Wednesday in the Word with Krisan Marotta Krisan Marotta

While Paul laments his inability to visit the Thessalonians, he rejoices over their faithful response to the gospel. Paul claims his crowning joy is seeing people like them respond to the gospel.







Review







The young Thessalonian church faced the same hostility that drove Paul out of town. Paul wrote to encourage them to continue in the faith. He's made three points so far:









* Their response to the gospel is evidence of their genuine faith, and Paul is grateful for that response.







* Paul conducted himself in a trustworthy manner when he was with them. 







* Their perseverance through persecution is also evidence of their genuine response to the gospel.









Passage







17But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy. -1Thessalonians 2:17-20









* Paul laments the fact that he can’t visit the Thessalonians.







* Paul finds great joy in their faithful response to the gospel.







* Paul tells us other people coming to faith is his great crown, his ultimate reward. 







* Considering Paul wrote Romans and most of the New Testament, it's striking that he sees investing in individual people as his greatest achievement.









1Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,  3that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.  4For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.  -1Thessalonians 3:1-4









* Paul uses the first person plural pronoun here to mean himself.







* Wherever he goes, Paul knows people will to kill him. Paul doesn’t want to bring further affliction to the young Thessalonian church, so he sends Timothy instead.









5For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.  6But 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 always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.  8For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.  9For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,  10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?  -1Thessalonians 3:5-10









* Paul describes his response when Timothy returned with good news about the Thessalonians.







* Their standing firm in the faith will be the crowning joy of Paul's life. 







* Ultimately our most important job now is to persevere in the faith and encourage others to do the same. 







* The gospel is focused on our future hope of life in the kingdom of God (e.g.

Paul explains how he conducted himself at Thessalonica and why his message his trustworthy. Today we face the same choice: whether or not to believe Paul based on the evidence we have from the New Testament.







Review







The Apostle Paul went to Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. Shortly after he arrived, the Jews in Thessalonica drove him out of city. The Thessalonian church is facing persecution and pressure to abandon their new faith. Paul writes to encourage them to continue in the faith.







In chapter 1 Paul reminded them why they believed in the first place and how confident he is in their genuine faith as evidenced by the changes in their lives in face of affliction.







Is Paul boasting?







In 1Thessalonians 2, Paul explains how he conducted himself at Thessalonica using what could be described as "self-congratulatory" language. Why did Paul spend so much time talking about himself?









* Paul travels from town to town, proclaiming the gospel at great personal risk, because the risen Jesus appeared to him and gave him that responsibility (Acts 9:1-18.)







* Paul is one of a select few people who had the authority to speak for and about Jesus.







* People who hate the gospel also hate Paul.







* Paul recognizes that how people respond to him indicates how they respond to the gospel.







* Paul believes both: 1) he does not deserve to be an apostle and 2) Jesus gave him apostolic authority and an accurate understanding of the gospel.







* Paul can juxtapose language about how they respond to the gospel with how they respond to him personally, because in his case, it amounts to the same thing.







* Unlike teachers and preachers today, how people respond to the gospel is evidenced by how they respond to Paul. 







* Paul is not speaking from arrogance, but from the knowledge that he has a unique role to play. Because of that role, how you respond to him reveals your response to the gospel.









What Paul didn't do







1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.  2But 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.  3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,  4but 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.  5For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.  6Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.  7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.  8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.  9For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.   -1Thessalonians 2:1-10









* Paul often speaks of himself in first person plural ("we"). In this section, it’s not crucial that we take the “we’’ as Paul himself rather than as Paul, Silas and Timothy, but given the theme and the context, I think it’s more likely that Paul means himself here.







* After being beaten in Philippi,

In their first year of faith, Paul sees three changes that confirm the genuine belief of the Thessalonians: their "work of faith," "labor of love," and "steadfastness of hope."







Review







The Apostle Paul went to Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. Shortly after he arrived, the Jews in Thessalonica drove Paul from the city. The Thessalonian church exists in a city that is intensely hostile to them and face pressure to abandon their new faith. Paul writes to encourage them to persevere.







Passage







1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.  2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,  3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  - 1Thessalonians 1:1-3









* Paul's life followed this pattern:  When he enters a new town, he preaches first in the synagogue.  Some people usually respond positively to his message, but many don't. They frequently beat him, arrest him or try to kill him. He then preaches to the Gentiles who typically respond in greater numbers until he is usually so persecuted that he has to flee the area. Then he repeats the process.







* One thing that must have inspired him to keep going was the joyous response of faith among those who heard him teach. 







* In their first year of faith, Paul sees three things that confirm the genuine belief of the Thessalonians: faith, hope and love.







* "Work of faith" describes the changes in their lives as a result of their belief. They believe the gospel and live as if it’s true.







* "Labor of love" describes the effort they make to love their neighbors. They exert themselves to care for one another. 







* "Steadfastness of hope" describes how they confidently wait on and expect God to fulfill His promises. They have a confident expectation that Jesus will return and set everything right.









4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves 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, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. - 1Thessalonians 1:1-10









* Paul is confident God has chosen them because of the changes Paul sees in their lives (faith, hope and love).







* Paul reminds them what he first taught them, why they believed it and encourages them to stand firm in the truth.







* Paul’s message was confirmed as true by miracles and acts of the Holy Spirit and by his character. 







* Compare with 2Corinthians 12:11-12; Romans 15:18-19; Hebrews 2:2-4.







* News of their faith became like a volcano that erupted and spread God's Word across the whole map. Apparently,

Paul wrote 1&2 Thessalonians to a church of new believers from different ethnic groups in a city that was intensely hostile to them.  Paul encouraged them to persevere in the faith and clarified some issues about living life now and our future hope.







Background







The author, the Apostle Paul, first visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey.  His visit is recorded in Acts 17:1-9.







More: Who was Paul?







Map: Paul’s 2nd Journey







Chronology of Paul







Paul and Silas traveled through Asia Minor. In Lystra, Timothy met them and joined them on the rest of the trip. Luke (the author of Acts) joined Paul & Silas in Troas and accompanied them to Macedonia. Before visiting Thessalonica, Paul went to Philippi (Acts 16) where he was beaten and arrested for proclaiming non-Roman customs.







As a free city, Thessalonica was ruled by its own citizens with its own constitution and minted its own coins. Though under the Roman empire, it did not house a Roman garrison. Situated on the main east/west trade route, Thessalonica served as a important harbor and commercial hub for imports and exports.







1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." 4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. - Acts 17:1-4 ESV







As was his custom when he entered a new city, Paul went first to the synagogue. He preached there for three Sabbaths until they drove him out. After he lost access to the synagogue, he stayed a few more weeks preaching to Gentiles.







5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them [Paul & friends] out to the crowd. 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. - Acts 17:5-10







The Jews in Thessalonica became so enraged by Paul’s teaching that a mob sought to have Paul arrested for trying to replace Caesar with another king. When the mob failed to locate Paul,

When it comes to dating, sex and romance, a majority of college students report being "profoundly upset" about their own behavior. Our goal in this seminar is to show you a better way.







In this final section, we offer some advice on how to evaluate your current relationships and what to talk through before you say "I do."







Note this seminar was given by David John and Krisan Marotta at the Center for Christian Study in 2013.







Perfect Union Handout











Previous: 03 God's Design for Sexuality







Series: Form a more Perfect Union: A Biblical View of Marriage







Photo by Jeremy Wong Weddings on Unsplash







Season 21, episode 4

When it comes to dating, sex and romance, a majority of college students report being "profoundly upset" about their own behavior. Our goal in this seminar is to show you a better way.







If you are serious about the Bible, you'll quickly realize the modern view of sexuality conflicts with the biblical view. You've heard all the statistics about the devastating effects of hooking up, the failure of living together as a predictor of a successful marriage, the rising incidents of sexuality transmitted diseases, etc.







If the cultural view of sexuality, what is the biblical view? Is it just a list of dos, don'ts, and not yets? The question I want to address in this section is: What are you waiting for and why is it worth it? We find those answers in the Song of Solomon.







Note this seminar was given by David John and Krisan Marotta at the Center for Christian Study in 2013.







Perfect Union Handout











Next: 04 I do or I don't: Making the decision







Previous: 02 The Relationship Landscape







Series: Form a more Perfect Union: A Biblical View of Marriage







Photo by Jeremy Wong Weddings on Unsplash







Season 21, episode 3