Greetings (1 Thessalonians 1:1)
This sermon was preached on 3/1/2010
The church in Thessalonica was a young church, having been founded by Paul, Silas and Timothy only a few months previous to the writing of this letter. Shortly after the church had been founded, Paul and Silas had been forced to leave the city because of the strength of the opposition (Acts 17:10). They were taken to Berea, after which Paul went on to Athens and Silas waited for Timothy, before joining up with Paul. In Athens, the team were concerned about how the young church was doing and eventually they sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to find out how the church was getting on (1 Thess. 3:1), and since Paul was left alone, perhaps Silas went back to Berea. They rejoined Paul after he had moved to Corinth (Acts 18:5). Timothy came back with a very good report in the main, and the team wrote this letter in response. He had also identified some problems, such as wrong ideas about the second coming of Jesus, and these are corrected in the letter.
In looking through this letter, we will see many features of church life. Although it was written in the first century, and to a city which was very different to modern cities, the letter is relevant for today. While there will be cultural aspects that are no longer in existence, and even doctrinal problems that no longer exist (for example, the Thessalonians were concerned about benefits those of their number who had died would receive when Jesus returned), there are many principles that we must implement if we want to qualify as a New Testament church.
We should observe something that is so obvious, yet we often fail to spot it. This book is a pastoral letter, not a theological treatise. Paul and his colleagues are responding to real situations, not hypothetical ones. This letter is written from the heart as well as from the mind. There is a bond between them and their readers, a bond created by God through the gospel. We will see this bond several times as we proceed through the letter.
A question worth asking is whether we can call this a letter from Paul given that he mentions his two colleagues as co-senders. The answer is that we can, and for two reasons at least. First, Paul agrees with all that is in the letter and, secondly, he utilises his apostolic authority in 5:27 where he says, ‘I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.’ So it is appropriate to say it is a letter from Paul.
Because it is a letter, the customs of the time are followed, which is that the senders are identified, as are the recipients, and a statement of good wishes begins the letter. The senders are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy; the recipients are the church in Thessalonica; and the good wishes are the blessings of grace and peace. Then as became customary in Paul’s letters, the greeting is followed by information about his prayers for those to whom he was writing.
The Senders
As we can see, they are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. At the time of writing, they are on a preaching mission during what we call Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Some scholars suggest that the men are listed according to age, which may be the case, but I suspect that they are listed according to spiritual authority. Paul was an apostle, Silvanus was a prophet (Acts 15:32), and Timothy was an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:3).
In passing, we have to watch how we understand these roles because we use these words with different meanings today. For example, if someone was to ask you what the word apostle meant in the book title ‘Apostle of the North’, what would you say? I don’t know what ‘apostle’ means in that title, but it cannot mean that Dr Macdonald had the same function as Paul. An apostle had special authority in the church and the number of them was limited to those who had witnessed the risen Christ. A prophet spoke under divine guidance, and therefore would speak infallibly, whether he was addressing a present issue or a future one. Today, an evangelist is a person who travels around preaching the gospel, but in New Testament times he was an apostolic delegate who was sent to oversee churches (Timothy and Titus are two examples).
The point I want us to note is that this team ministered together in harmony. They had different gifts, but they functioned as a unit. How were they able to do so? I would suggest that their description in this same verse of the church in Thessalonica gives us a clue. They worked in harmony because they realised that God was their Father and Jesus was their Lord. Harmony was maintained because they recognized they were brothers in the same divine family and servants of the same gracious Master. Out of their own experience, they exhorted the Thessalonians to appreciate the same realities, to live with one another as members of the family of God and to join with one another is submitting gladly to the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. A harmonious leadership will encourage a harmonious congregation.
The Recipients
They are described as the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The term ‘church’ may cause different ideas to come to our minds, but I suspect that the basic meaning of the original word will not be one of them. I suppose we have all heard of the word, ekklesia; after all it is in our language in the word ‘ecclesiastic.’ The word originally meant an assembly of people that were called together to meet an important person. We can see how this applies to a church gathering – we are summoned together to meet with God. This is an essential aspect of church life that we should remind ourselves of each Lord’s Day.
These people are said to have two locations, one geographical and the other spiritual. The geographical one is Thessalonica and the spiritual one is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A year previous to the writing of this letter they only had a geographical location. But the gospel had come there, they had heard the good news of Jesus Christ and his offer of mercy, and when they repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus, they obtained another location.
Why does Paul mention two locations? I will give two possible answers. First, as they had their physical resources in Thessalonica, so they had their spiritual resources in the Father and in the Lord Jesus. They would go to the shops in Thessalonica and purchase what they needed for physical life; they would go to the Father and Jesus and obtain freely what they required for spiritual sustenance. Second, physical life in Thessalonica was very insecure (they were undergoing persecution), but spiritual life in the Father and Jesus was eternally secure.
All disciples of Jesus have to remind themselves that they live in two worlds simultaneously. We can only live properly in our Thessalonica (Inverness) if we are drawing spiritual resources from the Father and Jesus.
The Greeting
The team in Corinth wanted the congregation in Thessalonica to experience two blessings – grace and peace. Grace is divine favour and is a broad term covering all that God can provide. Peace is a specific term and concerns the atmosphere of the congregation as well as inner experience. Perhaps peace is highlighted because it is always liable to be removed whether by conflict between church members or my disturbances in one’s own heart.
This greeting suggests two comments. First, it reminds us that the church is always a needy community. It is essential for us to remember Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians: ‘My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). Second, the greeting states what normal Christian living is – dependence on the heavenly Father and Jesus – and what normal Christian priorities are – living in grace and peace.
An important lesson
Hopefully we have taken note of several important lessons for church life from these introductory verses of this letter. Yet if there is one lesson that stands out above the rest it is this – we should always point others to the Father and to Jesus. This is the case whether we are preaching the gospel to sinners or encouraging believers to continue in the Christian life. We tell sinners that there is forgiveness available from the Father because of the work of Jesus on the cross; we tell saints that all they will need for their Christian journey, summarised as grace and peace, is available from the Father and the Son.
In looking through this letter, we will see many features of church life. Although it was written in the first century, and to a city which was very different to modern cities, the letter is relevant for today. While there will be cultural aspects that are no longer in existence, and even doctrinal problems that no longer exist (for example, the Thessalonians were concerned about benefits those of their number who had died would receive when Jesus returned), there are many principles that we must implement if we want to qualify as a New Testament church.
We should observe something that is so obvious, yet we often fail to spot it. This book is a pastoral letter, not a theological treatise. Paul and his colleagues are responding to real situations, not hypothetical ones. This letter is written from the heart as well as from the mind. There is a bond between them and their readers, a bond created by God through the gospel. We will see this bond several times as we proceed through the letter.
A question worth asking is whether we can call this a letter from Paul given that he mentions his two colleagues as co-senders. The answer is that we can, and for two reasons at least. First, Paul agrees with all that is in the letter and, secondly, he utilises his apostolic authority in 5:27 where he says, ‘I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.’ So it is appropriate to say it is a letter from Paul.
Because it is a letter, the customs of the time are followed, which is that the senders are identified, as are the recipients, and a statement of good wishes begins the letter. The senders are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy; the recipients are the church in Thessalonica; and the good wishes are the blessings of grace and peace. Then as became customary in Paul’s letters, the greeting is followed by information about his prayers for those to whom he was writing.
The Senders
As we can see, they are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. At the time of writing, they are on a preaching mission during what we call Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Some scholars suggest that the men are listed according to age, which may be the case, but I suspect that they are listed according to spiritual authority. Paul was an apostle, Silvanus was a prophet (Acts 15:32), and Timothy was an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:3).
In passing, we have to watch how we understand these roles because we use these words with different meanings today. For example, if someone was to ask you what the word apostle meant in the book title ‘Apostle of the North’, what would you say? I don’t know what ‘apostle’ means in that title, but it cannot mean that Dr Macdonald had the same function as Paul. An apostle had special authority in the church and the number of them was limited to those who had witnessed the risen Christ. A prophet spoke under divine guidance, and therefore would speak infallibly, whether he was addressing a present issue or a future one. Today, an evangelist is a person who travels around preaching the gospel, but in New Testament times he was an apostolic delegate who was sent to oversee churches (Timothy and Titus are two examples).
The point I want us to note is that this team ministered together in harmony. They had different gifts, but they functioned as a unit. How were they able to do so? I would suggest that their description in this same verse of the church in Thessalonica gives us a clue. They worked in harmony because they realised that God was their Father and Jesus was their Lord. Harmony was maintained because they recognized they were brothers in the same divine family and servants of the same gracious Master. Out of their own experience, they exhorted the Thessalonians to appreciate the same realities, to live with one another as members of the family of God and to join with one another is submitting gladly to the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. A harmonious leadership will encourage a harmonious congregation.
The Recipients
They are described as the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The term ‘church’ may cause different ideas to come to our minds, but I suspect that the basic meaning of the original word will not be one of them. I suppose we have all heard of the word, ekklesia; after all it is in our language in the word ‘ecclesiastic.’ The word originally meant an assembly of people that were called together to meet an important person. We can see how this applies to a church gathering – we are summoned together to meet with God. This is an essential aspect of church life that we should remind ourselves of each Lord’s Day.
These people are said to have two locations, one geographical and the other spiritual. The geographical one is Thessalonica and the spiritual one is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A year previous to the writing of this letter they only had a geographical location. But the gospel had come there, they had heard the good news of Jesus Christ and his offer of mercy, and when they repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus, they obtained another location.
Why does Paul mention two locations? I will give two possible answers. First, as they had their physical resources in Thessalonica, so they had their spiritual resources in the Father and in the Lord Jesus. They would go to the shops in Thessalonica and purchase what they needed for physical life; they would go to the Father and Jesus and obtain freely what they required for spiritual sustenance. Second, physical life in Thessalonica was very insecure (they were undergoing persecution), but spiritual life in the Father and Jesus was eternally secure.
All disciples of Jesus have to remind themselves that they live in two worlds simultaneously. We can only live properly in our Thessalonica (Inverness) if we are drawing spiritual resources from the Father and Jesus.
The Greeting
The team in Corinth wanted the congregation in Thessalonica to experience two blessings – grace and peace. Grace is divine favour and is a broad term covering all that God can provide. Peace is a specific term and concerns the atmosphere of the congregation as well as inner experience. Perhaps peace is highlighted because it is always liable to be removed whether by conflict between church members or my disturbances in one’s own heart.
This greeting suggests two comments. First, it reminds us that the church is always a needy community. It is essential for us to remember Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians: ‘My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). Second, the greeting states what normal Christian living is – dependence on the heavenly Father and Jesus – and what normal Christian priorities are – living in grace and peace.
An important lesson
Hopefully we have taken note of several important lessons for church life from these introductory verses of this letter. Yet if there is one lesson that stands out above the rest it is this – we should always point others to the Father and to Jesus. This is the case whether we are preaching the gospel to sinners or encouraging believers to continue in the Christian life. We tell sinners that there is forgiveness available from the Father because of the work of Jesus on the cross; we tell saints that all they will need for their Christian journey, summarised as grace and peace, is available from the Father and the Son.
Comments
Post a Comment