Living in the Fast Lane - 2022-09-04

“Living in the Fast Lane”

1 Thessalonians 3:1-10

Message #7 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

4 September 2022

INTRODUCTION:

If I say to you that I have been “living in the fast lane,” what does that mean to you?

·        Perhaps that I am living a wild, sensual, profligate, ungoverned life?

·        Or that I am staying super busy, trying to get lots of work done?

·        Or maybe that I am doing fun, exciting things every day? 

Many people spend their lives looking for the illusive “fast lane.” They are convinced that if they can just find that fast lane then their lives will be much more exciting and meaningful. But sadly, they invariably look in all the wrong places. They look for life in places where only death can be found. They explore sex and one-night stands; they experiment with alcohol and drugs; they try bungee-jumping and other thrill rides; they delve into eastern religions, occultism, and philosophy; they immerse themselves in business and activities. They are looking for real life but never finding it. 

The problem is that real life is not found in worldly activities or excitement. It is found only in Christ, and in a close relationship with Him. It is found in knowing Him and loving Him and serving Him and doing His will and hanging out with His people.

In our text for today the Apostle Paul tells us what “real living” means to him. He shares with us what “living in the fast lane” means to him. Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10. 

TRANSITION:

¹ So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.  ² We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the Gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.  ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.  ⁵ For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.  ⁶ But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.  ⁷ Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.  ⁸ For now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord.  ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?  ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 

MAIN BODY:

Verse 1: So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.

·        Here Paul uses the literary plural “we,” but he is talking about himself. To see these events, we must turn back to Acts 17. Look at verses 10-15 of that passage: “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessaloniki, for they received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews of Thessaloniki found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴ Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. ¹⁵ Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

·        So, we learn that after Paul and his team were chased out of Thessaloniki they pressed on to Berea where their reception was altogether different. They stayed on there for a while, teaching and encouraging the new converts. But verse 13 says that some of the Jewish leaders in Thessaloniki learned that they were in Berea and went there to stir up trouble for them just like they had done in Philippi and Thessaloniki. Paul had to be escorted out of Berea and was accompanied to Athens. But verse 14 says that Silas and Timothy stayed on in Berea with orders for one or both to make their way back to Thessaloniki as soon as possible. That is what Paul is referring to here in the next verses.

Verses 2-3: We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the Gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.

·        “…so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.” This word, “unsettled” in the NIV is an interesting word. In Greek it literally means “to wag the tail.” It is the picture of a dog that wags his tail to get you to lower your defences and feed him or pet him. It is also the word for beguile or flatter. It is translated in the KJV, “moved.” In the NASV it is “disturbed.” Paul is referring to what sometimes happens when Christians go through tribulations or times of persecution. They are tempted [flattered, beguiled] to abandon the Lord and the faith, thinking that the trials are not worth the payoff. So, Paul reminds them here that suffering, and trials are part of the normal Christian life. They should not come as a shock to us.

·        “…we were destined for them” – Paul, who had already suffered more than his share, here groups himself with the suffering believers in Thessaloniki. 

Verse 4: In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

·        Paul reminds them that he and the other fellows had told the Thessalonian believers repeatedly (he uses the perfect aorist tense = “we used to tell you”) that they needed to be ready to face tribulations and trials. Hence, suffering should not have caught them by surprise. They were given fair warning after all.

Verse 5: For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter [Satan = “the adversary”] might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

·        Paul was concerned that they might have given in to Satan’s beguiling temptation to abandon the faith, and that they might have gone back on their baptismal vows to follow the Lord no matter the cost.

·        You remember that Satan tried to use Christ’s physical suffering in the wilderness to defeat Him spiritually (Matthew 4:3), and he did the same to the Thessalonians. Moreover, he will try it with you and me as well. We are often at our most vulnerable to his attacks when we are sick, or in pain, or discouraged.

Verse 6: But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

·        We must tie this verse to Acts 18:5, which says, “But when Silas and Timothy came down [to Corinth] from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the Word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.” After Paul ministered in Athens for a while he moved over to Corinth where he was living when Timothy and Silas found him. Timothy and Silas’s return and their positive report about events in Macedonia eased Paul’s troubled mind at last. A big burden was lifted off his shoulders.

·        Timothy reported that the Thessalonians, despite the persecution, were continuing to demonstrate faith toward God and love both toward one another as well as toward those who mistreated them. Even though they were new converts they were genuine Christians, filled with the fruit of the Spirit. There is no other explanation for the way they were holding up under such trials as they had known from the very beginning days of the Thessalonian church.

·        “…Timothy…has brought good news about your faith and love” – Paul uses the Greek word euangelidzo, meaning “to evangelize” and suggests that Timothy’s report was virtually a “gospel, an evangel” to his troubled and anxious mind.

o   Their FAITH was firm – this had been Paul’s main concern. He mentions this 3 times, in verses 5, 6, and 7.

o   Their LOVE was constant – even despite the trials and persecution, which could have easily frayed the edges of their sunny dispositions. Many of us get grouchy when we are worried, or hurting, or downhearted. We sometimes take things out on other people or even blame God.

o   Their REMEMBRANCE (recollection) of Paul and his colleagues was always good – despite the reproach and persecution that the evangelists’ visit had caused. They carried no grudge against Paul and his team. 

Verse 7: Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

·        What does Paul mean by, “…in all our distress and persecution”? He uses two strong words here. The first is anagké, indicating “a necessity imposed by external circumstances.” I think he is referring to the fact that he was broke and hungry much of the time. The second strong word he uses is thlípsis, meaning “a choking pressure.” By his use of this word, I think Paul is referring to the opposition he faced from the Jews and the Corinthians, and the apathetic indifference of the Athenians. Since Paul’s separation from the Thessalonians his own lot had not been a happy one, even while he awaited news from Macedonia. Persecution at Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Berea was followed by loneliness and indifferent response at Athens (cf. 3:1; Acts 17:32-34). Such determined opposition so plagued him at Corinth that he needed to be divinely reassured Luke tells us in Acts 18:9-10, “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city [i.e., in Corinth].’” No wonder Paul speaks of personally experiencing distress and persecution.

·        This is also a perfect example of what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”

Verses 8: For now, we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord. 

·        “…for now, we really live” – For most of us, Paul’s life looks like an exciting story. Most people’s daily lives are humdrum, but not Paul’s. He was always into something exciting. But his point here is that “real living” to him is defined as knowing that his children in the faith are continuing to walk faithfully with God, “standing firm in the Lord,” despite all their problems and troubles. Paul would say, “Now that is really living!” For Paul, that was living in the fast lane. 

Verse 9: How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 

·        This is a convoluted and confusing way to say that Paul was filled with joy and gratefulness to God because of the news he heard from Timothy about the steadfastness of the Thessalonian Christians.

·        Paul took no credit for the strength or growth of the church. It was God who gave the growth. He is not boastful here, just thankful.

Verse 10: Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 

·        “…and to supply what is lacking in your faith.” Here Paul is not slamming their faith. It is just his way of saying that he looks forward to being with them again soon so that he can continue instructing them in the things of God so that their faith will be strengthened even more.

·        There is another lesson here too. We often think that when we are separated from the people that we love there is nothing that we can do to help them. But there is…we can pray for them. Paul prayed faithfully, fervently, and often for the Thessalonian believers, even though he was physically far removed from them. Yet his prayers reached across the miles and helped support and sustain those beloved young believers. Like James says in James 5:16, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

CONCLUSION:

This is an intimate portion of Scripture. It clearly reveals that Paul was not the cerebral, unfeeling theologian that some people try to make him out to be. He was intelligent – yes. He was an incredible theologian – without a doubt. He was a hard-driving, dedicated, type-A personality sort of guy – for sure. But he was also a tender father-figure, a friend, a mentor, and a prayer-partner. He cared about people. He did not let programs get in the way of ministering to people’s needs. He was a man of prayer. He believed in the power of prayer. He was humble and took no credit for himself. He gave credit to others every chance he got. 

Another truth that stands out to me from these verses concerns the craftiness of our enemy, the devil. He knows how to attack us at our lowest hour in our weakest spot. We need to ever be on the alert and aware of his tactics. This passage also reminds me that we need to entrust people to the care and keeping of the Holy Spirit. He who began a good work in the Thessalonians was also the One who carried them on to spiritual maturity, even though Paul was absent from them. Through Paul’s prayers God was active across all those miles. Through our prayers we can effect change around the world.

Our Glory and Joy - 2022-08-28

“Our Glory and Joy”

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Message #6 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

28 August 2022 

INTRODUCTION:

There are all kinds of honours that we humans confer on one another. In school we recognize scholastic achievements. We use words like, “valedictorian,” and “salutatorian,” etc. In business we give honours such as “Salesman of the Year,” or “Project Manager of the Year.” In sports we recognize the “MVP-Most Valuable Player,” and “Heisman Trophy” winner. In the military we award honours for uncommon valour, such as the “Medal of Honour” and the “Bronze Star.”

Do not get me wrong. These are all wonderful awards and honours. We should celebrate excellence and award those who do well. However, in a sense the human race is somewhat like the Annual Academy Awards, when a bunch of bad actors all get together and give themselves prizes and “atta boys” without really consulting the people who matter most, i.e., those of us who go out and pay good money to watch their stupid movies. It is an “in house” awards show.

That is what humans do all the time. We judge our conduct, good or bad, on the sliding scale of how we stack up to other human beings. However, there is a day coming when every one of us will be judged by a different standard, one that we did not establish and one that will be arbitrated by a Perfect Judge. The Bible says that all of us will stand before God to give account of how we have lived our lives. That goes for believers and unbelievers alike. That should be a sobering thought.

TRANSITION:

The apostle Paul was always conscious of the fact that God was watching him. He talks often in his letters about the fact that he sees life as a race to be run, with a prize to be won for finishing well. He wanted to finish well, to bring glory to God and to be an honour to Christ’s name.

Here in 1 Thessalonians Paul talks about his values, the things that were most important to him and the things that would last through eternity. Right at the top of that list was the group of people that he had led to faith in Christ. He says that of all the things that he valued in his life, his children in the faith were the most precious, and would bring him the greatest joy on the day when he would enter the Lord’s glorious presence. Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20. 

¹⁷ But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 17: But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

·        “When we were torn away from you” – aporphanidzo, this is a very powerful word picture. The Greek word Paul uses here means to be left orphaned. The feeling Paul describes is that of being left alone when your parents suddenly die—feelings of lostness, aloneness, with deep sadness. He says that this is what he felt when he had to be separated from the Thessalonian believers. Was he overstating his feelings? I do not think so. He was trying to put into words a sentiment that was profound in him.

·        “…in person, not in thought” [lit. “in face, not in heart”] – Genuine love is not diminished by distance. If you have had a son or daughter serving overseas in the military, you know what Paul means here. Even though many miles separate the two of you, you still think of your child all the time, wondering how he/she is doing, praying that they are safe, and loving them even though you cannot see them.

·        “…out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.” = “Intense longing” in Greek is just one word, epithumia. The word is most often used in the N.T. for “lusting” or “coveting.” However, here Paul uses the word in a very positive sense. Paul’s strong desire, his intense longing to see them again led him to make several attempts to return to Thessaloniki but to no avail.

Verse 18: For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.

·        Paul missed these dear people and longed to see them. He uses the literary plural, “we,” but he is speaking personally. Apparently, he made more than one attempt, but his plans did not work out.

·        “…again and again” His expression here is interesting. Literally it means “both once and twice,” meaning repeatedly.

·        “…but Satan stopped us” = Paul states clearly what his desire was but credits Satan with being the one who hindered him. He says that Satan cut him off at the pass. He uses a word that means to make a road impassable by cutting off access. It is a technical word for putting up a roadblock calculated to stop a military expedition on the march. It is Satan’s work to throw obstacles into the Christian’s way, and it is our work to break through them. God always provides a way around the devil’s roadblocks.

·        But how much influence does Satan have on the outcomes of our daily lives? How was Paul hindered, specifically?

o   By illness? – 2 Cor. 12:7; Gal. 4:13

o   By opposition of the Jews in Corinth to his plans?

o   By the bond paid by Jason in Thessaloniki guaranteeing that Paul would not return? – Acts 17:9

·        Although Paul believed in God’s sovereignty, he never minimized the reality of evil or the power of Satan (1 Thess. 3:5; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2, 6:12). 

Verse 19a: For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? 

·        I am sure that you have all watched the Olympics. How exciting it is to see those athletes step up on that platform to receive their medals of honour. How proud their friends and families must be of them. However, there is an honour much greater than any that men can confer. Paul is looking forward to the day when Christ Himself will give out the prizes for those who have been faithful in His service.

·        In Greek there are two words for “crown”: (1) diadema is used almost exclusively for the royal crown; (2) stephanos is used almost exclusively for the victor’s crown given to the victorious athlete in the Greek games. It is stephanos that Paul uses here.

·        Paul’s hope is that those who began well in Christ will continue in Him. His joy is to see these new converts growing strong in faith and in Christian maturity. His “crown of glorying, rejoicing, or exultation” will be when he stands with them before the Lord to present them to the Saviour. The apostle John echoes the same thought in 3 John 4 when he says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.” Paul would have said “AMEN” to that.

·        “…when He comes” = literally, “at His coming.” Parousia, the Greek term normally used of Christ’s Rapture or His Second Coming (see here and 3:13; 4:15; 2 Thess. 2:1, etc.). 

Verses 19b-20: Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

·        Paul sees the people that he has led to Christ, including the Thessalonian believers, as the greatest joy of his life.

·        In verse 20 Paul makes doubly sure that the Thessalonians know the answer to his question.  He uses an emphatic construction with emphasis on the pronoun, YOU. “YOU are our glory and joy!”

CONCLUSION:

What will be your crown of glory and your greatest joy on the day when you stand before the Lord? How many people have you introduced to the Saviour and mentored in the faith? How many people because of your testimony and godly lifestyle have you influenced to become Jesus followers? On that day when you stand before the Lord will you have tears of joy or tears of embarrassment and regret? Will you be running toward Jesus or looking for a place to hide your face? It is worth thinking about. 

The Word That Works - 2022-08-21

“The Word That Works”

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Message #5 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

21 August 2022

INTRODUCTION:

In the Scriptures we learn that the Lord God brought the worlds into existence merely by speaking words. The Bible also confirms that He created the heavenly host of angels by speaking them into being. God has the power to make things appear out of nothing, to bring things to life just by speaking a word. Psalm 33:6-9 says, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.  ⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses.  ⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him.  ⁹ For He spoke, and it came to be. He commanded, and it stood firm.” 

For centuries humans have tried to figure out how to make things happen just by using words. Wizards and sorcerers especially have tried to discover the secrets of using magic words to make things happen. There are some famous ones that come instantly to mind:

Ø  “Abracadabra!” - The word is now commonly used as an incantation by stage magicians. In ancient times, however, it was taken much more seriously as an incantation to be used as a cure for fevers and inflammations. The first known mention was in the 2nd century AD in a poem called De Medicina Praecepta by Serenus Sammonicus, physician to the Roman emperor Caracalla, who prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word “Abracadabra” written in the form of an inverted cone.

Ø  “Open sesame!” – In the adventure tale of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” part of The Book of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights,  Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, happens to overhear a group of thieves—forty in all—visiting their hidden treasure in the forest where he is cutting wood. The thieves’ treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic—it opens on the words “Open, O Simsim” (commonly written as “Open Sesame” in English), and seals itself on the words “Close, Simsim” (“Close Sesame”). When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself, and takes some of the treasure home with him.

Ø  “Hocus Pocus!” – According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica in all probability these commonly used magician’s words are nothing else but a corruption of the Latin version of Jesus’ words, “…this is my body…” found in Matt. 26:26, “hoc est corpus meum,” which every Roman Catholic priest recites in his “transubstantiation” blessing when the common elements of bread and wine supposedly change into the literal body and blood of Jesus. Of course, the average peasant sitting in the back of the church, not knowing a lick of Latin, just knew that something important and magical was going on when the priest held up the Host and spoke those strange Latin words. Over time, the phrase was corrupted from “hoc est corpus” into “hocus pocus” while retaining its association with magic.

Ø  “Shazam” - Traveling across the country in an RV, teenager Billy Batson and his adult alien companion, Mentor, would encounter various situations that would require their help. Whenever their help was needed, a flashing light on the dashboard of the RV would start beeping and blinking and would summon the cosmic elders (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury), who would give him some cryptic advice needed for the emerging situation. By yelling the word, “Shazam”, which is an acronym for all of the elders’ names, Billy would turn into Captain Marvel, an adult hero with the power of flight, super speed, and super strength. As Captain Marvel, he would use his powers to capture criminals, save those in distress, and right any other wrongs that came up.

Ø  (And now… for my personal favourite) “Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches!” – These were the Amazing Mumford’s magic words on the Sesame Street television series. 

But some words really do have power. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” In our text for today in the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he makes this very same claim in chapter 2 verse 13. But before we go there let’s read once again the verses leading up to it to refresh our minds of the context. I am reading 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 from the NASB.

TRANSITION:

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, ² but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid much opposition.  ³ For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.  ⁵ For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— ⁶ nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.  ⁷ But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.  ⁸ Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.   ⁹ For you recall, brethren, our labour and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.  ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 

MAIN BODY:

Verse 13: For this reason, we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 

·        This is a rich verse. Notice that there is a four-stage progression laid out here:

Ø  First, they truly heard the Word of God. The word Paul uses means to listen intently, not merely hear as background noise. They paid attention to the Gospel message that was preached to them.

Ø  Secondly, they received the Word of God, as a gift and recognized it as truth. This is the same Greek word we find in John 1:11-12, “…He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

Ø  Thirdly, they accepted/welcomed the Word of God, allowing it to penetrate deeply into them. The word Paul uses here is déchomai, which means to receive by deliberate and ready reception, to welcome energetically. Notice that Paul uses two synonyms to describe the way the Thessalonians received the message of the Gospel. In the KJV, however, both are translated as, “received.” But the first, paralambáno, means to accept formally and outwardly. The second, déchomai, means to receive willingly and inwardly, to welcome it. Those believers did both.

Ø  Fourthly, they allowed the Word of God to energize them—they applied it to their lives. Here Paul uses the Greek word, energéo, literally meaning, “to work in,” and from which we get our word, energize. God is the source of the power; the Word is His instrument.

·        Paul gives thanks to God for all four of these things. 

Verse 14: For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,  

·        Paul says that the Gentile Thessalonian Christians have something in common with the Jewish believers in Jerusalem—namely, both groups have suffered greatly at the hands of their own countrymen simply because they believed in the Gospel.

·         This word, “imitators,” is the same one Paul used up in 1:6. The imitation he is speaking of here however, consisted in their suffering the same things from their neighbours as the Judean Christians suffered from theirs.

Verse 15: who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 

·        Here Paul indicts his own countrymen with an obvious anger and sense of outrage. He says that the Jews, his own people, killed the prophets that God sent to them to call them to repentance. Not only that, but they also killed the Messiah Himself. To add emphasis Paul uses an odd word order in the title of Lord Jesus saying that they killed the Lord, the sovereign over creation and history, and Jesus, the human Saviour [cf. same idea in Acts 2:36]. And as if that were not enough, they drove off the apostles as well.

·         From a cursory reading verses 14-15 could give you the idea that Paul was anti-Semitic. That, however, would be a ridiculous assumption because Paul himself was a Jew and he loved his fellow Jews. But he was honest in speaking out about their spiritual blindness and unbelief in relation to Christ. In our day, nobody wants to say who was responsible for killing Jesus. However, the Bible is clear. But does that give anyone the right to persecute Jews? Of course not. Had we been there I am certain that we would have been as blind and guilty as they proved to be.

·        His statement, “they are not pleasing to God,” is an obvious understatement. The Bible says that God wants all men to come to repentance and to salvation. He desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance to the point of turning from sin to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

·        By opposing the Gospel, the Jews were working against the good of mankind, which so desperately needs salvation. NOTE: It is an awesome and fearful thing to be the one to cause others to reject Christ and the Gospel because of our selfish opposition to it. Think of those religious and military tyrants down through the years who have forbidden their subjects from hearing the Gospel. I believe their doom is sealed and they will occupy the deepest, darkest, and hottest pits of Hell. 

Verse 16: hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.   

·        Here Paul qualifies what he means by the Jews being “hostile to all men” in the previous verse. He is speaking specifically of certain Jews, not of all Jews. Like I said, he is not speaking anti-Semitically because he himself was a Jew. He is referring to those Jewish leaders who did everything possible to keep him from preaching the good news of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

·        Anyone who does such a thing is doing the work of Satan. Here is how I get there. Listen to what Paul says about his own people, the Jews in 2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:4.

Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, ¹³ and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. ¹ Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, ² but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness, or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴ in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

·        “But wrath has come upon them to the utmost” – What does that mean? Paul is just emphasizing the completeness and certainty of judgment. Wrath for them was inescapable (cf. Romans 1:24, 26, 28). The wrath of God can be seen in two stages: sometimes He pours out His judgment on evil men in this life, although not always; however, in the end He will surely judge sin and all unbelievers will experience the full weight of His divine wrath. 

CONCLUSION:

The theme of God’s wrath runs all through Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians. But if you take the time to study it carefully you will discover that he repeatedly makes the point that God’s wrath is reserved for the unbelievers who reject Christ and the Gospel. It is not for those who belong to Him.

Ø  1:9-10, “For they themselves [i.e., the new converts in Achaia and Macedonia] report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead—that is, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

Ø  5:9, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ø  2 Thess. 1:6-10, “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷ and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels.  ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.  ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power ¹⁰ on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you because you believed our testimony to you.”