Bible Diary - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
February 18, 2008
These words of the Apostle Paul are the words of a clear-headed realist who knows his need, sees in his life the results of the prayers of others, and doesn’t expect all who hear his message to believe. He is quite aware that his hearers include “perverse and evil people,” and they are out to get him. Reality. Behind this seemingly grim reality is the meta-reality that God is faithful. He has promised to strengthen and protect his children from evil. We can count on it.
Request for Prayer
3:1 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you, 3:2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 3:4 And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing – and will do – what we are commanding. 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.
In the previous passage Paul talked of God’s calling of His chosen ones to salvation. I can call myself a Christian only because God took the initiative to cause the unlikely chain of events that led to my conversion. There are only two alternative explanations. One is that I put it all together and decided to be saved. The other is that I live in a godless world governed by chance. I know myself well enough to reject the former, and I know enough about statistics and probability to reject the latter.
The Apostle asks with confidence for the Lord to direct His chosen toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ, because that is the way it works. God uses Paul’s words to speak to hearts prepared to receive them. Mysterious? Yes. Truth? Without a doubt. It is the true reality.
Dave, not needing TV to get real.
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Bible Diary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
February 16, 2008
A quick scan of the translator’s text notes for the NETBible, shows many problems in translation with this passage. The essentials are pretty clear. The Lord will come again, and there will be precious little warning of his imminent arrival, even for Christians who know to expect Him. To complicate the situation further, we can expect a lot of false hares.
The Day of the Lord
2:1 Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2:2 not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. 2:4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. 2:5 Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. 2:6 And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time. 2:7 For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out of the way, 2:8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. 2:9 The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, 2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved. 2:11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. 2:12 And so all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.
Call to Stand Firm
2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2:14 He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2:15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 2:17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.
Who is this “man of lawlessness” who will muddy the waters before the Lord returns? I don’t have a clue and can only hope that it will become apparent when he arrives, although these words don’t seem to hold out much hope for that. The drift seems to be that things will get worse before they get better, and I’m fairly experienced with that sort of thing.
I see an urgent need to view the world and what is going on in it through spiritual eyes, with reliance on the Holy Spirit. That’s pretty clear, and I can work on that. In short, to “stand firm.”
Dave, feet planted firmly on the Rock.
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Bible Diary - 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
February 15, 2008
Grace and peace. Isn’t that exactly what you and I wish for those we love? It starts with the gracious gift from God for all that we need for our well-being and ends with the peace of mind of knowing that everything is under control, even when it seems that chaos reigns. The flip side of grace and peace is anxiety and hopelessness.
Salutation
1:1 From Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Thanksgiving
1:3 We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater. 1:4 As a result we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you are enduring.
Encouragement in Persecution
1:5 This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering. 1:6 For it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 1:7 and to you who are being afflicted to give rest together with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. 1:8 With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 1:9 They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 1:10 when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed – and you did in fact believe our testimony. 1:11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, 1:12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It sounds like the church at Thessalonica is suffering from persecution, not unlikely in those early years under Roman rule and the Jewish stubbornness which refused to see the place of Gentiles in God’s economy. It also sounds like they have not lost the hope of one day, perhaps soon, experiencing the return of Jesus and the comeuppance of their persecutors.
What does Paul mean by being counted worthy of a calling that sometimes brings suffering and pain? I have read a lot about the experience of combat in wartime, partly because I have escaped being tested in this way. Observers say that every man is born with a bottle of courage, Some with more; some with less. Sooner or later the bottle runs dry. How big is my bottle of courage? Until I am tested, I will never know, and somehow that bothers me. I think what Paul sayng here is courage to become worthy of suffering in Christ’s name is a gift - not given until the time of need. I don’t need to worry about “my” bottle of courage.
Dave
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Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
February 14, 2008
Paul closes this first letter to the new Christians in Thessalonica with a blessing and an admonition, a more or less typical “yours truly” of the early Christian era. His prayer for them is that they all continue steadfastly on the path to complete holiness. My twenty-first century self is still a little uncomfortable with holiness and perfection as a rational expectation, but I know that the God of peace has promised it and He is faithful to his promises, even when no one else is. That’s more than enough for now.
Conclusion
5:23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this. 5:25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us too. 5:26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Even as Paul prays for his friends, he asks them for their prayers. He is in prison and no doubt suffering. If Paul doesn’t scruple to ask for the prayers of his fellow Christians, neither should I, as uncomfortable as the thought of someone praying for me may be.
Paul’s ending admonition is that they share widely his letter. I am reading it today, so they must have paid attention!
Dave, wanting to become a praying fool like Paul.
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Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
February 13, 2008
As Paul traveled from town to town, people would gather around him to hear about the kingdom of God based on the words of Jesus Christ. Paul preached to them the risen Savior, Jesus Christ, pure and simple. As God touched their hearts, their numbers grew. Before Paul moved on to form a new group of believers in yet another city of the Roman Empire, he appointed leaders from within the congregation he was leaving to shepherd their continued growth as Christians.
Final Instructions
5:12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, 5:13 and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. 5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 5:16 Always rejoice, 5:17 constantly pray, 5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 5:19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 5:20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 5:21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. 5:22 Stay away from every form of evil.
Paul regarded leadership in the body of Christians a high calling, deserving of respect. I happen to be part of the Presbyterian franchise of the Christian church, and one of our time-proven principles is to do all things decently and in order. This means respecting each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, warts and all. That is exactly what Paul is saying here. The operative words seem to be, “Do not extinguish the Spirit,” and “Examine all things; hold fast to what is good.” This is the heart of classical liberal thought.
My experience in the church has taught me that exercising such servant leadership is not an easy task. Few do it well. Human pride and stubbornness keep getting in the way.
Dave, still trying to get it right.
Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
February 12, 2008
I suppose it is the most natural thing in the world to want to know when Jesus will return. How could we not want to know? When Jesus was with the disciples at the Temple in Jerusalem, telling them how those massive stones would one day be thrown down, what was the first thing the disciples asked Jesus? It was, “Teacher, when will these things be?”
The Day of the Lord
5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night. 5:3 Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape. 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would. 5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. 5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober. 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. 5:9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:10 He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.
The thought of Jesus returning “as a thief in the night” is not terribly comforting. Nor is the thought that I must continually be ready for Him to come. The parallel thought for me these days is that I likewise must be ready for the grand experience of death, for then I also expect to meet Jesus.
Paul seems to be saying here that Christians should not be surprised. Why? Because we already know enough of Jesus, through reading of God’s word and the indwelt spirit of God, that we should not be surprised. I already feel comfortable with my Savior. He has already shed much light into my life. I no longer walk in the darkness of the fear of God’s wrath. I am well armored against the evil in this world, and it is my duty and delight to link arms with my brothers and sisters as we await our Master’s return. I have nothing to fear.
Dave, saying with the writer of Revelation, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
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Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
February 11, 2008
I hope I don’t mess up too much with my exegesis here. This passage deals with a matter about which I am terribly curious, and getting curiouser as the years past, but also one about which I am totally ignorant and will remain so until my last breath. Literally.
The Lord Returns for Believers
4:13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. 4:15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
My pre-tribulationist, dispensational friends, of whom I have many, say they have this all figured out. It’s obvious, they say, just parse the words. If you have read any of the Left Behind series, you know what I mean.
I do believe from the depths of my soul that Jesus wasn’t blowing smoke when He promised to return to earth. It’s the part about being wafted other-bodily up into the clouds that I can’t accept literally. Cars suddenly without drivers, and all that.
I am also convinced that I live in linear history that has a starting point (Creation) and will have an end point (Second Coming). The first assertion is scientific fact; the second yet undemonstrated.
I fully expect to make total sense of all this some day. Until then, I am
Dave, content with some mystery in his life hid with Christ in God.
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Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
February 9, 2008
If Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonian church sound a little unreal to Christians living in today’s post-Christian culture, think how they must have sounded to the brand-new Christians in Thessalonica, only one step away from pagan idolatry.
A Life Pleasing to God
4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more. 4:2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, 4:5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. 4:6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. 4:7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 4:8 Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
4:9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 4:10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 4:11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. 4:12 In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.
Sometimes I wonder what there is about living a life pleasing to God that I don’t understand. Has my sin and the bustle of my life masked my sense sense of holiness and purity and honor? Of wanting to please my Maker? No. Down deep I know enough of God to know better. I think of Him as patiently and lovingly chipping away at my rough edges, day after day after day. I’m afraid I’m not terribly cooperative at times, but He hasn’t given up on me.
The last paragraph in today’s passage resonates with how I believe a Christian should conduct himself in a largely pagan society. As Ann Landers famously advised many, “MYOB.” Christian writer Oswald Chambers warned well-meaning Christians against being “an amateur providence,” meaning demonstrating holiness and honor and purity around our neighbors and leaving the effect of that up to God.
Dave, usually minding his own business.
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Elections: check or romance?
February 8, 2008
Blogging economist Arnold Kling has this interesting outlook on the purpose of free elections:
I continue to view elections as an opportunity for voters to provide a check against politicians. Instead, if you view it as an opportunity to elect a great leader, you are falling into the trap of what Daniel Klein calls “the people’s romance.”
Dave, tending to agree with Arnold on this.
Bible Diary - 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
February 8, 2008
Lest we get the idea that Paul enjoyed such a strong relationship with God that he had no doubts, we find out that he had anxiety so strong that he “could bear it no longer.” So he sent young Timothy across the water from Corinth to find out how his Thessalonians were doing. His worry was that news of Paul’s suffering and difficulties would weaken their faith.
Encouraged by Timothy
3:1 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone. 3:2 We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3:3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 3:4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know. 3:5 So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.
3:6 But now Timothy has come to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection and long to see us just as we also long to see you! 3:7 So in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, through your faith. 3:8 For now we are alive again, if you stand firm in the Lord. 3:9 For how can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel because of you before our God? 3:10 We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith.
3:11 Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 3:12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, 3:13 so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
The passage begs the question, just what was Paul’s “affliction?” None of the notes I have readily available provide a clue. Whatever it may have been, Paul had foreseen its possibility when he was with the Thessalonians, so they shouldn’t be surprised.
It’s instructive how Paul links his own welfare with that of the congregation he founded. Rather than dwelling upon his own condition, whatever it was, he can think only of how it might become a barrier to the faith of those he loved so much. Just as Jesus holds up an example of selflessness to me, so does Paul.
Dave, still struggling with selfishness.
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