Paul Gave Good Advice

Paul’s Letter to the Church in Thessalonica

As I explained in my last message, Paul’s name is on fourteen letters in the New Testament, but only seven were unquestionably written by Paul. The rest may or may not have been. Or they may have been altered or something added after the original. We just don’t know. All fourteen were copied many times and distributed to other Christian Churches. By the time I finish the seven that we know for sure were authored by Paul, it will be time for us to move on to another subject. I’m not sure what it will be, but I will think of something. My original thought was to take Paul’s letters in the order they were written rather than the order they are listed in Scripture. Here again I found disagreement among the experts. There is consensus that the first three were 1 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, and his letter to the Galicians. The order of those three, however, is still a subject for debate. It is agreed that he visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey then wrote the letter during his stay in Corinth.

Thessalonica is on the Greek mainland and was the ancient capital of Macedonia. During Paul’s time the population was over 200,000. We don’t know who founded the church in Thessalonica, but it was already there when Paul arrived. He came to Thessalonica after a struggle in Philippi. He had been beaten, thrown in jail, ran out of town, stoned and left for dead. He was in pretty bad shape, and the congregation in Thessalonica took care of him.

You may remember that Paul was much disturbed by what he found in Corinth. The church was divided into two theological camps and had lost the primary focus of Christ. Hence, Paul was very critical of them. The letter to the Thessalonians, on the other hand, is nurturing and full of praise. It is the kind of letter I would expect our District Superintendent to write should he visit us. I don’t think I told you that the district lay leader was on the Board of Ordained Ministry when I was recertified last month. He said that we were gaining a favorable reputation as a lay-led congregation, and he frequently uses us as an example of how to do it. His comments were similar to Paul’s comments to the Thessalonians. I quote from Paul’s letter: “Our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You became imitators of us and of the LORD, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so, you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia. Your faith in God has become known everywhere.” I would hope our district leaders would have similar comments about us.

Although Paul praised the congregation, he also reminded them of the need to live a Christian life. It is obvious the congregation had read letter outlining the provisions of Acts 15. It is also obvious that some congregations disagreed and thought new Christians must be Jews before they can become Christians. The new church was not only influenced by the synagogue, but by their Gentile neighbors. He tells them that although their neighbors don’t follow the same set of restrictions, they need to abstain from sexual immorality. Paul also tells the congregation to be ready for the coming of the Lord. “The day of the Lord will come (when you least expect it) like a thief in the night.” That sounds familiar. How many times have you heard that message from this very pulpit, not only from me but from almost anyone else who has ever spoken here? I have told you the story of the high school student I tutored back in the early nineties. His parents were missionaries in South America and he was swept over a waterfall while playing with friends. Although his body was terribly broken, he was able to cling to a rock for several hours until he was rescued. I asked him what gave him the strength, and he said he wasn’t ready to justify his life at that point to the Creator of the Universe. He is now a pastor in British Columbia. Our life is a gift from God. When will we be called to justify that gift? If we are not ready now, when will we be?

Then Paul goes on to outline a guide for Christian living as valid today as it has been in any point in history. Again I quote from Paul’s letter: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” Paul’s advice pertains to social interaction in the community as well as within the congregation.

Paul taught the Thessalonians to be a congregation, to be a church family. A family that cares for each other and cares for our neighbors who choose not go to church. We have that here. You are my family and I am yours. We love each other and we love our community. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all Christians could share the same oneness that we feel for each other?

We are officially into the Christmas season. Christmas is a time of renewal for Christians. All cultures have a time or season of renewal. For Asians it is the new year. For some it is harvest, but for us it is the birthday of Jesus. It is a time when we renew our faith as well as renew our bonds and our love for each other.

Pray with me. Lord we are a family, and families share Christmas. I can think of no greater gift than what you have given us in each other. Amen