – long-long good Jew that he was – he swallowed hard. After God restored Paul’s sight, like other believers before him, Paul was baptized in a first step of obedience in his new salvation relationship.

In this conversion experience, Paul accepted the claims of Jesus and the church, the very thing he was seeking to destroy. Jesus was truly the Messiah and took priority over the Temple and the law. Paul no longer argued against this. The experience was also Paul’s call to carry the gospel to the Gentile world (9:15; 22:21).  Please note that Paul’s conversion experience was not a process.  He didn’t grow into becoming a Christian.  He didn’t work himself to the point of being acceptable to God. He was persecuting Jesus through His Church when God reached down and slapped him hard to get his attention. Paul’s conversion experience was sudden and life-changing.

Both his conversion and call are reflected in Paul’s letters. He wrote that Jesus had appeared to him (1 Cor. 15:8-10; 9:1); the gospel Paul preached had come by revelation (Gal. 1:12); he had been called by God (Gal. 1:1; Eph. 3:2-12). His conversion brought a complete change in the inner controlling power of his life. It was like dying and receiving a new life (Gal. 2:20) or being created anew (2 Cor. 5:17-20). This experience of radical change and call to the Gentiles provided the motivation to travel throughout the Roman world.

Meeting with the skeptical apostles in Jerusalem soon after his conversion experience, Paul then returned to Tarsus for about 11 years. In some of his writing he indicates he may have spent time in the desert studying.  It is reasonable to assume that a man so zealous for the Jewish traditions had much to unlearn before taking up Christian ministry.  Paul next appeared in Acts about AD 45 when Barnabas, ministering in Antioch, went to Tarsus to ask Paul to assist him in training the church at Antioch. The church at Antioch had been founded by Hellenistic Jewish Christian believers like Stephen (Acts 11:19-26). Barnabas became a prominent teacher there.

I love coincidence, or if you will, spiritual alignment.  Stephen may have founded the church in Antioch.  Paul assented to Stephen’s execution (he held the cloaks of the stone-throwers). He later went to the church Stephen founded and begins to minister, taking up Stephen’s task.  At the very least, Paul owed Stephen and God this service.  Yet it was this service that would be the springboard for Paul’s life of ministry.

Acts makes it clear that the entire Antioch church was involved in the world mission project of AD 47-48, and the church chose Paul and Barnabas to be their representatives. John Mark, Barnabas’ nephew, went along as an assistant. They departed from Antioch (Antakya of modern Turkey) to the seaport of Seleucia, where they took ship to Cyprus (Barnabas’ home town). They landed at Salamis and traveled the length of the island to Paphos, where they set sail to Perga on Turkey’s southern shore. They entered the highland province of Galatia where they concentrated their efforts in the southern cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

They would establish a typical procedure for entering a new town. They would first seek out the synagogue, and share the gospel on the Sabbath day. Paul’s message usually caused a division in the synagogue, requiring Paul and Barnabas would seek a Gentile audience. From Paul’s earliest activities, it became evident that the gospel he preached caused tension between believers and the synagogue. This first journey produced results. In each city many turned to the new way (Acts 13:44, 52; 14:1-4, 20-28); and a starter church was established in each locality (Acts 14:23). He later addressed an epistle to this district—Galatians.

Between the first and second missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas dealt with the heresy of Judaizing in Antioch and submitted to the wisdom of the elders and apostles in Jerusalem, who agreed with Paul and Barnabas that Jesus had died for the Gentiles same as He had died for the Jews. The heresy did not go away, but the Church had decided its response to it.

Paul’s second journey (A.D. 49-52) departed from Antioch with Silas (who was a well-known Jewish Christian who had acted as surety for the Jerusalem letter to the Gentiles) as his associate (Acts 15:36–18:18). They traveled overland through what is now modern Turkey to the Aegean part of Troas. A vision directed Paul to go to Philippi in the province of Macedonia. Philippi was a Roman city with no synagogue and a minimal Jewish population. Paul established a church there as further attested by his letter to the Philippians. From there he traveled to Thessalonica and Berea. He spent no more than a week in Thessalonica, but established a church there.  His letters of instruction back to that church will be the subject of my next study.  His preaching in Athens met with meager results. His work in Corinth (the province of Achaia) was well received and even approved, in an oblique fashion, by the Roman governor, Gallio. From Corinth, Paul returned to Caesarea, visited Jerusalem, and then Antioch (Acts 18:22).

Paul’s third missionary venture (A.D. 52-57) centered in the city of Ephesus from which the gospel probably spread into the surrounding cities such as the seven churches in Revelation (Acts 18:23-20:6; Rev. 2–3). Working as a tent-marker in the public market with Priscilla and Aquila probably brought him into contact with many people, so that he could easily share the gospel.  From Ephesus he carried on a correspondence with the Corinthian church and possibly other churches. While in Corinth at the end of this journey, he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.

When Paul returned to Jerusalem for his last visit (21:17–26:32), he was soon arrested and imprisoned—first in Jerusalem and then later transferred to Caesarea (A.D. 57-59). At first the charges against him were that he had brought a Gentile into the restricted areas of the Temple. Later, he was accused of being a rabble-rouser. The real reasons for his arrest are noted: the crowd was enraged at his mentioning his call to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21-22), and he stated to the Sanhedrin that he was arrested because of his belief in the resurrection. These two beliefs were the primary motivation of Paul’s life from conversion to death.

Paul was eventually transferred to Rome (A.D. 60-61) as a prisoner of the emperor. His story in the New Testament ends there. The non-Biblical tradition outside the New Testament that tells of Paul’s execution in Rome is reasonable as Acts ends with Paul in prison in Rome. The tradition that he was released, then traveled to Spain and proselytized there before his re-arrest and eventual execution is problematic as there is absolutely no Biblical support.

Most of my information for this article was gleaned from the Holman Bible Dictionary.

I decided to focus on the Jerusalem Council prior to moving on to the writings of Paul because it was a pivotal event in the early Church. It is the official acknowledgment of Gentile Christianity. It defined, more than anything else, what it meant to be a Christian both of the Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. It was the first time a council of the universal Church met to decide an issue.  In some ways, the Jerusalem Council was as important to the history of the Church as the Great Schism or the Reformation.  This was a defining moment in Church history and direction.  It’s one of those moments that science fiction writers use for the starting point of an alternative history story.

Thus, I feel it is important to understand what occurred in that historic meeting, what led up to it, and what followed.

These events are found in Acts 15.  You’d think people could just read it and, being history, not put any sort of interpretation on it, but I have been amazed of late at what some people think happened in the meeting.  It’s right there to read, but someone they’ve gotten a different take from it than the words allow.

When I read history, my writer’s mind always wants to know about the motivations behind the actions.  It’s probably my journalism training.  There’s questions I’d like to ask the participants and I wonder why Luke, who was a careful historian, didn’t do so. Of course, not being there at the time as Luke was, I am left to wonder for now.  He’s one of the guys I’ll seek out in heaven.

Peter and Barnabas had been leading Gentiles to the Lord and many had entered the church in Antioch.  Some men from Judea – Jewish Christians recognized as members of the Church – came to Antioch and began to teach the Gentile Christians that they had to be circumcised before they could accept Jesus as Savior.  Paul and Barnabas engaged them in debate.  These Judaizers were so certain of their position that they arranged for Paul and some others to go to Jerusalem to discuss the controversy with the apostles and elders.  What would make these men so certain of what they were teaching?

I remember that when Peter returned from seeing Cornelius, some of the (former?) Pharisees confronted him about baptizing Gentiles, but after they heard his testimony, they relented and were overjoyed at these new brothers. However, I think that some of them were not.  I think some of them harbored in their hearts the idea that baptism alone was not sufficient.  All Christians before had come to Jesus as Jews first. How could those of a different background come by another way?  I believe, admittedly without any evidence, that James’ letter of a year or two before might also have stimulated their ardor.  “Faith without works is dead!” they would have quoted. “You must follow the Law of Moses first before you can be saved,” they reasoned, misrepresenting or misunderstanding James’ letter.  James had been writing to Christians, not to the unsaved, but people so easily twist the intention of a message into what they want it to say.  The timing of the letter a year or two before the controversy seems suspicious to me. Not that I think James supported the heresy of Judaizing, but that his letter may have been used incorrectly by the Judaizers. Sin, and heresy, will always find an opportunity.

Paul and his entourage journeyed through the lands north of Jerusalem and, after explaining the conversion of the Gentiles, left the churches in great joy.  The church at Jerusalem greeted them warmly. They gave a report of their missionary activity.  It was at this point that some of the “party of the Pharisees” (former Pharisees, perhaps) spoke and insisted that it was necessary to circumcise these Gentile believers and command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

There ensued a great debate that I think overwhelmed what Paul and Barnabas were trying to say.  They couldn’t get a word in edgewise.  I base this belief on verse 12, which I’ll deal with in a moment.  A long while into the debate, Peter spoke on his experience with Gentile conversion.  God “made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith …. We believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” (verse 10-11)

Peter was an acknowledged leader in the Church though by this time he doesn’t seem to have been in leadership in Jerusalem. He was one of original 12 apostles and the man who had first preached the gospel. He had led revivals in Samaria and other places.  He was not the keynote speaker – Paul and Barnabas fulfilled that role. He was not the moderator – James apparently filled that role.  Peter was one of the witnesses.  And, his testimony was so powerful it shut up the nattering naybobs, in keeping with Peter’s evangelistic preaching style.

In verse 12, the whole assembly fell silent after this and actually listened to what Barnabas and Paul described.  This is why I believe that the debate prior to this had made it impossible for Paul and Barnabas to speak. Their testimony was simple -- God had been working miracles among the Gentiles.  Now that the report was actually public and people could make a decision on fact rather than conjecture, James responded in the moderator’s position – “Brothers, listen to me. You’ve heard Simon’s testimony about the first Gentile converts and how God intervened on their behalf.”  There are some who believe that James may have been speaking prophesy at this moment, which would give what he said a lot of weight. James used Scripture to support his finding.  It was his judgment that the Jewish Christians should not hinder the Gentile Christians with unnecessary rules. They should ask them to abstain from idol worship or things associated with idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything strangled and from blood.  He noted that synagogues had existed in most major cities for a long time and that the Gentile Christians had never become Jews before.  The questions seemed to be why did they need to now.

Peter didn’t decide the issue. James didn’t decide the issue.  The text is clear.  The apostles, elders and entire Jerusalem church TOGETHER decided (it's possible they voted or, more likely based on prior events, they cast lots, so that the Spirit could speak) to select men from the Jerusalem congregation to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch (Judas Barsabbas and Silas) as assurance that this came from the Jerusalem church. This was no doubt so that the Judaizers in Antioch (some who apparently had remained there) could not argue that the Jerusalem church had not decided this matter.  The elders now wrote this letter:

"From the apostles and the elders, your brothers. To the brothers from among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.  Greetings!

"Because we have heard that some to whom we gave no authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts, by saying "Be circumcised and keep the law"; we have unanimously decided to select men and send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

"For it was the Holy Spirit's decision -- and ours -- to put no greater burden on you than these necessary thigns:  that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.  If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well.  Farewell."

Please note that the apostles and elders of Jerusalem gave the credit for this decision to the Holy Spirit.  They agreed with it. This is why some scholars think that James was actually prophesying when he spoke.  The issue was settled very quickly afterward and the letter was written and dispatched. When God speaks, His followers should listen.

Departing from Jerusalem, Paul, his entourage and the two witnesses from Jerusalem delivered the letter to the church in Antioch.  When it was read, the church was greatly encouraged and rejoiced.  Both the men from Jerusalem were prophets (preachers) and they encouraged the church with a long message. After spending some time there, they were sent back to Jerusalem in peace, leaving Paul and Barnabas (as well as many others) to continue teaching at Antioch.

A bare 15-17 years after Jesus’ death the Church had faced its first recorded heresy.  Some in their number had become convinced that faith was not enough to save people. There were forms and rituals to observe, they insisted.  The Jerusalem Council settled the controversy. No, the Law was worthwhile in showing people their sin, but it wasn’t the means to save anyone.  Gentile Christians did not have to become Jews before becoming Christians. God saves Jews and Gentiles in the same way – through grace, by faith.  There is no distinction.

Sadly, this did not stop the heresy of Judaizing.  The men who held this view continued to influence churches throughout the New Testament area for many years and I believe it continues to influence us through some denominational dogmas today.  Heresy is a powerful thing, which is why the Christian Church must always confront it, even when – or especially when – it rears its head within our congregations.

Within another year or two the second letter of the Christian Church would be written to an immature church that had not had time to learn from Paul.  Although it is rarely mentioned, the books that comprise the New Testament were written in a sequence and that sequence may be known through historical correlation.  Whomever arranged the New Testament in its current sequence apparently didn’t know or care about timelines.  Thus, we will move onto the letters to the church at Thessalonica and introduce to this blog the greatest Christian theologian ever born-again.