2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
The key words in this passage are judgement, just, punish, trouble and belief. The main theme is the judgement that will come when Christ comes to earth. Paul is reminding the church that Christ has not forgotten them and that justice will be served but it will be served according to Christ's timeline and his agenda, not ours. Paul's hope is that his reminder will help the church to persevere and not abandon hope and faith in the middle of the trials that they are facing.
This passage teaches me patience. I am sometimes eager for justice and, by my attitude I am saying that I know better than God how and when to bring judgement. God is the judge and he is just, but he is also patient and gracious. Sometimes my attitude is too much like Jonah's - I deserve God's grace and patience but nobody else does. Sometimes I appeal to fairness - that it isn't fair that people who break the rules and live for themselves have more than I do. God has to remind me that the fact that what I have isn't "fair" either. God has to remind me that I am dependent on his grace and that I don't deserve to know him or have even the faintest hope of eternity with him. He also has to remind me that my brand of justice is inferior to his because mine depends more on my mood and my selfishness. God's depends on truth, righteousness and goodness. When I can remember this, there is no one else I'd rather have sitting on the throne of judgement than God.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
is Paul bragging?
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Paul continues his typical pattern of his letters - after the greeting he moves into why he is thankful for the people he is writing to. The key words are faith, love, growth and perseverance. Paul specifically commends the church in Thessalonica for their growing faith and their increasing love for one another. Paul boasts boasts about Thessalonica to the other churches because they are persevering in the middle of persecution.
This has always been a struggle for me because the Bible clearly speaks against pride and, in today's language anyway, whenever we talk about boasting or bragging it has to do with pride. How can Paul boast about this church without committing the sin of pride? Let's be honest, we hear this from parents (or at least we'd like to hear this from parents) when they are talking about their kids - "I am so proud of you!" There are times that I feel emotions about my students that I can only describe as pride. So, is pride always wrong? Is it ok to be proud of someone else?
I think Paul was able to boast about others because he recognized that while he worked hard and was faithful to God's call, ultimately he had very little to do with the growing faith and perseverance of the church. God was the one who made it grow. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 3 - he planted the seed, Apollos watered it and God makes it grow. So when Paul boasts about a church, it is because he recognizes that it was God's work - he is actually bringing glory to God by pointing out the evidence of his work in that church - and because he is so excited that he was a part of God's work. The difference with me and most parents who talk about being proud of their kids is that they are saying that they are actually proud to be associated with their student and if they didn't perform in the way that they have, they wouldn't be as happy to be connected to them. When I brag about my youth group and my students in it, there is a significant part of me that takes credit for the work that God is doing - as if the students wouldn't be where they are now if it wasn't for me. I sometimes feel that same way when I hear parents talking about how great their kid is - as if it has nothing to do with anyone else except the parents.
I think I hide my arrogance and pride pretty well (in fact, I'm proud of how well I hide it - grin!) but I know my heart. I know how proud I am and how quick I am to take credit for God's work in people's lives. God, please humble me. Remind me that while I may plant or water, you are the one that brings growth. When I boast, may I boast like Paul - to point out what you are doing so that you will receive all the glory and with absolute awe and delight that you would somehow use me in your work!
Paul continues his typical pattern of his letters - after the greeting he moves into why he is thankful for the people he is writing to. The key words are faith, love, growth and perseverance. Paul specifically commends the church in Thessalonica for their growing faith and their increasing love for one another. Paul boasts boasts about Thessalonica to the other churches because they are persevering in the middle of persecution.
This has always been a struggle for me because the Bible clearly speaks against pride and, in today's language anyway, whenever we talk about boasting or bragging it has to do with pride. How can Paul boast about this church without committing the sin of pride? Let's be honest, we hear this from parents (or at least we'd like to hear this from parents) when they are talking about their kids - "I am so proud of you!" There are times that I feel emotions about my students that I can only describe as pride. So, is pride always wrong? Is it ok to be proud of someone else?
I think Paul was able to boast about others because he recognized that while he worked hard and was faithful to God's call, ultimately he had very little to do with the growing faith and perseverance of the church. God was the one who made it grow. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 3 - he planted the seed, Apollos watered it and God makes it grow. So when Paul boasts about a church, it is because he recognizes that it was God's work - he is actually bringing glory to God by pointing out the evidence of his work in that church - and because he is so excited that he was a part of God's work. The difference with me and most parents who talk about being proud of their kids is that they are saying that they are actually proud to be associated with their student and if they didn't perform in the way that they have, they wouldn't be as happy to be connected to them. When I brag about my youth group and my students in it, there is a significant part of me that takes credit for the work that God is doing - as if the students wouldn't be where they are now if it wasn't for me. I sometimes feel that same way when I hear parents talking about how great their kid is - as if it has nothing to do with anyone else except the parents.
I think I hide my arrogance and pride pretty well (in fact, I'm proud of how well I hide it - grin!) but I know my heart. I know how proud I am and how quick I am to take credit for God's work in people's lives. God, please humble me. Remind me that while I may plant or water, you are the one that brings growth. When I boast, may I boast like Paul - to point out what you are doing so that you will receive all the glory and with absolute awe and delight that you would somehow use me in your work!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
a new greeting
2 Thessalonians 1:1-4
This letter begins in almost the exact same way that the previous letter does, right down to an interesting way of addressing the church. Normally Paul emphasizes that the church or the people he is writing to belong to God (for example: "to the church of God in Corinth" or "to God's holy people in Philippi"). Here, as in 1 Thessalonians, Paul addresses the letter to "the church of the Thessalonians in God..." I am not sure what the significance of this change is, if any, but it is interesting to me that both letters to the Thessalonians contain this exact same address.
Paul greets his audience in his usual way: grace and peace. I've learned, in preparing for my sermon this week, that "peace" calls to mind the ancient Hebrew greeting of "shalom" which is more than the absence of conflict but the welfare and prosperity of the whole person and nation. Shalom is a blessing that calls on God to restore things in this world to the way they originally worked in the Garden of Eden. Paul is reminding us that this is still the hope of the disciple of Christ - that one day, through the finished work of Christ, all of creation will be restored to peace and that right now in our own soul, spirit and body we can experience that peace in our relationship with God, within ourselves, in our relationships with each other and in every circumstance of life.
I also learned that the Greek word for grace is very close to the traditional Roman greeting of "Hail" or "Rejoice" (also translated "greetings" because it was used so often as a greeting). Paul takes the traditional Hebrew and Roman greetings and gives them a new look, a new meaning: grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This has made me think about the words that I use to greet people. It is usually something along the lines of "How's it goin?" or "How are you?" The problem is that what is supposed to show concern and care for the other person has become an empty phrase because I use it so much. I think the same thing happened with Paul's greeting - we read it so often in his letters and recognize as the preamble to what he really wants to say so we glide right over it with out pausing to consider what he means by it. Grace and peace are hugely important to Paul - they are almost always his first prayer for the readers of his letter and, at least in the letters to the Thessalonians, they are his last prayer as well: "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace... the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."
This letter begins in almost the exact same way that the previous letter does, right down to an interesting way of addressing the church. Normally Paul emphasizes that the church or the people he is writing to belong to God (for example: "to the church of God in Corinth" or "to God's holy people in Philippi"). Here, as in 1 Thessalonians, Paul addresses the letter to "the church of the Thessalonians in God..." I am not sure what the significance of this change is, if any, but it is interesting to me that both letters to the Thessalonians contain this exact same address.
Paul greets his audience in his usual way: grace and peace. I've learned, in preparing for my sermon this week, that "peace" calls to mind the ancient Hebrew greeting of "shalom" which is more than the absence of conflict but the welfare and prosperity of the whole person and nation. Shalom is a blessing that calls on God to restore things in this world to the way they originally worked in the Garden of Eden. Paul is reminding us that this is still the hope of the disciple of Christ - that one day, through the finished work of Christ, all of creation will be restored to peace and that right now in our own soul, spirit and body we can experience that peace in our relationship with God, within ourselves, in our relationships with each other and in every circumstance of life.
I also learned that the Greek word for grace is very close to the traditional Roman greeting of "Hail" or "Rejoice" (also translated "greetings" because it was used so often as a greeting). Paul takes the traditional Hebrew and Roman greetings and gives them a new look, a new meaning: grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This has made me think about the words that I use to greet people. It is usually something along the lines of "How's it goin?" or "How are you?" The problem is that what is supposed to show concern and care for the other person has become an empty phrase because I use it so much. I think the same thing happened with Paul's greeting - we read it so often in his letters and recognize as the preamble to what he really wants to say so we glide right over it with out pausing to consider what he means by it. Grace and peace are hugely important to Paul - they are almost always his first prayer for the readers of his letter and, at least in the letters to the Thessalonians, they are his last prayer as well: "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace... the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."
Monday, July 21, 2008
grace and peace (reprise)
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
Paul comes full circle at the end of his letter. He started by saying "grace and peace to you" in chapter one and he ends by talking about the God of peace and praying that "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." The key ideas in this section are: peace, sanctify, the whole person (spirit, soul and body), faithful and grace.
Paul reminds the reader that the work of sanctification is the work of God. In all his other letters he talks about the role that the followers of Christ have in their own sanctification. He talks about putting on Christ and taking of the sinful nature and its desires. He talks about living by the Spirit and not by the sinful nature. It is clear that we have a role to play but it is equally clear that I can only fulfill that role through the power of God (the fruit that Paul calls me to exhibit in my life only comes as I learn to live by the Spirit and he produces that fruit in me). So, here, Paul says that God will sanctify us through and through - that he will keep our soul, spirit and body blameless at the coming of Christ.
Paul emphasizes that God is the God of peace by repeating himself a little bit. When we hear peace we often think in terms of lack of conflict. I live at peace when I am not in conflict with others. Canada is at peace when it is not involved in any wars. Peace, in biblical terms, was much more than that. Peace contained the idea of the ideal of the kingdom of God - a person was at peace when they were experiencing life as God intended for it to be experienced, when life most clearly mirrored life in the garden of Eden. The Hebrew word was "Shalom" and it meant the welfare of the whole person. I think Paul ties into this idea when he speaks of the whole person being santified. It's not just my spirit or my soul or my body but my spirit AND my soul AND my body.
The fact that we, as humans, rebelled against God means that we should not experience Shalom or peace. We deserve God's curse, not his blessing. And if anyone should work to restore Shalom it should be us but Paul reminds us that God is the God of peace - he is the one that worked through Christ on the cross to make peace possible and he is the one at work in our spirits, souls and bodies to allow us to experience peace now. This speaks of his grace - his incredible, unmerited favour! Amazing grace! How sweet the sound...
Paul comes full circle at the end of his letter. He started by saying "grace and peace to you" in chapter one and he ends by talking about the God of peace and praying that "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." The key ideas in this section are: peace, sanctify, the whole person (spirit, soul and body), faithful and grace.
Paul reminds the reader that the work of sanctification is the work of God. In all his other letters he talks about the role that the followers of Christ have in their own sanctification. He talks about putting on Christ and taking of the sinful nature and its desires. He talks about living by the Spirit and not by the sinful nature. It is clear that we have a role to play but it is equally clear that I can only fulfill that role through the power of God (the fruit that Paul calls me to exhibit in my life only comes as I learn to live by the Spirit and he produces that fruit in me). So, here, Paul says that God will sanctify us through and through - that he will keep our soul, spirit and body blameless at the coming of Christ.
Paul emphasizes that God is the God of peace by repeating himself a little bit. When we hear peace we often think in terms of lack of conflict. I live at peace when I am not in conflict with others. Canada is at peace when it is not involved in any wars. Peace, in biblical terms, was much more than that. Peace contained the idea of the ideal of the kingdom of God - a person was at peace when they were experiencing life as God intended for it to be experienced, when life most clearly mirrored life in the garden of Eden. The Hebrew word was "Shalom" and it meant the welfare of the whole person. I think Paul ties into this idea when he speaks of the whole person being santified. It's not just my spirit or my soul or my body but my spirit AND my soul AND my body.
The fact that we, as humans, rebelled against God means that we should not experience Shalom or peace. We deserve God's curse, not his blessing. And if anyone should work to restore Shalom it should be us but Paul reminds us that God is the God of peace - he is the one that worked through Christ on the cross to make peace possible and he is the one at work in our spirits, souls and bodies to allow us to experience peace now. This speaks of his grace - his incredible, unmerited favour! Amazing grace! How sweet the sound...
Friday, July 18, 2008
testing prophecy
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Paul is bringing his letter to a close by firing off imperatives. The positive list is: rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in everything. The negative list is: do not put out the Spirit's fire, do not treat prophecies with contempt.
This continues Paul's teaching on living in a way that pleases God (from chapter 4). Perhaps I can read a little bit into the Thessalonian situation from what Paul says about the return of Christ: it is possible that they are facing some persecution since the teaching on the return of Christ was supposed to encourage them and build them up. If that's the case, then Paul would be imploring them to find joy and reasons for thankfulness in the midst of hardship.
The common thread in the positive imperatives is that they are to do be done always in all circumstances. This indicates that joy is more than happiness but is a fruit of the Spirit. There is a joy that no circumstance can diminish because in all circumstances we can know that God is in good, he is in control and he loves us very much. I learned a little bit about praying continually on my vacation: my cousins kept a Breakaway magazine in the bathroom and there was an article about practicing God's presence. It said that it would take a lot of work, practice and patience but one of the tips was to take the inner monologue that all of us have and learn to make it a conversation with Christ. This has been helpful to me in the last week or so and I am learning to pray continually.
I am convicted by Paul's command to not treat prophecies with contempt. Being raised in a very conservative branch of Christianity and still finding myself in a fairly conservative branch of Christianity, I am suspicious of prophecy and tend to dismiss much of it. However, Paul equates my contempt of prophecy with extinguishing the fire of the Spirit. This doesn't mean that I have to accept all prophecy as from God but I must respect it enough to test it: to discern what is good and hold on to it and determine what is not of God and reject it.
Paul is bringing his letter to a close by firing off imperatives. The positive list is: rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in everything. The negative list is: do not put out the Spirit's fire, do not treat prophecies with contempt.
This continues Paul's teaching on living in a way that pleases God (from chapter 4). Perhaps I can read a little bit into the Thessalonian situation from what Paul says about the return of Christ: it is possible that they are facing some persecution since the teaching on the return of Christ was supposed to encourage them and build them up. If that's the case, then Paul would be imploring them to find joy and reasons for thankfulness in the midst of hardship.
The common thread in the positive imperatives is that they are to do be done always in all circumstances. This indicates that joy is more than happiness but is a fruit of the Spirit. There is a joy that no circumstance can diminish because in all circumstances we can know that God is in good, he is in control and he loves us very much. I learned a little bit about praying continually on my vacation: my cousins kept a Breakaway magazine in the bathroom and there was an article about practicing God's presence. It said that it would take a lot of work, practice and patience but one of the tips was to take the inner monologue that all of us have and learn to make it a conversation with Christ. This has been helpful to me in the last week or so and I am learning to pray continually.
I am convicted by Paul's command to not treat prophecies with contempt. Being raised in a very conservative branch of Christianity and still finding myself in a fairly conservative branch of Christianity, I am suspicious of prophecy and tend to dismiss much of it. However, Paul equates my contempt of prophecy with extinguishing the fire of the Spirit. This doesn't mean that I have to accept all prophecy as from God but I must respect it enough to test it: to discern what is good and hold on to it and determine what is not of God and reject it.
Monday, July 14, 2008
recognizing the hard working
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Paul is concerned about three things: 1) that those who work hard in the local church are not being properly recognized and encouraged; 2) that those who are stumbling and weak in their faith are not being properly helped and 3) that people are taking revenge for wrongs done against them (which is looking out for one's own selfish interests rather than looking out for the good of others). Judging from the amount of time that he spends on each, he is most concerned about the proper recognition of the hard working members of the local church.
Paul lays out a description for those whom the church is to acknowledge: they work hard, they care for the members of the church in the Lord and they admonish the members of the church. He also lays out a description of those whom the church is supposed to help (along with a specific imperative on how to help them): warn the idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with all.
From this passage, I see that God values hard work. From the very beginning of creation, humans were to work in as well as enjoy the garden. Work has been part of our mandate for all of history. From the parables of Jesus we see that faithfulness to God is equated with work: the servants are rewarded for being good and faithful as evidenced by how they put the money to work that they were entrusted with. Until that day when the hard workers will receive their "well done" from Christ, the Church must encourage and recognize them here on earth. I don't think this always means public commendation but we must find ways to acknowledge and encourage the hard working. If God values them, so must we.
I also see that God has a special concern for the weak and immature. He doesn't just abandon people because they don't measure up but warns, encourages and helps them. This reminds me that God is patient. He is patient with me and he wants me to be patient with others. This is where I need God's help. There are definitely times when I get impatient. God, help me to see the work that you are doing and to celebrate the steps, however miniscule, that people are taking towards Christ-likeness. Remind me of your patience with me!
Paul is concerned about three things: 1) that those who work hard in the local church are not being properly recognized and encouraged; 2) that those who are stumbling and weak in their faith are not being properly helped and 3) that people are taking revenge for wrongs done against them (which is looking out for one's own selfish interests rather than looking out for the good of others). Judging from the amount of time that he spends on each, he is most concerned about the proper recognition of the hard working members of the local church.
Paul lays out a description for those whom the church is to acknowledge: they work hard, they care for the members of the church in the Lord and they admonish the members of the church. He also lays out a description of those whom the church is supposed to help (along with a specific imperative on how to help them): warn the idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with all.
From this passage, I see that God values hard work. From the very beginning of creation, humans were to work in as well as enjoy the garden. Work has been part of our mandate for all of history. From the parables of Jesus we see that faithfulness to God is equated with work: the servants are rewarded for being good and faithful as evidenced by how they put the money to work that they were entrusted with. Until that day when the hard workers will receive their "well done" from Christ, the Church must encourage and recognize them here on earth. I don't think this always means public commendation but we must find ways to acknowledge and encourage the hard working. If God values them, so must we.
I also see that God has a special concern for the weak and immature. He doesn't just abandon people because they don't measure up but warns, encourages and helps them. This reminds me that God is patient. He is patient with me and he wants me to be patient with others. This is where I need God's help. There are definitely times when I get impatient. God, help me to see the work that you are doing and to celebrate the steps, however miniscule, that people are taking towards Christ-likeness. Remind me of your patience with me!
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