Future Glory | Present Trial: 1 Thes. 2:9-13
Future Glory - Present Trial :: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
March 14, 2021
At the beginning of chapter 2 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church, he begins to address specific accusations that some troublemakers were using to discredit Paul and discourage his gospel work. We looked at these negative and false charges last week, as well as the positive and true claims that were the reality during Paul’s short stay in Thessalonica.
Our text today continues this context of accusation but focuses it further to address Paul’s manual labor while in the large port city, his acceptance of free room and board, his character and intentions.
With the opening phrase of verse 9, Paul appeals to the experience and knowledge of the church members themselves, believers who now stand in the grace of God - recipients of the gift of eternal life - because of Paul and his companions labor and witness. “For you recall” is followed by the similar “you are witnesses, and so is God” of verse 10 and “just as you know” in verse 11. These additions to Paul’s letter support our hypothesis that Paul is defending his character and actions against false accusations.
He first addresses the fact that he worked while in Thessalonica, apparently not accepting free room and board from anyone, which could have possibly sullied his intentions and therefore the gospel. We know from Acts 18 that Paul was a tent-maker or leather worker by trade. Perhaps he employed these same skills in Thessalonica in order to protect the gospel from the very accusations that he is now addressing.
“According to Aboth 2:2, ‘Rabban Gamaliel, the Son of R. Judah the Patriarch, says: “Fitting is learning in Torah along with a craft, for the labor put into the two of them makes one forget sin. And all learning of Torah that is not joined with labor is destined to be null and cause sin.” The present passage bears witness to Paul’s own adherence to this kind of rabbinic tradition, in which he had been schooled.”
—Gordon Fee
Gordon Fee quoting the Aboth section of the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral tradition around the time of Jesus. Note: This “Gamaliel” is not the mentor of Paul but a later Rabbi of the same name.
Notice that Paul repeatedly says “the gospel of God.” The last two words in that phrase are important for Paul’s purposes here, as they set the message distinctly apart from a man-made and man-centered message. This was not the gospel of Paul or Timothy or Silas. It was the gospel of God. See the phrase in 2:2, 2:8, 2:9 and a different version twice in 2:13.
“The reason for the constant work (day and night), Paul says, was in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. The verb “preached” denotes the action of a herald, who, of course, said what was given him to say. His work was to pass on a message, not to produce some high-flown oration elaborately adorned with ear-tickling phraseology, nor even to give a simple message to meet the need as he saw it. The fact that this is a favorite way of referring to the activity of the Christian preacher in the New Testament puts stress on the divine nature of the message. The gospel preacher is not at liberty to substitute his view of the need of the moment for the God-given message of the cross.” - Leon Morris
Paul again addresses how “devoutly, uprightly and blamelessly” he and his companions acted towards the young Thessalonian church. Where before he used the picture of innocent babies and then a nursing mother, now he uses the image of a father to complete the family theme.
Verses 10-12 are one long and complex sentence in Greek. The force of the sentence leads to the purpose statement at the end: “so that you would walk worthily of the God who calls you.” These seems to tie in with the end of verse 13, where a large part of Paul’s gratitude and prayer is that the word of God continues to “perform its work in you who believe.”
For Paul, the gospel was primary. All distractions to the gospel must be eliminated.
For Paul, theology was eminently practical. He did not promote theory. He exemplified transformation.
For Paul, Jesus is the only Hero. He hid in Jesus’ shadow. Yet he defended truth.
Group Discussion Questions:
1. Briefly share with your group what your work week was like this week. Relate the high and low moment.
2. How do you view your work in regards to its spiritual or Gospel-centered effect? Do you think of your job as ministry or not really? Briefly explain.
3. Based on Paul’s example and words, how might you correct, adjust or improve your “theology of work”?
4. What aspects of your engagement with the culture or world might be distracting to the gospel? This is a hard question and takes a great degree of self-awareness, humility and trust.
5. What aspects of your character (consider coping mechanisms, response to unmet expectations, reactions when threatened or angry, etc.) might endanger your witness? This is perhaps an even harder question than the previous. Consider trusting God and sharing briefly with your group.
6. What does it mean to “walk in manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (2:12)?
7. In what areas of your life have you seen the greatest growth and spiritual maturity over the past year?
8. How did you first “receive” the word of God (2:13)? Can you share how you first trusted in Jesus in less than 60 seconds? Try it.
9. Identify one area that you would like to see the gospel perform more of “its work” in you (2:13). What specific changes would you like to experience? Share with your group.
10. Translate this “one area” into a really big prayer request to share with your group. Ask your group to join you in asking God for something really big.
March 14, 2021
At the beginning of chapter 2 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church, he begins to address specific accusations that some troublemakers were using to discredit Paul and discourage his gospel work. We looked at these negative and false charges last week, as well as the positive and true claims that were the reality during Paul’s short stay in Thessalonica.
Our text today continues this context of accusation but focuses it further to address Paul’s manual labor while in the large port city, his acceptance of free room and board, his character and intentions.
With the opening phrase of verse 9, Paul appeals to the experience and knowledge of the church members themselves, believers who now stand in the grace of God - recipients of the gift of eternal life - because of Paul and his companions labor and witness. “For you recall” is followed by the similar “you are witnesses, and so is God” of verse 10 and “just as you know” in verse 11. These additions to Paul’s letter support our hypothesis that Paul is defending his character and actions against false accusations.
He first addresses the fact that he worked while in Thessalonica, apparently not accepting free room and board from anyone, which could have possibly sullied his intentions and therefore the gospel. We know from Acts 18 that Paul was a tent-maker or leather worker by trade. Perhaps he employed these same skills in Thessalonica in order to protect the gospel from the very accusations that he is now addressing.
“According to Aboth 2:2, ‘Rabban Gamaliel, the Son of R. Judah the Patriarch, says: “Fitting is learning in Torah along with a craft, for the labor put into the two of them makes one forget sin. And all learning of Torah that is not joined with labor is destined to be null and cause sin.” The present passage bears witness to Paul’s own adherence to this kind of rabbinic tradition, in which he had been schooled.”
—Gordon Fee
Gordon Fee quoting the Aboth section of the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral tradition around the time of Jesus. Note: This “Gamaliel” is not the mentor of Paul but a later Rabbi of the same name.
Notice that Paul repeatedly says “the gospel of God.” The last two words in that phrase are important for Paul’s purposes here, as they set the message distinctly apart from a man-made and man-centered message. This was not the gospel of Paul or Timothy or Silas. It was the gospel of God. See the phrase in 2:2, 2:8, 2:9 and a different version twice in 2:13.
“The reason for the constant work (day and night), Paul says, was in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. The verb “preached” denotes the action of a herald, who, of course, said what was given him to say. His work was to pass on a message, not to produce some high-flown oration elaborately adorned with ear-tickling phraseology, nor even to give a simple message to meet the need as he saw it. The fact that this is a favorite way of referring to the activity of the Christian preacher in the New Testament puts stress on the divine nature of the message. The gospel preacher is not at liberty to substitute his view of the need of the moment for the God-given message of the cross.” - Leon Morris
Paul again addresses how “devoutly, uprightly and blamelessly” he and his companions acted towards the young Thessalonian church. Where before he used the picture of innocent babies and then a nursing mother, now he uses the image of a father to complete the family theme.
Verses 10-12 are one long and complex sentence in Greek. The force of the sentence leads to the purpose statement at the end: “so that you would walk worthily of the God who calls you.” These seems to tie in with the end of verse 13, where a large part of Paul’s gratitude and prayer is that the word of God continues to “perform its work in you who believe.”
For Paul, the gospel was primary. All distractions to the gospel must be eliminated.
For Paul, theology was eminently practical. He did not promote theory. He exemplified transformation.
For Paul, Jesus is the only Hero. He hid in Jesus’ shadow. Yet he defended truth.
Group Discussion Questions:
1. Briefly share with your group what your work week was like this week. Relate the high and low moment.
2. How do you view your work in regards to its spiritual or Gospel-centered effect? Do you think of your job as ministry or not really? Briefly explain.
3. Based on Paul’s example and words, how might you correct, adjust or improve your “theology of work”?
4. What aspects of your engagement with the culture or world might be distracting to the gospel? This is a hard question and takes a great degree of self-awareness, humility and trust.
5. What aspects of your character (consider coping mechanisms, response to unmet expectations, reactions when threatened or angry, etc.) might endanger your witness? This is perhaps an even harder question than the previous. Consider trusting God and sharing briefly with your group.
6. What does it mean to “walk in manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (2:12)?
7. In what areas of your life have you seen the greatest growth and spiritual maturity over the past year?
8. How did you first “receive” the word of God (2:13)? Can you share how you first trusted in Jesus in less than 60 seconds? Try it.
9. Identify one area that you would like to see the gospel perform more of “its work” in you (2:13). What specific changes would you like to experience? Share with your group.
10. Translate this “one area” into a really big prayer request to share with your group. Ask your group to join you in asking God for something really big.
Posted in Sermon Notes