Mulling over 1 and 2 Thessalonians

The past couple of mornings I've found myself mulling over 1 and 2 Thessalonians. These short chapters have never stood out to me before but God has a way of making His word alive and relevant at just the right moments in our lives and as we are faithful to ask God to show us Himself through the scriptures He's so faithful!


In order to give a complete picture of just how this book has spoken to me recently I'll help you get caught up on where we are on the journey of the early church. You see the believers living in Thessalonica found themselves under tremendous persecution. We can see the start of their walk with Paul's message of Jesus being their great Saviour by reading Acts 17. As Paul was on his journey he came across the town of Thessalonica, entered into the synagogue and began to preach the good news to the Jews present. Like many of the Jewish people their response was disbelief and defensiveness. We know that Paul spent at least 3 weeks amongst the people and that some of them were persuaded, believed, and joined Paul and Silas. However, Acts also points out that for those that did believe life was not easy right from the start. "But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people." (v. 5) 
After what must have been chaos Paul and Silas find themselves fleeing in the middle of the night to a different city which embraced and "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (v. 11)


The new believers left in Thessalonica were thrown into a world waiting to see them fail and return to the workings of the Jewish law. With their faith fairly new and a lot of their world views still being centered on the things of old, it is no wonder Paul's letter were so important for them to read and I can only image how refreshing it was to know that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were cheering for them. The truths of God's endless love, gentleness, power and choosing of these men and women kept them going in a season of life that was full of persecution. Biblical scholar, Thomas Klusmeyer referenced this poem by Jane Merchant in his exegesis of 2 Thessalonians;

Full half a hundred times I’ve sobbed,
I can’t go on! I can’t go on!
And yet full half a hundred times
I’ve hushed my sobs, and gone.
My answer, if you ask me how,
May seem presumptuously odd,
But I think that what kept keeping on
When 1 Could not, was God.

Paul's words to the Thessalonians kept their minds focused on what it takes to remain faithful during the battle and how so often it's not our strength or will that can keep us going but the very strength and will of our great Father that draws us forward. I'm under the opinion that it's that same reason that these letters made it through the stages of canonization and still carry such power for today's believes. Like the Thessalonian's, believers today do not always have it easy. There are a lot of daggers being thrown at us as we strive to walk in a manner worthy of our most high King and that's exactly what the purpose of Paul's letters were about, 

"so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." (v. 12)

So as I continue to read and mull over the letters from Paul to the Thessalonians it's my prayer that I would be able to communicate the same encouraging message Paul does to those that are tired and finding it hard to breath.


"But during our lifetime our Creator and Preserver will lead us to realize that security is not the absence of danger but the presence of God no matter what the danger." Thomas Klusmeyer. 

References

All Scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible, updated edition

Klusmeyer, Thomas, Exegesis of II Thessalonians 1:3-12, retrieved on October 23, 2011 from http://www.wlsessays.net/files/KlusmeyerThessalonians.pdf