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Rightly Dividing the
Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
WWW. 2Tim215.Net
Established November
2008 Published: August 21,
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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Welcome to HBS.
“Grace be unto
you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 1:1)
“And whether one
member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
Many
people from around the world have joined our Bible study in the past few weeks
so I want to acknowledge them and send greetings their way. In addition, I ask that y’all pray for the
safety and welfare of those who attend this Bible study from countries that
have literally banned God and the Bible and are punishing those who continue to
practice their faith. Their courage and
tenacity in the face of intense opposition is inspiring to say the least,
especially since many of us suffer so little for the cause of
Christ yet we complain so much.
For
the benefit of those who are relatively new to this study, and others, I offer this
brief re-introduction to 1 Thessalonians.
1
& 2 Thessalonians were written by our apostle Paul circa 52 AD. They hold the distinction of being the first
two letters he authored to a small group of converts in Thessalonica who had believed
Paul’s gospel (Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and were saved by grace
through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). In Acts 17 we learn Paul visited the synagogue in
Thessalonica on three successive Sabbaths using the O.T. Scriptures to prove Jesus
was the Christ (Messiah). Although his
ministry was successful to the extent that he won both pagan gentiles and Jewish
converts to Christ, he encountered fierce opposition from the Jews, for the most
part, who resented the fact that he offered salvation to the gentiles without
first requiring they become Jews.
Because
of the intense opposition and persecution Paul reluctantly left the city. He regretted leaving them before his labor
was finished, but he hoped that he might visit them again in the near future
but Satan hindered him (2:18). He sent
his companion and fellow laborer Timothy to encourage and strengthen the group
and then report back to him on their present condition (3:1-2). When Timothy returned to Paul with the good
news that the members of the church were standing firm in the faith in spite of
the persecution, Paul’s anxiety lessened and he penned this letter from
Corinth, Greece.
I
believe wholeheartedly in the use of timelines in your Bible study, so with this
in mind, let’s trace the movements of Paul and his companions that relate to
the Thessalonian correspondence:
Paul,
Timothy, and Silas founded the house church in Thessalonica on the apostle’s 2
missionary journey after establishing the first house church on Greek soil in
Philippi (1 Thessalonians 1:1).
Paul
and Silas fled from Thessalonica to Berea. Since Timothy is not mentioned (see Acts
17:10), it’s possible he stayed in Thessalonica, but he might have returned to
Philippi and then rejoined Paul and Silas in Berea (Acts 17:14).
Paul
fled to Athens, Greece from the persecution of the Jews in Berea, leaving Silas
and Timothy there (Acts 17:14).
Paul
sent word back instructing Silas and Timothy to come to him in Athens (Acts
17:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Timothy
rejoined Paul at Athens and was sent back to Thessalonica (3:1-5). Since Silas is not mentioned, it has been speculated
that he returned to Philippi when Timothy went to Thessalonica. (3:1-2).
Paul
arrived in Corinth, Greece “in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling”
(Acts 18:1; 1 Corinthians 2:3).
Silas
and Timothy came to Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:6).
Paul
wrote 1 Thessalonians and sent it to those Believers. About six months later
********
The Persecuted Church
“But
we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in
presence, not in heart, endeavoured the
more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we
would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered
us. For what is our
hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.”
As
our timeline indicated, Paul wrote this letter while in Corinth, Greece. He left the opposition and persecution in
Thessalonica only to encounter more opposition at Corinth from the gentile factions
in that church and the Jews in the city.
So, Paul’s anxiety and concern for the Believers in Thessalonica. The past few months had been a period of
intense persecution for himself and for those Believers he had left behind wherever
he preached the revelation of the mystery.
At Philippi he and Silas had been cruelly treated and forced to leave
the city leaving behind them a newly founded house church which they were not
permitted to encourage and strengthen. At
Thessalonica, their next stop, many people were converted to Christ Jesus, but
the opposition against Paul was bitter and unrelenting to the degree that he
and Silas barely escaped with their lives, leaving behind them another
persecuted church. The missionaries next
stop was Berea and again more than a few people were won to Christ, but the
unbelieving Jews from Thessalonica had pursued Paul to Berea and stirred up
much opposition against them. However, this
time Silas and Timothy stayed behind to encourage the brethren in this the
third persecuted grace assembly.
Satanic Interference
The
words “taken from” in verse 2:17 emphasize the fact Paul did not want to
leave them. The brethren had sent him
away under the cloak of darkness with haste (Acts 17:10), realizing if he were
slain the cause of Christ would lose its leader. But Paul’s “heart” was still with the
Thessalonians, for he “endeavored the more abundantly” to see their
faces again. He tried to return to the
city, but every time he tried Paul said, “Satan hindered” him (2:18). With that declaration Paul identified the
source of the opposition he faced. I’ll take
advantage of the opportunity here to teach, again, the greatest deception the
devil has achieved since the dawn of time is getting people to believe he does
not exist. But Paul makes it clear not
only does he exist his goal is destroy anything that is of God. In other words if you’re for God, Satan has you
and your testimony in the crosshairs, so to speak.
But
before you begin thinking thoughts of doom and gloom please know God has a plan
for each Believer’s life; a plan that is for our good and His glory. We should not forget, however, that Satan has
a plan for the Believer’s life as well. His
designs naturally run contrary to God’s for he is intent on destroying our
lives and testimony for Christ through sin, false beliefs, and poor decision
making. Paul’s mention of “the
wiles of the devil” in Ephesians 6:11 teaches us that Satan has
strategies, methods, and schemes to make us stumble in our walk. But Satan can’t undo your salvation (Colossians
3:3). Like a thief, he can also rob you
of your joy in Christ and your assurance of salvation. So, as the gospel of the grace of God was
hindered by Satanic opposition in Paul’s day, so too is “the prince of the
power of the air” hindering God’s Church and the preaching of the
mystery today (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).
After
establishing the church at Thessalonica, Paul had tried “once and again”
(2:18) to reconnect with them, but it didn’t happen. The reason, Paul wrote, was that “Satan
hindered us.” The Greek word for “hindered”
can mean making a road impassable. In the context of athletics, it meant cutting
someone off or tripping them during a race. In a military context, it meant cutting a
trench in front of an advancing army to prevent their progress. Satan does the same thing in the Believer’s
life; he blocks their path, cuts them off in mid-stride to trip
them up, and impedes their spiritual progress (growth).
We
do not know what Satan did to keep Paul from returning to the saints at Thessalonica,
but we do know that Paul attributed the obstruction to Satan himself. However, on
this side of the issue, we see how even Satan’s hindrance was part of God’s divine
plan for Paul’s life and the lives of every Believer that came after him. God allowed and used Satan’s opposition and
brought good out of this roadblock which Paul perceived as something dreadful. As He did with the Cross of Christ, God
accomplished His own purposes, using the devil to do so. How so?
The consequence of Paul’s inability to go to Thessalonica was the very
thing that brought Paul to write this letter; a letter that eventually became
part of the N.T. This letter, in turn,
has resulted in glory to God and, for the past 2000 years, untold multitudes
have benefited from Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians and have been blessed
by its divine truths re: “our blessed hope” of the Rapture (4:13-18), to
name just one. It was because Paul faced
a satanic roadblock in his life that we have 1 & 2 Thessalonians. We do well to remember this anytime we face a
blocked road or barrier in life that we perceive as bad, because God is able to
bring something good out of it for His glory and our blessing (Romans 8:28-29).
Moving
on, it was at Athens, Greece that Paul and his message were ridiculed from the
beginning, but in that account I find no real opposition from those people. Again, some believed his message but others
ridiculed him and walked away not wanting to hear it (Acts 17:16-34).
Before
I end this section please understand the fact that Satan hindered Paul from
returning to the converts in Thessalonica by no means indicates he is more
powerful than God for God permitted Satan’s interference for the strengthening of
those saints in Christ and that’s exactly what happened. The persecution they endured strengthen their
faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). Just
remember, at no time, does God relinquish His throne of glory. He’s in charge 24/7/365!
Paul’s Crown of
Rejoicing
Verses
19-20.
“For
what is our hope,
or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the
presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory
and joy.”
This
is the only passage in Scripture that I can find which indicates so clearly
that at the coming of Christ at the Rapture we Believers will rejoice over
other Believers whom, by God’s grace, we had a hand in leading to Christ Jesus,
or have in some way helped them spiritually.
This stands to reason, for in Luke 15:10 we learn the angels in heaven
rejoice when one sinner repents. Therefore,
we Believers also rejoice and give thanks to God when we learn the seeds of
faith we sowed in an individual’s life were nurtured by God (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
and that person believed God and was saved.
Faith in what God has said always precedes salvation (Genesis 15:6;
Romans 4:3, 22; Galatians 3:6).
Here
I need to address a concern a lot of people walk around with and that is they
think a loved one’s salvation is dependent on them and if their child, husband,
relative, etc. does not respond to their leading then they are to blame. My ex held this view much to my dismay. She told me often that she led her children
to church just about every time they turned the lights on there. She read the Bible to them regularly, spoke
about spiritual things, and tried her best to make them understand, only to discover
their lack of interest in the things of God.
In other words, they didn’t want to hear it. She was disappointed and discouraged and carried
the burden of defeat every day of her life. She told me more than once she was
done with that, but secretly, I believe she wanted the credit. My response never changed. I told her God is Sovereign and the author
and perfecter of our faith. It is not
enough to know the truths of scripture intellectually; we need to believe them
in our heart. We need to fully trust in
the sovereignty of God for He alone is in the business of saving people and He
alone causes the increase. Our role in
salvation is simply to convey his message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians
5:17-21).
One
day future our Lord and Savior having brought “many sons unto glory,”
will rejoice and say, “Behold I, and the children which God hath given Me”
(Hebrews 2:10-13). He, of course, was “the
captain of their salvation.” He poured
our His life’s blood to redeem them from the penalty of sin. Thus, it is fitting in recognition He should
be “crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9). Like Christ and our apostle Paul those to
whom, by God’s Grace, we have brought spiritual light and blessing, will surely
be our “crown of rejoicing” in that day.
Paul declared one day our Lord
shall “come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them
that believe,” and then adds parenthetically, “(because our
testimony among you was believed)” – 2 Thessalonians 2:10. May our testimonies contribute to the Lord
Jesus Christ’s “everlasting glory:”
“Now
unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Paul's
spontaneous outburst of worship and praise, in this passage, came after he had
pronounced a truth that should rejoice the hearts of all God's children: "Now
unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church
by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
“The
Church” is the Body of Christ and in this verse it is the power of God,
working through “the Church” that is being praised because of Christ
Jesus our Lord, and how this rejoices the heart of the apostle Paul. The work that God has done in each of our
lives is going to be used by the Father as an everlasting testimony of His
goodness and grace.
In
the previous chapter, Paul reminded us that because of God's great love for us,
He is “rich in mercy” for despite being dead in our transgressions, He
made us alive, together with Christ and seated us together with Him in the
heavenlies. May we never forget that it
is not because of anything we have done that we are saved, but by God's amazing
grace alone (Ephesians 2:4-5). It is by
faith in His sacrificial death, burial, and glorious resurrection that we
are redeemed from the slave-market of sin and blessed with eternal life in
the heavenlies. For God “…hath
raised us up
together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:6-9).
God
the Father is going to use those who are saved by grace through faith (alone) as
an everlasting demonstration, to the angelic hosts and generations of mankind,
of His great love, mercy, goodness, and grace. So then, I ask you, should this not rejoice
the heart of every member of the Body of Christ? Should we not join Paul in bringing glory to
God forever and ever, amen? That’s
another rhetorical question. I believe
you know the answer. May we never forget
that our salvation has nothing to do with us; it is not our works, our kind
acts, or generous giving that has saved us and forgives us of all our sin past,
present, and future (Colossians 2:13), it is the unmerited free gift of God.
So
let’s be clear our salvation did not come because of the good works we have
done. The fact of our salvation is that we are God’s workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, i.e., good deeds, “which
God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
May
the truth of our salvation and the good works that we perform through the power
of Christ bring everlasting glory to our Lord and Savior, in the same way, that
the Lord Jesus gave honor and glory to the Father during His time on the earth.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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