3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish
you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we
have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the
things which we command you. 5 And the
Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for
Christ.
Paul emphasizes again that God is faithful, who will
do what He has promised to do.
1Thessalonians
5:23 ¶ And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also
will do it.
Paul is confident that God will establish the
Thessalonians’ faith and make it sure and certain, keeping them from the wicked
and unreasonable men who oppose the gospel of Christ, mentioned previously. I
have spoken before about how the word “evil,” is used to refer to not only
sinful iniquity, but to malice and violent intent.
1Thessalonians
3:13 To the end he may stablish your
hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
2Thessalonians
2: 16 ¶ Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God,
even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation
and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort
your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Paul now prepares them for some difficult statements
as he is about to give them some marching orders. He is confident that they
will do the things he is about to tell them to do through their love of God and their expectation of Christ’s
return.
6 ¶ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that
walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
It appears that some of the Thessalonian brethren are
walking disorderly, a word mentioned three times in this short passage through
verse eleven, the only times the word is used in the Bible. Someone in the
Thessalonian church was not living in the way prescribed by Paul that
Christians should live, not after the doctrines for living laid down by the
apostle.
1Thessalonians
4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and
to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them
that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow
us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for
nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be
chargeable to any of you: 9 Not because
we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
Paul had previously asserted a right to live from
preaching the gospel in answer to a challenge from someone in the church at
Corinth.
1Corinthians
9:3 ¶ Mine answer to them that do
examine me is this, 4 Have we not power
to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power
to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren
of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and
Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own
charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who
feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the
law the same also? 9 For it is written
in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth
out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10
Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this
is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth
in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11
If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we
shall reap your carnal things? 12 If
others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we
have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the
gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that
they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and
they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they
which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
But, even as he did at Corinth, so he did at
Thessalonica.
1Thessalonians
2:9 For ye remember, brethren, our
labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be
chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
Paul did not exercise his right to earn a living from
preaching the gospel for the purpose of setting an example for those people to
whom he preached.
10 For
even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work,
neither should he eat. 11 For we hear
that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but
are busybodies. 12 Now them that are
such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they
work, and eat their own bread. 13 But
ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. 14
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and
have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish
him as a brother.
While it is certainly a good principle for a society
whose government offers support to the poor, that if you refuse to work you
shouldn’t receive assistance, this is not about society at large but about
within the Christian community.
In a community that offered assistance and welfare to
its poorer members this was a standard that Paul insisted upon in regard to
helping. If you wanted help you had to be, at least, willing to work. There was
a problem, it seems from reading, with people not trying to help themselves and
others but spending their time in idle gossip and meddling in other persons’
affairs.
In another context Paul complained to Timothy about a
similar problem.
1Timothy 5:3
¶ Honour widows that are widows indeed.
4 But if any widow have children or
nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their
parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. 5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate,
trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
6 But she that liveth in pleasure is
dead while she liveth. 7 And these
things give in charge, that they may be blameless. 8 But if any provide not for his own, and
specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than
an infidel. 9 Let not a widow be taken
into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
10 Well reported of for good works; if
she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed
the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently
followed every good work. 11 But the
younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ,
they will marry; 12 Having damnation,
because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering
about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies,
speaking things which they ought not. 14
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the
house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some are already turned aside after
Satan. 16 If any man or woman that
believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be
charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.
Unlike today’s church which casts off its widows and
poor to be supported by the state the early church took care of its own. Paul
admonishes everyone, though, to work and provide for themselves when possible.
1Thessalonians
4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and
to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them
that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Were these people expecting the Lord to return immediately
and just giving up on supporting themselves, making themselves a burden to the
Christian community? It appears that way to me because of the tone of this
second letter, warning them about events which must take place before the end
of human history as we know it.
16 ¶ Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace
always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 17
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every
epistle: so I write. 18 The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. « The second epistle to the
Thessalonians was written from Athens. »
Paul closes by confirming that this letter was from
him and offers proof by comparing the salutation in this letter with others he
has written. You can look at the endings of his letters or epistles such as
1Corinthians or Colossians to see what Paul means. Tradition has it that this
letter was also written from Athens although that may not be part of the text
given by inspiration.
So, these two letters to the Thessalonians, written,
not as dictated by God, but given by inspiration, with the wisdom that Paul was
given (2Peter 3:15), are finished. The doctrine given in these letters did not
require an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament and much was directed
toward how the church was supposed to live. There was also enough prophecy
sprinkled in here to tickle the ears of the modern fundamentalist who loves
prophecy but holds in benign contempt the instructions on attitude and behavior
toward the world.
My favorite parts of these letters affect me every
day and are part of what I have memorized for reflection and prayer. I’ll close
with some of those verses.
1Thessalonians
5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn
them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient
toward all men. 15 See that none render
evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men.
16 ¶
Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without
ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is
good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of
evil.
23 ¶
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that
calleth you, who also will do it.
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