Sunday, December 14, 2008

Sunday Explanatory Notes: 1 Thessalonians 3

2:17-18 But we ourselves, brothers, after we were torn away from you for a brief hour, in face, not in heart, we were all the more greatly diligent to see your face with great desire, because we wanted to come to you--I myself, Paul, time and again--and the Adversary prevented us.
It is interesting that in what is perhaps Paul's earliest letter he mentions the Satan, the Adversary. Satan does not play a prominent role in Paul's other letters. Apparently Paul had mentioned the Adversary to the Thessalonians when he was there or, being pagans, it is hard to imagine that they would know what he was talking about.

The Satan here is seen as a power that opposes Paul's work, the work of God. Paul singles himself from Silas and Timothy as particularly opposed. The letter on the whole has a genuine sense of co-authorship (with Silas, at least), but here Paul distinguishes himself as the primary voice. Paul does not address the question of God's sovereignty. However it happens, the Satan causes genuine problems for Paul's efforts.

2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming--if it is not you? For you yourselves are our glory and joy.
In this letter, perhaps Paul's earliest, he has a robust sense of Christ's coming, his "parousia." Everything about this statement implies that Paul expects that he and the Thessalonians will still be alive when that coming takes place. We wonder if Paul sees himself on a mission to take the gospel to all the Gentiles--at least in the civilized world. But he expects that he and the Thessalonians will live to see the coming. On that day, he will be able to present the Thessalonians to God as the fruit of his labor, a matter for him to glory in and boast about.

3:1-2a Therefore, when we couldn't take it any longer, we were pleased to remain in Athens alone and we sent Timothy, our brother and coworker of God in the gospel of the Christ,
The scenario Paul presents here is slightly different from that in Acts. In Acts, Paul leaves Silas and Timothy in Berea (not mentioned in Paul's own letters) and goes on to Athens by himself (Acts 17:14-15). From Athens Paul continues on to Corinth before Silas and Timothy rejoin him there (18:5). No mention is made of a trip back to Thessalonica.

The scenario in 1 Thessalonians is different. Here Paul and Silas are together in Athens, and they send Timothy alone back to Thessalonica. It is of course possible to harmonize the two accounts. But in general we should resist such harmonizations, since they tend to twist the very accounts they are trying to reconcile. In the process harmonizations create a third scenario that is none of the scenarios they are trying to fit together. We should thus be open to the possibility that these two accounts can be reconciled, but leave Paul's statement as the primary one. Precise historicity does not seem to be the primary purpose of Acts, and such historical details are not significant to the point of either Acts or Paul.

The mention of Athens suggests that 1 Thessalonians was written either from there or perhaps from Corinth, Paul's next stop in Acts. We can imagine a scenario in which Timothy served as the secretary for the writing of 1 Thessalonians and in fact delivered it as well. Some would suggest that Paul sent a letter with Timothy his first visit as well, such as 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians is called 2 Thessalonians not because the early church had concluded it was the second of the two letters but because it is shorter, and Paul's letters were first arranged by length from longest (Romans) to shortest (Philemon). We think, however, that the argument of 2 Thessalonians fits better subsequent to 1 Thessalonians.

3:2b-3 ... in order that you might be established and to admonish you in your faith so that no one is shaken in these tribulations, for you yourselves know that we are appointed for this.
Once again we get the clear impression that the Thessalonians encountered significant hardship as a result of their faith in Jesus as Messiah, even though we do not know the precise nature of the hardship. Faith here seems to mean confidence in the truth of the gospel or perhaps their steadfastness in Christian commitment, as in 3:5. And that for which Paul and the Thessalonians are appointed would seem to be tribulation and persecution.

3:4-5 For even when we were with you, were telling you that we were about to face tribulation, just as both happened and you know. For this reason when I myself could no longer take it, I sent to know of your faith, lest somehow the Tempter tempted you and our labor came to be in vain.
Presumably by "the Temptor," Paul refers again to "the Satan" or "the Adversary." Here again Satan has a role that does not show up in Paul's later writings, although of course Paul does not deny him this role later on. The role here seems a little different from 2:18 above where Satan opposes and hinders. In 3:5 the Satan seems to play a role much more like the Adversary of Job, testing the people of the earth to see if they will remain loyal to God.

Faith here seems more to refer to steadfastness in Christian commitment. The statement seems to imply that not too much time has passed since Paul, Silas, and Timothy were in Thessalonica, perhaps precluding now as the time when Paul visited Illyricum in the northwest (cf. Rom. 15:19).

3:6 But now, since Timothy has come to us from you and has told us the good news of your faith and love and that you always have good memory of us, desiring to see us as we also do you,
Timothy's visit and report would appear to be the first real contact Paul has had with the Thessalonians since he left, again suggesting a somewhat brief amount of time since they left. Where Paul and Silas are now located is less clear. Are they still at Athens (3:1)? If we did not have the account of Acts that is what we would probably conclude. Since, however, Silas and Timothy return to Paul at Corinth from Macedonia in Acts (18:5), it is tempting to think that 1 Thessalonians was written from there. If we resist harmonizing, we should probably conclude that 1 Thessalonians was written from Athens.

3:7-8 ... for this reason we were encouraged, brothers, because of you in every necessity and tribulation of you through your faith, because now we live if you yourselves are standing in the Lord.
The news that Paul received from Timothy was apparently good. The faith or steadfastness in commitment of the Thessalonians continued even though Paul and Silas were no longer there to admonish them. Paul and Silas are greatly encouraged. The alternative would have been demoralizing.

3:9-10 For what thanksgiving are we able to give back to God concerning you with all joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, night and day asking exceedingly to see your face and to supply what is lacking in your faith?
Faith in 3:10 then seems to be something slightly different yet. Is it their confidence and commitment to Jesus as Lord? Is it their understanding of Jesus' Lordship?

Paul expresses his desire to return to them clearly. Circumstances have caused him to move on but he longs to return to solidify their Christian identity. As 1 Thessalonians 4 will make clear, in his brief visit Paul was not able to give them full instruction even on what seem to us such basic ideas as resurrection.

3:11-12 And 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 toward one another and toward all, as also us toward you...
With these next three verses Paul closes the first half of the letter. They are a kind of benediction, using a Greek mood called the optative, the optative of wish in particular. Paul expresses to God and the Thessalonians his desire to visit the Thessalonians again. He expresses his desire for them to abound in love toward one another, the fundamental Christian value in Paul's later letters of Galatians (in my dating) and Romans. He expresses the love of himself, Silas, and Timothy toward them.

3:13 ... so that your hearts might be established as blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the arrival of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.
The wish for them to abound in love apparently relates to the desired consequence or result of such multiplied love: blamelessness and holiness. Messiah Jesus will soon arrive from the sky with his holy ones. The identity of these holy ones is unclear here--are they angels, for example. In 4:17, the dead in Christ accompany him from heaven above, and of course "holy ones" is a phrase Paul uses later in reference to believers (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:2).

However, in that case, the Thessalonians would surely be included among the holy ones. Possibly one could read the statement in that way--Paul wishes them to be established as blameless when Messiah Jesus arrives with them in train. Presumably Paul does not merely refer to the dead in Christ returning with him (1 Thess. 4:17)? Perhaps in the end we should see a reference here to angels (e.g., 4:16).

The relationship of love toward one another that Paul mentioned in 3:12 is apparently the formula for blamelessness before God. It is also the behavior appropriate to that which belongs to God, which "touches" and is included within His holiness. Such individuals are thus blameless in holiness before God.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

As I read this passage, Paul's reference to "THE Adversary", "THE Temptor" and "THE Christ" stood out to me. For believers today, we don't have to single out "THE Satan" or "THE Messiah" to know which Satan or which Messiah is being referred to. It seems, based on Paul's specification of "THE", that early believers needed this qualification most likely because of the polytheistic and highly spiritual culture they lived in. The concept of multiple deities and evil forces was common and it is likely that even early believers still held on to these conceptions. Therefore, Paul needed to remind them that Jesus was not simply "a" messiah, but "the" Messiah and that Satan was not simply "an" adversary, but their primary Adversary.

LMcClellan said...

In 3:7-12, Paul's desire and affection for them is quite apparent. I am surprised, not by Paul's commitment to the Lord's calling, but by his passion for it. There seems to be a tone of angst or excitement as Paul conveys his great desire to visit them. Timothy's news of their faith is such an encouragement to Paul, and he communicates that he asks the Lord "exceedingly" that he be granted to visit them. Although he is encouraged, he prays that he will be able to visit them so that he can "supply what is lacking in [their] faith." Paul did not feel finished - he had more to say. There was more on his heart, and he continued to pray for them. Paul's affection and passion for the "Christian identity" of this church is incredible as it displays his faithfulness to and confidence in the Lord to help him finish the work.

TJ's Blog said...

This use of "the Tempter" was very interesting to me as I read through this passage. All through scripture people were faced with outside forces. In the OT if a society would be destroyed or leave there area their religious influences would still be around for the new people coming into the land. Being able to label Satan as "the Tempter" is letting the people know that this is the one that is biggest threat to their faith and relationship with God. Timothy then returns to Paul and lets him know that they are stronger in their faith than before. This is great encouragement to all Christians.

Anonymous said...

I would like to know the early church’s reasoning in putting the New Testament books in order from longest to shortest. In our world today, chronological order is by far the best method of putting a book or a collection of books together for a number of reasons. How confusing would it be to have the second half of a book in front of the first half? The early church obviously didn’t consider the readers of the Bible centuries later. Knowing in what order the events took place would help us better understand the progress attained or lost in regards to their faith and what the people are doing better or worse now than before. I am arguing this case especially for the people and churches that received two letters: Corinthians, Timothy, Peter, Thessalonians, and John.

Katie Hamilton

Anonymous said...

To me, it seems almost as though Paul assumes Christ will be coming back within his lifetime. This seems a little ridiculous to assume simply because we are still here. But living in that time period was difficult I am sure. Christians were tortured and beaten for believing in the Christ. And Christ told them that he would return one day. It is odd that people today are still trying to guess when Jesus will come again. We have been doing it probably since the day Jesus ascended into the heavens. It does not seem, though, that Paul wasted his life away waiting for Jesus. He did all he could in the meantime to help more people believe in the Word of the Lord.

Anonymous said...

i think Paul's statement about loving one another is a very important statement in today's world when there seems to be a lot of division going on among Christian community. i think what we need is to learn to love each other the way that Christ has loved us. I think then it won't matter what denomination or tradition we belong to, but that we are to love each other and be in unity with each other like the Trinity is in unity with each other.

Daric Geyer said...

I find it interesting that through our love towards others, are we considered blameless in God's sight. This would support the belief that the ultimate purpose for the creation of Man was not only to worship and serve Him, but to love one another. I like the idea that we aren't simply meant to follow a bunch of rules and spend our lives in submission to a God we cannot see with our eyes; instead He has made it so we are free to LOVE God, and LOVE our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Andy said...

3:11-13 is my favorite part of this Chapter. If we know anything about Paul from all of the things that we can read about him in scripture we can know that he is strong willed. But here (and in prior sections) we see that though he wants to see the Thessalonians, Paul is leaving that decision up to God. "And may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you." Paul is in total submission to God no matter how much he himself wants to do some thing he leaves it up to God to make the decision.

Joel Clark said...

Aren’t we as Americans truly blessed! While fellow Christians in other parts of the world are suffering physically, such as Paul is describing, we at most face ridicule by unbelievers. African and Asian Christians face death today, we face the ACLU.

In many nations Satan uses demonic possession, while here in America he seems satisfied to plant seeds of unbelief or apathy.

Paul is clearly facing both of these issues. He has suffered physically, and is being harassed by Satan. But he is holding himself up as an example for the Thessalonians, and us today. We need strength that only God can provide.

Anonymous said...

The purity of love is what makes one blameless. I have never thought about holiness in that way before. But in all actuality, when we love God, or love others, and do things to honor them we are keeping ourselves pure. It is our love for God that gives us much of our motivation to not sin against him. Likewise, it is our love for other individual's that keeps our actions towards them pure of heart.

Hannah Arend

Anonymous said...

Paul's description of what faith is seems to differ that of many in our culture. So often we consider faith to be a passive belief in a God we may or may not obey in our everyday life. But Paul's concept of faith was that of a strong commitment to living out what one believes. I wonder how different America would be if all those professing to be Christians (challenging myself as well) had the commitment of a living faith that Paul refers to.

Andrea Meredith

Anonymous said...

The references to Satan in the passage are interesting to me. I wonder how the Thessalonian would have understood Satan. Satanology obviously developed significantly through history. The Old Testament understanding was much different than it was in the New Testament. I wonder how much different our understanding is from that of the early church. How do these differences effect how we read these passages?
-Rachel Arend

Anonymous said...

In verses 3-5 particularly, Paul has moved on in his understanding and teaching of faith. In chapter 1 we see faith as an action; we express our faith in what we do but we do not define it in our actions. Now, in chapter 3, we get a better understanding of what faith is. The debate of faith vs works continues on here as Paul makes the argument that faith is grounded in our confidence that the gospel is true as well as our commitment to that truth.

Anonymous said...

I have always had a very difficult time with my personal theology of Satan. Looking at the Old Testament, Satan is not vaguely mentioned if at all. In the New Testament, Paul, who wrote over two-thirds of the text only speaks of Satan (or the adversary) specifically in one place. I struggle to ascribe very much power to the Adversary because of God's sovereignty and victory over sin at the cross. Paul here seems to leave the possibility open to the Adversary or Tempter to being someone other than the "devil." Maybe it was a specific Jewish or Roman force that is attempting to stop the early Christian's commitment to Jesus as Lord.
Joel Larison

TJ said...

This understanding of the commitment through faith is something that seemingly we can find hope in. Faith is not just blindly walking, it can be trusting that there is some one or thing that we have to hold on to and through this we create the hope that we can get to help us through the “tribulations”. There will always be difficulty in time but there can always be a hope that G-d will guide us in love and through our faith.

Anonymous said...

There were two things within this chapter that really peaked my interest.
The first one was the mention of Satan in a couple of different forms. As Schenck said, Paul doesn't really mention Satan in his other books. I found it very interesting that he did this with his first book, and i also thought why he didn't do it in his other books.
The second thing that i noticed was the way that he continued to let the Thessalonians know that he was thinking about the and that he longed to be with them. I feel that he is a lot deeper with the Thessalonians, in a relational way, more than he is with the other churches that he wrote to.

Anonymous said...

There were two things within this chapter that really peaked my interest.
The first one was the mention of Satan in a couple of different forms. As Schenck said, Paul doesn't really mention Satan in his other books. I found it very interesting that he did this with his first book, and i also thought why he didn't do it in his other books.
The second thing that i noticed was the way that he continued to let the Thessalonians know that he was thinking about the and that he longed to be with them. I feel that he is a lot deeper with the Thessalonians, in a relational way, more than he is with the other churches that he wrote to.

Anonymous said...

I like the contrasts that Paul presents in how Satan tempts us and how the Lord wants us to act. Paul clearly sees that the will of God is for His people to love one another which directly contrasts the will of the Devil... I also find what Paul has to say about Satan very interesting and I am looking forward to see an overview of his theology of the Devil and of hell...

Anonymous said...

What really struck me was how joyful Paul and Silas where to hear that the Thessalonians were staying true to the Lord. As a Christian, other then maybe our own growth in Christ, there can be no greater joy found then leading someone to Christ and hearing they have stayed the course. Even though this is easily overlooked or maybe even considered not important to the rest of the text, understanding this joy Paul has for the Thessalonians may bring the rest of the book into a different light...

-Matthew Aspinall

Anonymous said...

Two things stood out to me in this passage of Scripture. First, I was interested when I read “the Satan”, as its something I haven’t picked up very frequently in reading Scripture. “The Satan” being someone who opposes the work of Paul – God’s work, is an interesting idea to me. From your comment I picked out that like we can sort of describe Satan now, Paul may not have been actually able to do this, but he knew that “the Satan” was an evil power. Secondly, I was amazed at the commonality of the word “faith” being used, but possibly meaning three different things, let alone the previous meanings it may have had in the last two chapters. It seems though that faith is something that continues or something that needs to continue.

Kristi Moore

Anonymous said...

I have always noticed that some Christians try to be a Christian a without God. Its impossible He is what separates us from the "non-believers". He is where we get fed from He is our shelter and foundation. Without God being in the center we will get nowhere.

Chris Scheuerell

Anonymous said...

Something that stood out to me in the first three chapters is how Paul over and over says how thankful to God he is for them. Paul also says that we should love one another. I agree with what anders says. There also seems to be division between Christians and denominations but the fact still remains that we all serve the same God and love the same God and we should show that same love to one another.

sean schwarze

Gwen said...

As also described by Liz, I noticed Paul’s tone of passion for the Thessalonians. Paul is excited about their faith and desires to be involved in their lives and to visit them.

Anonymous said...

I believe that love is the main theme within each of Paul's writings. He wants the readers to understand the value and transformation that it brings. Verses 12-13 obviously state that holiness and blamelessness follow after love. It truly all comes back to the Law of Love. If we can learn to love God and one another at any expense, then the world will become a better place. Easier said than done, but it is still a goal worthy of pursuing. If we can learn to genuinely love, then everything else will just fall into place. Nothing else to worry about and no more guilt. Once again, easier said than done.

Anonymous said...

In this passage, when I saw "the Adversary," (or Satan, in my translation), I was surprised because the Devil shouldn't prevent you. The Lord is more powerful. However, in our society today and even in my life, I think the Devil can prevent a lot of people from doing things. He can produce fear in people's lives, and whisper lies. It is important not to neglect the Devil's evil plans, but to pray against it.

~Amber Davies

Anonymous said...

The last three verses of this chapter catch my eye every time I read it. As you have said, Dr. Schenck, Paul includes his plea to God and to the Thessalonians in verse 11 regarding a future visit. I find it very interesting that he appeals to both God the Father and the Lord Jesus, begging for a way to be made.

In verses 12 and 13, I love how Paul is basically saying a prayer to God for the Thessalonians, asking for strengthened hearts so that they "will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God..." He is not simply demanding that the Thessalonians be found blameless in the sight of God--which implies that Paul is one smart cookie in knowing that it takes strength and effort to be found blameless. It is interesting to see that the love for each other is what determines the blamelessness, as you have said!

steve.hands said...

I have had to deal a little more directly with the problem of just how much the forces of darkness can influence us as beleivers in the past couple weeks. A friend of mine was telling me the story of a believer she met who was physically hurt by the forces of darkness on several occassions. This sort of an account can strike fear into us. Here Paul shows that the forces of darkness, Satan specifically, can impede our progress and damage our faith. I wonder what everyone thinks about just how far the dark forces can attack us as believers. It is a kind of scary concept, but God is our fortress, defence, and deliverer!

--Steve Hands

Anonymous said...

In this passage I see Paul's passion as well as his concern for the church. He assures them that they have missed them and they have been thinking and praying for them. Which I believe is the way that the community of Christians should live now days. We can learn alot about how to live together and love one another through Paul's letters.
Paul shows deep concern about their endurance in faith. He knows that the "Satan" has diverted them away from revisiting Thessalonica and he knows that Satan may be lurking all around them as well. However when he gets news of how they stood firm in their faith and fought against Satan's schemes, it may have been as if a huge weight was lifted off of Paul's shoulders knowing that the ones he has loved, the ones he has tried to lead to Christ have truly followed by example and have lived in such a way that has been pleasing to God. It reminds me of the way Christ relates to us as individuals, when we have victory over Satan, he is pleased.

karen sand

Anonymous said...

So often, we think of words like "perfect," "holy," "blameless," and "righteous" as impossible standards because, true to our nature, we as humans are sinful, broken creatures as a result of the fall, and the idea of having to be without any flaws seems unattainable. If people understood that to be like God and to be holy meant loving Him and loving all others with the same undivided, unconditional, complete, perfect love that He demonstrated through the sacrificial atoning love of Christ, I wonder how people might respond differently to such a written desire. Paul's words seem to echo Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount in His discussion of love and perfection (5:43-48). This notion seems to give so much hope to those who feel unworthy of God's love. Honestly, who is worthy though? As human beings created in the image of God, we are to exude the love of God towards one another and to Him; this love cannot have limits or boundaries set by human standards.

-Sarah Meyer

Sharon said...

Even more in this section we see Paul’s deep concern for the Thessalonians in the fact that he just had to check on them as they faced persecution. It seems that he was unsure of whether or not their faith would hold up in the midst of all the tribulation. Timothy was able to return with a good report and while that was a great encouragement to Paul, it is interesting that he still felt such a need to return to them and continue teaching. It must have been very painful indeed to be torn away from them before being able to fully communicate something so crucial as the resurrection.

Anonymous said...

On the whole, this chapter seems to bring light to two things: 1.) What faith is and 2) The power of the Holy Spirit

1.) Faith is being closely defined as "committed to a Christian walk" in the context of the chapter. Coupled with the earlier vantage point presented by Paul that faith is in God the Father, we are able to see how Paul defines faith more clearly.

2.) The power of the Holy Spirit is evident in this chapter (as it was in the second chapter) because this chapter mentions the hardships and persecution the Church was going through. Despite such persecution, as well as a lack of Paul's leadership and temptation from pagans around them, the Holy Spirit was able to keep the church theologically and morally sound. That is immense power! I cannot even fathom that!

Anonymous said...

I am truly impressed with the longing that Paul shares to meet with the believers again. At first, I thought of strong friendships I have experienced and how these same words may have been appropriate during those times. However, I am even more impressed to see his longing to be with them is much more than to share fellowship and presence, but rather to minister to them (vs. 10b). These believers truly are his crown

Adam Otto

P.S. Rob Bell recently had a great sermon covering Paul's idea of the believer's being his "crown." His text is drawn from Philippians, but I'm beginning to assume that this may be a common theme in his works - am I right?

Anonymous said...

Paul mentions the coming of Jesus a couple of times in this passage. As Dr. Schenck pointed out, Paul almost certainly believes that he will see Christ return to earth. Though this belief is expressed in some of Paul's other writtings I don't recall it ever being the focus of his message. Clearly the modern church's view of the return of Chrsit does not come out of Paul's writtings. I think we, (i am guilty of this for sure) often add meaning to passages that was never meant to be there. Perhaps the role of Satan falls under the same category here.

Matthew Potter

Anonymous said...

Verses 7-11 are some of the most comforting and encouraging verses for any upcoming ministers. In the verses prior Paul seems in distresse. At his wits end, "when [he] could stand it no longer, [Paul] sent [Timothy]to find out about their faith" (3:5). In the last verse of chapter two, Paul says, "Indeed, you are our glory and joy." In the midst of trial and suffering, Paul goes back to his "glory and joy" seeking some joyous news. Timothy "brought back [good] news about your faith and love". "Therefore, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you becasue of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord" (7-8). How encouraging it must be for any minister to hear that his ministry efforts were not useless or in vain, but rather succesful. I praise the Lord that in the midst of pain and trouble, joy can come through ministry.

Jason Lefler

Anonymous said...

As a few people mentioned above I also found it interesting that there is a singling out of "the Satan" or "the adversary". We don't have any understanding of having any other Adversary to stand in our way. It does give us a small glimpse into the society the Thessalonian were a part of. It seems to be telling us that their society was much different than our in the fact that there were a lot of polytheistic religious views being held.