Title: Reputable Church (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)
As the Apostle Paul, who had to leave Thessalonica after only such a short stay, his concern for the newly born church must have been extraordinary. However, when he came to Corinth after a while, he heard the news of the Thessalonian church from Timothy, who was still in Macedonia. In today's text, we can see the joy, satisfaction, praise, and pride of the Apostle Paul about the faith of the Thessalonian church members, which he heard from Timothy.
Verse 2 says, “We always give thanks to God for all of you.”
Verse 4 says, "I know that God has chosen you, brethren beloved."
Verse 8 says, "Not only have the word of the Lord been heard from you only in Macedonia and Achaia, but the news of your faith in God has spread throughout the world, so we have nothing to say." It is a sign of satisfaction.
In 1 Thessalonians 2, in verse 1, the apostle Paul is content and rejoicing that he entered among them, and in verse 8 he says, “You are our beloved.” Also, 1 Thessalonians 2:19- "What is our hope, or our joy, or the crown of boasting? Are not you before our Lord Jesus at His coming? You are our glory and our joy."
Also in 3:7 it says, “Brothers, in all afflictions and afflictions we have found comfort in you through your faith.” . And 4:9 says, "I have nothing to write to you concerning brotherly love."
2 Thessalonians 1:3 says, “For this, brethren, we should always give thanks to God for you.” In verse 4, it says, “We ourselves boast in the churches of God because of your perseverance and faith.” 2 Thessalonians 3:4 says, “As for you, we have confidence in the Lord that you do and will do what we have commanded you.”
Of course, these praises and expressions of pride and satisfaction for the Thessalonian Church contain the apostle's will to encourage the young church and give courage to those who are otherwise under persecution. Then, what were the Thessalonians like, and how did the church grow in less than a year after they accepted the gospel, so that they were able to satisfy and please the apostle Paul and receive praise from him? Let's go back to the main text.
First of all, in verse 3, the Apostle Paul refers to the Thessalonians "the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." We can confirm here that the Thessalonian church people have already learned and equipped themselves with the three virtues of Christian faith: faith, hope, and love.
Verse 6 shows that they became imitators of the Lord by receiving the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit even in the midst of many afflictions.
Verse 7 says that they "became an example to all who believed in Macedonia and in Achaia."
Verses 9-10 show that they had abandoned their idols and turned to God, serving the living and true God, and awaiting the return of Christ from heaven.
Also, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 testifies that when they received the word of God, which they had heard from the apostle Paul, they did not receive it as the word of men, but as the word of God, and that the word worked in them.
1 Thessalonians 3:8 says, "Therefore, if you stand firm in the Lord, we will live now." In other words, when the Apostle Paul said, "Now they are alive," they were "steadfast in the Lord" enough to be reassured.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 shows the love of the church members in Thessalonica: "As for brotherly love, you have nothing to write about, because yourselves were taught by God to love one another. Indeed, he does this.” Not only did they love each other, but they also shared love with all the other brothers in Macedonia.
Also in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4, we can see that the Thessalonians “increased in their faith, and everyone loved one another abounded”, and they endured well in the midst of all persecution and tribulation, so that their perseverance and faith were worthy of the pride of the churches of God. There is.
2 Thessalonians 3:4 shows that the people of the Thessalonians were "those who did and did what the apostle commanded," so much that the apostle Paul did not have any doubts.
As such, the Thessalonian Church was truly a good, pure, and courageous church. That is what made them become a famous church in a short period of time. Above all, I knew how to receive the Word purely, and I knew how to diligently obey the Word. Of course, the Apostle Paul himself admits that it was God's special grace and that it was possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit. So the Apostle Paul is constantly giving thanks to God.
The establishment and growth of the Thessalonian Church is entirely by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, but the labor and prayers of the Apostle Paul and his co-workers give us useful lessons. Although God saw the faith and zeal of the Thessalonian church's believers, I believe that the love, labor, and prayers of the Apostle Paul and his co-workers for the Thessalonian church were also preciously used for the growth of the Thessalonian church.
In verse 2, the Apostle Paul says, “We always thank and pray to God for all of you, and we always remembered them in prayer.”
In verse 3, he says, “I constantly remember before our God and Father your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The feelings of the apostle Paul and his co-workers for the Thessalonian church were more clearly revealed in 1 Thessalonians 2:1.
In 2:3 the Apostle Paul says, "Our exhortation does not come from deceit or uncleanness, nor from deceit."
In verse 4, he declares his basic pastoral principle, saying, “We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we do not say this to please men, but to please God who searches our hearts.” .
Verse 5 says, “You know that God testifies that we have never put on flattery or covetousness.”
Verse 6 says, “And we did not seek glory from men, neither from you nor from others.”
Verse 7 says, “As apostles of Christ, we ought to claim authority, but on the contrary, we became meek among you, as a nurse nurtured her children.” Verse 11 says, “As you know, we exhort, comfort and rebuke each of you as a father does his children.”
Verse 8 expresses the extent of the apostle's love for the Thessalonians: "It is because we love you so much that we rejoice to give you not only the gospel of God but also our lives, that you are our beloved. Ira"
Verse 9 makes us bow our heads before the apostle Paul's pastoral spirit: "Brothers, you will remember our toil and toil, so that we may not be a burden to any of you, working day and night, preaching the gospel of God to you. ".
Verse 10 also brings us to close our collars before the life of the pastor Paul: "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how we walked in holiness and just and blameless toward your believers."
Verse 17 shows the pastor Paul's interest and affection for the sheep well: "Brothers, we left you for a little while, but in face and not in heart, we worked hard to see your face with zeal."