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God’s Revealed Authoritative Will – 1 Thessalonians
God’s Revealed Authoritative Will – 1 Thessalonians
What does the Lord require of thee? How do we know? He revealed it to us!
1Thess. is one of the earliest of all the letters and books of the NT, dating about 49-51. While these early disciples had been personally instructed by Paul, he stayed only a short while with them until he left under a cloud of persecution (read Acts 17:1-9). What we can learn about the beliefs of these first disciples by reading this letter:
The message: Jesus is the Son of God (1:10), He died for us (5:9-10) was raised from the dead (1:10) and thus saves us from the wrath of God (1:10), and will return to gather us to live with him (4:15-18; 5:9, 23).
· Teaches us how to WALK and please God – 4:1
· These instructions/commandments were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus – 4:2
o And thus are given ‘by the word of the Lord’ – 4:15
· These commandments are the will of God and provide for our sanctification 4:3
· Rejecting these is to reject God – 4:8
· Receiving such was receiving the Word of God and thus receiving GOD – 2:13
· Thus, it is the gospel of God – 2:2, 8, 9; the gospel of Christ 3:2
· Such WORD works in believers – 2:13
o The power of God unto salvation – Rom. 1:16-17
o Produces FAITH – Rom. 10:17
o Able to build up – Acts 20:32
o Able to save – James 1:21
o Is profitable for – 2 Tim. 3:15-17
· The apostles, as exemplified by Paul, KNEW they were sent from God with this inspired and authoritative message. 1:1-2
· This message came not in ‘word only’ but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction – 1:3
o Was confirmed by the miracles & signs – Mark 16:16-20; Heb. 2:3-4; etc.
· The proclamation of this inspired message was opposed!
o By the Jews – 2:14-16
o By Satan – 2:18
· Such opposition was powerful enough to cause Paul to be concerned – 4:5,
· They could be ‘disturbed’ by these affliction – 3:3
o 31.66 σαίνομαι: to be so emotionally disturbed as to give up one’s beliefs—‘to give up one’s beliefs, shaken in one’s beliefs, to turn back from one’s beliefs.’ τὸ μηδένα σαίνεσθαι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ταύταις ‘so that no one might turn back from his beliefs because of these persecutions’ 1 Th 3:3. Louw – Nida
· Paul’s approach of ensuring their continued faithfulness – EDUCATE and WARN – 3:4
o we are destined to this. 1 Thess. 5:9; Mt 10:16-18; 24:9, 10; Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-21; 16:2, 33; Acts 9:16; 14:22; 20:23, 24; 21:11, 13; Rom. 8:17, 35-37; 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Tim. 3:11, 12; 1 Pet. 2:21; 4:12, 13;
Is your faith the ‘like precious faith’ of these disciples? Do you believe what they believed? Are you living by the word of the Lord even as they?
Hugh DeLong
