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Rightly Dividing the
Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
WWW. 2Tim215.Net
Established November
2008 Published: July 10,
2020
“For this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
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Paul
wrote these two letters circa 52 AD and they hold the distinction of being his earliest
writings. Paul, along with his fellow
laborers Silas and Timothy, established the church at Thessalonica on his
second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-14).
Thessalonica (Salonika today) was a prominent city of Macedonia and a thriving seaport on the northern coast of the
Aegean Sea. It was situated along the Egnatian
Way which connected Rome with Constantinople and the whole region north of the
Aegean. Paul’s missionary trek into
Macedonia was not by chance. The Holy
Spirit forbade him to take his ministry into Asia and this was confirmed soon
thereafter by “a vision” Paul received in the night: “Now when they had gone
throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden
of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were
come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered
them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia,
and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts
16:6-10).
Thessalonica
was the second major city in Macedonia Paul and Silas visited after having
established the first house church on Greek soil at Philippi. They left that city after having been “shamefully
entreated” (Acts 16:19-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:2). Paul and Silas then traveled to Thessalonica,
and “as his manner was,” went first to the synagogue of the Jews where
for “three sabbath days (he) reasoned with them out of the (O.T.)
Scriptures,” showing them that Jesus who had been crucified was Israel’s
promised Messiah (Genesis 3:15; Acts 17:2; 1 Peter 1:11). Some Jews believed Paul’s message and a great
number of Gentiles believed, including several prominent women (Acts
17:3-4). But despite the positive
response, trouble again found Paul, as it had in Philippi (Acts 16:16-40). Some of the Jews “believed not” and charged
Paul and Silas with sedition and treason against Caesar. These men were so vicious in their hatred of these
missionaries that they got together with “certain fellows of the
baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar,” (Acts 17:5-9). They couldn’t locate Paul and Silas so they confronted
a new convert named “Jason” but that availed them nothing. Some of the new converts had sent Paul and
Silas safely away to Berea, and as per his custom, Paul entered the synagogue there
straightaway: “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul
and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue
of the Jews” (Acts 17:10).
The
Bereans “were of more noble character than the Thessalonians”
(Acts 17:11). They not only received
Paul’s message eagerly they took it upon themselves to study the O.T.
scriptures daily (not just on the Sabbath) to see if his reasoning was true: “These
were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so. Therefore many
of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men,
not a few” (Acts 17:11-12).
When
the Jews at Thessalonica heard Paul and Silas were in Berea preaching “the
word of God,” they went there to stir up the people against Paul and
Christ: “But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word
of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and
stirred up the people. And then immediately the brethren sent away
Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there
still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving
a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all
speed, they departed” (Acts 17:13-15).
After
all this persecution and rejection, Paul came to Corinth, Greece “in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (Acts 18:1; 1 Corinthians
2:3). When Silas and Timothy returned with
news about the state of the Macedonian churches, Paul was greatly encouraged
and being “pressed in the spirit” he continued to testify to the Jews
that Jesus was the promised Messiah (Acts 18:4-5).
Paul’s Purpose in
Writing 1 Thessalonians
Every
church has its problems. Some of these difficulties
are unique to a particular assembly while others are universal. Below I listed three obstacles that had a
negative effect on the church at Thessalonica.
It’s not an exhaustive list to be sure, but the following difficulties most
certainly stand out:
1)
Persecution and the
struggles associated with it
2)
False teachers both within
the church and without
3)
Spiritual issues related to the Believers’ practical
sanctification
Persecution
When
Paul arrived in Thessalonica he preached his message to his kinsmen in the
Jewish synagogue as was his custom. Paul
won his first converts there, but this is also where he met his most serious
opposition. Paul’s ministry lasted several
weeks and during that time he worked as a tent maker, not wishing to burden the
fledgling assembly with his needs (Acts 18:3).
He spent a large portion of his time in the home of Jason, organizing
and teaching the Believers (Acts 17:1-9) until his brethren sent him and Silas
safely away to Berea. But here’s the
thing, the Jews in Thessalonica that believed not were so aggressive and
filled with hatred that they were not satisfied simply to drive Paul and Silas from
their city. They followed them to Berea
and stirred up the people there against them and Christ: “But when the Jews
of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of
Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people”
(Acts 17:13).
After
Paul and his companions left Thessalonica, that hatred was redirected toward the
church. Paul did not provide us a list
of their difficulties, but after receiving the gospel, the Thessalonian
Believers patterned their lives after the lives of Paul and his co-workers and the
Lord’s life as well (1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1). Just as Paul, his companions, and the Lord
knew firsthand what suffering was, so the Believers at Thessalonica experienced
firsthand what it meant to suffer at the hands of unbelievers (John 15:18,
16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12).
Paul
encouraged these Believers to stand fast not only against persecution but also
the pressure to desert the faith and return to their former pagan life style:
“For
this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received
the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it
is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the
churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have
suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:”
(1 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
“And sent Timotheus, our brother, and
minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish
you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these
afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3).
False Teaching
In
addition to suffering persecution, the Thessalonian church was being exposed to
false teaching. Jews and Gentiles alike were
impugning Paul’s character and his ministry saying he was a charlatan,
deceitful, and double-minded (1 Thessalonians 2:1-16). There are more than a few sections in 1 and 2
Thessalonians that reveal false teachers strongly opposed Paul and his teachings.
Paul’s response to this assault on “the
word of God” was to issue the following commands: “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove
all things;
hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians
5:19-22).
One
of the more significant truths the false teachers attacked concerned the end of
the age: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon
shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand”
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).
Evidently,
the Thessalonians thought the persecution they were suffering was directly
related to the Tribulation, i.e., “the day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians
5:1-11). If this was the case, it meant
the Rapture had already occurred and they were left behind. You might then understand why these folks were
“shaken in mind” (alarmed) and some if not all were “troubled”
(unsettled). Paul aimed to right
this wrong by setting the record straight: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together
unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in
mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at
hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2; 3:17).
We
cannot be sure of everything the false teachers proclaimed, but it’s rather
obvious Paul’s antagonists opposed his teaching about the Rapture (2
Thessalonians 2:3). Think this
through. What was the nation of Israel looking
forward to? Answer: the arrival of their
King and the kingdom, in accordance with God’s Prophetic Program; that’s what
they believed, so that’s what they taught.
Paul, on the other hand, taught the Lord Jesus Christ will gather His
Church unto Him in the clouds and we will be forever with Him in glory (1
Corinthians 15:50-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10). This is not the Second Coming of Jesus; that is
not a church event for it occurs at the end of the age or the Tribulation
period and the Church will not experience it.
Even today people of all denominations are eagerly anticipating the
Lord’s Second Coming believing it to be a time of milk and honey, peace and
tranquility, and the like, when actually it will be a time of great travail,
few will survive it (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
The Believer’s Sanctification
Now
that we have seen how persecution and false teaching had come to the
Thessalonian Believers we should look at the negative ways in which these
problems affected this assembly. I’m
going to let Paul have the floor, so to speak, because he explained this so
well in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12: “Furthermore then we beseech you,
brethren, and exhort you by
the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to
walk and to please God, so ye
would abound more and more. For ye
know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,
that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know
how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not
in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know
not God: That no man go
beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the
Lord is the avenger
of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us
unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man,
but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need
not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one
another. And indeed do it
toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you,
brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to
be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own
hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them
that are without, and that ye
may have lack of nothing.”
Although
a number of significant concerns appear here, I’m going to focus on only two:
discouragement and negligence.
Discouragement
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
Usually,
when saved people believe the Lord Jesus Christ could return at any time, they
inevitably become discouraged because life continues as they know it, that is
to say, the trials and tribulation continue unabated. These Believers in Thessalonica had oriented
their entire lives around the immediate return of Christ. Some had even stopped working thinking,
“What’s the point?” Even our apostle Paul
believed the Lord would return in his lifetime (1 Thessalonians 4:15). I don’t believe it’s a stretch to say every
Believer since Paul believed the Lord would return in their lifetime, so
there’s not one single thing wrong with that for the return of Christ Jesus is our
glorious hope (Colossians 1:27; Titus 2:13).
These
Believers had suffered and given up much for the sake of Christ. Yet, as the months went by, not only were
they disappointed, to make matters worse, a number of Believers had passed
away. Those who remained alive worried
about the eternal state of the dear departed.
This confusion led to doubts and then to discouragement. Here’s how Paul comforted and corrected them:
“ But I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep (passed away), that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep” (1 Thessalonians
4:13-15).
Paul
assured the Thessalonians that although the departed saints had died
physically, they were merely “asleep” for they were alive with Christ in
glory.
Negligence
In
addition to discouragement and confusion, the message of the false prophets had
led to irresponsible living. It isn't
hard to understand what happened at Thessalonica because irresponsible living
is but one definition of paganism. Put
yourself in their situation. If you
believed that the world would end next month, would that not affect your plans
for tomorrow such as going to work, repairing the leaky roof, building
relationships, etc.? If you were convinced
the Lord Jesus Christ would return in a matter of days, normal activities such
as these would no longer seem that important. This
is what took place in Thessalonica. The
false teachers had convinced some of the Believers they no longer needed to
support themselves. Their attitude was,
“Why bother with work when the Lord’s coming back in a few days?” This is why in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Paul commanded
them to return to work: “And that ye study to be quiet,
and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as
we commanded you; That
ye may walk honestly toward them that are without,
and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
But
here’s the thing, even after Paul commanded them to pay attention to their
daily affairs, some of them did not return to their responsibilities. We know this to be true because in 2
Thessalonians 3:6-12 Paul wrote, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from
every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the
tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye
ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly
among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought
with labour and travail night and day, that we might not
be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to
make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when
we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work,
neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk
among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now
them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that
with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
Here
we learn false teaching and mistaken belief about the timing of Christ’s return
for His Church led the Thessalonians to become inattentive to their
responsibilities and this in turn led to other problems. Persecution had opened the door for misconceptions
about the immediate return of Christ, and those false beliefs led to practical
problems such as discouragement and irresponsibility, i.e., negligence. Paul hoped his letters to the Thessalonian
church would help them overcome these difficult problems and right their
wayward walk with the Lord.
The Gospel Changes
The Believer’s Heart
Paul’s
letters to the Thessalonians reveal a godly Church. This demonstrates the power of the gospel to
change lives from the inside out for the Thessalonians were formerly idolaters (1
Thessalonians 1:9). His words reveal Paul’s
great love and concern for these folks. Unlike
some of his other writings, we find some correction here but very little which
underscores the fact that they not only got Paul’s message they were putting it
to work in their lives.
Normally,
Paul’s letters include little prophetic content. He was the apostle to the gentiles (Romans
11:3) and prophecy is God’s plan primarily for the nation of Israel. His
letters to the Thessalonians were an exception. The doctrinal content of these letters is
prophecy (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3-5) and Paul gave these
saints a solid foundation re: things to come.
In particular, he revealed the previously unknown doctrine of the
Rapture. Remember, most of these
converts were gentiles, former idol worshipers (1 Thessalonians 1:9). They knew nothing of Jewish prophecies, much
less the previously unknown truth of the Rapture. But a statement of the Lord’s return in the
clouds for His Church is found in every chapter of 1 Thessalonians (1
Thessalonians 1:10, 2:19-20, 3:11-13, 4:13-18, 5:9-11) and in two of the three
chapters of 2 Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 2:1-8).
(To
be Continued)
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Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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