Dealing With the Devil(1 Thess. 2:17–3:5)
This sermon was preached on 7/2/2010
In this passage Paul twice refers to activities of the devil: in 2:18 he says that Satan hindered him and in 3:5 he mentions the possibility that Satan may have tempted the Thessalonians in such a manner that the work of Paul’s team in Thessalonica would have disappeared. The first reference details Paul’s consciousness of devilish opposition and the second mentions Paul’s concern for what the devil may do to a church.
Paul’s consciousness of the devil’s opposition
Of course, the devil’s opposition could arise in a wide variety of circumstances. Inevitably we have to examine a particular situation in order to learn lessons that will help us in other situations. Examining Paul’s circumstances will give us some insights into what we can expect the devil to do.
Fellowship
It is clear from 2:17-18 that Paul and his friends wanted to return to Thessalonica. The reason for the return was for fellowship and upbuilding. They realised the church there needed more help and they wanted to give it. What can we observe about Christian fellowship from this situation.
First, desire for fellowship is not put off by difficult circumstances. In an earthly crisis, the last thing a rescued person would want to do would be to return to the place of danger. How different it was with Paul and his friends! The possibility of further trouble was not a reason for not making attempts to have fellowship. I remember listening to a tape of a Russian Christian during the 1970s, a time when the church there was being persecuted. He was asked what the Christians did when they realised the secret police were searching houses in their streets. His answer has stuck with me down the years. He said that the Christians did not usually try and escape as individuals; instead one or more Christians would go and check that other believers were safe and well. Trouble did not cause them to separate from but to care for one another. We see a similar response by Paul’s team – they were prepared to take risks in order to have fellowship. No doubt, their aim is a challenge as to how interested we are in having fellowship.
Second, true fellowship is a matter of the heart. Paul stresses that the separation did not reduce the intensity of their desire for fellowship. Instead the opposite had happened. These church planters had shepherd hearts and loved the sheep they had found lost in Thessalonica. It was unbearable for them to be away from these new Christians. So with eagerness and great desire they wanted to return to Thessalonica and renew interaction with the church. Paul and his colleagues were marked by brotherly love. Referring back to the illustration used earlier of a rescued man not returning to a place of danger – a brother would go back if a family member was still in peril. Before there will be real fellowship, there has to be burning brotherly love.
Third, true fellowship occurs when believers use their gifts to help one another. Paul’s team had the spiritual gift of teaching, so they wanted to return and help the Thessalonians concerning what they believed about Jesus and his kingdom. It was not Paul’s ambition to take his knowledge to a secluded spot and meditate there by himself. Instead he wanted others to grasp and then delight in his communication of the Christian message. It would be worth it for Paul to return to Thessalonica, take a service, and observe the glowing delight in the faces of his audience as they understood more about the faith.
Christians have two kinds of gift. One is what we call natural talents and they cover a wide range of abilities ranging from mental acumen to practical skills. The other is called spiritual gifts and they are given to Christians at their conversion – these gifts were bestowed when they received grace. There are several lists of such gifts in the New Testament. We are to use both our natural talents and our spiritual gifts in order to enhance fellowship.
It is usually obvious what a person’s natural talent(s) are – they stand out very clearly. We recognise a person whose abilities are intellectual and another whose abilities are practical. It is different with spiritual gifts because they don’t really appear unless we are making spiritual progress. Sometimes we ask, ‘How can I know what my gift is?’ The answer is for us to use the means of grace – such as church attendance, Bible reading, prayer, fellowship – and as we use them we become the gift. In a holy life, the gift is not detached from the person. If someone has the gift of showing mercy (Rom. 12:8), he or she will develop an attitude of doing it cheerfully. The gift will seem to fit the person like a glove on a hand. When Christians use their natural talents and their spiritual gifts for the benefit of one another, there will be fellowship.
A refusal to use our talents and gifts is not only disobedience to God, it is also stealing from other Christians. They will benefit from us, but only when we share what we are with them. Paul had grasped the importance of so working for the benefit of other Christians. It was not pride that told him the Thessalonians needed his gifts. Rather he was aware that Jesus had given him special gifts that would benefit the Thessalonians and he was longing to help them.
The method of hinderingOf course, Paul was not the only one aware that he could help the new Christians in Thessalonica. The devil was also alert to that possibility and therefore was determined to prevent Paul returning there. In order to achieve this, the devil would use whatever he could, and we know from the Book of Acts that the method was constant harassment by the Jews in Thessalonica. They persisted in opposing him, even travelling to Berea in their determined opposition to his work. The outcome was that Paul was prevented from returning to Thessalonica.
Paul’s spiritual antennae told him that since the devil was hindering him from returning to the city it was very likely that the devil was active in the city – we can see the apostle’s concern stated in 3:5. The method in Thessalonica would have involved the opposition of the populace to the new group. Opposition and unpopularity can be very draining and can cause people to lose interest in the Christian faith.
What ways can the devil influence us? Normally his methods will involve our minds. For example, he can fill our minds with all kinds of distracting thoughts, some concerning legitimate matters. At other times, he can cause us to focus too much on complex doctrines such as election, and often suggesting that God does not want to save us. Or he can send humans, as he did in Thessalonica, to disturb the church by false doctrine (2 Thess. 2:2). One will not be a Christian for long before this kind of person comes along. The fact is that the list of possible ways of hindrance is very long.
The way to resist the devil is (1) continue to cling to Jesus by faith, (2) bring it all to God in frequent short and particular prayers – a thousand times a day if necessary, (3) attend public services where God’s people meet – there is a sense of security in numbers, and (4) read God’s promises again and again.
The mystery of providence
So Paul was hindered from returning there to help in the work of God. But was the work of God hindered by Paul’s absence? The answer to that question is no. Paul’s desire was correct, but his involvement was not necessary because his God had other intentions for the Thessalonians. The Lord knew that the Thessalonian church had made sufficient progress in the spiritual life and were able to evangelise other communities in a very effective way.
Here we have the mystery of divine providence working out God’s plan in a specific situation. We don’t have any difficulty as a rule when God over-rules a wrong action. But we can be puzzled when he persists in not allowing us to engage in a good action. How should we react when he does this to us?
First, we should acknowledge that if God wanted to open the door, he would. Paul is not saying that God is weaker than Satan because he prevented the apostle achieving his goal. All he is saying is that Satan was allowed to hinder any developments.
Second, we should acknowledge that although our work for the church is frustrated, God’s work in the church continues. It was the case that Paul could help the church, what was not the case was that the church was dependant on Paul. This was a good lesson for Paul to experience, and recalling it would be immense encouragement for him in the future when he was prevented in other ways from getting involved in serving a group of Christians.
Third, divine providence is not the means of estimating spiritual grace. It was right for Paul to have such strong spiritual concerns about the new converts. We don’t develop spiritual characters by attempting to read providence, we develop them by using the means of grace that God has give. We are to live according to his word, not by attempting to interpret what we cannot know.
The motive for helping
Paul’s motive for returning to Thessalonica was based on his understanding of the day when Jesus returns. The apostle thought about what the Thessalonians would be like on that very important day and he states his thoughts in three ways: first, his hope connected to them; second, his joy in them; and third, his crown of boasting. Of course, his comments are affected by the report they have received from Timothy.
First, Paul has confidence in them. I suggest that he means that the Thessalonians had given him hope that when his ministry was reviewed by Christ, the Thessalonians would not be the equivalent of wood, hay and stubble (1 Cor. 3). Instead they would authenticate his ministry when his work for Jesus was examined.
Second, Paul anticipates the great joy that they will experience together at the coming of Christ. As far as we know, Paul did not get to visit Thessalonica again (he may have done on his journey from Corinth to Troas as he made his way to Jerusalem on his next missionary journey). Nevertheless we can see how their joy of meeting at the parousia of Christ was something that he looked forward to. Part of the joy of heaven is reunion, and what can be more joyful than the meeting there between a soulwinner and his converts.
Third, Paul looked ahead to when he would experience the equivalent of having the Thessalonians as his crown of boasting. Sometimes the term ‘boasting’ has negative connotations. What he seems to intend here is that he would be boasting then that he knew the Thessalonians rather than that they knew him. Perhaps he has in mind the prospect of meeting all the people in Greece who came to know Jesus through the witness of the Thessalonians – these converts would say, ‘You are the ones who brought the gospel to them in order for them to bring it to us.’ And he and these converts together would boast about the work of grace in the lives of these Thessalonians.
But his motive is not limited to future experiences. In verse 20, Paul informs the Thessalonians that at the moment they were the glory and joy of Paul’s team. The term translated glory has at times the idea of renown or fame. What makes a person glorious is what they are famous for. An inventor has fame because of his invention; a general has renown because of his victories. Paul’s team had a reputation in Greece because of the effect of the Thessalonians. And they did not mind – in fact they were delighted about it and rejoiced over that church.
This passage from 1 Thessalonians teaches us what perspective we should have. In our perspective there should be a aspiration for fellowship, an awareness of the devil’s opposition, an acceptance that God has his secret purposes, an anticipation of what will happen when Jesus returns, and an appreciation of other Christians.
Paul’s consciousness of the devil’s opposition
Of course, the devil’s opposition could arise in a wide variety of circumstances. Inevitably we have to examine a particular situation in order to learn lessons that will help us in other situations. Examining Paul’s circumstances will give us some insights into what we can expect the devil to do.
Fellowship
It is clear from 2:17-18 that Paul and his friends wanted to return to Thessalonica. The reason for the return was for fellowship and upbuilding. They realised the church there needed more help and they wanted to give it. What can we observe about Christian fellowship from this situation.
First, desire for fellowship is not put off by difficult circumstances. In an earthly crisis, the last thing a rescued person would want to do would be to return to the place of danger. How different it was with Paul and his friends! The possibility of further trouble was not a reason for not making attempts to have fellowship. I remember listening to a tape of a Russian Christian during the 1970s, a time when the church there was being persecuted. He was asked what the Christians did when they realised the secret police were searching houses in their streets. His answer has stuck with me down the years. He said that the Christians did not usually try and escape as individuals; instead one or more Christians would go and check that other believers were safe and well. Trouble did not cause them to separate from but to care for one another. We see a similar response by Paul’s team – they were prepared to take risks in order to have fellowship. No doubt, their aim is a challenge as to how interested we are in having fellowship.
Second, true fellowship is a matter of the heart. Paul stresses that the separation did not reduce the intensity of their desire for fellowship. Instead the opposite had happened. These church planters had shepherd hearts and loved the sheep they had found lost in Thessalonica. It was unbearable for them to be away from these new Christians. So with eagerness and great desire they wanted to return to Thessalonica and renew interaction with the church. Paul and his colleagues were marked by brotherly love. Referring back to the illustration used earlier of a rescued man not returning to a place of danger – a brother would go back if a family member was still in peril. Before there will be real fellowship, there has to be burning brotherly love.
Third, true fellowship occurs when believers use their gifts to help one another. Paul’s team had the spiritual gift of teaching, so they wanted to return and help the Thessalonians concerning what they believed about Jesus and his kingdom. It was not Paul’s ambition to take his knowledge to a secluded spot and meditate there by himself. Instead he wanted others to grasp and then delight in his communication of the Christian message. It would be worth it for Paul to return to Thessalonica, take a service, and observe the glowing delight in the faces of his audience as they understood more about the faith.
Christians have two kinds of gift. One is what we call natural talents and they cover a wide range of abilities ranging from mental acumen to practical skills. The other is called spiritual gifts and they are given to Christians at their conversion – these gifts were bestowed when they received grace. There are several lists of such gifts in the New Testament. We are to use both our natural talents and our spiritual gifts in order to enhance fellowship.
It is usually obvious what a person’s natural talent(s) are – they stand out very clearly. We recognise a person whose abilities are intellectual and another whose abilities are practical. It is different with spiritual gifts because they don’t really appear unless we are making spiritual progress. Sometimes we ask, ‘How can I know what my gift is?’ The answer is for us to use the means of grace – such as church attendance, Bible reading, prayer, fellowship – and as we use them we become the gift. In a holy life, the gift is not detached from the person. If someone has the gift of showing mercy (Rom. 12:8), he or she will develop an attitude of doing it cheerfully. The gift will seem to fit the person like a glove on a hand. When Christians use their natural talents and their spiritual gifts for the benefit of one another, there will be fellowship.
A refusal to use our talents and gifts is not only disobedience to God, it is also stealing from other Christians. They will benefit from us, but only when we share what we are with them. Paul had grasped the importance of so working for the benefit of other Christians. It was not pride that told him the Thessalonians needed his gifts. Rather he was aware that Jesus had given him special gifts that would benefit the Thessalonians and he was longing to help them.
The method of hinderingOf course, Paul was not the only one aware that he could help the new Christians in Thessalonica. The devil was also alert to that possibility and therefore was determined to prevent Paul returning there. In order to achieve this, the devil would use whatever he could, and we know from the Book of Acts that the method was constant harassment by the Jews in Thessalonica. They persisted in opposing him, even travelling to Berea in their determined opposition to his work. The outcome was that Paul was prevented from returning to Thessalonica.
Paul’s spiritual antennae told him that since the devil was hindering him from returning to the city it was very likely that the devil was active in the city – we can see the apostle’s concern stated in 3:5. The method in Thessalonica would have involved the opposition of the populace to the new group. Opposition and unpopularity can be very draining and can cause people to lose interest in the Christian faith.
What ways can the devil influence us? Normally his methods will involve our minds. For example, he can fill our minds with all kinds of distracting thoughts, some concerning legitimate matters. At other times, he can cause us to focus too much on complex doctrines such as election, and often suggesting that God does not want to save us. Or he can send humans, as he did in Thessalonica, to disturb the church by false doctrine (2 Thess. 2:2). One will not be a Christian for long before this kind of person comes along. The fact is that the list of possible ways of hindrance is very long.
The way to resist the devil is (1) continue to cling to Jesus by faith, (2) bring it all to God in frequent short and particular prayers – a thousand times a day if necessary, (3) attend public services where God’s people meet – there is a sense of security in numbers, and (4) read God’s promises again and again.
The mystery of providence
So Paul was hindered from returning there to help in the work of God. But was the work of God hindered by Paul’s absence? The answer to that question is no. Paul’s desire was correct, but his involvement was not necessary because his God had other intentions for the Thessalonians. The Lord knew that the Thessalonian church had made sufficient progress in the spiritual life and were able to evangelise other communities in a very effective way.
Here we have the mystery of divine providence working out God’s plan in a specific situation. We don’t have any difficulty as a rule when God over-rules a wrong action. But we can be puzzled when he persists in not allowing us to engage in a good action. How should we react when he does this to us?
First, we should acknowledge that if God wanted to open the door, he would. Paul is not saying that God is weaker than Satan because he prevented the apostle achieving his goal. All he is saying is that Satan was allowed to hinder any developments.
Second, we should acknowledge that although our work for the church is frustrated, God’s work in the church continues. It was the case that Paul could help the church, what was not the case was that the church was dependant on Paul. This was a good lesson for Paul to experience, and recalling it would be immense encouragement for him in the future when he was prevented in other ways from getting involved in serving a group of Christians.
Third, divine providence is not the means of estimating spiritual grace. It was right for Paul to have such strong spiritual concerns about the new converts. We don’t develop spiritual characters by attempting to read providence, we develop them by using the means of grace that God has give. We are to live according to his word, not by attempting to interpret what we cannot know.
The motive for helping
Paul’s motive for returning to Thessalonica was based on his understanding of the day when Jesus returns. The apostle thought about what the Thessalonians would be like on that very important day and he states his thoughts in three ways: first, his hope connected to them; second, his joy in them; and third, his crown of boasting. Of course, his comments are affected by the report they have received from Timothy.
First, Paul has confidence in them. I suggest that he means that the Thessalonians had given him hope that when his ministry was reviewed by Christ, the Thessalonians would not be the equivalent of wood, hay and stubble (1 Cor. 3). Instead they would authenticate his ministry when his work for Jesus was examined.
Second, Paul anticipates the great joy that they will experience together at the coming of Christ. As far as we know, Paul did not get to visit Thessalonica again (he may have done on his journey from Corinth to Troas as he made his way to Jerusalem on his next missionary journey). Nevertheless we can see how their joy of meeting at the parousia of Christ was something that he looked forward to. Part of the joy of heaven is reunion, and what can be more joyful than the meeting there between a soulwinner and his converts.
Third, Paul looked ahead to when he would experience the equivalent of having the Thessalonians as his crown of boasting. Sometimes the term ‘boasting’ has negative connotations. What he seems to intend here is that he would be boasting then that he knew the Thessalonians rather than that they knew him. Perhaps he has in mind the prospect of meeting all the people in Greece who came to know Jesus through the witness of the Thessalonians – these converts would say, ‘You are the ones who brought the gospel to them in order for them to bring it to us.’ And he and these converts together would boast about the work of grace in the lives of these Thessalonians.
But his motive is not limited to future experiences. In verse 20, Paul informs the Thessalonians that at the moment they were the glory and joy of Paul’s team. The term translated glory has at times the idea of renown or fame. What makes a person glorious is what they are famous for. An inventor has fame because of his invention; a general has renown because of his victories. Paul’s team had a reputation in Greece because of the effect of the Thessalonians. And they did not mind – in fact they were delighted about it and rejoiced over that church.
This passage from 1 Thessalonians teaches us what perspective we should have. In our perspective there should be a aspiration for fellowship, an awareness of the devil’s opposition, an acceptance that God has his secret purposes, an anticipation of what will happen when Jesus returns, and an appreciation of other Christians.
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