Thoughts from 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Though I finished actually reading through Paul’s letters quite a while ago, I always find it such an encouragement looking back through my notes and typing them up for these posts. This week, I’m covering 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Bible Project’s overview videos, as always, offer really helpful context: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians.

 

1 Thess 1:2-3 “We always thank God for you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What an encouragement Timothy’s report must have been to Paul, letting him know that the young church he planted and suffered with was flourishing! Our lives should be an encouragement to our church leaders. They don’t live in a vacuum. They need encouragement.

Also, the Thessalonians are a wonderful example to us. Their faith produced good works, their love produced hard work, and their hope helped them endure. That’s what I want my life to be.

1 Thess 3:12-13 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.”

This is a beautiful prayer, one I want to memorize. God’s love for us is boundless. Nothing can separate us from His love, and there is no way to measure the height and depth and breadth of His love. It doesn’t depend on circumstances or our behavior; God always loves us. And that is the love He desires to fill our hearts with, to overflow onto everyone we come in contact with.

1 Thess 4:10b-12 “Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so [love each other] more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

At first glance, this passage seems to contradict some Christian principles. “Lead a quiet life” – but aren’t we supposed to engage the culture? Of course we are! But we can be people who have peaceful lives, quiet lives, and still have an impact. If anything, when our lives exude peace, they will look different in a helter-skelter world and actually draw people to us. The important thing is not to completely separate ourselves from the world so that we have no circles of impact. We are still called to be in the world, making contact with the world; we just shouldn’t be of the world. If anything, this is further backup to the principle of leading a quiet life; most of the world does not.

Further, Paul says, “so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” Yet doesn’t the Bible teach that we are to live in community and that we need each other? It does, and I don’t believe this passage negates that. It is addressing the issue of laziness and saying that there is no place for it in the people of God. We should be hard workers, doing our own work to the best of our abilities and looking for ways to help others. It is also talking about the Thessalonians’ tendency toward being busybodies. The Enduring Word Commentary says, “There is a great difference between the Christian duty of putting the interests of others first and the busybody’s compulsive itch to put other people right.”

But we are not called to be workaholics. The concept of rest is very important in the Bible, and this passage addresses that in the admonition to lead quiet lives. We should be rooted and rested in Christ so that we can work hard and love others.

1 Thess 5:5-8 “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. but since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

2 Thess 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Paul always includes prayer in his letters. And they are often beautiful blessings as well. Paul knew firsthand what terrible persecution the Thessalonians were experiencing. They were suffering and they were scared. He encouraged them that their faith was not in vain, that they had an eternal hope that wouldn’t desert them. In light of that, he encouraged them to keep going, to stand firm, and to live like Jesus. And that same encouragement is offered to us today.

2 Thess 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Another beautiful blessing.

2 Thess 3:11-13 “We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”

The Bible clearly teaches the importance of rest, like I talked about earlier with 1 Thessalonians. But Paul clearly doesn’t have much tolerance for idleness. This doesn’t mean every moment of our day must be filled with something to do. But it does mean that we should have an attitude of responsibility that rises to the task at hand and jumps in to help.

And, clearly, the Thessalonian church was still dealing with the issue of lazy busybodies, since Paul had to address it again in this second letter.

The Thessalonian church, like many of the early churches, was surrounded by persecution. And Paul continually encouraged them in the midst of their suffering. His words today offer hope and encouragement to us, too, no matter what our circumstances. What has God been showing you in His Word lately? I’d love to hear about in the comments!