Wrong Priorities (1 Thess. 5:12-22)

This sermon was preached on 11/4/2010

Paul has dealt with the issue that was causing a difficulty in the young church in Thessalonica – the issue was the second coming and what role Christians who had died would have when Jesus returned. The apostle had exhorted his readers that they had to live as those who knew Jesus was coming, even although they did not know when his coming would be. But what does it mean to live as children of light in a community that is in spiritual darkness? Paul gives answers to this question in the verses we will study.

Perhaps we are surprised that Paul gives such advice to a church that was obviously in a healthy spiritual state (as we noticed when we considered its work of faith, labour of love and patient hope mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1). Sadly Paul was aware that a healthy church can very quickly become an unhealthy one – he knew what had happened to the churches in Galatia who had a good start but were misdirected by false teachers after Paul had left the area.

In addition, two other possible reasons can be given for the inclusion of such instructions. One is the need for balance in the Christian life. It is common to hear this advice, although at times the impression that is given is that we should keep a balance by knowing and practising a form of lowest common denominator. Paul would never have suggested such a way to proceed. Instead, balance was maintained by healthy growth in every area of life. Therefore he mentions several areas in this section.

The other reason is that Paul was fully aware of the devil’s attempts to suppress the influence of a congregation. It was obvious, so far, that persecution was not preventing the spread of the gospel through this church. But the devil had other ruses in his storeroom and he could attempt to get the Thessalonians from within their congregation if he could not get them from without. The areas of church life that Paul mentions here are ones the devil would try to disrupt.

We can note two important details at the onset of this section. First, Paul and his colleagues show politeness, which is seen in them making a request rather than issuing a blunt demand. Of course, they are speaking with authority even when they ask for these responses. Yet their manner is worth noting. Many speakers do not retain listeners because of a rude and insensitive approach.

Second, they speaks to the Thessalonians as members of the same family as the senders – the family of God. This is an appeal to their common interests. It is wise when bringing issues of importance to recognise the wonderful relationship that God has bestowed on all who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation. Paul loved to focus on the doctrine of adoption, but not merely in an abstract manner. He included the actual members of the family when he thought about it.

In this passage, Paul deals with issues found in four important relationships. First, he deals with the relationship between the congregation and its elders (vv. 12-13a); second, he considers ways by which the congregation interacts in Christian fellowship with one another (vv. 13b-15); third, he highlights several ways in which the congregation interacts with God (vv. 16-21); fourth, he mentions a general principle for responding to those outside the congregation (v. 22).

The Leadership (vv. 12-13a)

At one level, we are surprised to find mention made of leaders in the congregation. After all, Paul and his colleagues had not been there very long when they had to leave the city because of opposition. Yet Timothy, when he returned from his visit to the church, was able to report to Paul that the congregation had suitable leaders. These leaders may have been converts from the synagogue who had places of authority in it, or they have been individuals whom God raised up quickly within the congregation because of the current need to have them. In any case, they were there.

What kind of leaders were these men? I think it is important to note the order Paul gives of their practice: they functioned together (unity), they laboured among the congregation (they realised they were servants), they recognised their position was a spiritual one (in the Lord), and they admonished when necessary (gave advice and correction). When that order is followed, problems can be avoided. Very simple and straightforward. Of course, they have to do so in a spirit of brotherly love.

Since they had this kind of elders, Paul informs the Thessalonians of the attitude they should have towards the leadership – a combination of respect and love, or admiration and affection. What Paul means is that the way to show respect is by love. Paul here is giving a general principle for church life: love between the leadership and the congregation.

The Laity (13b–15)

Paul now turns to how the congregation should relate to one another. He mentions an overriding concern (live in peace) and then lists possible causes of trouble that would cause disharmony. In verse 14, he mentions three of them: the first are those classified as disturbers (they are individuals who are discontented, not getting involved); the second group are the discouraged (they become fainthearted because of the pressures of the Christian life); the third group are the delicate (those unable to do anything).

Paul expects three responses from the church: one is that it is the responsibility of Christians to deal with such matters, the second is that he does not expect each group to be treated the same, and the third is that each group requires patience and dedication from others. The discontented need ongoing advice, the discouraged need ongoing encouragement, and the delicate (probably those unable to discern what is right and wrong) need ongoing support (the word translated ‘help’ means ‘hold fast’).

In verse 15, Paul highlights the inappropriateness of revenge, of getting one’s own back on another person who has done something wrong (this instruction was pertinent in a situation where persecution was taking place, although its application is not limited to hostile environments). Instead of revenge, the response is to search out for ways by which good can be done for the offending person, whether he is a Christian or not. Indeed the term translated ‘seek’ means ‘to pursue, to persecute’, which suggests that Paul expected his readers to show us much energy in doing good as their opponents did in attacking them. Such a response is more than forgiveness, and it is difficult; yet it is Christlike – Jesus went about doing good.

Paul is informing the Thessalonians of mutual responsibilities that, when practised, results in a healthy church. For them to remain one, required ongoing attitudes to one another. But they were not the only ongoing attitudes that were necessary for a healthy church. In addition to having right relationships with the leadership and with the laity, they had to have right relationships with the Lord.

The Lord (vv. 16-21)

In these verses Paul deals with matters connected to practices that are more focussed on God. First, he mentions three responses that he links to the revealed will of God. The three are joy, prayer and gratitude. Each of them is ongoing (rejoice always, pray without ceasing, thankful in all circumstances), each of them is a command, and each of them is directed towards God. They are connected. Imagine a situation. The Christian asks himself, ‘What can I thank God for in this situation?’ He then prays about the situation, and is glad that he can do so. He is also glad that, whatever the situation, God can bring spiritual blessing out of it. Therefore, when a Christian has to deal with any of the problems mentioned in the previous verses, he should do so joyfully, prayerfully and thankfully. The input of God, obtained by prayer, means that efforts to bring about harmony will be successful.

The greatest disaster that can come upon a church is the quenching of the Spirit. Behind this illustration is the idea of a fire being saturated with water and dying out. In the context, we quench the Spirit by indifference to one another’s problems, by prayerlessness when dealing with one another, and by ignoring messages that come to us from God (prophesying). We should imagine the Thessalonian church as set on fire by the Spirit. The church is marked by burning love, burning eagerness, burning ambitions for God’s glory, burning desire for knowing more about him. Some people may regard such a situation as dangerous, so they resolve to put out the fire by unspiritual behaviour. And this will be the result, warns Paul, if relationships are not right with the leadership, with the laity and with the Lord.

In verse 20, Paul mentions an aspect of early church worship services, that of prophesying. At that time, the New Testament was not written and the congregations were dependant on God providing them with information in a direct way. The usual way for him to do so at that time was to speak through individuals with a supernatural gift such as an apostle, a prophet or speaking in tongues. When an apostle was present, problems were not likely to happen. If no apostles were present, abuse was possible through someone claiming to have a message from God, but a claim that was not true. Therefore, the message had to be tested (a doctrinal test, an ethical test) and if found valid it was accepted as a message from the Spirit.

Today we don’t need such announcements because we have the completed Bible. This does not mean that God may not give a spiritual burden or a spiritual insight to someone. Yet when it comes to church services, the word that is to be heard is the completed Bible. We don’t come together to listen to an impression a Christian may receive while praying. Instead we come together to hear what God has to say in his Word as it is explained accurately and ardently. Of course, we have to listen attentively and assess the sermon by the teachings of the Bible.

The Lost (v. 22)

It is possible that Paul means abstention from evil within the church such as false prophesying, but it is more likely that he means not participating in any form of evil outside the church. The list of possible evils is endless. Whenever a Christian engages in one of them, he becomes a bad witness and contributes to the quenching of the Spirit. Paul is reminding his readers that they will encounter every day a host of situations in which a sinful response or involvement is possible. Refrain from all of them, says Paul, and you will remain a healthy church.

This passage reminds us of the importance of relationships within a church. It also reminds us of the necessity of loving relationships expressed in righteous ways. Further, it informs us that these relationships must be righteous continually. Finally, he shows us that these relationships of leadership, laity, the Lord and limits of participation are all intertwined in producing a healthy church with the right priorities.