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1 Thessalonians Overview: A Church with Only Three Weeks of Bible School

About This Episode

After only spending about three weeks with a brand new group of believers in Thessalonica the apostle Paul and Silas are kicked out of the city by a mob and are unable to return. But despite the intense persecution and their immature faith the Thessalonians became model Christians throughout the Mediterranean. In this episode, Seth and David talk about this fledgling church and the good news that knowing Jesus equips us to handle whatever is thrown at us.

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How 1 Thessalonians Reveals God's Power to Transform New Believers

Show Notes

In this episode, David and Seth begin their journey through Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, exploring what is likely Paul's first canonical letter and one of his warmest, most affectionate pieces of correspondence. This overview of 1 Thessalonians chapters 1-3 unpacks the remarkable story of a fledgling church that flourished under intense persecution despite having only a few weeks of instruction from the apostle Paul.

The Dramatic Background of the Thessalonian Church

The Book of Acts provides invaluable context for understanding 1 Thessalonians. Paul arrived in Thessalonica (or Thessaloniki, as the Greeks would pronounce it) fresh from imprisonment in Philippi, where he had witnessed the conversion of the Philippian jailer after praying and singing hymns caused the prison bars to crumble. In Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia, Paul spent approximately two to four weeks preaching in the local synagogue, reasoning from the Old Testament Scriptures to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah.

During this brief tenure, a significant number of Jews, Greeks, and several prominent women came to follow Jesus. However, the Jewish religious establishment grew increasingly jealous of Paul's influence and the people being drawn away from the synagogue. The parallels to Jesus's own ministry are striking: just as the Jewish leadership became jealous of Jesus and brought accusations before Roman authorities, claiming he was an insurrectionist with "another king," the Thessalonian authorities pursued the same strategy against Paul and Silas. They formed a mob, attacked Jason's house where the believers were meeting, and accused the Christians of "turning the world upside down" and acting against Caesar's decrees by proclaiming Jesus as King.

Paul and Silas were forced to flee secretly at night, and the hostile religious leadership even followed them to Berea to stir up trouble there. Paul eventually made his way to Athens and then Corinth, but he carried a deep pastoral burden for the church he had been forced to leave so abruptly. He compares himself to an orphaned father whose children have been forcibly separated from him, expressing that he was prevented from returning by Satan—possibly a reference to the religious establishment's opposition. Unable to return himself, Paul sent Timothy to check on the young congregation and report back on their condition.

Grace and Peace: More Than a Greeting

Paul opens his letter with a characteristic salutation: "Grace to you and peace." This phrase brackets not only 1 Thessalonians but also 2 Thessalonians, appearing at both the beginning and end of each letter. While modern readers might gloss over this as a simple "hope you're doing well," Paul intends something far more theologically weighty. He front-loads and back-ends his correspondence with a reminder of the Gospel's foundation: God has shown grace when it was undeserved, and He has secured peace through the cross that believers would not have otherwise possessed.

For a church experiencing intense suffering and persecution, these words function as both prayer and proclamation. Paul is not merely being polite but is actively invoking God's grace and peace over believers who might not feel these realities in their present circumstances. He is calling them to a different reality, framing the Kingdom of God in a season where it might appear that the kingdom of the world is winning. This theological greeting sets the tone for everything that follows, reminding the Thessalonians that their relationship with the Lord is grounded in what God has done for them through Christ.

Faith Spreading Like Wildfire Through Suffering

Paul spends the first chapter expressing overwhelming gratitude and astonishment at the fruit the Thessalonians have produced despite their limited time together. He congratulates them on their faith, hope, and love—qualities for which they have become well-known throughout Macedonia. What makes this remarkable is that the Thessalonians received the Word of God "in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6). They became imitators of Paul and of the Lord Himself, suffering for their faith while maintaining joy.

The testimony of the Thessalonian believers was spreading faster than Paul could travel. Wherever he went, people would report to him how the Thessalonians had turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and how they were patiently waiting for Jesus's return despite their suffering. This pattern mirrors Jesus's own ministry: proclaim, suffer, expand. The same methodology that spread the Gospel through Christ's death and resurrection was now replicating itself in Thessalonica. The persecution meant to silence the church was instead amplifying its witness throughout the entire region.

Paul attributes this remarkable growth not to the Thessalonians' superior grit or determination but to the Word of God being at work within them. In chapter 2, verse 13, he writes that when they received God's message, they "accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." This is the key insight: the power that enabled baby Christians with minimal instruction to withstand persecution unto death was not their own strength but the transformative power of God's Word living and active within them.

Paul's Defense: Parents, Not Philosophers for Hire

During Paul's absence, accusations had apparently circulated suggesting that he and Silas were merely "philosophers for hire"—itinerant teachers who preached whatever message would make them money and fled when things got difficult. Paul addresses these accusations directly in chapter 2, pointing out the absurdity of the charges. Would philosophers seeking profit allow themselves to be imprisoned in Philippi and then continue preaching a message that brought persecution in Thessalonica? Did Paul and Silas ever ask for money or throw around their apostolic credentials to demand special treatment?

Paul offers three family metaphors to describe his actual relationship with the Thessalonians. First, he and his companions were like innocent children among them—guileless and without ulterior motives. Second, they were like nursing mothers, sacrificially giving of themselves and working night and day jobs so as not to be a financial burden on the young church. Third, they were like fathers, encouraging, exhorting, and developing the believers to prepare them for the day when Paul would have to leave.

This family imagery reflects how Christ treats His church. Jesus toiled day and night for His people, giving of Himself completely without being a burden. He compared Himself to a mother hen protecting her chicks. Paul's ministry was an imitation of Christ's ministry, and now the Thessalonians were imitating Paul. The pattern of Christ was replicating itself through generations of believers. Paul's ultimate motivation was not financial gain but the Thessalonians themselves. He writes, "What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy" (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). Just as Jesus endured the cross "for the joy set before him"—the joy of being united with His church—Paul found his greatest reward in seeing these believers formed into the image of Christ.

The Word at Work: God's Active Role in Sanctification

One of the most encouraging theological insights from 1 Thessalonians concerns sanctification—the process by which believers grow in Christlikeness. Paul's prayer at the end of chapter 3 reveals that this transformation is fundamentally God's work, not merely human effort. He prays, "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all... so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). The verbs are significant: God makes believers increase; God establishes their hearts.

This raises a common question, particularly familiar from youth group settings: "Would I stand firm if I faced real persecution?" The tendency is to conclude that one's faith probably wouldn't be sufficient for such trials. But this passage offers a different perspective. The Thessalonians had only three weeks of Bible instruction. They likely didn't even have access to Scripture after being expelled from the synagogue. Yet they stood firm under persecution that included the death of fellow believers. The difference was not their superior knowledge or spiritual maturity but the fact that the Word of God was at work in them.

This does not mean believers are passive in their spiritual growth. Reading Scripture, attending church, and praying remain essential practices. But these disciplines are not checkboxes to earn spiritual maturity. Rather, they are places of meeting where dependent believers encounter the God who transforms them. The distinction lies in posture: approaching spiritual disciplines as spaces where problems meet the living God, rather than as tasks that mechanically produce growth. The encouragement is profound: if the Gospel was sufficient to sustain the Thessalonians through martyrdom with minimal instruction, it is more than sufficient for believers today facing the challenges of ordinary life.

Good News for the Struggling Believer

The first three chapters of 1 Thessalonians contain remarkable good news for anyone who doubts whether they have what it takes to persevere in faith. Jesus, who is the living Word, wants to conquer sin in believers' lives more than they want it conquered. He desires to form His character in His people more than they desire it themselves. And He is infinitely more powerful than any human effort to accomplish both.

The Gospel strategy revealed in Thessalonica is also good news: faithfulness through suffering spreads the message of Christ. When believers suffer for their faith, it does not indicate failure, abandonment by God, or some mistake in their discipleship. Suffering is God's core strategy for changing both individual believers and the world. Like a father shepherding his children through difficulty, God uses trials to grow and transform His people. This was Jesus's method on the cross, Paul's method in prison, and the Thessalonians' method under persecution. The message continues to spread because it works—as evidenced by how the Thessalonian story encourages believers nearly two thousand years later.

Transcript

Seth: I think there's one way to see it is, it's just as, as a constant reminder of the grounding of what, of, of, of our faith. Like, our relationship with the Lord is grounded on the grace that He's shown us, and the peace that He's... Like, and the peace that He's secured through the cross, right? Like, so it's a constant reminder of the good news of the Gospel. [upbeat music]

Intro: Welcome to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel is a ministry that's dedicated to speaking the Gospel out of every corner of scripture. In Luke 24, Jesus told his disciples that every part of the Bible is about Him. In each episode, hosts David and Seth work through a passage of scripture to see how it's all about Jesus and His good news. Let's jump in. [upbeat music]

David: Well, welcome, everybody, to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Thank you so much for joining us. We are beginning our walk through the letters of 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. Seth, how you feeling?

Seth: I'm feeling really great. I'm really excited to go through a shorter book of the Bible.

David: Oh, yeah.

Seth: Two letters, really-

David: Yes

Seth: ... compared to the 65-chapter history of Israel's hundreds of years-

David: We did in Chronicles

Seth: ... [chuckles] that we did in Chronicles.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Yes.

David: That was, that was a beast.

Seth: And Thessalonians is kind of a fun book.

David: Yeah?

Seth: Um, it's, it's really pass- it's probably Paul's first letter-

David: Mm

Seth: ... that he wrote. It's very warm and affectionate towards the people that he's writing to, and it kinda gets a little spicy with the man of lawlessness-

David: Ooh

Seth: ... Jesus coming back, descending from the clouds.

David: Ooh.

Seth: Uh, we've got some potential end times nonsense happening.

David: All right.

Seth: So I am-

David: Well, let's go

Seth: ... I'm excited. I think it's a good mix of everything.

David: Yeah. So you said one thing that has become a pet peeve of mine-

Seth: Okay

David: ... uh, that it's Paul's first letter that he ever wrote.

Seth: Okay.

David: And I'm always like, "He probably wrote other letters-

Seth: That's true

David: ... all the time."

Seth: That's true.

David: It's the first letter that he wrote that is-

Seth: Has been recorded

David: ... is in our, in our Bible.

Seth: That's right.

David: The first canonical book.

Seth: That's right. That's right.

David: Anyway, yeah. I was like, people always say that, and I'm like, "Well, I mean, he wrote lots of letters."

Seth: Well, you're like, there's a pro-

David: But it's not like everything that spilled from his pen was-

Seth: Inspired

David: ... scripture. Anyway.

Seth: That's fair.

David: So.

Seth: That's fair.

David: The-

Seth: The first of his letters that has been-

David: There we go [chuckles]

Seth: ... included in the Bible.

David: A dumb pet peeve of mine.

Seth: Uh, yeah, so-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... you ready to dive in?

David: I'm ready to dive in. So an early letter from Paul.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Um, what's, what's going on in his life at this point? W- what's... Where is, where are the Thessalonians located? What was going on that spurred the letter?

Seth: Yes.

David: I wanna know all the background.

Seth: So what's really fun about the Book of Thessalonians is we can read the Book of Acts to get almost all of that information-

David: Yes

Seth: ... which is-

David: Okay

Seth: ... just fun. I don't have to go digging through history or, you know, inferring between the lines.

David: Yes.

Seth: Like, oh, I can read Acts 17, the first, uh, nine verses-

David: Mm

Seth: ... of Acts chap- uh, Acts Chapter 17, and get a ton of what was happening on the ground, uh, in Thessalonica-

David: Okay

Seth: ... or Thessaloniki is probably... The G- the way the Greeks would pronounce it.

David: Thessaloniki.

Seth: Thessaloniki.

David: But we're probably gonna say Thessalonica-

Seth: Because-

David: ... 'cause that's, you know, the-

Seth: 'Cause I'm American-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... and I, I'm used to saying things [laughing] one way, and I'm just gonna keep saying it that way. [laughing]

David: We apologize to the rest of the world. [laughing]

Seth: It's Thessaloniki, and we apologize in advance. Um, so Paul is on one of his missionary journeys, visiting town after town after town, and generally being, uh, kicked out of town-

David: Mm

Seth: ... uh, for, for preaching the good news of Jesus. And so he's just been in Philippi. Uh, he was imprisoned in Philippi.

David: Philippi.

Seth: Philippi. [laughing]

David: [laughing]

Seth: Uh, in Philippi, uh, and as he was after... But then he got thrown in jail, and then as he prayed and sung hymns in, in the jail cell, the prison bars crumbled.

David: Oh, yes.

Seth: The jailer gets converted-

David: Right

Seth: ... uh, from on, uh, he's on the verge of suicide-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... because he's failed his duty to the emperor. Paul intervenes, he's converted, and he begins the church in Philippi.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And then Paul continues his journey on to Thessalonica.

David: Mm.

Seth: And so he gets to Thessalonica, along with Silas and maybe Timothy, uh, not quite sure.

David: Okay.

Seth: Uh, but he's there, and he spends anywhere between two and four weeks preaching in one of the synagogues in Thessalonica.

David: Okay.

Seth: He-

David: Why do... How do we know two and four weeks?

Seth: Well, because in verse, um, uh, ch- uh, in verse two, it says, "And Paul went, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days-

David: Ah

Seth: ... he reasoned with them from the scriptures."

David: So it depends on how you count.

Seth: Right.

David: From the beginning.

Seth: So did he arrive on Friday, and then that Saturday morning, he got up-

David: Right

Seth: ... Sabbath number one. Eight days later, Sabbath number two, and then another seven days later, Sabbath number three?

David: Yeah.

Seth: Or did he get there on a Monday and spend, like, four weeks there-

David: I see

Seth: ... and leave right before the fourth Sabbath? We don't know.

David: Okay, between two and four weeks.

Seth: Between two and four weeks-

David: I see

Seth: ... actively preaching in the synagogue.

David: Yes.

Seth: And during that time, preaching in the synagogue, he was ex- opening the Bible and explaining how... What we're doing on this podcast-

David: Right

Seth: ... how all the Old Testament is about Jesus the Messiah.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And during his tenure there, a whole bunch of Jews, a whole bunch of Greeks, and several prominent women-

David: Mm

Seth: ... um, come to follow Jesus, which is exciting news.

David: Yeah, that's incredible.

Seth: But during that time, the Jews, who are leading the synagogue there, become increasingly jealous of Paul's influence, and presumably of the fact that he's drawing, like, people away from their synagogue. So I-

David: Mm

Seth: ... Christine, uh, our staff, uh, our on-staff writer and I, kind of had a conversation. It's like, how did that work? Like, after Paul's preaching in the synagogue for a while, what happens next?

David: Mm.

Seth: He's preaching about Jesus the Messiah, and eventually, he has a run-in with the religious establishment, and he has to, like, start a house church in somebody's house. Or does he just take over the synagogue someday and put a different- [laughing]

David: Yeah. [laughing]

Seth: ... uh, put a different preacher there? Anyway.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um-

David: Yeah, probably the house church.

Seth: Probably the house church.

David: Yeah.

Seth: But, uh-... I think a lot of synagogues at the time wouldn't have had, like, regular rabbis necessarily-

David: Mm

Seth: ... like, like we have pastors. Like, that's the lead pastor of that church. They would have a lot of int- itinerant people-

David: Interesting

Seth: ... coming in, so, eh, we don't know.

David: Okay.

Seth: But anyway, during his tenure there-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... the religious establishment gets, um, extremely angry with Paul for preaching that Jesus is the Messiah, and the, the Acts 17 is that they become jealous.

David: Mm. And is it mainly... You said the religious establishment. Is it mainly the, the Jewish present in Thessalonica that gets upset that he's claiming Jesus is-

Seth: So-

David: ... the Jewish Messiah?

Seth: So what happens, verse five, "But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar, and attacked, attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring, uh, Paul and Silas out to the crowd."

David: Right. So, yeah, they were e- either taking shelter or meeting in Jason's house.

Seth: That's right.

David: And the Jews, specifically called out, were jealous.

Seth: Right.

David: So the religious-

Seth: And-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... I think what's interesting here is just, I want- we should think about the parallels that we're already seeing between Jesus's story-

David: Mm

Seth: ... and Paul and Silas's story here.

David: Okay.

Seth: We have Paul and Silas preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, preaching that Jesus is the Messiah. The Jewish establishment gets jealous, just as the Jewish Senate-

David: Right

Seth: ... got jealous of, um-

David: Jesus's ministry.

Seth: Jesus's ministry.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And then they, the Jewish establishment in Jesus's day, went to the Roman authorities, claiming that Jesus was an insurrectionist.

David: Right. Spun up a mob.

Seth: Spun up a mob-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... to crucify Jesus.

David: Mm.

Seth: And look what happens next here. Uh, when they couldn't find Paul and Silas in Jason's home, they s- shouted, "These men have turned the world upside down and have come here also, and Jason has received them. And they're acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

David: Mm.

Seth: So they're accusing the Christians of the same th- these early Christians of Thessalonica of the same things-

David: Right

Seth: ... Jesus was accused of.

David: Yeah, we have no other king but Caesar.

Seth: That's exactly right.

David: Yeah.

Seth: They're, they're... Yes.

David: Mm.

Seth: So the, uh, the same kind of suffering that, um, Jesus experienced, and Paul will say that explicitly to the Thessalonians, uh, in, in his letters-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... uh, that the same, uh, religious establishment that persecuted Jesus, persecuted them, and is now continuing on-

David: I see

Seth: ... in their absence-

David: Okay

Seth: ... once Paul moved on.

David: Yeah, that makes sense.

Seth: Um-

David: It's also just amazing how quickly something like this spins up.

Seth: Isn't it? Interesting.

David: It's like a missionary comes into town, and three weeks later, uh, a bunch of people are converted, and the local, like, religious leaders are forming mobs to drive them out of town.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's like, man, I don't think most missionary activity operates that quickly. [chuckles]

Seth: Right, and there's might be an argument to be made that they spent a little more time in Thessalonica.

David: Uh-huh.

Seth: So he says three weeks on the Sabbath day in the synagogues.

David: Yeah.

Seth: It could be that they spent a significant amount of time in Jason's house before moving on as well.

David: Mm.

Seth: We'll learn as we get into Thessalonians that the reputation of the Thessalonian believers has spread throughout.

David: Yeah.

Seth: So Thessaloniki was the capital of Macedonia, but all of Macedonia has heard about the believers in Thessalonica.

David: Mm.

Seth: So it's possible, and it was the capital city-

David: Okay

Seth: ... so it's like travelers would come in, meet them, and move on. Experience the, experience the new community of Jesus followers happening in Thessalonica and take news back out. So it could have been that that had happened, that they'd been there longer-

David: Mm

Seth: ... but he only records his interactions in the synagogue.

David: Okay, that makes sense.

Seth: Um, but yes, anyway, it's true, regardless-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... he doesn't spend as much time as he wants to there-

David: Right

Seth: ... because, um, briefly after that, they are immediately- they, they can't stay in the city anymore.

David: They're driven out. They-

Seth: They're driven out, and they have to, to leave secretly at night. So, um-

David: Paul and Silas go to Berea-

Seth: That's right

David: ... and Athens.

Seth: Yeah, they go to Berea, and what's fascinating is the religious leadership that spun up the mob in Thessalonica follows them to Berea, starts the same thing there.

David: Oh, my gosh.

Seth: Paul is forced to go to Athens, but Silas stays in Berea with Timothy and continues the ministry there.

David: Mm.

Seth: And then once Paul is in Athens, he kind of recognizes that he wanted to spend so much more time with the Thessalonians.

David: Yeah.

Seth: He'd only ju- he'd only spent maybe only three weeks with them.

David: Right.

Seth: And he had a lot more to s- say to them. He is not finished teaching them. He is not finished telling them all that he wants to tell them about Scripture or the way to run their church.

David: Mm.

Seth: So he feels a deep burden to go back and help them. He'll, he'll compare himself to an orphaned father or a father whose children have been forcibly separated from him.

David: Oh.

Seth: So he feels this deep, like, investment in these people's lives.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And he f- he, like, he knows his time with them was cut short and deeply wants to go back to them.

David: Mm.

Seth: Uh, but he's f- stopped-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... in some way. He says, "By Satan."

David: Wow.

Seth: Satan stops him.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Uh, which might actually be a reference to the religious establishment.

David: Oh, wow.

Seth: Um-

David: That's intense.

Seth: Yeah, I, I don't know that... We don't know that for true.

David: Yeah.

Seth: It could be a spiritual opposition, but Jesus does call the religious establishment of his day "children of hell."

David: Mm.

Seth: Um, we do know that when s- uh, Judas betrays-

David: Right

Seth: ... Jesus and hands him over to the Roman authorities-

David: Which looked a lot like what happened in Thessalonica.

Seth: That's right.

David: Yeah.

Seth: It's Satan enters-

David: Entered into

Seth: ... into Judas.

David: Right.

Seth: So there does... And then we also know that the persecution of Jesus itself was inspired by Satan. Satan waited for a more opportune time.

David: Right.

Seth: Right, so, like-

David: And then, and Satan just means accuser.

Seth: Accuser.

David: He's a liar, and so whenever there are lying accusations against the Kingdom of God, they generally can be-

Seth: Right

David: ... satanically driven.

Seth: Right.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And so potentially-

David: Mm

Seth: ... it's the Jewish authorities preventing Paul from moving back there, but we-

David: Mm

Seth: ... that's neither here nor there. But anyway, so Paul is forced to go to Athens.

David: Yes.

Seth: And he sent- he sends a letter to Timothy, a letter that we don't have a, a record of, by the way. [chuckles]

David: Oh, yeah, there's, there's one of those letters. Here we go.

Seth: And then Timothy goes to Thessalonica to check on the church they had to leave so quickly.

David: Yeah. "Dear Timothy, I'm really worried about our new friends in Thessalonica. Please go check on them. Sincerely, Paul"-

Seth: Yes

David: ... goes to Timothy. Timothy goes, checks on the church.

Seth: And then he visits Paul pres- either in Athens or probably in Corinth, 'cause he spends, like-

David: ... a year and a half in Corinth-

Seth: Okay.

David: - and brings news of the Thessalonian church and all that's happening. Paul writes his first letter in-

Seth: In response to Timothy's testimony.

David: That's right.

Seth: Okay.

David: And then he probably writes the second letter only a couple weeks later.

Seth: Yeah.

David: So it's, like, very fast, which is kind of fun, too. Normally, like, there-

Seth: Oh, great.

David: It feels like there's a lot of distance between Paul's letter writing and the church. Some of them he hadn't even met the church before.

Seth: That's right.

David: Um-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... but in this case, it's like Paul was there a couple weeks ago, he quickly fires off a letter to encourage them-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and then he writes again a couple weeks after that.

Seth: Yeah, that is fascinating. [upbeat music] Okay, so-

David: So, so then- Okay, so I think I get the background.

Seth: Yeah.

David: First Thessalonians, uh, Paul has been forcibly estranged from a church, a very newborn church, that he cares about in Thessalonica. He sent Timothy to get word about how it's doing. Timothy brings word back to Paul, and so Paul responds to that letter, or to that, to Timothy's report, with a new letter, which is First Thessalonians.

Seth: That's right.

David: Okay, and what's his general message to the-

Seth: Oh

David: ... Thessalonians? Like, w- he's got this pastoral burden on his heart.

Seth: Mm.

David: He's heard news of some sort we haven't talked about yet, about how things are going-

Seth: Mm.

David: -and what's-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... his sense? What's he, what's he wanting to communicate?

Seth: What's crazy is that First Thessalonians includes Paul's longest prayer that he prays for anybody else in the entire New Testament.

David: Whoa!

Seth: From chapter one all the way to chapter, end of chapter three. For three whole chapters, he just prays-

David: Mm

Seth: ... over the Thessalonians, thanking God for what God has done among them.

David: Mm.

Seth: And he just, compliment after compliment after, uh, just effusive, fatherly praise over this young, fledgling church-

David: Mm

Seth: ... that doesn't have all the resources Paul wanted to give it, but has nevertheless stood up under intense persecution despite all that.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And so for three chapters, he just gushes over the Thessalonians. Um, in that, he also, like, kind of combats some of the things people have been saying about Paul and Silas.

David: Mm.

Seth: Uh, so s- apparently some people had been accusing them of being, like, philosopher-for-hire types. Like, some... It was common for, you know, teachers to go around making money off their teaching.

David: I see.

Seth: So, like, the way podcasters do things today, [laughing] like, it's like-

David: "Wait, we can get paid for this?" [laughing]

Seth: "We can get paid for this?" Uh, you know, like, they're going off, saying pe- saying things that people want to hear-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... charging a premium for that message, and then moving on when things get difficult or when, when they're challenged. So apparently, some people were accusing Paul and Silas of this.

David: Of just being philosophical mercenaries.

Seth: That's right.

David: Okay.

Seth: And he kind of combats a little bit of that, and then apparently, Timothy also brought back a couple of questions and concerns-

David: Mm

Seth: ... that the Thessalonians had, that Paul hadn't, didn't have a chance to address.

David: Okay, so Timothy, when he comes back from his trip to check on the Thessalonians, he sees that, one, they have stood up to persecution, and they haven't been squashed, but instead are flourishing.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Two, that he's heard- he hears some rumors that have started to spread around Thessal- Thessalonica-

Seth: Mm

David: ... about himself and Silas, and the method of their teaching. And three, he learns about some deficiencies in their understanding that he wants to speak into and teach-

Seth: That's right

David: ... about. Okay.

Seth: Yeah. The concern that the Thessalonians have, uh, is that while Paul has been away, some of their friend... their Christian friends have died under this-

David: Mm

Seth: ... persecution.

David: Gosh.

Seth: And so they're trying to figure out, like, what does that mean? Because Paul did speak to them about a coming day of the Lord, when Jesus would return-

David: Mm

Seth: ... he would vindicate believers who were persecuted and would join them with himself. And so they were worried, I guess understandably so, for new Christians, like, that if these people died before Jesus came back, what happens to them?

David: Right.

Seth: If-

David: They miss out

Seth: ... if they're not here when Jesus comes-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... are they gonna miss out?

David: Right.

Seth: And so that's the question-

David: Mm

Seth: ... he answers to them. Uh-

David: That's a great question.

Seth: Um, so yeah, he's t- talking about how to grieve well, and-

David: Okay

Seth: ... what does it mean to be a Christian who has hope, uh, when we've lost those we've loved?

David: Okay. So are we just jumping in to the beginning of-

Seth: I think we should just jump into First Thessalonians.

David: Okay, I'm excited.

Seth: So jumping into the beginning of First Thessalonians. Um, "Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you in peace." First, like, a little fun note-

David: Mm

Seth: ... Paul's, like, normal greeting is, "Grace to you, and peace."

David: Yeah.

Seth: He begins this letter that way, he ends this letter that way, he begins his letter to the Second Thessalonians that way, and he ends his letter to the Second Thessalonians that way. And it's probably just good to name that, like, that's not a throwaway line.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Um, it's, it's, it's a really important, distinctive greeting from Paul. It would- like, we start the podcast like, "Hey, everybody, glad you're here."

David: Right.

Seth: It would be weird or distinctive-

David: Mm

Seth: ... for us to say, "Grace and peace to you, listeners. We're glad that you're here," right?

David: Right.

Seth: It would be distinctive-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... because we want to communicate something.

David: Mm.

Seth: And Paul's doing the same thing.

David: Yeah.

Seth: He just wants to front-load and back-end all of his letters with God's grace and peace that he gives to people who trust in him.

David: Mm.

Seth: And so I think grace and peace are gonna be just important things to, like, keep in the front of our mind. Jesus saved us when he didn't have to.

David: Mm.

Seth: He showed us grace.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And he gives us peace when we are persecuted and suffering and losing those that we love.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And so he's just bracketing that throughout.

David: I've always wondered, and I've heard a little bit about it, that, "Grace and peace to you," like, when I read that, I can just kind of, uh, be like, uh, "Hope you're doing well." Right?

Seth: Yep.

David: But it's like, uh, you're saying that this is more important and weighty-

Seth: I think so

David: ... and theologically loaded. And it's like, what does that mean for Paul or any believer, you know, to be like, "Hey, Seth, grace and peace to you"? Like, what-

Seth: Like, what does si- what does sincerely mean after that?

David: Yeah. What... Yeah, what-

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's like, "Hey, warm wishes-

Seth: Mm

David: ... kind regards." Is that all it is, or is there an impartation of something happening? Is it a prayer? Like, I've always wondered that.

Seth: Mm.

David: Otherwise, it's like-... just seems like, "Hope you, hope you're good."

Seth: I think there's one way to see it is, it's just as, as a constant reminder of the grounding of what, of, of, of our faith.

David: Mm.

Seth: Like, our relationship with the Lord is grounded on the grace that He's shown us and the peace that He's, like, and the peace that He's secured-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... through the cross, right? Like, so it's a constant reminder of the good news of the Gospel.

David: Yeah.

Seth: God has shown us grace when we did not deserve it, and He secured peace with God that we would not have otherwise had.

David: Mm.

Seth: And so it's his way of just front-loading something that he sees as incredibly important, and that his readers are likely to forget.

David: Yeah.

Seth: I think that you could see it that way.

David: There's probably also got to be some kind of a prayer, or-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... like an actual petition. Like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... may grace be with you.

Seth: Mm.

David: May peace be with you.

Seth: Yeah.

David: That actually has to mean something.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Kind of like we, we would say, "Hope you're doing well."

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like, you sort of, "Hey, hey, Joe- "

David: Yeah.

Seth: " ... hope you're doing well."

David: Yep.

Seth: "Here's my letter."

David: Hope this email finds you well.

Seth: Right, yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And it, it, it's as... In one sense, we throw that away to be polite.

David: Yeah.

Seth: I don't think Paul is just being polite.

David: Right.

Seth: I think he's really intending, to your point, to, like, invoke God's grace and peace towards them-

David: Right

Seth: ... in a season where they might not experience it-

David: Exactly

Seth: ... or feel it. Yeah.

David: Yeah. It's like, "Hey, I know things are really rough right now. Sucks to be you," could be one way [chuckles] he starts.

Seth: Yeah. Right, right, right.

David: It's like, "No, no, in this midst of your suffering-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... to you, there is grace, which it might not look like it, and there is peace, even when-

Seth: Mm

David: ... it might not seem that way." And he's calling them to a different reality-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... in the midst of what it seems like they're going through. So he's framing, you know, the Kingdom of God-

Seth: His letters. Yeah

David: ... you know, in a season where it just looks like the kingdom of the world is winning.

Seth: Yeah.

David: That's cool. Okay, anyway-

Seth: So

David: ... salutations.

Seth: So salutations, greetings, and then he launches into the Thessalo- praying and thanking God for the Thessalonians.

David: Mm.

Seth: Um, I'm gonna read a little bit from my notes over here. Um, so basically, he is just entirely overwhelmed at the good fruit the Thessalonians have, like, produced, based on the limited time that he had with them.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He, like, congratulates them on the faith, hope, and love that they have, like, are now well-known for throughout Macedonia. And he spends 10 verses basically just extolling, thanking God for, and congratulating them on doing all that while suffering heavily. So look at verse 6: "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia." And then Paul says, their, their conversion has reached his ears by the towns that he's going and visiting.

David: Ah.

Seth: He say, he say, verse 9, "For they themselves," the towns that we have going and visiting-

David: Mm

Seth: ... the other people in Macedonia, "report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath

to come." So he's saying, "Whenever we go to other towns, Thessalonians, do you want to know something? People tell us about how you turned away from idol- the idols of Thessalonica-

David: Right

Seth: ... to serve God, and are now patiently waiting in suffering-

David: Mm

Seth: ... for the day of Jesus. That news reaches towns before we get there."

David: Yeah. "The gospel's going ahead of us-

Seth: Right

David: ... because of your testimony."

Seth: Right. What an encouraging letter to receive-

David: Oh, my gosh

Seth: ... uh, if you are a Thessalonian who has three weeks of Bible school under their belt.

David: Right. [chuckles]

Seth: [chuckles] Like-

David: "Oh, we're reaching the nations?"

Seth: Right. [chuckles]

David: "How is that happening?"

Seth: Yeah. [chuckles]

David: It's fascinating, too, that it does, like you said when we were reading Acts, like, it maps onto the story of Jesus so clearly, that the news of Jesus suffering, dying, raising, turning people to Him, was starting to spread out all around, you know, and it was-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... it was this, this ripple effect-

Seth: Right

David: ... that happened-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... because Jesus persevered through suffering, like, went to the cross, rose again, called disciples to Himself, people were repenting, and it just started to spread out. And now, wherever the gospel goes, these new ripples start happening, you know?

Seth: Yeah.

David: These n- new mustard seeds start sprouting, and the, the plant that grows runs, runs out faster than Paul can, can go.

Seth: That's right.

David: So it's... That's really cool.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: So he gushes over-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... the Thessalonians, encourages them that their faith is being well- is well known throughout Macedonia, that they're doing the right thing, and to keep going.

David: The other thing I just think-

Seth: Oh, yeah

David: ... w- but with, with this prayer is... And it kind of goes back to this, like, is he being sincere or platitudinous-

Seth: Mm

David: ... like with the, uh, salutation? It's like, "We give thanks to God always for you," and then he just goes on, like you said, to just gush at how improbable the Thessalonian success is.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And the reason why they were able to mature so quickly, despite only having three weeks of Bible School-

Seth: [chuckles]

David: ... the reason why they're able to have, you know, um, steadfast faith through suffering, uh, the reason why their testimony is able to reach out faster and farther than Paul can even go, is not because they're spectacular, right? It's because, oh, God's doing something in your midst. Like-

Seth: That's right

David: ... the Holy Spirit is changing your heart. Like, God is actually on the move, doing something unique inside of you. Thank you, God, for doing that!

Seth: Yes.

David: He, he, he finds the actual actor-

Seth: Yes

David: ... of that movement.

Seth: Yes. This... Yeah, you're jumping the gun here-

David: Oh

Seth: ... because I want to talk about this in a little bit, but let's just keep going. So you, you've already mentioned it. Uh, "You became an example of all believers, for not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia, but your faith in God, God has gone forth every- everywhere." And then, um, in verse, chapter 2, verse 13, Paul says, "And we thank- also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work-

David: Mm

Seth: ... in you believers. Uh, for you became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea."

David: Mm.

Seth: So the idea here-... to, to what your point is.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, so what empowered these baby Christians with three weeks of Bible school to suffer well?

David: Yeah.

Seth: It wasn't because they were just grittier Christians than the rest of the pagan world. It's that they accepted God's message as true, and it transformed them from the inside.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And that was the power that gave them the ability to withstand what they were doing. They accepted the word that they taught, which was the gospel word, that the Old Testament is about Jesus, the Messiah, coming to save them from their sins and vindicate them from their oppressors.

David: Mm.

Seth: Like, they believe that, and it transforms them simply by having accepted it.

David: Right, or yeah, and another way to talk about that would be that, I mean, the Word is at work.

Seth: That's right.

David: We thank God because the Word is at work in you, and it's like... It kind of goes back to what I said earlier, where I'm like, "Man, it's weird that this, you know, uh, trigger, trigger warning-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that this revival broke out [chuckles]-

Seth: Right

David: ... you know, in-

Seth: Yeah, yeah

David: ... Thessalonica" And it's like, yeah, it would be if we are assuming that people have to hear and consider and believe and slowly be transformed and have to-

Seth: Mm

David: ... cogitate, and-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... if it was all up to, you know, human effort to understand, grasp, and integrate the Word of God into their lives, then yeah, this seems like it's moving all too fast.

Seth: I see what you're saying, yeah.

David: But if the Word of God and God's action is actually, um, doing something, right-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... if it's actually effective-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and that it actually can, of its own, come and change a heart-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and do something, it's like, oh, God has decided that these Thessalonians are His, and He's gonna break out-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... in, like, some really powerful ways. The Word is at work, and that's why Paul is busting out in praise of God-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... not nec- not just in, like, "Man, good job, guys. Well, well done-

Seth: Yes

David: ... you figured it out." It's like he knows where the actor is, the chief actor.

Seth: I think I've asked this question... I don't know why I've asked this question so many t- I feel like I have this memory of being in youth group-

David: Mm

Seth: ... and having been asked or asking myself, "Well, if I suffered like these Christians, would I bear up?"

David: Sure.

Seth: And always wondering and probably coming to the conclusion, "No, I wouldn't. My faith is too weak," right? Like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... you know, that's, that's generally the way that conversation went. Um, but what's, I think, really encouraging then about this passage, what, what's good news about this passage, is that Paul seems to admit that when we accept the Word of God, when we accept the good news of the gospel, it does work to transform us outside of our own ability.

David: Right.

Seth: Right?

David: Yes.

Seth: And that's evidenced by the fact that the Thessalonians had only three weeks of reading the Bible with Paul.

David: Right. [chuckles]

Seth: Uh, probably more, but like-

David: Right

Seth: ... you know, like three, uh-

David: A truncated time, for sure.

Seth: Right, a cut short time. Not experts-

David: Mm, mm

Seth: ... not super Christians, not pastors.

David: Right. Yep, not Bible scholars.

Seth: Not Bible scholars.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And that word alone, the word of... The good news, the good word of the gospel, was enough to sustain the them through death. They died for this message-

David: Yeah, right

Seth: ... based on the little that they had.

David: Right.

Seth: So the encouragement is, like, if we have the gospel, if we have Jesus Christ, if we have His Word, we can trust that word-

David: Yes

Seth: ... to give us what we need-

David: Right

Seth: ... when it seems impossible to remain a Christian.

David: Because it's living and active.

Seth: It's living and active, yeah!

David: 'Cause it actually does something.

Seth: That's right.

David: It's effective. It moves.

Seth: Yes.

David: It creates.

Seth: Yes.

David: It transforms. It makes us imitators. Yeah, that's a really big comfort, and yeah, I like that you rooted it in, in youth group, 'cause I think [laughing] I have my own trauma to work through.

Seth: [laughing]

David: But, uh, but it is, it is so good that we, we... That the, the chief means of sanctification doesn't have to just be like, "Oh, if only I had more time with Paul."

Seth: Right.

David: Right, "If only Paul would've been able to teach me every single part of the Old Testament," you know?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: "Um, if only I would've been able to walk through, um, every chapter of Grudem's Systematic Theology or, you know, [chuckles] like, whatever-

Seth: Right

David: ... then I would, then I would really get it." And it's like, no, the word that you've been given is at work within you, and it has turned you into a force of testimony throughout Macedonia, baby Christian.

Seth: Right.

David: Whoa! That's, that's cool.

Seth: That's cool.

David: Okay.

Seth: So, uh-

David: Oh, sorry.

Seth: Oh, yeah. Keep going.

David: Gospel moment.

Seth: You-

David: There's just something else there, where it's like, "And that's the gospel!"

Seth: Yes!

David: Right? Grace and peace to you. Well, how? How do I get... No, I just gave you grace and peace-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and the gospel comes, and, well, I wanna work for it, I wanna figure it out, and I wanna transform myself, and I wanna make sure I properly integrate it. And like, sure, work out your fal- salvation and fear and trembling, but it's God who is at work within you.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, the gospel is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Seth: Mm.

David: Jesus is actually the word working in you, transforming you to be an imitator of Him.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, that's His work to do.

Seth: Right. I think we normally just, like, assume God's not doing anything-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and that it's like, "Okay, I'm saved now, and I've got... Like, it's now my job to, like-

David: Right, yes

Seth: ... prove that I'm good enough for the salvation that I was given by grace."

David: Yes.

Seth: But it's like, oh, man, like, God's working in you, with you-

David: Actively

Seth: ... on your behalf-

David: Yes

Seth: ... to do the things that you know that you probably aren't capable of but are now capable of by His grace-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... in your life.

David: And sometimes He does that through these external chemical reactions, like suffering in your city.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: And He's like, "This is actually going to accelerate the work I'm doing in you-

Seth: Mm

David: ... by having you be persecuted in your hometown."

Seth: Yeah.

David: Oh, okay. So, God's at work.

Seth: God's at work in the Thessalonians. [upbeat music] And so in chapter 2, Paul kind of, uh, picks up what I brought up before, that some people are accusing them of being philosophers for hire.

David: Mm.

Seth: So chapter 2, um, verse 1: "You yourselves know, brothers, uh, and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our..."... God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. Our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive you, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God, who tests our hearts. We didn't come to you with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for, for greed, God's our witness. Nor do we seek glory from people, whether you from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ." So his point here is this, it's like, "We're being accused of being philosophers." Presumably-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... we're only getting half the conversation here, but it's like presumably, we've been, uh, accused of being philosophers for hire.

David: Yeah.

Seth: "Well, would philosophers for hire be imprisoned in Philippi for the preaching the gospel-

David: Right

Seth: ... and then come here only to be persecuted more, and to continue to proclaim the gospel-

David: Right

Seth: ... on your behalf?

David: Yeah.

Seth: Did you-

David: Yeah, if we were trying to make money off of this, we'd be preaching a different message.

Seth: That's right.

David: One that wouldn't get us thrown into prison-

Seth: That's right

David: ... but would get thrown money our way.

Seth: That's right.

David: Yeah. [chuckles]

Seth: "And besides that, did we ever ask you for money?"

David: Right.

Seth: "Did we- we are apostles. We could have thrown the apostle card out there-"

David: And been like, "Hey, support us."

Seth: "Hey, support us." We could have said, "Hey, we're apostles. Treat us with respect. Bring us into your home." Do we do any of these things?

David: No, we did not act that way at all.

Seth: We did not act like that. And he goes on to just say this: "Instead, we were like children-

David: Mm

Seth: ... with you." And I think the implication here is, we were as innocent as children-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... with you. So these people are accusing us of a whole bunch of things, of being these mastermind-

David: Right

Seth: ... philosophers for hire. But like-

David: Well, it's like if you look at the generosity of, say, Jason, who gave up his house-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and like invited them in, gave them a place to stay. Um, it's like, "Well, look, you took advantage of Jason." Like, or, and like, "Look at, look at-

Seth: Mm

David: ... these other, these other women of prominence in the area. They probably supported your ministry. Oh, look at that."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "You guys are a bunch of greedy losers."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And he's like: "No, we're like kids." Are my kids greedy because I give them everything that they need?

Seth: Oh, right. Yes.

David: N- no! Are they, are they, are they children for hire? Like, [chuckles] are they after my money? No, they're just innocent kids, and I- it's my joy to support them.

Seth: Yes.

David: Right? It's like, he's like, "We came to you like kids."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "We're just like being ourselves, and you guys supported us."

Seth: Well, and what's interesting, he brings up this, it, this f- this, uh, issue of financial support-

David: Mm

Seth: ... very next. He's like, so he's, he starts off, says, "You know, we're as innocent as children-

David: Right

Seth: ... of our, our, our accusers' claims."

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: "How... What were we like instead?" He says, "We were like a mother to you-"

David: Mm.

Seth: "... a nursing mother to you, giving up of herself for her children. And do you know what we did? We worked night and day. We worked day jobs so that you wouldn't have to support us."

David: Mm.

Seth: "We told you this when we were there.

David: Yeah.

Seth: We worked hard." Verse nine: Uh, "For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day that we might not be a burden, financial burden, to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are our witnesses, and God also, at how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct towards you-

David: Mm

Seth: ... believers." So his first... His second point is, like, "We're innocent of these accusers' charges, and secondly, we showed you that we were like a, a good mom, sacrificially giving up herself and working really hard both day and night, to make sure you weren't put out by our presence with you."

David: That's right. We were like single moms.

Seth: That's right. That's exactly right.

David: [chuckles] Right.

Seth: That's right. And then he goes on to say, "And we were also like fathers to you-

David: Mm

Seth: ... encouraging you, exhorting you, coaching you, developing you, making sure that you were prepared for the day that we left, which was cut short."

David: Mm, yeah.

Seth: Uh-

David: Just proving that we didn't, we didn't come there with, with greed in our hearts or-

Seth: No

David: ... um, a beggar's basket in our hands.

Seth: No, we were like family.

David: Yeah, and we gave everything we could to you.

Seth: That's right.

David: And tried not to be a burden.

Seth: That's right.

David: So those rumors running around the mill in Thessalonica are just wrong.

Seth: That's right.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Okay? From-

Seth: And he's just reminding them of, like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... th- the affection-

David: Mm

Seth: ... that he has for them, and the affection that he's- they demonstrated while they were there.

David: Yeah, which is how Christ treats us, day and night, toiling for us, right? Working in us, through us. It's like wh- what he did on the cross, you know, what he did in his ministry, was always a giving of himself all day, and then would, you know, sneak off at night to go be with his Father, to, you know, continue to not be a burden on his-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... disciples of the world, but to give, give, give, give, give. Jesus even compares himself to, like, a mother hen who protects-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... you know, his people. And I'm just seeing, like, man, Paul really was being like an imitator of Jesus.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, and just that-

Seth: Maybe this will get you even deeper into it.

David: Oh, all right.

Seth: Is verse 19. So he's like, he's said, like, "We were like fathers and mothers and children among... Like, we were like-

David: Mm

Seth: ... family together. We were c- our time together was cut short, but we really wanna come back to you, but haven't been able to yet. Because what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before the Lord that's coming? Is it not you?"

David: Mm.

Seth: "You are our glory and joy."

David: We didn't want money, we wanted your hearts.

Seth: Yes, and we wanted you to be like Jesus.

David: Yeah.

Seth: We wanted you to grow up in the Lord, and the fact that your na- like, your reputation is spread around Macedonia? This is-

David: Cha-ching!

Seth: This is, this is-

David: That's what they're after

Seth: ... this is more than we could have ever asked for.

David: Right. Yeah.

Seth: You are what we wanted, above all.

David: Right. Yes.

Seth: Um-

David: You're... We're, we're greedy for your joy.

Seth: That's right.

David: Yeah. [chuckles]

Seth: And so, like, and so, and that- that's the same way that Jesus talks to and speaks of us.

David: Mm. Yeah.

Seth: We... Like, for the joy set before Jesus, He endured the cross.

David: Yeah, Hebrews.

Seth: What joy was that?

David: Mm.

Seth: The joy of being united with his church-

David: Right

Seth: ... and seeing his church resurrected to live with him forever.

David: Mm.

Seth: The joy that drove Jesus to suffer, at great cost to himself, was the hope of crowning, of us being his crown.

David: Mm.

Seth: Of th- the, the the thing that makes him most happy.

David: Yeah.

Seth: The thing that he wanted most was us.

David: Mm.

Seth: And so the same thing holds true for Paul.

David: God, that's beautiful.... I remember when you told me that the first time, that for the joy set before him was you being united with us.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And it still blows my mind [laughing] every time. [laughing]

Seth: Let's just keep going for that, what it said, "For the joy set before him-

David: Yeah.

Seth: -he endured the cross." Look at the way the Hebrews prefaces that statement.

David: Mm.

Seth: Uh, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith. And perfecter can be like the completer or the developer-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... the one who develops it to completion of our faith.

David: Right.

Seth: So what are Paul, and Silas, and Timothy to these people?

David: Founders and-

Seth: Fi- founders and developers-

David: Yeah, totally

Seth: ... of these people's faith.

David: Right.

Seth: The author of Hebrews says, "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross to be our pioneer and to be our perfecter of our faith." Similarly, for Paul, and Silas, and Timothy-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... their joy, their crown, is having seen faith pioneered among these people, and perfected in them, and declared throughout the world.

David: Yep. It's funny, too, that it goes on to say that, uh, through th- like, through the way Christ is being formed in us-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... uh, the way he perfects us, it talks about through suffering-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... just like the Thessalonians, so that we might be formed to his image, shedding our own blood for him.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Why? Well, 'cause God's treating us as sons.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Verse 7 of chapter 12 in Hebrews.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's, it's fascinating. It's, it all maps on.

Seth: Right.

David: I think the point that you're trying to make is, uh... is- we've kind of made several times now, where Paul's ministry looked like Jesus's ministry, and now the Thessalonians' ministry looks like Paul's ministry, which looked like Jesus's ministry.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Jesus is replicating himself-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and his method of ministry in the Thessalonian church by speaking truth through a living word that changes, that creates persecution and suffering.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And all that persecution and suffering can do is further spread the message.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, and that was Jesus's method on the cross. It was Paul's method-

Seth: Mm

David: ... whenever he got thrown into prison, or would be arrested-

Seth: Mm

David: ... or would be driven out of town.

Seth: Yep.

David: And now the Thessalonians are syncing up with Jesus's method of ministry, which is to proclaim, suffer, and expand.

Seth: Yes, and Paul goes on to say exactly that in chapter 3.

David: Mm. [upbeat music]

Seth: [page flipping] So chapter 3, he describes how basically sending Timothy, and the report that Timothy brings back. And to your point, in verse 3, he reminds the Thessalonians that before they left, he told them that they would suffer affliction-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... that they would be persecuted for their faith, that they were even destined for it.

David: Right.

Seth: Um, yeah, and-

David: And he didn't have to be, like, a f- a future sightseer to figure that one out. It's just a promise of being a follower of Jesus.

Seth: That's right.

David: Yeah, if... You've signed up for following Jesus, you're gonna be-

Seth: That's right

David: ... persecuted and suffered.

Seth: And then verse six: "But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you alwa- always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we've been comforted about you through your faith." So this is that same, uh, pattern that you're talking about.

David: Mm.

Seth: Through suffering, the news of their faith is expanding and spreading throughout the world, and is an encouragement to Paul, uh, and Silas, and, and, and Timothy. And then he ends with another prayer, um, that I, I think is... goes back to something else we talked about.

David: Mm.

Seth: Verse 3, he says this, or chapter 3, verse 11 through 13: "Now, may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all-

David: Mm

Seth: ... as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." So just notice, it's like, "That he may establish your hearts blameless?"

David: Right. That word at work.

Seth: "And then may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another."

David: That is God's work in you.

Seth: Right. At the very beginning, Paul thanked God for their, their wh- faith, hope, and love.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And again, here he's saying, the faith, hope, and love that you are so easily and naturally demonstrating as a byproduct of having ingested the Word of God is because God is at work in you.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And he will continue to do-

David: Mm

Seth: ... do, do so. Uh, and which goes back to the point, it's like we don't need to be the... Our role in our becoming more like Jesus, our role in being sanctified, is not up to our grit, first and foremost, or not up-

David: Right

Seth: ... to our, um... [sighs] What's the word I'm looking for? Just our ability to white-knuckle-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... our way through temptation.

David: Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... get over it.

Seth: Right. It's like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... we have the power of God in his Word and living in us, and his effort on a- his effort on our behalf-

David: Right

Seth: ... working in us to do what he's called us to do, despite the suffering and persecution in my brain.

David: Yeah. God, [chuckles] Jesus in you wants to conquer the sin in your li- in your life more than you want it.

Seth: Yes!

David: Like-

Seth: That's a great way to say it

David: ... he wants to get rid of the sin in your life more than you want to. Jesus wants to form his character in you more than you want it formed.

Seth: Yes.

David: And he's more powerful than you to accomplish both of those. [chuckles]

Seth: Yes.

David: And he is going to do that work. And I just... I love the pic- It's the, the Thessalonians' faith, it's cool, too. Oh, my gosh. The Thes- the Thessalonians' faith is doing what it did in Macedonia way back then, right now for me.

Seth: Oh, yes!

David: Because their story-

Seth: Yes

David: ... is actually, like, encouraging me, and I'm hearing news of it. And it is encouraging me to say, "David, like, yeah, you think three weeks isn't enough to form you into the kind of Christian that could persevere through suffering." And it goes back to the youth group question-

Seth: Right

David: ... like, "I don't know, is my faith really up to snuff if I was gonna suffer?"

Seth: Right.

David: And it's like, "It's not up to you. Look at the Thessalonians."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Three weeks of Bible school, and they're ready to go. [laughing]

Seth: Yeah. [laughing]

David: Not because Paul's teaching was incredible, but because the Word was at work in them.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Christ was formed in them, and he was fighting, and forming, and, and authoring, and perfecting the faith that was in them. And so i- if Christ is in you, grace and peace to you.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Let, let me ask you, like, a-

David: Mm

Seth: ... boots-on-the-ground question-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... as we like.... just, uh, wind down this section of Thessalonians. So what does that, like, actually look like? What does it mean for God's grace and peace to actually empower me to do those things?

David: Mm.

Seth: What does it mean for the Lord to increase and abound my love for others? How does he do that? Like, 'cause I don't know... Like, what does that feel like? You know, like-

David: Yeah.

Seth: How do we know that's happening, is a- another way to say it. Because it's like I could... I think an easy thing to say is, like, well, when we read our Bibles and when we rely on the Lord through prayer, he does these things.

David: Mm.

Seth: Right? And I think that's... But again, that centers our, our asking-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... and our neediness and our dependence on a place, which I think is good and right. We should be praying.

David: Sure.

Seth: We should be reading our Bibles.

David: Yeah. Right.

Seth: But what is God's active role in our sanctification actually look like? 'Cause right now, it ki- seems a little mystical and magical. It's like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... "Oh, God's working in you. It's gonna happen."

David: Right.

Seth: "Don't worry about it."

David: Yeah.

Seth: So, like, what does that-

David: I mean, I... The first thing that pops into my head is back when I was finishing up my degree in Bible, um, and I had almost lost my faith in the word of God as a reliable book.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Um, and I was, I was just doubting so many core doctrines of the Christian faith after graduating, and, um, a- and I started to be discipled by a local pastor, and, uh, he was taking all of my concerns, uh, really seriously, and was giving me the best books to read in response to not believing in, you know, things like the resurrection or hell or Satan or, uh-

Seth: Whatever

David: ... the word of God or whatever. And I was reading these books. I was convinced by their arguments, but I, I still couldn't get my, my heart and head to line up and be like, "You know what? I agree with the tenets of the Christian faith."

Seth: Mm.

David: You know, like, and no matter how hard I tried-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... there was still something powerful in me that hadn't broken yet-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that would not submit. Um, and then one day, I just remember I was just- I, I think I was riding in a jeepney in the Philippines.

Seth: [chuckles]

David: My wife and I were living in the Philippines, and I was riding in a jeepney. I just start crying, uh, because I just felt something break. I wasn't thinking about it. I wasn't-

Seth: Mm

David: ... like, I didn't, like, get the perfect answer lined up. It... God was just-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... speaking to me and just did some work in me, and all of a sudden, I was just like, "Whatever you say is true, God, I'm gonna believe-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and I'm just gonna align with you." And he just broke something powerful in me that day. And, um, and yeah, so I just think, like... And I've, I've heard so many stories like that from people.

Seth: So in a sense, it is kind of magical, and it is kind of-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... supernatural, and it- you can't explain it, and there isn't a method to it. It's just like, "No, this is what God does with all Christians, all believers."

David: Totally. I mean, I hear people saying that, like, at a moment that probably sounded a lot like when Paul started preaching in the synagogue in Thessalonica, where, you know, you hear somebody hearing the Gospel for either the first time or the thousandth time, right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: And they're just like, "Something just snapped for me."

Seth: Mm.

David: "Like, something just made sense. Something connected with me. Something broke in me. Something opened in me, and I couldn't not respond."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And it's like men- for all the people in Thessalonica who responded to Paul's message-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... the Word was at work within them, and it was-

Seth: Right

David: ... doing something that, yes, we might use words like magical or supernatural, but it's just like, that's just God in the world.

Seth: Mm.

David: That's just how he works.

Seth: Right.

David: Like, he always... He created the world that way.

Seth: It's like if you are worried that, like, you won't stand up under persecution-

David: Mm

Seth: ... it's like, you might face a moment of persecution, and you're like, "I don't have the resources. Knowing me right now, I don't have the resources to stand up to that." But it's in that exact moment, if you are a believer in Jesus-

David: Mm

Seth: ... who trusts him, who loves his word, believes in the good news of Jesus, that he meets you.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And it's like, i- it's a gift. A gift is always a surprise.

David: Mm.

Seth: It always feels magical when you open up a gift, and it's exactly what you needed or exactly what you wanted.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And there's always these gifts of God's grace and peace in these moments when you need them.

David: Yeah. I think I need to hear that on two levels. Like, one is when I think about a, a friend of mine and their sanctification-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... I'm, I'm always... And I thi- I don't think wrongfully so, but I'm always first and foremost impressed by them.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And I'm always like, "Man, they are just making strides-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... in their walk with Jesus. Like, that's incredible. Like, they used to get angry at these things. They used to be short-sighted here. They used to really struggle with that, and man, they are just putting in the work."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "And they are different than they were a year ago. That's incredible. Well done." And my- that's, that's my first impulse. Instead of like, "God, thank you for pursuing them-

Seth: Mm

David: ... forming them, changing them. Like, you are-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... clearly doing a work in them. That's amazing."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And so I just need it for that, to have that Pauline sight for others that he had for the Thessalonians-

Seth: Mm

David: ... but then also to have it for myself-

Seth: Right

David: ... that I just so often am just like, "God, what do I need to do to b- I just wanna be formed into your image. I wanna get rid of this sin in my life. I wanna move forward in my walk with you." And, um, a- and he's like, "Yeah, I mean, pray, fast, read the Bible. Like-

Seth: Mm

David: ... pursue the means of grace and transformation-

Seth: Right

David: ... available to you. Those are the places where we meet God, but, um, also, just pray for it, too."

Seth: Mm, mm.

David: Like, "God, form me into your image. Let your Word be at work in me," and trust that Jesus actually-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... lives in you and is the perfecter of your faith.

Seth: So I, I think I, I agree with you, that there are these moments of gift, like God just gifts us what we need-

David: Mm

Seth: ... in order to mature in our relationship with him and our relationship with others, to obey his commands more faithfully, to stand up to persecution-

David: Mm

Seth: ... if that's us. I think those are gifts of grace, and I think what I'm normally associate, like, sanctification or growing, is, like, these acts of discipline-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... of like reading my Bible faithfully, going to church on Sunday, doing certain actions, right? Um, and I think probably, like, the posture, the difference between doing those things as a way to earn our maturity-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... um, and doing those things in an, like, [sighs] I don't know quite what I'm trying to say.

David: Yeah.

Seth: It's like those, those things are hard to do.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Going to church every Sunday is hard to do.

David: Right.

Seth: Or reading your Bible every day is hard to do.

David: Right.

Seth: Praying frequently is difficult to do.

David: Yeah.

Seth: And it takes discipline and effort-

David: Mm

Seth: ... to do those things. But I think that the effort and discipline isn't in the act itself, but it's in what those acts are inviting us to do, which is to be dependent on God's transforming power.

David: Right.

Seth: There- I don't go to church on Sunday because it's the right thing to do.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: It's because I meet the God who can answer me there.

David: That's right.

Seth: I don't read my Bible because it's a magical book that will... My feelings will go up and down every time I read it. No, it's like, because this is where my problems meet the living God.

David: Yeah.

Seth: [chuckles] Uh, like-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... and so I have a dependency-

David: Mm.

Seth: - in those, those places are places of meeting, places of like, where I must train myself to be dependent on God-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... rather than places that I- things, checklists I must do-

David: Yes

Seth: ... in order to feel a certain way.

David: That's so good.

Seth: Right?

David: I [sighs] yeah, that, it hits on something I've been thinking about lately with prayer.

Seth: Okay.

David: Uh, 'cause like when I'm falling asleep at night, like so often I'm like thinking about, "Okay, how, how did I walk with you today, Lord?"

Seth: Mm.

David: Or like, "What's going on tomorrow?" Or, and I'm t-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... I want to align my will with God's will, but the way I'm going about it is logically, and I'm thinking, and I'm processing, and I'm planning.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And I'm, you know, doing threat analysis and-

Seth: Yeah [chuckles]

David: ... you know. And la- and lately, God's like, "You're trying to sanctify yourself or live a good life in your own strength as you sit there and think," you know?

Seth: Mm.

David: He's, and God doesn't want me to u- not use my brain.

Seth: Right.

David: But he's like, "Could we pray right now?"

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And I'm like, "What do you mean? Like, 'God, help me with this?'" "No, no, no, no, no. Open yourself up-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and just let me talk to you about what you're thinking about."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "Depend on me instead of your own understanding."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "Right? In all the things that you're doing, maybe acknowledge me, so I can make your path straight."

Seth: Mm.

David: Does this sound like Scripture, David?

Seth: Yeah.

David: And it is that difference of, "No, I need to pray, so that way I hit the checklist, so that way I can grow closer to God, and I need to pray for X amount of time over X amount of issues."

Seth: Yeah.

David: "And that will form me into God's image." Instead, it's like I go to prayer because I know He's the only one who can sanctify. He's the only one who can work.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And I need to open myself up to that, so He can come in and do the work.

Seth: Right.

David: You know, so yeah, it's fascinating.

Seth: And if it worked for the Thessalonians being killed-

David: Mm

Seth: ... it can work for us-

David: Right

Seth: ... while we're living and working a nine-to-five [chuckles] job, you know?

David: Right. [chuckles]

Seth: Like, it's like, it works. Uh-

David: Yeah, it works.

Seth: And God will meet you-

David: Mm

Seth: ... as you need Him.

David: So good. The good news that Jesus is our, our, uh... He is the Word at work within us.

Seth: Yeah, and, uh, think about this. Think about this.

David: Mm.

Seth: They had three weeks of Bible school.

David: Right.

Seth: And they didn't have a Bible.

David: Right.

Seth: They would not have-

David: And at best, at best they had Old Testament scrolls-

Seth: That's-

David: ... in their synagogue.

Seth: Yep, which they would have been kicked out of.

David: Oh, right, yeah.

Seth: They-

David: So maybe they didn't even have access to those scrolls.

Seth: They would maybe have had Thessalonians before it was considered the Word of God.

David: [chuckles] Oh, yeah, right.

Seth: So, like, think about that.

David: Yeah.

Seth: The Word of God that they had within three weeks of Bible school was enough to sustain them through all that.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Like, [chuckles] God's Word is very, very powerful.

David: Very powerful.

Seth: Even when we consume it in limited quant- quantities.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Uh, so even if we can't read our Bibles every day, or we don't have access to the Bible, our relationship with God is not dependent upon how many times we read the Bible.

David: Right.

Seth: It's dependent upon our dependence upon the Word of God-

David: Yes

Seth: ... revealed in Jesus.

David: Yeah, 'cause it, that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... even the smallest seed of it can do all the work needed.

Seth: The... Yeah.

David: I think the other big, like, shining bit of good news that I'm, I'm chewing on is the good news of Jesus's gospel strategy. Like, his mission strategy of being faithful through suffering is what just spreads the message out like gangbusters, you know?

Seth: Mm.

David: Because it happened when Jesus died on the cross, and it, and it-

Seth: Mm

David: ... got Saul, of all people, you know? Uh, and now it happened in Thessalonica, and it's getting all of Macedonia-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and me today.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, that when we suffer for our faith, it doesn't mean that we are messing up, that God's ignoring us, that, uh, we must be doing something wrong, that if God really loved us, that He'd be doing something different. No, this is His core strategy for changing you-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and changing the world, is by taking His children, that He's treating like sons and daughters, and as a father-

Seth: Mm

David: ... shepherding them through suffering.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And like, that's actually how He's gonna grow you and change you and grow the world and change the world. Uh, just, that's the good news of the gospel.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Jesus died through suffering. He brought life to the world-

Seth: Mm

David: ... when He rose from the dead.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah. Amazing.

Seth: Yeah. Well-

David: Okay

Seth: ... that's the first three chapters of Thessalonians.

David: First three chapters. So we do have some things that we've glossed over.

Seth: Yes.

David: Uh, 'cause he, he does keep mentioning this like, "Oh, the day when Jesus delivers us from the wrath that is to come, the day when he raises the dead. Oh, at-"

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: "... Jesus's coming." We've kind of read those verses here-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and there in chapters one and thr- and, and at the end of two, and-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and then it's gonna kind of come to a head at the end of this book, where he's gonna talk more about that day.

Seth: Yeah, so every chapter in 1 Thessalonians ends or talks about the day of the Lord, or the coming of the Lord-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... or the resurrection of the dead at the, at the final day, and that will all pay off in chapters four and five-

David: Right

Seth: ... where he talks, uh, about that in a lot more detail. Um-

David: Well, that'll be fun for next time.

Seth: Yes.

David: Okay. Well, next time, we'll talk about the day of the Lord, the coming of the Lord, the raising of the dead, all those good things. Thank you guys very much for joining us-

Seth: Yes, thank you

David: ... at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians. We will see you next time to hopefully finish up 1 Thessalonians.

Seth: Yes.

David: All right, till next time. [upbeat music]

Outro: Thank you for listening to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel creates short films, devotionals, and podcasts like this one. Everything we make is free because of generous supporters like you. To see our resources, visit spokengospel.com or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks for listening. See you next time. [upbeat music]

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How 1 Thessalonians Reveals God's Power to Transform New Believers

Show Notes

The Dramatic Background of the Thessalonian Church

Grace and Peace: More Than a Greeting

Faith Spreading Like Wildfire Through Suffering

Paul's Defense: Parents, Not Philosophers for Hire

The Word at Work: God's Active Role in Sanctification

Good News for the Struggling Believer

Related Resources

Introduction to 1 & 2 Thessalonians

View our devotional on 1 Thessalonians 1-3

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Listen to the 1 Thessalonians Overview: A Church with Only Three Weeks of Bible School podcast

Listen to the 1 Thessalonians Overview: Caught Up in the Air podcast

Listen to the 2 Thessalonians Overview: Jesus Hasn't Come Back Yet podcast