1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

-

Paul’s Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 (ESV)

          2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,  5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

Commentary:

          After the initial greeting, Paul moves on to a prayer of thanksgiving. Beginning a letter with a thanksgiving is a common feature of letter writing of the time. In fact, Paul included a thanksgiving in all his letters except Galatians (see Galatians 1:6-10) which shows that Paul was sincere in his thanksgiving not just doing it because it was standard practice in the Roman Empire.

          In verse 3, Paul continues with his thanksgiving. ” Careful readers will note the Pauline triad of faith (pistis), hope (elpis), and love (agapÄ“), so well-known from 1 Corinthians 13:13. But another triad is woven in here: work (ergon), labor (kopos), and endurance (hypomonÄ“). As we will see, these terms are important to our understanding of the situation at Thessalonica and the way Paul attempts to address the problem.” Some readers will object the way Paul links faith and works; however, faith and works are linked in New Testament theology. A story will help illustrate that linkage: two friends were going out fishing in boat powered by only oars. On one oar was the word “faith” on the other written was “works” The friend who was not rowing asked him why those words were on each oar. The rower demonstrated. First, he used only the oar labeled faith and the boat began to go in a circle, then he switched to the oar labeled works and the boat began circling in the opposite direction. “See” the man who was rowing said, in order to get anywhere I must use both oars.”
          Verse 4, Paul speaks of the Thessalonians conversion. How it marked them out as beloved of God. “These early Christians understood that they had not been chosen and saved by God as the final goal. It was just the beginning, and part of their job was to witness to the world what God had done and was doing in Jesus Christ.”2 Unfortunately, the church in our time seems to think that once you cross that threshold of believing one is set for (eternal)  life. Church attendance becomes optional and their way of life does not seem to change. Their spiritual life goes in a circle and the folks wonder why they never make any progress.
          In verse 5, Paul continues his praise of the church. Indicating that the Holy Spirit had been at work in their conversion and that they were living out the Gospel in their everyday lives. Reminding them of the example the Apostle lived out before their eyes.
          Paul’s thanksgiving is a heart felt prayer. Paul will explore “how the gospel comes with power, how the Thessalonians responded by becoming imitators of the apostles and the Lord, and how they became a model for other believers”.3

1Byron, John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p. 34). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
2 Byron, John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p. 41). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
3 Byron, John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p. 44). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more