4/8/18
Tom Lowe
Lesson 2: THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE (1Th 1:2-4)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 (NIV)
2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[a] loved by God, that he has chosen you,
Introduction:
Paul usually begins his letter with a thanksgiving. This was the normal way to begin a letter at that time. But Paul clearly is doing more than following the custom; for what God is doing in the churches is important to him.
Lesson 2
2 WE ALWAYS THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU AND CONTINUALLY MENTION YOU IN OUR PRAYERS.
“WE[a] ALWAYS THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU”
Paul’s thanksgiving becomes unconventional because of his insertion of “God”: he is giving a genuine thanks to the one true God, not making a casual reference to whatever the gods were in Thessalonica, at the time. Far from the conventional is also the warmth of feeling the writer displays. Paul’s regard for his converts is deep and sincere. He includes them all in the thanksgiving, which is a mark of his satisfaction with their spiritual progress. There are good grounds for his unhesitatingly showering this praise and thanksgiving upon the believers there, for they had demonstrated earnest, devoted, Christian living in their daily activities (1:3). In turning to God from idols, steadfastly serving the true and living God, they had proved their conversion to be genuine; and because of this devoted service the Gospel had spread to other communities (1:7-8[b]). In every community throughout the country the believers at Thessalonica were known to have completely forsaken idolatry to become bondslaves of the true and living God. They were waiting for and desiring the return of Jesus from heaven (1:9-10).
Paul rates thanksgiving very highly. He instructs his readers to give thanks in everything?“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (5:18; also see 2 Corinthians 4:15 and 9:11-12).
“AND CONTINUALLY MENTION YOU IN OUR PRAYERS.”
The verse could be paraphrased thus: “Each time that they are engaged in prayer, the writers mention the names of the converts.” But this does not seem reasonable. Rather, “always” qualifies “thank” and indicates that the thanksgiving is constant, not sporadic. While Paul is clearly affirming that he and his companions prayed often for the Thessalonians, we should not think that he never prayed without mentioning them, for he may have used “continually” to indicate intense interest.
[a]“We” is Paul, Silas, and Timothy; Paul probably dictated the letter and Timothy wrote it all down. There is no way to know what each contributed.
[b] “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it”
3 WE REMEMBER BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER YOUR WORK PRODUCED BY FAITH, YOUR LABOR PROMPTED BY LOVE, AND YOUR ENDURANCE INSPIRED BY HOPE IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
“WE REMEMBER BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER.” Paul frequently appeals to God as his witness—the witness of his feelings, his thoughts and his behavior. Some in the Thessalonian church questioned Paul’s motives in dealing with them. So at the very outset, he dispels this suspicion and confronts it head on in chapters 2-3 (“God is our witness,” 2:5, and “you are witnesses, and so is God,” 2:10.)
Writing to the believers at Rome, he said, “God is my witness. . . how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9). Again in Philippians 1:8 he said, “God is my record (witness), how greatly I long after you all . . .” When we read these words from the heart and lips of the Apostle Paul, we think of Elijah as he cried out, “As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand!” (1 Kings 17:1).
Paul says, “BEFORE (some versions have “in the sight of”) OUR GOD AND FATHER,” for it is in God’s character of “Father” that Paul approaches Him in prayer. (Read 1 Thessalonians 3:11 and 2 Thessalonians 2:16.) The Church at Thessalonica was remarkable as far as love for the brethren, unusual and untiring labor, extraordinary moral courage and activity in the lives of the believers, is concerned. Paul rejoiced in this fact even more than he rejoiced in the eloquence and knowledge of the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:5). They were not lazy or slothful; their hearts were filled with love, and their bodies were dedicated, living sacrifices to God. They proved this dedication by their unusual energy and zeal in service. You will recall that the disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Jesus replied, “After this manner pray ye: our Father which art in heaven. . .” It was “in God” as Father (1:1) that the Thessalonians became members of the Church of the living God. The blessings they had received for which Paul was so grateful, had come because of God’s grace (Hebrews 2:9[b]) in permitting Jesus to taste death for every man and thereby become the head of the New Testament Church (Ephesians 5:26[c]). In Romans 5:11 Paul said, “We joy in God.”
The three evangelists were joyful, for as Paul said, “WE REMEMBER . . . YOUR WORK . . . YOUR LABOR . . . AND YOUR ENDURANCE.” They remembered how active and faithful those believers were, and how devoted they were to each other: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:2-3).
The matter of the thanksgiving is threefold, and, as Paul often does, he gives thanks for matters that will be raised in the letter; faith is the point in chapters 1-3, love is prayed for in 3:12 (4:9-12), while concern for their hope and their steadfastness is found throughout the letter.
First, “YOUR WORK PRODUCED BY FAITH.” The exact nature of the expression “work produced by faith,” has been identified as being either direct missionary work (1:8), acts of goodness toward others (4:9, 10), or loyalty to Christ in the face of severe persecution (1:6; 3:3-4, 8). Grammatically other meanings are possible, but none suits the context as well as this. Paul is very emphatic that salvation is a matter of faith, not works, and he uses the very strongest of expressions to make it clear that people are not saved by works of any kind. But when this truth is not in dispute he does not hesitate to speak of the good works that characterize the life of faith (see 5:13; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 15:58; 16:10). Faith, for Paul, is a warm personal trust in a living Savior, and such faith cannot be kept from transforming lives and gushing forth in “work” of many kinds (“faith working through love,” Galatians 5:6,RSV). His faith is that this is his task?bringing the Gospel to Gentiles?given him by God and that he is working in the last analysis not for men but for God. The word “work” is very general, and we should not try to define it too narrowly. Generally, work points to the thing done, as a matter of achievement; labor indicates the pains spent in doing it, as a matter of exertion. Work may be easy and delightful; labor is toilsome.
Faith is itself a work. It is the eye and hand of the soul, by which the sinner sees and lays hold on Christ for salvation. Man meets with opposition in the world; he has to fight against the faith-stifling power of sin in himself and in the world. Faith is also the cause of work. It is the propelling and sustaining motive in all Christian toil. “Faith without works is dead.”
Some in the Thessalonians Church had questioned Paul’s motives in dealing with them. So at the very outset, he dispels this suspicion and confronts it head-on in chapters 2-3 (“God is our witness,” 2:5; and “You are witnesses, and so is God,” 2:10; 3:9).
Second, “LABOR PROMPTED BY LOVE.” As it is with faith, so it is with love, a broad application is probably best. However it showed itself, one thing is certain: a great spirit of self-sacrifice was present, because this is inseparable from Christian love. There is apt to be misunderstanding of this detail, for we use the expression “labor of love” to indicate small services we render without hope of reward. But Paul’s term is a strong one, and he means that, out of love, the Thessalonians have labored to the point of weariness. The word expresses the cost of their love, not its results. With or without visible success, love gives itself untiringly. Paul had determined to love and does so no matter what the condition of the one loved. The supreme example of such loving self-sacrifice comes from no less than God the Father (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10) and His Son Jesus (John 13:34; 15:12).
The strength of love is tested by its labor; we show our love for Christ by what we do for Him. Love intensifies every faculty, moves to benevolent exertion, and makes even drudgery an enjoyable experience. Love leads us to attempt work from which we would once have shrunk in dismay.
Since the Greeks had a number of words for love, it is interesting to note that the Christians passed over all those in common use. They took up agape[a]; a word rarely used before them, and made it their characteristic word for love. God loves us, not because we are worthy nor even, as some think, because He sees in us possibilities as yet unrealized. God loves us although He knows full well our complete unworthiness. He knows that, at best, our righteousnesses are as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, KJV). And still He loves us. He loves, moreover, without thought of gain, for there is nothing that we can bring to Him who made all things. He loves because it is His nature to love. He loves because He is love. Continually he gives Himself in a love that is for the blessing of others, not for His own enrichment. This love is more than a matter of words. God’s love is a love that costs. It is an active love, the love revealed in what Christ did on the cross. Indeed, it is only in the cross that we can really know what the love of a pure and holy God for sinners is.
Third, “ENDURANCE INSPIRED BY HOPE.” “Endurance” (or “steadfastness”) is not a quiet, passive resignation, but an active conscience in the face of difficulties. It is sometimes described as “the spirit which can bear things, not simply with resignation, but with blazing hope.” This springs from hope, that hope which is more than pious optimism. It is a solid certainty. But endurance accepts the seemingly dreary “blind alleys” of Christian experience with a spirit of persistent zeal. It rules out discouragement and goes forward no matter how hopeless the situation. Such endurance is possible only when one is “inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Their hope of salvation in Christ was severely tried by affliction, persecution, and numberless temptations, but was not quenched. It is hard to hold on in the midst of discouragement. But the grace of patience gives consistency and perseverance to our hope. Things are in reality what they are in God’s sight. His estimate is infallible.
In the New Testament hope is always something that is still future, but is completely certain. It is a significant feature of the early church, which separated Christianity from contemporary paganism. It is a hope that is firmly grounded and that is related to the resurrection of Jesus (4:13-14). The hope of the believer is in Christ, but it is also a hope that has reference to his standing before the Father, and not merely before other people. A man can endure anything so long as he has hope, for then he is walking not to the night, but to the dawn.
The combination of faith, hope, and love is found in a number of places in the New Testament (5:8; Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; Hebrews 6:10-12; 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22). 1 Corinthians 13:13[d] is especially important, for that chapter is about love, not faith or hope. It was apparent and accepted Christian practice to join the three.
[a] Agape is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God."
[b] “But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
[‘c] “To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26).
[d] “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
4 FOR WE KNOW, BROTHERS[b] AND SISTERS[a] LOVED BY GOD, THAT HE HAS CHOSEN YOU,
“FOR WE KNOW, BROTHERS[b] AND SISTERS[a] LOVED BY GOD,”
The members of the church knew a real brotherhood, a brotherhood that depended on the fact that they had all experienced the love of God. In view of much modern talk about “the brotherhood of man,” we should be clear on the New Testament teaching. The brothers (or sisters) are those “beloved by God,” and they are elect. There is a sense in which all people may be thought of as brothers. But in the sense that matters, brothers are brothers in Christ. Christian brotherhood is the fellowship of the redeemed. It refers to those who can call God “Father.”
“THAT HE HAS CHOSEN YOU,”
HE HAS CHOSEN YOU is God’s election to salvation. Election keeps us from thinking of salvation as dependent on human whims, and roots it squarely in the will of God. Intuitive knowledge of the Thessalonian believers having been selected by God was the source of the missionaries’ constant prayer of thanksgiving. Left to ourselves, we do not wish to leave our state of untroubled sinfulness. It is only because God first convicts us and enables us that we can make even the motion of wanting to turn from our sins. This is no afterthought of God, no sudden change in His plans, but His eternal purpose. He has chosen His own from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Nothing gives security to salvation like the concept of election. Salvation, from first to last, is the work of God.
Here it is clearly God’s choice of the Thessalonians for salvation that gives Paul matter for thanksgiving. Anything less is inadequate. He undertakes no explanation of what election is, so the Thessalonians must have been familiar with the concept; clearly it was part of the original preaching. Notice that Paul expresses himself as quite certain of the election of the Thessalonians? people whom God gave to Christ “before times eternal” (2 Timothy 1:9; John 6:38-39; 17:2-12), without respect to their foreseen faith (Romans 9:11), the grand purpose of which is to contribute to the Glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6).
[a]brothers and sisters?believers, both men and women.
[b]Brothers denotes the spiritual brotherhood into which all disciples of the Lord Jesus have been inducted (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21). Though God is specifically identified as the agent in loving, the agent of choosing is not named. However, the obvious inference is that God had chosen them. “Loved by God” is appropriate assurance that He also chooses, since His love and election are totally bound together (Romans 11:28; 11:5).
