1 Thessalonians 2:1-9

Taking a look at 1 Thessalonians 2:1-9.

You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi ...

Paul and company faced opposition in Philippi back in Acts 16. They moved onto Thessalonica in Acts 17. Eventually, Paul and company had to leave there too!

A modern city stands there today. According to the web page in the previous link, Thessalonica is second largest city in Greece. There are some photos of the excavations in the city over at Bibleplaces.com.


image source: http://www.bibleplaces.com/images/Thessalonica_forum_with_arches2_2nd_c_AD_tb_n011301.jpg

... as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

Isn't preaching a strange thing?

Someone stands up and talks.

In modern life, there aren't many settings where this happens. I suppose for those who are politically active, one can go to an event and hear a candidate speak. For those who are interested in a special topic, a person could go to a university lecture.

I wonder what did Paul sound like! Did he have a booming voice like Heston as Moses in the famed film, The Ten Commandments. Or did he have a more ordinary voice like say Tom Hanks? Would he give impassioned speeches like a football coach at halftime?

From his writings, we know his content: Jesus. We also know his style: very organized in his thoughts and very much a straight shooter.

Which actor working today would a director cast for Paul? Hmmm ...

In any case, in this passage, he says he preaches straightforwardly ... no marketing surveys, no sound bites, no focus groups, just the gospel!

Does that mean we have to forgo any "glitz" and "glamour" in our church activities?

If all we are giving people is fluff then that is a mistake. But if a given church has some great musicians, they should be utilized. If a congregation has some individuals who can act on stage, some dramatic presentations would be terrific. But the bottom line has to be ... is Christ proclaimed straighforwardly at some point in the assembly? Is God's teachings explained directly or indirectly in the usage of media and the arts?

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

Running parallel with an unadorned and straighforward presentation of Jesus as the Christ must be a life that is transformed. Why would anyone even consider the message of Christ if there is no life change?

Paul and his team didn't just crank up the microphone and preach: they lived among them and were in particular sensitive to even the appearance of preaching for dollars.

After reading something like this, you have to wonder what part of this passage ministers who spend a ton of time asking for money don't get?

Lord, help those who preach on Sunday throughout the world. They have a special honor and obligation in feeding the flock and bringing the message that is salvation to those who don't know you. May they be convicted that their mission is to present Christ to people. Help them to live a life that honors Jesus. For those who have gone astray, may your Holy Spirit work in their hearts bringing them back to what YOU want them to do. Lord, in my life, help me to be ready to share Jesus with people when the time is right. Help me to live a life quietly that speaks loudly that Jesus has changed my life. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

Looking at I Thessalonians 1:4-10 this morning.

The Thessalonian letter is believed to be one of the earliest of the New Testament writings dating around A.D. 50-51 . For more on that point, check out this item. By the way, from a Google search, it appears that Peter Kirby is a skeptic. In roaming around his Early Christian Writings web site, there are other NT writings he is doubtful about in terms of authenticity and dating. Additionally, he maintains a few other web sites where his skepticism is quite apparent. However, I will give him credit for pulling together a lot of the current scholarship both supportive and opposed to Christianity. In any case, on 1 Thessalonians, the scholarship, both favorable as well as opposed to Christianity, support Paul's authorship and the early dating.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

Why do people believe?

I wonder how many people during Jesus time on earth actually met him and heard him and saw a miracle or two? I wonder how many became followers of Jesus?

The Gospel words are powerful. But without the Holy Spirit's power and conviction, they are just words.

This verse makes me think of the Parable of the Sower and Seeds and Soil. The words (seeds) go forth and lands on various soils. The results vary with the type of soil.

You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

This verse challenges me in my role as a volunteer at the youth program at my church. Would I be able to stand before God with a clear conscience and say, you know how I lived among the youth group and they became imitators of me and thus of you Lord?

Gasp! Do these young folks see a little bit of Jesus in my life?

So my challenge is to do my best to give them the Scriptures in teaching time but also to live a life that shows them its real in my life.

And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell 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.

The lives of the Thessalonians were changed! They left their pagan idol worship to serve the living and true God. Their transformation was so complete that others in other places noticed! This is the heart of the Christian message: a transformed life due to belief in the living and true God and the hope that comes from knowing Jesus was raised from the dead.

Lord, in the USA, people hear about Jesus. We really have no excuse. Yet, for so many, it is just a name and a nice sounding story. But in your mysterious ways, for some of us, our lives have been transformed. It is not of our merit but your grace that this is so. Lord, help me to be an example as Paul and his team were to the Thessalonians. It isn't just about speaking the words of the faith, it is living it out so others can see it. Help me to do that! Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Am looking at 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

It is a prayer.

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we think of the great Christian virtues, we think of faith, hope and love as mentioned in this prayer.

Certainly, we think of 1 Corinthians 13:13, And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

We also may think of the 9 aspects of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

All worthy of striving for in our lives through prayer for ourselves and for each other.

What is interesting to me in the prayer in this passage is that faith, hope and love don't stand alone. Rather something happens as a result of the existence of those virtues in the life of the follower of Jesus. In fact as I read it, I can feel the sweat on the brow building up: these virtues are linked to work, labor and endurance! I picture in my head those Gatorade commercials!

The three words that describe what springs forth from faith, hope and love intrigued me.

Since I'm a molecular biologist and not a Greek scholar, there is a limited amount of information I can glean from the Greek text. But with on-line resources, even a lay-person like myself can get a little flavor of the Greek. If you go to Bible.Crosswalk.com one can access the Greek through various clicks. I'm still not very good at it but if you hunt around you can get to it!

Tied with faith is work which is the Greek word ergon (Strong's 2041) which has this definition:
(1) business, employment, that which any one is occupied that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
(2) any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
(3) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work

Quite a word picture, eh?

There is a sense of purposefulness and a product at the end of the day. Faith isn't some abstract thing but at the end of the day it should have produced something tangible. Just as an artist has a painting on the wall from her efforts or a craftsman has a piece of furniture to use.

Linked to love is labor which is the Greek word kopos (Strong's 2873) which has this definition:
(1) a beating
(2) a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow
(3) labour, trouble, to cause one trouble, make work for him, intense labour united with trouble and toil

Talk about vivid!

We think of love as this soft-focus warm fuzzy thing with music in the air. Not so! It is intense and even painful!

Lastly, hope is connected to endurance which is the Greek word hupomone (Strong's 5281) which has this definition:
(1) steadfastness, constancy, endurance, in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate, purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings, patiently, and steadfastly
(2) a patient, steadfast waiting for
(3) a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Hope means sticking it out even when the going gets tough. It means keeping an eye on the prize at the very end.

Lord, teach me to be centered on Jesus. Produce in my life works of faith. I want my life to have a real result. Teach me to practice what love really means and how that shows itself in labor that is not easy and even painful and sorrowful but ultimately worthwhile. Help me to hang in there even when discouraged by focusing on Jesus. Amen!

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2

With the previously concluded devotional thoughts series on Joel, what shall I contemplate next?

I decided to go back to the Christian Scriptures and again select a relatively short book.

So for today's reflections, please go to 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2.

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

We have no idea what these guys look like. But I have to say I am always curious how artisans portray people we have no images of.


image source: http://www.artchive.com/artchive/E/el_greco/el_greco_st_paul.jpg.html

As you can see there are two things in St. Paul's hands: a sword and a letter. Makes me think of the adage, "the pen is mightier than the sword." The Apostle Paul is believed to have written 13 of the letters in the Christian Scriptures. These writings have had a major part in shaping Christian theology and morality and Christianity has had its impact on the world. When God guides the pen, it is indeed mightier than the sword!


image source: http://www.tomwhitestudio.com/midnightsong.html

Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Acts 16. Silas joining the mission's team was in the midst of some personal tension between Paul and Barnabas. One wonders if he ever had doubts about being a missionary! Yet, he was praying, singing and preaching with Paul while in that prison!


Image source: http://www.comeandseeicons.com/inp122.htm

Here is an iconographic representation of Timothy from an Orthodox Church artist.

UPDATE: the image is copyrighted and so it won't usually pipe into the web page. To see the image I'm refering to click here.

When I see this image ... I see a youngish looking Timothy with a full head of hair. He has one hand open and pointing up to God which makes me think of his job as a pastor pointing the way to God and opening his life to his flock. In his other hand is a book, the source of his preaching and the guide for his life.

What would have been in that book when he was a pastor?

At that time, the Christian Scriptures would not have been officially complied in the form we have today. However, a surmise of the content of Timothy's book: accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus as told by the original disciples, letters from Paul and other notes that Timothy may have jotted down from his time as Paul's assistant and portions of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Whenever I think of Timothy, I think of this passage in 1 Timothy 4:11-16.

Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Lord, I pray that you will help me to live a honorable life. It is my desire to grow into greater love, faith and purity. You have given me an opportunity to work with young people at my church. Help me to be an example of living out real faith. I don't want some abstract faith but a real one that involves the heart, mind, soul, body and spirit that makes a difference in the here and now. Grant me insight when I share with them the wisdom that is in the Scriptures you provide that helps guide our lives. Lord forgive me my many faults and strengthen me when discouragement sets in. In those times, help me to be like Silas when in the prison, he looked up in prayer and sang to you and proclaimed you to those in that place. Lord, help me to be like Paul in recognizing that there is a spiritual war at hand and my whole life must be wholly given to you. In Jesus name, amen.

Joel 3:17-21

Joel 3:17-21 is my reading for today.

After all the thunder and lightening of the previous passages, we get to the end of the story.

It is an idilic picture that draws on the agrarian imagery the Jewish people of that era would know well.

Then you will know that I, the LORD your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her.
In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house
and will water the valley of acacias.

This state of peace and plenty occurs after God dwells in Zion (literal Zion or figurative Zion?) and the enemies are gone.

I've always wondered how passages like this would be written if there was a 21st Century Joel in America?

Would they use the same kind of imagery or what it be completely different?

I can't help but feel this kind of passage is descriptive of some future occasion though I suppose some might argue that it is symbolic for the blessings that Christ's coming has inaugurated.

Many of my blog posts on Joel have dwelt on this question.

One question I sometimes ask about life in the modern world is why doesn't God make it more obvious that He is active?

Have you ever seen the play on letter perception?

Godisnowhere.

We can read it. "God is nowhere" or as "God is now here."

This passage in Joel seems to be describing the state when there is no doubt as to whether God is around. The destruction of the enemies and the peace and prosperity make that pretty clear.

But what about today?

We live in a world where there are many who oppose God and what is good. Peace is hard to find and some places are desperately poor and in rich America, there is poverty of the soul.

I suppose the analogy can be made to the time between D-day and victory in Europe day. On D-day, the US, British, Canadian and allied forces invaded Normandy to gain a foothold in Europe. It would take nearly a year of additional fighting before the Nazis were defeated.

God has invaded into human affairs at various times by various means in the Hebrew Scriptures. Joel's message in some ways was God invading into that time and place. It was a message regarding a particularly devastating locust invasion and had its meaning in its time. But its broader theme of the Day of the LORD may have had partial fulfillment in its time but awaits complete fulfillment in a time yet to be?

The ultimate invasion was Jesus. Restoration and victory have been set in motion but it is not here yet in full.

But Egypt will be desolate,
Edom a desert waste,
because of violence done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
Judah will be inhabited forever
and Jerusalem through all generations.
Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
I will pardon."
The LORD dwells in Zion!

In the intellectual abstract situation people might wonder out loud is there really a right and wrong or is it purely a social convention these notions of good and evil. But as a gut level, we seem to know and want to believe there is punishment for those who seem to get away with things in this world. Inside the human heart is the desire to see the wicked punished. That doesn't mean a savage glee in reading a passage like this but rather a quiet assurance that the scales of justice will be evened out.

Which leads to the problem at hand for me as an ordinary human being. I'm guilty of sin. My sense of justice toward the outside has to be turned inside too. I need forgiveness. And so the book of Joel is also about how God calls people to himself and forgives them and blesses them in addition to the judgement in the Day of the LORD.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you have left the heavenly realms so that we would not be left stuck in our sins. Please speed the day when the scales of justice are balanced. There are many more faithful than me and more righteous than me who long to see injustice recompensed. For them I ask your Kingdom would come in full and take full realization. For those who stand outside your ruling in their hearts, may they be convicted of their sin and see your justice and your mercy and be drawn to you. Amen.

Joel 3:4-16

Am looking at Joel 3:4-16.

One of the unanswered questions about Joel is when in the history of the Jewish people did these events take place. The answer is we don't know. Some OT books will refer to some king and we can place that into some time frame easily. Or there will be a reference to an event large enough that it shows up in current history books or in archeological finds.

We gain some geographic information here about the peoples of that time.

"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. "See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken.

Tyre has a long history of being a powerful city so that doesn't narrow down the time frame too much. The same is true of Sidon.

Seeing the Greeks mentioned doesn't narrow down the timeline either as the Greeks were on the scene a long time though they clearly rose to their apex under Alexander.

Who are the Sabeans?

Jewish Encylopeida.com says they from the kingdom of Sheba in South Eastern Arabia. Helpful geographically but again tells us nothing about when.

However, the message is pretty clear.

Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!"
Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.
Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow -
so great is their wickedness!"
Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the sky will tremble.
But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.

This really sounds like all that "end of the world as we know it" kind of language that Jesus used in places like Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 and in the book of Revelation.

In this passage, it is bracketed by verse 1 that says, In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem and verse 16 that says, the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

There are theological systems that transfer all the promises to Israel to the Church and so they don't believe Israel as a national entity has a role to play in how things unfold. I suppose that view held some appeal until 1948 when Israel came back into existence.

Anyway, if one takes that position it would be possible then the fulfillment of this passage would be at the Cross. By what Jesus has done, he has restored the fortunes of humanity (v. 1 using Judah and Jerusalem as a symbol for humanity) and that amidst the judgement that falls in verses 2-15, Jesus provides the refuge and stronghold of verse 16.

However, if we think that Israel as a entity still has a role to play than a more literal reading of this passage might work.

It is truly amazing that today, Israel, a nation the size of New Jersey and a little over 6 million people is at the center of many of the geopolitical conflicts of the world.

Iran with nearly 69 million people has a leader who would like to see Israel destroyed!

Every Arab country with the exception of Egypt and Jordan has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

However you read this passage though, one thing is clear: God's justice will prevail and wickedness will be punished and those who have sought refuge in God will be protected.

Lord, you say the kingdom is at hand yet you say we should pray thy kingdom come. You rule in the hearts of some in this world but not all but one day your rule will be without dispute. I bow before you because of your mercy and grace in forgiving my sins. I can enter your throne room because of the Cross. But so many in this world don't see a sin problem and will not bow to you but shake a fist. Lord, help them see their true state. Help them to see that you have offered a way back in Jesus. Help me to point the way to those you bring into my path. Amen.