Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 17 September 2017

…so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 2 Thessalonians 1:4

Paul had just noted the exceeding growth of faith among the believers as well as their abounding love toward one another. Because of this, he encourages them by saying, “so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God.” In this, he is not boasting in them as the object of boasting, but rather the subject of it. The actual object of such a boast is in the Lord who was working among them and through them in their increased faith and love. This is what faith in Christ is intended to do, and so Paul and his companions used those in Thessalonica as examples of how an effective church, centered on the Lord, should interact – with their God (faith) and among one another (love) of the previous verse.

Paul then continues by explicitly noting their “patience and faith.” In the context of the New Testament, the idea of patience here is “endurance.” It is a steadfast attitude which is centered on the fact that God enables a person or group to remain under whatever challenges or trials He has allowed them to face. This is coupled with their “faith” which is confidence in God despite those challenges and trials. Such is certainly the case here, because he then specifically notes the “persecutions and tribulations that you endure.”

The persecutions are specific and targeted attacks against them. It indicates anyone who was directly irritating them, badgering them, or even bringing troubles against them physically. The tribulations are more general, and they are indicative of difficulties which hem someone in, even to the point where it seems there is no avenue of escape.

Between the persecution and tribulations, others might simply get up and leave, feeling that the trouble outweighed the benefits. But the hope of those in Thessalonica was steadfast, and so they endured through all that came their way. Their faith told them that they were to receive a kingdom which will not be shaken, and so they remained fixed on that and continued to serve God with reverence and fear.

Paul will explain the benefits of their steadfastness, and he will explain what will come to those who had been persecuting them. In the end, their patience and endurance would be rewarded. They knew this, and Paul’s words will come as both a reminder and a continued encouragement to them. They are words which should be considered and applied to our own lives now because, until the Lord returns, there will always be persecutions and tribulations for the Lord’s faithful.

Life application: As Paul’s letters are prescriptive for the church age, it’s important to understand that teachings of prosperity, health, wealth, and good times are misguided; and at times, they are shown to be ridiculous. The true benefits of calling on Christ are set for a future date. Any times of blessing in this life are to be accepted with thanks, but are not to be expected as if we are entitled to them.

Heavenly Father, every good blessing we have has come from You. But should times of trial, persecution, and tribulation come, grant us the strength to endure through them. Help us to keep our hope on that which lies ahead. This world is temporary, and every happy time is temporary as well. But what You have promised is eternal, and it will be coming at some wonderful time ahead. May we fix our hope on that, and stand fast in our faith now – through good times and bad. Amen.

Saturday, 16 September 2017

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 2 Thessalonians 1:3

After his introductory thoughts, Paul now begins the main portion of his epistle. In this, he states, “We are bound to thank God always for you.” The word translated as “bound” is opheiló. It means “indebted.” It “originally belonged to the legal sphere; it expressed initially one’s legal and economic, and then later one’s moral, duties and responsibilities to the gods and to men, or to their sacrosanct regulations. . . . opheílō expresses human and ethical responsibility in the NT” (HELPS Word Studies).

Paul is noting that he and his associates are actually indebted to God for those at Thessalonica. The reason for this will be explained in a moment. But first he calls them “brethren.” As always, Paul makes note of the inclusive nature of the Christian faith for those who are the redeemed of the Lord. It is only to them that he writes, but his words are also intended to lead others to that same faith where they too will, hopefully, be included in the term “brethren.”

Following this, he explains the reason for the debt of thanks which they owe to God, by stating that “it is fitting” that they give this thanks. What he will say concerning them demonstrates that thanks is not just something which is haphazardly offered to God without purpose and intent, but rather it is something which is right and good to offer because it is a response to something most positive and wonderful which has come about within the church. This special occurrence is, as he says, “because your faith grows exceedingly.”

The believers at Thessalonica didn’t just profess faith in Christ and then stagnate as so commonly happens in churches, even since the beginning. Instead, they had faith, and their faith increased. They desired to know more and more about this marvelous God who would step out of eternity’s realm in order to redeem fallen man unto Himself. What a marvelous thing for the hearts of Paul and his companions to know that their labors were not only not in vain, but that they were magnified! But even further, he continues that “the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.”

This is something which must have truly enlightened their hearts. The faith of the church had grown exceedingly, but it wasn’t a faith which was found in individuals who independently grew in holiness. Instead, it was a faith which was shared between all at the church as they grew in love. This would mean that each had the best intent for the others in mind, and they would be there to build one another up in times of weakness, trial, sadness, and so on. They would remain strong, and also Christ-directed, because of this common bond of love which was both strong and strengthening among one another.

What is even more wonderful for Paul and his friends was that this is exactly what they had admonished the church in the first letter to them –

“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you…” 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Those words, along with Paul’s other exhortations in his first letter, were acted upon and they had taken root. Increased faith, and abounding love had become a hallmark trait of his beloved church in Thessalonica.

Life application: What is the state of your church? Is there great faith among the congregants? Do you even know? Could you rely on them if things were to go sour in your life? Could they rely on you? Do you have a shared love which is growing with each passing week? Or do you just show up, spend your time as if a chore is being completed, and then follow it up with a quick exit and without a care what transpires in the lives of the others in the week ahead? Think on this, and then set your mind to be a more active part in your church. It is only a “fellowship” if you are there to fellowship.

Lord God, are we doing enough in our respective churches to help others in their times of crisis. When their faith is tried, will we be there to help them through it? Do we even know the state of the others in our churches? Do we even care? Precious Lord, give us the desire to make our “fellowship” a place which is based on fellowship. Help us to be a part of the solution to the difficulties which others face in our home church. This we pray to Your glory, Amen.

Friday, 15 September 2017

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:2

After identifying himself, and those with him, and then who the letter is directed to, Paul now gives the standard greeting which is found in most of his epistles, “Grace to you and peace to you.”

Grace is unmerited favor which cannot be earned. This is the common greeting among the Greek people. Peace, however, is the common greeting among the Hebrew people. In their language, the word is shalom. This is more than a greeting for calm or quiet, but is a state of wholeness and completion in all ways. Paul unites the two terms just as the church is being united between Jew and Gentile during his time. This grace precedes the peace because only after receiving the grace of God can a person experience the peace of God.

Paul extends this wonderful blessing to them “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a greeting from the eternal God – both the unseen Father and His Son who reveals the Father to us. Rather than being an argument against the divinity of Jesus Christ, it is an argument for it. He is tying the two in as one – Jesus being a member of the Godhead. He is not making some type of great division, but a harmonious blending of the two.

Throughout Paul’s letters, as with the entire Bible, the deity of Jesus Christ is a concept and a precept which simply can’t be missed. It is the very heart of what God has done for the reconciliation of the people of the world.

Life application: Outside of God’s creation, which reveals Him in a general way, we cannot comprehend Him except through His special revelation. One way we receive special revelation is through the mouths of His prophets. But these prophets all testified to the same thing – Jesus Christ (John 5:39). The most magnificent special revelation of God that we have received is the incarnation of Jesus. But for us, even this isn’t something we have seen, it is found in the testimony of those who have recorded what they knew into the New Testament. So, in order to understand God, one must know Jesus Christ, and one cannot understand Jesus Christ unless they know their Bible. Today’s life application…. know your Bible.

Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that because of Jesus, we can fellowship with You personally. We can read Your word and know who You are. We can have personal talks with You as we pray in a quiet place or on a bustling city street. And we can feel Your presence as we attend church and fellowship with others as we praise You and give You thanks for Your wonderful care of us. Thank You for allowing us to fellowship with You, O God. Amen.

Thursday, 14 September 2017

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 1:1

Welcome to the book of 2 Thessalonians! It is comprised of 47 verses, and so it will take us (one day at a time, just as the dawn of each new day) only one and one half months to analyze it. It is hoped that you will be blessed as each day unfolds with marvelous insights into this beautiful epistle from the mind of God and through the hand of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

He begins by introducing himself along with Silvanus (also known as Silas in the Bible) and Timothy. The letter bears Paul’s name, and there is no valid reason to suggest that he is not the true author. However, he leaves off the customary term “apostle,” which he uses in many other epistles, because he was already well known to those at the church. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and the letter is written to a Gentile-led church.

Silvanus and Timothy were Paul’s companions at Thessalonica, and he included them in his opening greetings as they were still with him at this point in his ministry. They are both noted together in Acts 17 & 18. Silvanus (Silas) is noted 13 times in Acts 15-18. He was a Roman citizen as is seen in Acts 16:37. Despite this, he was also a Jew. The longer name Silvanus is used of him by Paul in 2 Corinthians and 1 & 2 Thessalonians. He is probably also the same person referenced by Peter in 1 Peter 5:12. Timothy is the better known of the two because of his being prominently mentioned throughout the New Testament, and in particular because of the two books which bear his name, being written to him by Paul.

After his introduction, Paul says, “To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This same address is used in both 1 & 2 Thessalonians with the exception of the word “our,” which is used here. He addresses the church as a whole here instead of the more common term “to the saints” or “to the brethren” that he uses in many other letters. The unique term “in God our Father” is probably used to ensure that there is a distinction made between God the Father and God the Son. In 1 Thessalonians 1, he said in verse 1:9 that the church “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” By making a distinction between God the Father “and the Lord Jesus Christ,” he is demonstrating that both are God, but there is more than one Person in the Godhead. And yet, their worship of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is not pagan polytheism.

The two are one essence, and yet there is an order within the Godhead by which access is made available. Without Christ Jesus, there is no access to God the Father. He is the Mediator between the two. Pagan idolatry, from which they had turned, is not the same as what is presented in the Christian faith. His introductory words are carefully chosen for them (and thus us!) to learn, and remember, what is right and appropriate in the worship of God.

Throughout Paul’s letters, as with the entire Bible, the deity of Jesus Christ is a concept and a precept which is on evident display. It is the very heart of what God has done for the reconciliation of the people of the world.

Life application: Honest daily Bible study is hard work. It takes time and it takes effort. In today’s world many people who come to 2 Thessalonians do so in order to read the end-time events verses which are especially noted in Chapter 2. They then use those verses to build up an entire theology on rapture-related events by combing those verses with the other prophecy/rapture verses in the Bible. However, this is the extent of their biblical knowledge. They cannot logically tie what they believe in with the rest of Scripture to defend why they believe what they claim they believe. It is a sad and narrow approach to biblical theology. Taking the time to read and comprehend the entire Bible may be a large challenge, but it will help solidify one’s theology and keep the individual from error in the various disciplines found in Scripture.

Heavenly Father, thank You for each book of the Bible. They are sixty-six books which form a united whole that then tells us Your very heart. They also give us a broad and blessed understanding of Your intent and will for us, if we will just come to You. Give us the wisdom to diligently study Your marvelous word, and to stand fast on its precepts. Help us to never deviate from making a daily study of it. Instead, may it be our life-long habit. Amen.

Monday, 13 September 2017

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:28

As with all of his epistles, Paul adds into his closing salutation a blessing which is a petition for divine favor to be upon his audience. In the Greek, there is a definite article in front of “grace.” Quite often English translations will insert “the” for clarity at certain points, but it may not be in the Greek. However, it is here.

“The grace” is different than saying something like, “May grace from the Lord Jesus be with you.” Paul is asking for a divine impartation of this attribute of the Lord to rest upon those in Thessalonica (and thus us!) and to sustain them in their walk. It must be then considered that those who are not obedient to the epistle are to be excluded from this petition.

For example, in a similar petition for grace to be bestowed upon the congregation at Corinth, he wrote concerning a disobedient congregant, saying to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” It should be obvious that until this person is willing to adhere to the sound instruction of the epistle, this petition for divine grace is not intended for him.

And yet, at the same time, we all fall short of one precept or another. Therefore, it must be considered that it is for those who earnestly strive for adherence to it, even if they do fall short. Such is the nature of grace; undeserved merit. Paul, in one form or another, closes out every one of his epistles with such a note of request for this divine favor. Even the last words of the Bible are very closely aligned with his words here. There John writes –

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21

Finally, Paul closes the letter with “Amen.” In essence, “So let it be.” Paul has petitioned for grace upon his audience, and he then confirms that petition with assured hopes that it will be so.

Life application: The Bible, time and again, asks for an undeserved blessing to be bestowed upon those who pursue it, even if they fall short of what it states. Such is the nature of grace, and such is the nature of our gracious Lord. As you walk along life’s highway, take time to contemplate the wondrous grace which has been lavished upon you. And then thank the Lord and praise the Lord for that same grace.

Lord God, too often we take the many blessings of this life for granted and we even look at Your grace as something deserved. Blessings surround us that might otherwise not even be there, such as the beautiful flower on our path. There might be a precious sent of jasmine to fill our senses and bring back a long lost memory. The rising of the moon over the waters may stir our hearts in a unique way as well. Ten thousand daily examples come our way showing us that we are blessed beyond measure. Thank You for Your care of us. Hallelujah to You, our God! Amen.