Biblical Truth with Malcolm Hedding Malcolm Hedding

In the verses now before us Paul turns his attention to the reality of spiritual conflict. This constitutes a clear reminder that we are up against dark spiritual powers of wickedness that are seeking to gain a foothold in our lives and thereby destroy our Christian testimony and impede our impact in the world. In his Ephesian letter Paul underlines this more dramatically when he writes:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places."

And of course, in his first epistle, Peter reminds us that the Devil is constantly on the prowl seeking who he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Here then Paul reminds us that:

1.The Devil resists local church ministry designed to encourage God' children. V17-18

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Paul has thus far applauded the believers at Thessaloniki for their genuine faith in Christ Jesus that brought forth powerful transformation in their lives and that also impacted their region with the glorious Gospel of Jesus. It is also plunged them into persecution as the counter culture of Jesus was being embraced by more and more people and therefore collided with the world around them (Acts 17:6) . He is rightly proud of them and thus reaffirms his love for them and sets forth the true motivations that he has in his heart in terms of his ministry and calling to be a servant God among them. These are wonderful insights into the attitudes and principles that should guide and govern every person called into ministry and we should take note of them.

In the section now before us he gives us a concluding summary to all the things that he has just said. We should note the following:

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We have noted thus far that Paul’s ministry at Thessaloniki was not in vain as it brought forth the fruit of salvation in the lives of many in the city. He, and his apostolic band were sent out from the Church at Antioch with the blessing of the leaders there and that of the Holy Spirit. His missionary trip was therefore God inspired and therefore in a sense couldn’t fail. The Thessalonians turned from their idols and their sins to serve God by Jesus Christ and to await His second coming. Moreover, their testimony in this regard impacted the whole region. Paul was proud of them and gives them an overview of his commitment; to God, the preaching of the Word of God and to them. He is a genuine servant of Jesus seeking only to glorify Him through his life and ministry and therefore he seeks nothing from them save their growing love for Christ and His people.

Our insight then into Paul’s character and dedication to Christ is therefore a challenge to all those who would follow Christ in ministry and to those who already do. In the verses now before us he continues to express his feelings for them and commitment to them by reminding them of what he did do when he was with them and not of what he didn’t do, as in the previous passage. Here we see the heart of a true shepherd of God’s flock and this should serve as a template for all those who would also follow this calling. Actually every aspiring ministry candidate should be instructed by these passages as they reveal the true nature of our calling and it’s worth noting that this chapter is then a record of Paul’s legacy. This great servant of Jesus is worth following, just as he himself often encouraged us to do.

We should consequently take note of the manner in which he engaged the believers at Thessaloniki:



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In this passage we have reflected or modeled the type of interaction and relationship that should exist between Christian Ministers and the congregations that they serve. The wider context is that Paul was a part of an Apostolic Band that was initially called forth by the Holy Spirit and sent out into the world to plant churches by the leaders of the Church at Antioch:

“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up Herod the tetrarch m and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Acts13:1-3

Apostles are in fact “Sent Ones” and they emerge out the fivefold gift ministries mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-12:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-12

Apostles are then teachers, pastors, evangelists and prophets who once given to local church ministry have been set aside by the Holy Spirit for trans-local or itinerant ministry with an emphasis upon church planting. They therefore, as in Paul’s case, have a home base to which they are accountable. This is why Paul returned to Antioch after his missionary journeys. Note Acts 14:26. True preachers are not “loners” doing their own independent thing without reference to a governing oversight! It was in this light that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy came to Thessaloniki. We should then consider the following:

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Paul’s first letter to the Church at Thessaloniki – Study 2

Having opened the letter with a greeting and a statement of thanksgiving concerning the sincere commitment to Christ of the believers at Thessaloniki, Paul then turns his attention to the impact that the Word of God has upon people when it is faithfully preached. He therefore writes about:

A. The preaching of the Word of God. 1:5

We have already noted in our introduction to the letter that Paul travelled from Philippi to Thessaloniki. He was thus an itinerant preacher or more correctly an Apostle or Sent One. The bible teaches that the Word of God is carried to the world by preachers. These are raised up by God and without them the will and purpose of God cannot be fulfilled (Romans 10:14-17). However, a preacher has to have certain credentials because he is the custodian of the message of eternal salvation. That is, he must in every way reflect or embody the message that he brings. Paul understood this and therefore he reminds the believers at Thessaloniki of four things:

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Paul's First Letter to the Church at Thessaloniki
Introduction
As we begin our study of this wonderful Pauline letter we must remember that it is indeed a letter and actually not a book. It is written to the congregation at Thessaloniki and therefore the text must be expounded with this in mind. That is, we should not over complicate our understanding of it but simply endeavor to discover what the letter intended to say to old and young alike. By doing this we will honor Paul, the context and be encouraged by what he had to say to his readers.
Also, as we have noted in our introduction, in our previous podcast, the letter is general in content addressing many themes that are important to understand as we, like the believers at Thessaloniki, set out to follow Christ and end well.
A. The Greeting 1:1
Paul begins with his familiar greeting by affirming the congregations standing and position with God. They are in God the Father and in Christ Jesus and therefore he draws our attention immediately to the nature of the Godhead. Jesus then enjoys equality with God, something that He surrendered for a season in order to redeem the world from sin. Not that He ceased to be fully God but instead laid aside some of the attributes of divinity in order to become fully man. In his letter to the Church at Philippi Paul writes of this glorious truth (Philippians 2:5-7). To some extent this holds mystery, a fact that Paul acknowledges in his first letter to Timothy:
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory."
1 Timothy 3:16
Having asserted the nature of the godhead he then extends God's grace and peace to the congregation. Our relationship with God, by Jesus Christ, is entirely rooted in His unmerited favor extended toward us which brings us, who were once His enemies, into a place of peace with Him. This is truly wonderful and the goal of our earthly pilgrimage.

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