1–2 Thessalonians (Redesign) E-Book

James H. Grant Jr.

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Preaching the Word
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 513

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica to encourage Christians to live in light of the gospel. In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he addressed a number of topics, including the persecution they were enduring, the second coming of Christ, and how they were to live in difficult times. While the letters were written nearly two thousand years ago, pastor James H. Grant Jr. insists that Paul's audience includes us as well as the Thessalonians. Grant applies Paul's message to contemporary churches over the course of twenty-five chapters by leading readers systematically through the epistles—unpacking the gospel and its implications in light of Christ's second coming. Part of the Preaching the Word commentary series.

Leseprobe

(((PREACHING the WORD)))

1–2 THESSALONIANS

TheHOPEofSALVATION

JAMES H. GRANT JR.

R. Kent HughesSeries Editor

1–2 Thessalonians

© 2011 by James H. Grant Jr.

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: John McGrath, Simplicated Studio

Cover image: Adam Greene, illustrator

First printing 2011

Reprinted with new cover 2015

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from TheNew American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-0544-7ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2255-0PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-0545-4Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-0546-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Grant, James H., 1976–

1 & 2 Thessalonians : the hope of salvation / James H. Grant Jr.; R. Kent Hughes, general editor.

     p. cm. (Preaching the Word)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-0544-7 (hc)

1. Bible. N.T. Thessalonians—Commentaries. I. Hughes, R. Kent. II. Title. III. Title: First and second Thessalonians. IV. Series.

BS2725.53.G73          2011

227.8107—dc22                              2010024838

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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15   14   13   12   11   10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

In memory of my father,

J. Harold Grant Sr.

(1949–2007)

who is currently asleep in Christ, awaiting the resurrection.

Grief has not been without hope,

for we believe Jesus will return,

uniting us together in the resurrection,

to be with the Lord and glorify him always.

This is good news indeed.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surelydo it.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:23–24

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good workand word.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:16–17

Contents

Cover PageTitle PageCopyrightDedicationA Word to Those Who Preach the WordAcknowledgmentsSeries Abbreviations1 THESSALONIANS  1   Listening to Paul’s Conversation: Introduction to 1 Thessalonians  2   Christianity at Thessalonica (1:1 and Acts 17:1–10)  3   What Is in a Greeting? (1:1)  4   The Importance of Thankfulness (1:2–5)  5   The Christian Doctrine of Imitation (1:6–8)  6   All of Life Is Repentance (1:9–10)  7   Union with Christ and the Christian Life (2:1–12)  8   Preaching the Word of Christ (2:13)  9   The Gospel and Your Suffering (2:14–16)10   Living in Light of the Gospel (2:17–3:13)11   Become What You Already Are in Christ (4:1–8)12   The Fruit of the Gospel: Love (4:9–12)13   The Second Advent of Christ (4:13–5:11)14   Resurrection Hope in the Face of Death (4:13–18)15   What about the Rapture? (4:16–18)16   The Day of the Lord (5:1–2)17   Concerning Times and Seasons (5:1–11)18   A Gospel Community (5:12–28)2 THESSALONIANS19   The Right Perspective on Suffering (1:1–5)20   Eternal Destinies (1:6–12)21   Jesus Will Not Come Until . . . (2:1)22   Rebellion and Hope (2:1–12)23   The Steadfastness of Christ (2:13—3:5)24   The Gospel and Vocation (3:6–18)25   The Gospel Takes Root and Bears Fruit in Thessalonica (1—2 Thessalonians)NotesScripture IndexGeneral IndexIndex of Sermon Illustrations

A Word to Those Who Preach the Word

There are times when I am preaching that I have especially sensed the pleasure of God. I usually become aware of it through the unnatural silence. The ever-present coughing ceases, and the pews stop creaking, bringing an almost physical quiet to the sanctuary—through which my words sail like arrows. I experience a heightened eloquence, so that the cadence and volume of my voice intensify the truth I am preaching.

There is nothing quite like it—the Holy Spirit filling one’s sails, the sense of his pleasure, and the awareness that something is happening among one’s hearers. This experience is, of course, not unique, for thousands of preachers have similar experiences, even greater ones.

What has happened when this takes place? How do we account for this sense of his smile? The answer for me has come from the ancient rhetorical categories of logos, ethos, and pathos.

The first reason for his smile is the logos—in terms of preaching, God’s Word. This means that as we stand before God’s people to proclaim his Word, we have done our homework. We have exegeted the passage, mined the significance of its words in their context, and applied sound hermeneutical principles in interpreting the text so that we understand what its words meant to its hearers. And it means that we have labored long until we can express in a sentence what the theme of the text is—so that our outline springs from the text. Then our preparation will be such that as we preach, we will not be preaching our own thoughts about God’s Word, but God’s actual Word, his logos. This is fundamental to pleasing him in preaching.

The second element in knowing God’s smile in preaching is ethos—what you are as a person. There is a danger endemic to preaching, which is having your hands and heart cauterized by holy things. Phillips Brooks illustrated it by the analogy of a train conductor who comes to believe that he has been to the places he announces because of his long and loud heralding of them. And that is why Brooks insisted that preaching must be “the bringing of truth through personality.” Though we can never perfectly embody the truth we preach, we must be subject to it, long for it, and make it as much a part of our ethos as possible. As the Puritan William Ames said, “Next to the Scriptures, nothing makes a sermon more to pierce, than when it comes out of the inward affection of the heart without any affectation.” When a preacher’s ethos backs up his logos, there will be the pleasure of God.

Last, there is pathos—personal passion and conviction. David Hume, the Scottish philosopher and skeptic, was once challenged as he was seen going to hear George Whitefield preach: “I thought you do not believe in the gospel.” Hume replied, “I don’t, but he does.” Just so! When a preacher believes what he preaches, there will be passion. And this belief and requisite passion will know the smile of God.

The pleasure of God is a matter of logos (the Word), ethos (what you are), and pathos (your passion). As you preach the Word may you experience his smile—the Holy Spirit in your sails!

R. Kent Hughes

Wheaton, Illinois

Acknowledgments

I want to thank R. Kent Hughes for the opportunity to contribute to the Preaching the Word series and my friend Justin Taylor for introducing us. I am indebted to my congregation, Trinity Reformed Church, for the call to preach the gospel to them every Sunday. I also want to thank Ted Griffin for his work in editing this volume. He is a fine editor-theologian, and this book is better because of his work.

My wife, Brandy, should receive a special thank you. She encouraged me throughout this process, especially as our family grew from two children (Macy and Trey) to four (Nate and Addie). She deserves more honor than words can express, and together we agreed to dedicate this volume to my father, J. Harold Grant, Sr., who entered into the presence of the Lord in January 2007. I started this series in the summer of 2008, and through it the Lord comforted our hearts and established us in the gospel.

Series Abbreviations

ABC

  

Anchor Bible Commentary

BECNT

  

The Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

ICC

  

International Critical Commentary

IVPNT

  

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

NICNT

  

The New International Commentary on the New Testament

NIGTC

  

The New International Greek Text Commentary

NIVAC

  

The NIV Application Commentary

NTC

  

New Testament Commentary

PNTC

  

The Pillar New Testament Commentary

1

Listening to Paul’s Conversation

INTRODUCTION TO 1 THESSALONIANS

HAVE YOU EVER stepped into the middle of a conversation only to find yourself lost in the discussion? If you are supposed to participate in the conversation, then you have to be “filled in” on the background. If the conversation continues and no one provides this information, you have to fill in the background for yourself. You have to figure out what they are talking about and why this topic is important.

When we read one of Paul’s letters, we are walking in on a conversation that has already started, and we have to catch up with the discussion. Calvin Roetzel calls this a “conversation in context.”1 The conversation is taking place with a particular group of people in a particular city. For our purposes, we will be examining Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica, a church he first planted with the help of Silas and Timothy. In order to get our bearings, we are going to set the stage for the whole first letter with an overview of Paul’s main “talking points” with this church. We are going to set the stage in two areas—the background of this letter and its actual contents.

The Background for This Church Plant

Luke explains some of the background in Acts 17. Paul arrived in Thessalonica after a difficult ministry in Philippi that saw him placed in jail. In spite of that suffering, when Paul was released from prison he continued his ministry by heading to Thessalonica, but those trials continued to follow Paul. After establishing the church in Thessalonica, Paul had to leave quickly when a mob dragged some of the Christian leaders before the magistrates of the city. This mob claimed that the Christians were against the decrees of Caesar because they were claiming allegiance to another king, a man named Jesus.

Although Paul left Thessalonica quickly, we know that he continued to communicate with this young Christian church, even before he wrote this first letter. Paul was concerned about the spiritual growth and strength of these young Christians; so he decided to send Timothy back to Thessalonica. In chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians Paul says, “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions” (vv. 1–3).

After Timothy visited the church, he reunited with Paul in Corinth and provided an update on the situation in Thessalonica. According to Paul, Timothy brought back “the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you” (1 Thessalonians 3:6). Timothy also brought Paul up to speed on the issues facing the Thessalonians, so Paul could continue to teach them and instruct them in the Christian faith.

From a certain perspective, my role as a preacher is similar to the role of Timothy. I am going to catch you up, as best I can, on the conversation that Paul is having with this church in Thessalonica. We cannot do this perfectly, but we can do it well enough to understand parts of this conversation. But as we listen in on this conversation between Paul and the church in Thessalonica, we are not just spectators. We are not just listening in on something that happened almost two thousand years ago. We are not just doing history. Instead we are part of this conversation. We must see ourselves in this story, seek to understand this conversation, and learn what Paul is saying to us. In a very real way Paul is talking as much to us as he was to them. As Paul tells them about events in his life, his desires and concerns for them, he is at the same time instructing all of us in Christian doctrine and practice, both in terms of personal issues related to individual Christians as well as of issues related to the church and the ministry.2

A Conversation about Ministry and the Church

The first topic we notice is a conversation about ministry and the church. Now this might seem like a given, but we have to remind ourselves of this. We are listening to a conversation between a church and a man who was an apostle, a church planter, a pastor, and a teacher. So this is an opportunity to see how Paul approached ministry. We see his great concern for this church and for these Christians.

Paul gives us some insight into his view of ministry in chapter 2: “But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (v. 2). Paul says that although he suffered, he still came to declare the gospel to them. In the face of obstacles and opposition, he proclaimed the Word of God. But he continues:

For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. (2:3–6)

Do you see what Paul is saying? His desire in ministry was not to flatter them, but to please God. And as he pleased God, he would help these Christians grow.

Is this not the case in the ministry? Paul is explaining to us the fundamental reality of a God-centered approach to ministry and the church. He could not enter into the task of church planting by flattering people; he could not do it out of a self-centered sense of glory. If he did, he would not be serving and benefiting them. Instead he had to serve them by following and pleasing the Lord.

Paul also describes his ministry toward them as being “gentle . . . like a nursing mother taking care of her own children” (2:7). What an important view of pastoral ministry: the pastor is like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. That kind of gentleness should characterize all pastors, and this is a rebuke to me and to others who lead Christ’s church when we do not look at our congregation as children to be nurtured and led in the faith. So we see two perspectives that complement each other in Paul’s approach to the ministry. A pastor must approach the church with authority and conviction, not trying to flatter people and please them. But along with authority and conviction, the pastor must also display gentleness and nurture.

A Conversation about Suffering and Persecution

How would you like to walk in on a conversation between Paul and a church on the topic of suffering? That is precisely what we have here, and this is important for us, too, because suffering and trials make up a fundamental part of life that touches all of us. We struggle with suffering, and we often do not know how to handle it. This is a central reason why Paul wrote this letter—to help Christians face suffering in a Christ-centered way.

Immediately in chapter 1 we come across the issue of suffering. Paul says they received the word of God with much affliction, and that was imitating what had happened to him (v. 6). Both Paul and the church faced suffering, but the conversation about suffering and affliction runs through the whole book. Paul goes on to explain to us a central theological perspective about suffering in 2:14–16. Paul is encouraged that this church imitated other churches in the midst of their suffering, but he reminded them that those who hinder us are also “displeas[ing] God and oppos[ing] all mankind” because they are attempting to stop the message of salvation. But in their attempt to stop the gospel, Paul says, those who oppose the gospel are actually “fill[ing] up the measure of their sins” because “God’s wrath has come upon them at last!”

In these verses we have Paul’s theology of suffering and trials. We can call this “A Doctrine of Persecution and Suffering.” Paul did two things. First, he explained to these Christians that their suffering was not a result of their sin. Instead they were in a long line of Christians who suffered under the cross: “For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out” (2:14, 15). Jesus suffered, the Jews suffered, Paul suffered, and now the Thessalonians suffered for the sake of the gospel.

Paul did not stop with the suffering of these Christians. He went on to explain to them that even those who oppose the gospel are not outside of God’s power. On the contrary, they are currently under God’s wrath because they reject the offer of salvation. If we misunderstand those two points, we will constantly struggle with God. A proper understanding of suffering and affliction involves a proper understanding of God, who he is, and what he is doing.

This is just as important for us now as it was for them then. When we suffer for our faith, or even if we just suffer from the typical trials and tribulations of this life, our normal response is that we are doing something wrong. Secretly we ask God, “What did I do? Why are you letting this happen to me?”

Paul will have none of that. He is changing our perspective on the issue of suffering. He is telling us to transform our minds, to approach suffering from a completely different perspective. How then should we view suffering and trials? First, we should expect that we are going to suffer. Suffering and trials should not surprise us. We must embrace the reality that through much suffering we must enter the kingdom of God. Second, we should realize that God calls us to persevere through it because we are not suffering under his wrath. As Christians, God’s wrath was poured out on the cross, on his Son. We are suffering because we are bearing the cross that God has placed on us in this life to make us long for Heaven.

This is not the typical perspective on suffering that is predominant in the Christian world. In fact, some Christians would say that I have just given you a wrong view of suffering. I could imagine you having a conversation with someone about suffering, and you say, “The Scriptures tell us that we should expect to suffer. I was just reading something on 1 Thessalonians that explained how suffering can be redemptive and how God uses it to help us grow.” And your friend responds by saying, “That is just wrong! Why would I want to suffer? I was just listening to someone preach about this on TV, and the preacher said that our problem is our attitude. We have the wrong attitude about life. We are not positive enough, and our problem is that we think we should suffer. Instead we should expect God to bless us.”

That perspective on suffering is not Christian, but it is being taught in some churches. It is not the message we find in the Bible. Paul’s view of suffering is summarized in Acts 14:22: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Paul’s discussion on suffering with this church in Thessalonica will help us understand a Biblical approach to suffering.

A Conversation about the Future and Christ’s Second Coming

Perhaps this conversation about suffering brought up our next topic: the second coming of Jesus Christ. We have in both of Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica an ongoing conversation about the second coming. This is one of the most prominent themes in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. It is mentioned in every chapter of this first letter (1:10; 2:19, 20; 3:13; 4:13–18; 5:1–11, 23, 24), and Paul continued this conversation in the second letter.

This church was asking very important questions about the future and the coming of Jesus Christ:

•  What happens to those who die?

•  What happens to those who are alive?

•  What about those who do not believe?

Paul explains to us what to expect. At Jesus’ future coming, the dead in Christ will rise and will be caught up along with the living to meet the Lord in the air (4:15–17). Unbelievers will be subject to God’s wrath, but Christians will be delivered from God’s wrath, inheriting salvation instead (1:10; 5:2–4, 9, 10). There is a lot to examine regarding the second coming of Christ, and God has blessed us with the opportunity to understand Paul’s instructions to these Christians in Thessalonica.

A Conversation about the Christian Life and Godliness in This World

The final area I want examine in this overview is connected to all three previous topics, but specifically to the second coming. Those saints who are destined to be with Jesus in his second coming must be holy and blameless (3:11–4:8; 5:23). This is one reason why Paul concludes the book the way he does. Notice this in 5:12–22, where Paul tells us to love those who minister over us, be at peace among ourselves, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. As we live this life and face evil, respond with love, continue to rejoice, and always pray, and as we give thanks in all circumstances, we will be following the will of God and holding fast to what is good. What helpful and practical advice!

Paul has charged us to live differently than the world, but he knows that this can seem impossible for Christians. Sometimes all the commands and instructions overwhelm us. We often think, How can I possibly do all that? Paul has some closing words for us: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24).

Do not get discouraged: God will do this work. He will sanctify you completely. God will keep your whole spirit and soul and body blameless at the coming of the Lord.

God is faithful; he will do it.

That is the gospel. The conversation that we are dropping in on is a conversation about the gospel and what it means for our lives. Let us believe that God is for us and that he will finish the work he has started, and let us attend to his revelation to us in his Word.

2

Christianity at Thessalonica

1 THESSALONIANS 1:1 AND ACTS 17:1–10

CHURCH PLANTING was a crucial aspect of Paul’s ministry, but in recent years, especially in Western culture, the emphasis on planting churches has diminished. Instead of reduplicating, Western churches developed the attitude that if we build it, people will come. Thankfully, it looks as if that tide is shifting, and church planting has received more attention. The movement toward church planting goes by several names, but it is usually described as being missional, a term that means we are to be moving outward toward those around us. It is a movement that seeks to make the faith public and to duplicate the faith among people who are our neighbors.

This missional, church-planting direction has gained popularity, and although we should be encouraged by this, we should not jump into a ministry without understanding some of the aspects of what we are doing. Church planting takes work. It is important to know something of the location regarding a church plant. Will the church be planted in a major city like New York or Chicago? Or will the church be planted in a rural area like the mountains of Colorado or the plains of Kansas? A church plant in New York City is not going to be the same as a church plant in Memphis, and both of those will be different from the church that is planted in the midst of farms in the heart of the United States.

Church planters must know something of the city in which they are going to plant a church, but this is not new. As Paul went into new cities, he understood the area and the issues surrounding those cities. Each one of his letters was slightly different, not just because of the issues the churches faced but also because of their locations. The Christians in Rome faced a different world than the Christians in Thessalonica. So we must pause and consider some of the features of the city of Thessalonica.1

Background

Paul was on his second missionary journey. He had received a vision from Jesus that a man of Macedonia was urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). So Paul took up the call of Jesus to push the gospel into areas we consider today as Europe. In order to preach the gospel to this area, Paul was traveling along the Via Egnatia, a Roman road that connected Greece to Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul), connecting what we know as Europe and Asia. Before this road was built, the journey would have taken three to four months by ship or five to six weeks by land. But once the Via Egnatia was finished, the journey took less than three weeks.2

As Paul traveled along this road, he came upon several key cities, and he brought the gospel to those areas. First he came to Philippi (Acts 16). While he was there, he faced a great deal of suffering and persecution, which resulted in Paul and Silas being thrown into prison. God miraculously got them out of prison through an earthquake, and in the process the Philippian jailer and his family became Christians. The church was established in Philippi, and Paul and Silas left to continue their work of the gospel.

Once Paul and Silas departed from Philippi, Luke picks up their journey in Acts 17 as they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia. This journey would have been similar to traveling along the Gulf Coast from Pensacola, Florida, through Mobile, Alabama, on your way to New Orleans, Louisiana. Paul and Silas were traveling on this major road along the Aegean Sea, and they passed through these two cities before they came to the central city we know of as Thessalonica.

The Importance of Thessalonica

Thessalonica was important for several reasons, and its importance played a role in Paul’s decision to stop in this city. We do not know if he stopped in Amphipolis and Apollonia to establish churches, but it is doubtful. Luke tells us no more than that he passed through those cities, but Paul did stop in Thessalonica, one of the largest cities in the Roman world with over one hundred thousand people. As a large city, it had a synagogue. Luke mentions this immediately in Acts 17. We know that on his missionary journeys Paul would make the synagogue his starting point for the gospel as he preached the good news “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). But we also see something of the providence of God in this event because synagogues had been established in large cities after the Jewish dispersion. By placing Jewish synagogues throughout the Roman Empire, God was providing a means for the gospel to advance throughout the Greco-Roman world.

Thessalonica was also at a strategic location. It was on that important road, the Via Egnatia. In terms we can understand, perhaps we could compare it to New York City, which has a central harbor, several important airports, central train locations, and the connection of several central interstates. Thessalonica was centrally located just like that. It was a key city of the region because it had fertile farmland, a good mining operation, and a great fishing industry from both the rivers and the sea. So important was the city that one of the writers of that time, Meletius, once said, “So long as nature does not change, Thessalonica will remain wealthy and fortunate.”3

Thessalonica was a free city in the Roman world. Other cities did not have this privilege. In other locations the Roman Empire had military occupation forces and set up its own government, but not in Thessalonica. The Thessalonians controlled their own affairs and political situations, making them almost democratic, unlike any other city in that region. They had freedom from military occupation, and they could mint their own coins. That makes their political structure very important. In fact, this plays a role in our story. If we don’t understand the political structure of the city, some of Acts 17 and 1 Thessalonians will not make much sense.

The political structure of Thessalonica had several different levels. The lowest level was the citizen assembly. This was a type of local government consisting of individual citizens meeting to make decisions. This is indicated in Acts 17:5 when Luke says that the mob tried to bring the Christians “out to the crowd.” The word for “crowd” indicates the people assembled in a public place or, as some believe, the citizen assembly. When trouble came up, the mob wanted to bring Paul and Silas before this citizen assembly. Luke then says in verse 6 that the mob could not find them, so Jason and other Christians were brought before the city authorities. The word for “city authorities” here is a specific word referring to government leaders called politarchs.4

The politarchs were the upper level of government in Thessalonica. They had a very important role in that city, which is why Jason and some of the brethren were brought to them. These leaders, these politarchs, were responsible for the governing of the city, and if they could not keep everything going smoothly, they would be accountable to the Roman Empire. So they did everything possible to please the Roman Empire and its citizens. They were politically perceptive leaders, and for good reason: they didn’t want to get into trouble and lose all the privileges of the city. Thessalonica had wonderful privileges because it was a free city, and these governors or politarchs were put in place to make sure the city didn’t lose its privileges. If Thessalonica lost its status as a free city, there would be terrible consequences. Their income would go down as they would have to pay more taxes, as well as paying and housing Roman military officers. The economy would take a significant hit, and the freedom of the city would be at stake. If there were problems, the Roman Empire would come in and take all privileges away.

Not only did these politarchs govern the city as political authorities, they also had another very important role to play in Thessalonica: they led the people in certain aspects of religious worship.5 This is far removed from our concept of church and state and the separation of the two. At that time you could not separate the political leaders from the worship of the city. The ruler or king was often worshipped alongside other gods. In the Egyptian world, the Pharaoh was considered a god with all the other gods. The same thing is true of the Roman Empire. Caesar was worshipped, and this worship bound the Roman Empire together and created solidarity, and the politarchs played an important role regarding this religious unity.

Because of Thessalonica’s key location, it had a significant religious atmosphere. There were many temples and shrines within the city. In fact, the city was only fifty miles from Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek gods such as Zeus. In order to travel to Mt. Olympus, worshippers would come by ship to the Thessalonica harbor or take the central Roman road, the Via Egnatia. Since Thessalonica was on a major road, and since it had a major harbor, these religious opportunities brought a lot of money. So Thessalonica catered to every kind of god in that world—Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and numerous others. But the most important religious ceremony of the city concerned the worship of the Roman emperor. This was called the Roman imperial cult.6 This movement placed the Caesars and some members of his family within the realm of deity, and the Roman citizens were called upon to worship Caesar. This was an important element of freedom in cities like Thessalonica. As long as they paid homage to Caesar, as long as they worshipped and honored him, they would have very little trouble with the Roman Empire.7

The Roman imperial cult arose during the time of the early reign of Caesar Augustus, whose full name was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (he was known as Octavius). His great-uncle was Julius Caesar, and after Julius Caesar’s assassination, young Octavius brought peace, prosperity, and security to the Roman Empire. In fact, the Romans would often say that Caesar Augustus brought the gospel with him, the good news. They would actually use the term for gospel: Caesar was the bringer of the gospel, and he was to be worshipped. So the Caesars who followed after him—Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero to mention a few—all continued this Roman imperial cult.

So the leaders, the politarchs, of Thessalonica wanted to protect the rule of Caesar. To demonstrate their loyalty to Caesar, they would lead the people in worship, and in that worship they would remind the people of the great Kingdom of Caesar and the good news that he brought of peace and security and prosperity. Caesar’s kingdom was one of peace and prosperity that would never end, it was claimed. It was into that environment that Paul came preaching his gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Comes to Thessalonica

When he arrived, Paul began in the synagogue. That was Paul’s custom; the gospel went to the Jew first and then to the Greek. In his pattern of planting churches, he would initially preach to the Jews. Paul would walk into the synagogue and be recognized by his dress, and he would stand up and speak. Luke explains:

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2, 3)

That is what Paul did. When he had the opportunity to speak, he would step up and remind the brothers about the promises that God had given to their forefathers about the coming Messiah. He would demonstrate that the Messiah had to come and suffer, perhaps appealing to Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22 or other Old Testament passages. Then he would argue that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, that he fulfilled the promises of God.

The Result of the Gospel

After Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, “some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women” (Acts 17:4). So there were Jews in the same community with God-fearing Greeks, as well as prominent women from the city. Paul’s message reached different groups of people, but this good news had now created a problem. Luke explains that some of the Jews were jealous, so they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked the house of Jason, and their goal was to bring Paul and Silas out to the citizen assembly. When they could not find Paul and Silas to bring them before this local assembly, the mob decided to take Jason and some fellow Christians before the city authorities, the politarchs. It is very important that we see the charge brought against these Christians: “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them” (Acts 17:6, 7).

Now we see why this is a problem. “This message is causing a disruption throughout the whole Roman Empire, and if we let them come here, they will disrupt our economy and freedom. If you rulers allow this, you will fall from power, and Rome will come down upon us and accuse us of treason.” Further evidence that this is precisely what was taking place is found in verse 7: “They are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Why would the rulers be troubled? Paul was proclaiming another King—Jesus, the Messiah—and this message was turning the world upside down.

Notice what Luke says in verse 8: “And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.” This claim disrupted the pseudopeace of these city authorities, these politarchs. The leaders saw the implications of this message and realized what it meant. The gospel of Jesus was challenging the very core of that city—its worship of Caesar, its love of money, and its love of freedom. The gospel of King Jesus had “turned the world upside down.” Paul’s gospel about a King who died upon a cross to forgive our sins was challenging the rule and reign of Caesar. This gospel was so powerful that some of the prominent people in the city were now identifying with that King. They were picking up their crosses and following him, even if it cost them prominence in the city, even if it cost them money, even if it cost them freedom. This message was going against the very culture of that city. That church would have been tolerated as long as it did not disrupt the social order, but as soon as the church stepped into the middle of life, as soon as the church started tinkering with life in the city, people became nervous and worried.

The mob brought them before the politarchs, and the magistrates forced Jason and the Christians to post bond. This would have been a good behavior bond.8 Perhaps the city made them guarantee that Paul and Silas would leave the city. We are not sure. Whatever was required, the next event described by Luke is that the Christians in Thessalonica sent Paul and Silas away by night. This might have been a result of the hostility toward Paul and Silas, and the Thessalonians were concerned for their friends. But Paul and Silas were also worried about these new Christians and this new church. As long as Paul and Silas stayed, there was a threat to that new church. So Paul left under the cloak of the dark night.

Paul’s Departure and His Concern

That was the situation facing the church when Paul left the city. He didn’t know what was going to happen. The Christians were faced with a serious charge—treason against Caesar. And the charge had some truth to it. No, these Christians did not want to rebel against the rule of Caesar, but they would not worship him as the Lord. That was reserved for Jesus alone. In that way there was no other king but Jesus Christ. That was a difficult stance to take in the Roman Empire, and Paul knew that it would bring about suffering and affliction. Paul was concerned for their faith, and he did not want them to be moved by these afflictions. He told them during his time there that they were destined, as Christians, to suffer affliction as they picked up their crosses and followed Jesus (1 Thessalonians 3:1–4). When he could no longer endure it, he sent Timothy back to establish and exhort them in the faith.

Timothy was going to exhort and encourage these Christians as they faced these trials. He was going to remind them of Paul’s teaching. Those who were caught up in the message of peace, security, and comfort that came from the Roman Empire would not receive their message. The message disrupts that kind of life, even today, so we must be prepared to suffer for the cause of the gospel. But Timothy was also going to report back to Paul about their faith because Paul feared that “somehow the tempter had tempted [them] and [his] labor would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

What does the tempter say? He tempts them to give up on Jesus. He tempts them to turn back to all they had left behind in the Roman world. But Paul knew this was a deadly game. We should be reminded of the word from the writer of Hebrews here. Describing those who are strangers and exiles on the earth, those who seek a homeland beyond this world, he states that if they think about the land they left, the world they left, “they would have had opportunity to return” (Hebrews 11:15). When that temptation arises, they must “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one,” and as they live this way, “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16).

Our Battle Is Against . . .

This is what the Christians faced in Thessalonica, but this is also what followers of Christ face today. This battle has not disappeared, and it will not go away. It is a constant battle that must be faced by all Christians. Some estimates show that over forty million Christians were killed in the twentieth century because of their faith.9 All we have to do is look at the Middle East or China, and we will see areas where Christians must stand firm for their faith as they face the threat of death. In 2008 the Summer Olympics came to China, and the opening ceremony was unlike anything seen in Olympic history. The ceremony was awe inspiring to anyone who watched it, but behind all the pomp and ceremony is a conflict in China, a conflict between the church and the Communist government. An underground church exists in China, and the government will not permit its believers to worship Jesus Christ openly and freely. Christians are viewed as a threat to communism, and they are persecuted for their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.10

This type of conflict has been with the church since the beginning. The claims of Jesus have withstood the power and threats of the Roman Empire, Muslim armies, the rise of Communism, and any number of other claims to power. In our time we have a slightly different challenge, a challenge called secularism. Many within the United States of America, both citizens and politicians, believe that Christians’ faith should be kept out of the public square. Faith is considered a private matter, and it should not play a role in public interaction. This is just as much a challenge to our faith as was the challenge in Thessalonica.

The truth is: if we are Christians, our faith cannot be private. We cannot just be a Christian on Sunday or in the privacy of our homes as we pray. We must follow Jesus publicly. Our faith cannot be limited to our churches or our homes but must be displayed in various ways at work and in the day-to-day activities of our world. That could mean several things for us. Perhaps it means we need to be more open or more serious about our commitment to Christ. Perhaps it means we should reflect the justice and truth of God in our callings or vocations, or perhaps it means we should reflect the love and compassion of the gospel in our callings or vocations. Whether we are at church, at work, at home, or in any other public place, we are ambassadors for King Jesus. That is the call Christ has placed on us.

We need to be stirred up to remember that the kingdom of God transcends the governments of this world. Jesus is King over everything in this world. He sits in Heaven ruling at the right hand of God, and as Christians we are called to acknowledge that “of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). As Abraham Kuyper famously said in the climax of his inaugural address at the dedication of the Free University of Amsterdam, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”11 There is not a single place where Christ does not touch our lives. We cannot privatize our faith. We cannot think that as long as we are reading our Bibles and praying and coming to church, we are doing enough. We cannot give in to a secular mind-set. Our faith must speak in the public square.

The message Paul brings to us through this book and this situation in Thessalonica is that we cannot live that way. We cannot accept it when others in our culture say they will tolerate the church as long as we keep everything private. To be truly missional, to be the kind of Christians Christ has called us to be, we must be salt and light. If we live that way, Jesus gives us a promise: as we acknowledge him before men, he will acknowledge us before his Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32). Let us openly acknowledge our King!

3

What Is in a Greeting?

1 THESSALONIANS 1:1

HAVE YOU EVER considered what is in a greeting? Have you ever considered how you greet people, and how they greet you? We commonly say, “Hello!” or “How are you?” In a less formal environment, we might say, “Hey, it’s good to see you.” The same is true about letters and e-mails. We tend to be somewhat more formal in letters. If we write, “Dear Paul,” we are approaching a matter in a formal way. On the other hand, if I write to you and say, “Greetings in Christ,” I am communicating something to you. I am saying that we are together in Christ, and I greet you based on our unity in Christ.

No matter what the situation is, we are communicating a message with our greetings. Christians have understood this through the centuries and have often greeted one another in a unique way. Paul has a distinctively Christian way of communicating, and he begins his letter to this church in Thessalonica by writing, “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” What is Paul communicating in this greeting?

Typical Letter Writing

We should realize that just as there are standards for letter writing today, there were also standards in Paul’s day. If we write a letter, it usually follows this structure: a greeting, the body of the letter, a concluding farewell. Although ancient letter writing was similar to this structure, there are some important elements to consider. For example, the opening section followed a very specific pattern that had three elements: the sender, the recipient, and the greeting.1 The apostle followed the usual pattern: “Paul to the Thessalonians, greetings!”

Paul stayed close to this typical pattern in his letter, but he did change some things, and when he changed things, it was important. If a Biblical writer changed things from what you would normally expect, he was trying to communicate something important, and what we find is that Paul was trying to communicate something important, something distinctly Christian in this greeting. We could say that Paul was attempting to “Christianize” the letter opening.2 Instead of following the precise pattern, he added something significant. Usually the opening of a letter just said, “Greetings.” Notice that at the end of verse 1, Paul said two things in his greeting: “grace . . . and peace.” Paul was communicating more to this church in those two words than we often stop to consider. What does he mean by “grace” and “peace”?

What Is Grace?

Grace is foundational to a proper understanding of Christian salvation, and it is an important word to Paul since he uses it over one hundred times. Most of the time we define grace as a gift, and that is true. Grace is a gift, and it comes from God. But we can press on to a deeper understanding of it. We will examine grace in a twofold way.

First, it means that we are in right standing with God. This would imply that at one time we were not in right standing with God. According to Paul in Ephesians 2:3, God considers humanity to be “children of wrath.” Because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we are disobedient children and are under God’s judgment, but the gift of grace means that we have moved from this wrath to a position of favor with God. We have moved from wrath to grace, and Paul says in Romans that we “stand” in this grace (Romans 5:2). Grace is therefore part of God’s saving activity, his action in sending Christ to die in our place and putting us “in Christ.”

Second, grace is not only God’s gift of salvation for us in Christ, to move us from wrath to favor, from enemies to friends, but grace is also part of God’s work for us in the ongoing process of salvation and redemption. Grace continues to come to us throughout the Christian life. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” In other words, grace not only placed Paul in a right standing with God, but it also empowered him to live and minister and obey.

What Is Peace?

The other word Paul uses is “peace.” Although Paul is writing in Greek, he is still a Hebrew, and it would be wise for us to reflect on the Hebrew idea of peace, which is the word shalom. When you find the word peacein the Bible, the writer is not simply talking about some inner peace or tranquillity. The Hebrew word shalom is also not just about the absence of conflict. Instead shalom is about wholeness and well-being. The word not only reflects an individual’s relationship with God but the relationship of the whole community to God and to each other.3

A helpful way to think about peace from a Biblical perspective is to see it in contrast to sin. Sin has messed everything up in this world. Sin has devastated not only our actions but also our consciences; sin has destroyed our relationships not only with God but also with each other. Shalom (“ peace”) is a word that describes how God is going to set all those things right. Shalom is a word that describes the way things are supposed to be. So when you hear Paul talk about “peace,” think of shalom.4

Paul opened this letter with two very important words that describe the truth of the gospel in concise and precise ways. Both of these words have more depth than we can examine in one chapter, but Paul is going to unpack the meaning of these words throughout the whole letter, and we can see something more about them by looking at what immediately preceded these words: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Although Paul did not explicitly tie grace and peace to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in this passage as he did in all subsequent letters,5 we can be sure that what is implied is that this grace and peace come from a heavenly source. They are not coming specifically from Paul. Paul is pronouncing this blessing from God. We often call this an apostolic greeting or an apostolic salutation. We mean that Paul was representing God. Paul was speaking the words of God to this church, and in this greeting Paul was saying that God’s grace and peace rested on this church.

This greeting is similar to a benediction, the kind used at the end of worship services. The benediction is not a prayer because the preacher is not asking God for something. The benediction is from God, and God is sending you out from the worship service with his blessing. This is similar to what this greeting is doing. This greeting is from God, and God is speaking to us through Paul. In this opening greeting Paul is not praying. Paul is not asking God for anything. Instead God is giving us something. He is giving us grace and peace. God is declaring his grace and peace to us.

Since grace and peace come from God, notice what it does: it transforms our relationships. First, it transforms our relationship with God. We can now call God our Father. Grace has put us in a right standing with God. We have peace with him and are adopted into his family, so we call him Father. We should not take for granted the unbelievable reality that we can call the God of the universe “our Father.” We are expressing a relationship in that language, and we are part of God’s family not because of something we did but because God chose to adopt us into his family through his grace.

Second, grace and peace have transformed our relationship to Jesus. Notice the full expression of his name: “the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Jesus” is his name. “Lord” and “Christ” are his titles. It is not accidental that Jesus was his name. It means “Savior” or “the Lord is salvation.” But his titles also express our new relationship to him. As Lord, he is our King and Ruler. He is a sovereign. He protects and defends us. The title Christ means “anointed” and is another word for Messiah. As our Messiah, he is our Savior, our Great High Priest. He is the one who makes atonement for our sins. He is the one who bridges the gap between us and God.

Our new relationship with Jesus works like this: our King and Priest, Jesus, is the one who brings us grace and peace so that we might be able to call God Father. The importance of grace and peace is lost if it is simply coming from Paul. Grace and peace only mean something if they come from God first. So our relationship with God has been transformed into knowing him as Father, and our relationship with Jesus has been transformed into knowing him as our King and Savior. But grace and peace also transform our relationships with each other. Notice that this is the other part of Paul’s greeting. Is Paul the only person mentioned at the beginning of this letter? Notice again the people listed in verse 1: Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy. All three of them are connected to the church of the Thessalonians, that is “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Grace and peace create a new reality, a new ordering of human relationships. In this new community called the church, people are bound together in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are united to Jesus and to God our Father, which means we are united to each other. We should consider this from the opposite perspective. Paul didn’t say, “Grace to you Gentiles, and shalom-peace to you Jews.” Grace is not just for Gentiles, and peace is not just for Jews. The whole community receives grace and peace because we are not only in a new relationship with God and his Son Jesus, but we are in a new relationship with each other.

That should mean that there is no division in this new community. There is no division between Jew and Gentile, no division between slave and free, no division between male and female. Paul is probably indicating that unity by including Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy in the greeting. Paul does not always do this, but at this point he is emphasizing that the gospel brings us together as the people of God.

Why would Paul add Silas and Timothy here? Perhaps there are two reasons for the inclusion of these two men. First, Paul is showing the importance of unity in spite of our individual backgrounds. God brought Paul and Silas and Timothy together, and he was doing the same in Thessalonica with different individuals. In Acts 17:4 we notice that “a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women” were part of this church. That means that people from different social and economic backgrounds are bound together because of their connection to Jesus Christ.

This seems to be a powerful expression of unity and solidarity in the face of the persecution that was coming upon the church in Thessalonica. This persecution was coming from leaders in the city. In Acts 17, after Paul preached the gospel in Thessalonica, some of the Jews opposed Paul and these new Christians, and they brought some of them before the city authorities and said, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus” (vv. 6, 7). And “the people and the city authorities were disturbed” when they heard about this (v. 8).

Think about this for a moment. When the whole city of Thessalonica has turned against you because you believe in King Jesus, you need to be reminded that a new reality is taking place. A day is coming when the new heavens and the new earth will be revealed, and in that day we will rejoice in our common fellowship and in our unity with one another.

Paul, as an apostle, is in a unique position to speak God’s blessing to us, and ministers are in a unique position to speak God’s blessing to others, in a worship service through the opening greeting and the benediction. Nevertheless, we should be more mindful of our own greetings to each other and to other people. We know the truth of the gospel. We know the promise of forgiveness. God has forgiven all of our sins; he has taken care of our greatest problem through his Son Jesus Christ. He has promised that there will come a day when he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.