Author: Charlie Garrett

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Charlie Garrett 1 Thessalonians (Written)

Saturday, 17 June 2017

…remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Paul now details what is specifically included in the prayers concerning those at Thessalonica that he referred to in the previous verse. He says they are “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.”

These are the three tenets which he beautifully wrote about to the Corinthians – faith, hope, and love. Each of these is in the genitive, and so they, as noted by Charles Ellicott, are “almost equivalent to a very emphatic adjective.” In other words, “work of faith” would equate to “faithful activity.” In this it is a kind of work which is “characterized by faith and promoted by faith” (Ellicott). “Labor of love” would equate to “loving labor.” It is a labor worked out because of, and for the sake of, love. And “patience of hope” would equate to “hopefully patient.” It is a patience which is grounded in hope, and which is continuously nurtured by that same hope.

Each of these traits is in those at Thessalonica, as Paul says, “in our Lord Jesus Christ.” What is more appropriate is “of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In all three of these traits, Jesus is the object, not the subject. We have the hope of our Lord in our work of faith. We have hope of our Lord in our labor of love, and we have hope of our Lord in our patience of hope. Because He came, because He is with us, and because He is coming again, we have this hope, fully and completely.

Finally, he notes that our hope of the Lord Jesus Christ is “in the sight of our God and Father.” This means basically “before,” or “in the presence of.” Because of our hope in Christ, the attentive eyes of our heavenly Father are upon us. He is pleased to have a relationship with us once again because of the merits of Christ. He is our Redeemer and Mediator, and so in Him and through Him, we are brought into the very presence of God.

Life application: Paul’s words of this verse show us that our works are to be works of faith in order to be pleasing to God. Any work not done in faith will not be credited to our account of heavenly rewards. Every work, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, will be credited to us if it is done in faith. In all ways, and at all times, our walk with the Lord comes down to faith. We are saved by faith, we are justified by faith, and our works are credited to our account when done in faith.

Lord God, help us to be people of faith. Despite what the religions of the world say, including many supposed Christian groups, our standing of righteousness before You is one of faith alone – apart from any works of righteousness. And our works will only be credited for rewards if they are works of faith. Your word tell us that faith, and faith alone, is what makes us pleasing in Your sight. And so Lord, grant us faith – even as small as a mustard seed – and we will go forth with that! Great are You, O God. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

Charlie Garrett 1 Thessalonians (Written)

Friday, 16 June 2007

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 1 Thessalonians 1:2

This is a greeting which, even if slightly amended for the occasion, is common to Paul’s letters. In some letters, the stress is on the thanks, in others it is on the prayers. It is rather close to the words of Colossians 1:3 –

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,”

However, when he wrote his letter to the Thessalonians, he noticeably gives thanks “to God” rather than “to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He has already carefully placed Christ Jesus within the Godhead in the previous verse, and so the thanks are obviously to Him as much as they are to the Father. Therefore, Paul combines the two into the simpler term “God.”

Here he notes that he, Silvanus, and Timothy “give thanks to God always for you all. These thanks are lifted to God, who is both Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As always, his wording highlights the deity of Christ. There is the human Jesus, and there is the Christ of God, being God. He is the Lord Jesus Christ who issues from God the Father, and who dwells with the Father in the Godhead. It is to this God that their thanks are directed at this point.

In their thanks, he then notes that they are “making mention of you in our prayers.” Paul’s idea of “praying without ceasing,” which he will state later in this epistle, is evident in words such as these. Whenever the thought of one of his beloved churches came to mind, he and those with him would utter forth a prayer to God on its behalf. When they talked about one of the churches, they would probably issue forth a quick prayer of both thanks and petition for it. To them, praying was certainly a normal extension of their regular lives and conversations.

Life application: God already knows the end from the beginning. His plan is also complete in His mind. Despite this, we should not have a fatalistic view of life where we ignore prayers. Instead, God figures our prayers into the plan, just as our free-will calling on Jesus is figured into the plan. If we don’t receive Jesus, we will not be saved. Likewise, prayers that are not uttered are not heard. God’s foreknowledge of all things outside of time factors in our actions within the stream of time. Pray!

Heavenly Father, one of the beautiful things You have granted to us is the opportunity to pray. When we open our hearts to You, You hear and respond according to Your grace and mercy. And because we have Jesus as our Mediator between our prayers and Your ears, we can know that those prayers which are offered through Him are acceptable to You. And so, as we offer them to You in His name, hear and respond according to Your wisdom. Thank You that our prayers are heard because of Him. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1:1

Charlie Garrett 1 Thessalonians (Written)

Thursday, 15 June 2017

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Welcome to the book of 1 Thessalonians! It is comprised of 89 verses, and so it will take us (one day at a time, just as the sun rises each day) only three 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) 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 the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This same address is used in both 1 & 2 Thessalonians. 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 the Father” is probably used to ensure that there is a distinction made between God the Father and God the Son. He will say 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 showing 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. Again, his coming statement in verse 1:9 is intended to show them these things. Pagan idolatry, from which they have turned, is not the same as what is presented in the Christian faith. His introductory words here are carefully chosen for them (and thus us!) to learn, and remember, what is right and appropriate in the worship of God.

After this, he says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a standard portion which is to be found in almost all of his epistles. Grace is unmerited favor; it cannot be earned. This was the common greeting among the Greek people. Peace however was, and still 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 it 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 is on evident display. It is the very heart of what God has done for the reconciliation of the people of the world. As a side note, some translations leave off everything after “peace.” Which is the true original is hard to say. Scholars argue over this, but either way, Christ Jesus is on prominent display throughout the book.

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 1 Thessalonians do so in order to read the “rapture verses” noted in Chapter 4. They then build up an entire theology on this issue by combing those verses with the other 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. What 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. Taken together, they form a united whole which tells us Your very heart, and which gives us a broad and blessed understanding of Your intent and will for us, if we will just come to You. Grant us wisdom to diligently study this marvelous word, and to stand fast on its precepts. Help us to never deviate from making a daily study of it our life-long habit. Amen.

Colossians 4:18

Charlie Garrett Colossians (Written)

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen. Colossians 4:18

This is the final verse of Colossians. The book has spanned four chapters totaling 95 verses. To close out this masterpiece of wisdom and instruction, Paul begins with, “This salutation by my own hand – Paul.” The letter was probably written by an amanuensis (one who takes dictation), but then Paul signed the letter to confirm that it was from him. This is the standard with most of his epistles. His handwriting was very distinct, having large letters (Galatians 6:11).

In closing, and concerning himself, he says, “Remember my chains.” Numerous times in his letters, he refers to his bondage and chains, even in verse 4:3 of this letter. It is probably for a twofold reason. The first obvious reason is that he desired their prayers, and he wished that they would have sympathy for him and empathize with him. The second reason is because his bondage was to remind them of his love for them. He, a Jew, was imprisoned for the sake of the Gentiles. Thus it was for their sake and for the glory of Christ. There was nothing shameful in his chains. Instead, it was the Lord’s will that he should be where he was. These ideas are to be inferred from a similar sentiment found in Hebrews 13:3 –

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

Paul finishes his personal greeting with, “Grace be with you. Amen.” In Greek, it literally states, “the grace,” and thus he is speaking of “the grace of Jesus Christ” specifically. This is a condensed form of that sentiment which is unique to this letter and the two letters to Timothy. Most other epistles give a fuller form of the thought. Paul desires them (and thus us!) to have and live in the grace of Jesus Christ. He then closes with “Amen,” or “So be it.”

Life application: Having read and studied the book of Colossians, you are now admonished to continue reading it, along with the rest of Scripture, every day of your lives. Pursue the Lord, cherish His word, and be ready to share both with others at all times. Always be prepared!

Lord God, how can we be prepared to share Your word with others if we don’t know it? Give us the wisdom to pick it up, read it, and contemplate it daily. Open our eyes to its truths, and give us the ability to then share it with others. Help us to be bold about proclaiming it, and help us to stand fast on its truth. Even while the world heads in the opposite direction, may we hold fast to the truth of Jesus Christ – the Author and Subject of this most marvelous gift. Amen.

Colossians 4:17

Charlie Garrett Colossians (Written)

Tuesday, 13 June 2017

And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17

Paul’s words here are taken by many scholars as a rebuke of Archippus which are intended to urge him back to a proper fulfillment of his duties. Why anyone would come to this conclusion is a bit hard to understand. Paul begins with, “And say to Archippus.” The letter is written to the church at Colossae. It was to be read to all there, and then it was to be read to the church at Laodicea. To rebuke someone like this at the very end of the letter would be inappropriate at best.

Instead, the words, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received,” are certainly a note of encouragement. Paul’s letters are written as notes of doctrine. They are intended to instruct the churches in how to handle false apostles, false teachings, and heretical ideas which crop up. Archippus had received a “ministry” which he was responsible for. In Greek, it is diakonia, or a deaconate. But rather than being a deacon, it is probably meaning that he was in charge of the deacons. Some take this to mean that he was the lead pastor, or at least in a similar position.

This position he received “in the Lord.” Rather than saying, “from the Lord,” Paul uses this term. It means that he was not an apostle, but rather had received his ministry from someone who was already in the Lord, and was acknowledged and ordained to the position that he held. This is an implicit reference to the idea of the “apostolic age” which was coming to an end. When those who had received their ministry “from the Lord” were all gone, there would be no more apostles from the Lord. Rather, all would be ordained “in the Lord” from that time on.

As he was in such a ministry, Paul was encouraging him. Being in the position of a pastor brings with it many headaches as people come forth with a constant stream of ideas about what they think, despite have little or no theological training, and having spent limited time in Scripture itself. It can be maddening at times to live in a world full of “specialists” to lead. Archippus apparently bore this type of thing as well, and Paul was encouraging him to apply the words of his epistles to his ministry. It would allow him to “fulfill it.” By relying on his ordination, and by applying OT Scriptures and whatever New Testament writings were being circulated, including apostolic epistles, he would be strengthened to perform his duties in an effective manner.

Archippus is mentioned just one more time in Scripture, in Philemon 1:2. There he is called “a fellow soldier.” As these two letters were written at approximately the same time, we can see that Paul’s note in this epistle is not one of rebuke, but of encouragement. Archippus was in the battle, and he was working effectively, but he needed the additional encouragement of Paul’s apostleship to strengthen him.

Life application: When going to your pastor, or some other person you might correspond with who has a ministry, it is courteous to ask rather than dictate. The person you are speaking to is fallible and could very well be wrong on an issue, but to charge at him like a bull can only put up a wall which is then hard to later break down. Let your words be seasoned with salt, and work without belligerence. Remember, you are one person coming to an individual who probably hears from many people over the course of a week. How easy it is to get eroded down if everyone is on the attack!

Lord God, thank You for those people who have gone before us, searching out Your word, carefully analyzing it, and making helpful commentaries on it. We have 2000 years of knowledge heaped up that we can draw from in order to understand this precious gift. Help us to pay heed to those things we are taught, and to also apply our own study time in pursuit of Your superior word! Amen.