The Thessalonians: A Life Worth Imitating
“Set a good example!” You’ve probably said it if you’ve been around kids for any length of time. I know I have. We all agree that we should be a good example, but what does a good example look like for a follower of Christ? The Apostle Paul applauded the Thessalonians for being good examples to believers throughout Greece (1 Thessalonians 1:7), but what set them apart? How did they model for us a life worth imitating? Let’s turn to 1 Thessalonians and find out. They Persevered in Their Faith From the very beginning, the church at Thessalonica encountered opposition and resistance. So much so that Paul feared the Thessalonians wouldn’t be able to resist the lies of the enemy and that his missionary work in Thessalonica would be in vain (1 Thessalonians 3:5). Paul did not have as much time as he would have liked with the Thessalonians. Persecution followed him everywhere he went, and Thessalonica was no different. After three weeks of preaching the Good News, he was pushed out of the city, leaving the newly founded Thessalonian church to fend for itself. It turns out that Paul feared needlessly because, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Thessalonians persevered in their faith despite encountering much persecution and suffering. They Remained Planted When the Thessalonians heard the Good News, they could have been like the seeds in Jesus’ parable of the sower that were sown on rocky ground with little soil. These seeds sprung up quickly but soon withered and died in the sun because they had no roots. Jesus explains that these seeds represent people who receive the Word with joy but immediately fall away when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word. (Matthew 13:5-6,20-21). You’ll notice similarities between the Thessalonians and the fair-weather friends represented by the seeds that fell on rocky ground. Both received the Word joyfully and then experienced great tribulation and persecution because of it. However, the Thessalonians didn’t fall away, unlike the stony ground seeds. They remained planted, growing into a flourishing and generous church. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) So what made them different? Why did they stay planted? Holy Spirit Empowered Them The Thessalonians did not fall away because they received the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Paul knew that it was only because of the power of the Holy Spirit that the Thessalonians could receive the Word with joy amid severe suffering AND hold on to it too! Paul thanked God that when the Thessalonians received the Word, they accepted it not as the word of men but as it really was, the Word of God, which Paul described as “at work in believers.” (1 Thessalonians 1:13) The Holy Spirit worked within the Thessalonian believers, convincing them of the truth of the Word of God. This conviction enabled them to persevere even during persecution. The Thessalonians stood firm in their conviction because they kept their hearts open to the Gospel: they heard the Word, understood it, and put it into practice. They became imitators of Christ and of the Apostles. They Became Imitators Today we often think of the term imitator in a negative sense. People say, “don’t imitate others; just be yourself!” However, in the New Testament context, being an imitator is a positive thing: we are encouraged to imitate godly examples and the ultimate example, Christ. Let’s break the word “imitator” down a bit. In Greek, it is “mimetes,” meaning an imitator, or a follower. It is the root of the English word “mimic,” which means one who imitates or emulates. The HELPS Word-study explains it as “the positive imitation that arises by admiring the pattern set by someone worthy of emulation, i.e., a mentor setting a proper example.” Imitation Empowered by the Word Twice Paul describes the Thessalonians as imitators of the Apostles and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2:14). Each use of the term “imitator” directly follows Paul’s account of how the Thessalonians received the Word of God. The Thessalonians only became imitators of the Apostles and Jesus in their suffering BECAUSE the Word empowered them. With open hearts, they received the Gospel in power, through Holy Spirit, with conviction and believed it was the Word of God. But the Thessalonians did more than imitate the Apostles and Jesus in their suffering; they also imitated them in their response to their suffering! Their response was one of JOY. Paul and Jesus both knew something about joy in suffering. Paul sums it up this way: Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 Imitators of Paul Throughout the New Testament, Paul repeatedly admonishes believers to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1, Ephesians 5:1). Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to imitate him, the other apostles, and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:6, 3:9). Paul did more than talk the talk. Paul walked the walk. He lived his life as an example to follow. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul’s pattern of living is worth emulating. He set a good example that we can still follow today. Not only should we look to Paul’s godly leadership in Scripture, but we should also look for godly leadership in the church. The key is finding leaders worth imitating. Seek godly leadership like Paul. Get to know their heart. Do they know Christ and put Him before all else? Do they rightly handle the word of truth? (1 Timothy 2:15) Carefully consider the outcomes of their way of life: are they producing the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Do they look like Christ? If so, imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7). I like how Leonardo De Chirico put it in his article “Watch
The Thessalonians: Introduction to First Thessalonians
You’ve seen in your Bible, before each Book, a lengthy introduction to the text. Most likely, if you are like me, you have skipped over that information and just dove right into the Book. However, before you dive in, I encourage you to warm up a bit, look at your surroundings, and better understand where you are going; otherwise, who knows where you’ll end up? So, here is your warm-up before you plunge into 1st Thessalonians. Author & Date The author of 1st Thessalonians is the Apostle Paul. Paul was born Saul in Tarsus, now modern-day Turkey, around 4 A.D., about the same time Jesus was born. Paul was a Pharisee and a religious zealot who persecuted Christians until Jesus appeared to him on the Road to Damascus. Jesus’ appearance so changed Paul that he became one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith. Paul wrote 13 of the 27 New Testament Books. 1st Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest writings, thought to be written between A.D. 49 and 51 from Corinth. Audience Paul was writing to the Church in Thessalonica. On Paul’s second missionary journey, he visited Thessalonica and preached in the city’s synagogue for at least three weeks. Jews and Greek men and women received the Gospel and became the church of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-2). Setting Not only is it essential to know the author and the audience, but it is also important to understand the setting of the Book. During the first century, Thessalonica was the capital city of the Roman province of Macedonia. It was an important ancient city because of its strategic location on the Egnatian Way, a key trade route connecting Rome with the eastern provinces, and its harbor on the Aegean Sea. The location of Thessalonica on a crucial trade route meant lots of people passed through. The more people that passed through, the more people that had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and be witnesses to the ends of the earth as Jesus commanded (Acts 1:8)! Religion We know there were Jews in Thessalonica because Paul preached from a Jewish synagogue. When Paul visited Thessalonica during the early third century, it was predominantly pagan. Pagan cults, temples, and deities filled the city. It is believed that at least twenty-five gods were worshiped in the city. Also, the Roman Emperor was believed to be a god. Acts 17:7 alludes to this when we are told that the mob that was after Paul and other Christ-followers said “they are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.” Background As we read through the New Testament, we can get context from the Book of Acts, a history of the early church. Before Paul visited Thessalonica, he and Silas had visited Philippi, a Roman colony. While in Philippi preaching the Gospel, Paul and Silas angered merchants within the city who accused them of “throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowds attacked Paul and Silas, stripped them, beat them with rods, and then threw them in jail. However, God miraculously released them from jail, and they left Philippi and headed for Thessalonica. (Acts 16) Understanding what happened to Paul in Philippi right before he arrived in Thessalonica explains Paul’s reference in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 to “being shamefully treated at Philippi.” It also explains the risk Paul and Silas took in preaching the Good News to the Thessalonians. By reading Acts 17:1-15, you gain a deeper understanding of what Paul meant when he said in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 that the [Thessalonians] “received the word in much affliction…” You see that persecution followed Paul and Silas from Phillippi to Thessalonica. Let’s take a look at some of this text. Acts 17:1-3 “Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” From this, we see Paul spent at least three weeks preaching the Gospel in the Jewish synagogue. Acts 17:4 tells us how the Jews reacted to his message. 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. They were jealous; they incited a riot against Paul and Silas. They attacked other Thessalonians that they believed were harboring Paul. The Jews of Thessalonica even accused Paul and Silas of treason against the Roman government because they claimed Jesus was King! Treason is a serious accusation. Purpose Paul had many purposes in writing this letter to the church in Thessalonica. One reason was to refute false teachers accusing Paul of wrong motives. Another objective was to strengthen the church in Thessalonica by encouraging them to live their lives in a way that pleases God. Paul used this letter to reassure the Thessalonians that persecution is a part of the Christian walk and not to retaliate in the face of persecution but instead to love. Paul also wrote this letter to restore the Thessalonian’s hope. Many of them had lost their loved ones through persecution, and they were concerned that they would not see them again. Paul reassured them that those who have died would rise first with Christ. Now you have the background material for 1st Thessalonians, let’s reflect on what you learned. Click links below.
Treat Them Like Unbelievers and Tax Collectors!
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The Power of Unbelief: Lessons from Nazareth and Beyond
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