Love God Greatly: 1 & 2 ThessaloniansSample

INTRODUCTION:

Authenticity. It’s one thing people are beginning to value more and more. We want real friends, with whom we can be transparent and who love us despite our shortcomings. We want to be able to talk about real concerns and not just have superficial conversations. We not only WANT authenticity, we NEED it.

But sometimes the Bible, where we go for truth, can seem a bit unreal. We read of men and women whom we consider “giants of the faith” and skim over their failures. We read of men who endure significant suffering with incredible steadfastness and hope, and we have trouble relating to them. But the more carefully we read we will see that the Bible does not shy away from showing us real struggles and the gritty aspects of the faith. 

1st & 2nd Thessalonians are two great examples for us. In these letters, written by Paul, we read about Christians who were doing well in some areas, like loving each other, but struggling in others, like obsessing over the coming of Jesus and being lazy and idle. 

In the book of Acts, we learn how the church in Thessalonica was formed. It all started with a vision in which a man said to Paul, “Come over into Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). And so, Paul along with Silas, Luke and Timothy went, first to Philippi and then to Thessalonica, where they started a church in each city. This was Paul’s second missionary journey.

Shortly after Paul started the church, opposition arose to such an extent that Paul was forced to leave. In fact, the danger was so great that Paul escaped in the middle of the night (Acts 17:1-10)! After Paul’s sudden departure, this young church was exposed to persecution, and Paul became concerned about their faith and their well-being. So, he sent Timothy to the Thessalonian church to check on them and report back.

Timothy had good news to share with Paul! The Christians in Thessalonica were doing well. They were keeping the faith, clinging to the gospel, and loving each other. But, because all churches are made up of sinners, there were also some problems. 

Some were concerned about what would happen to those who died before Christ came back, some were neglecting to work out their personal faith, and others were dealing with ethical issues. So Paul wrote to them, addressing these problems and reassuring them of his love. 

In 2nd Thessalonians Paul addresses more deeply some of the misconceptions the church had regarding Christ’s second coming. There were some who believed that Jesus was going to return very shortly, therefore they didn’t need to work, and so idleness became a real problem. Paul gets serious, letting them (and us) know that it is inappropriate for followers of God to be lazy and mooch off of the goodness, hard work, and wealth of others. 

As with all of Paul’s books, his writings include robust, profound theology and practical application. Paul directly and plainly points out the errors of the believers but also points his audience to the grace and hope found in their Redeemer, Christ Jesus. 

As you immerse yourself in the books of 1st & 2nd Thessalonians, ask yourself what you learn about the Gospel and how this should impact how you live your life today.