First Day

Part II (NASB)

In the final section of 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul brings up, again, the topic of Christian conduct. In chapter four, Paul reminds the church that since it has been sanctified, its life must be different than what it had been before. Here, Paul describes the sanctified life in greater detail than he does previously. If understood to be a continuation of what comes before it, the apostle is providing the Thessalonians with a picture of the life of a day-walker.

“12 But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction, 13 and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

The person who is “of the day” realizes he or she must have guidance to live a fully righteous and faithful life. God will provide whomever is needed to lead the congregation down the particular path that the congregation has been asked to follow. Those who walk in the day realize that there are no free agents and that they depend upon one another; therefore, they must, “Live in peace with one another.”

In the next two verses, Paul describes what it means to live in peace with each other.

“14 We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.”

Care enough about the other person that you are willing to involve yourself in that person’s life. Those who walk in the day are deeply committed to one another for the betterment of our faith. We are not in this alone. What’s more, this concern is not to stop at the church doors but must extend beyond them. “…always seek what is good for one another and for all people,” the apostle writes. But how often do we take this to heart—this active striving to improve the quality of one another’s faith and closeness of our walk with Christ?

This is a call for our congregations to be more than Sunday social meetings with a little Jesus thrown in. This is a call for an active, brave, and broad faith: a Three Musketeers faith. You know: “All for one and one for all!” If we are honest, this is not what happens in our congregations, is it?

Verses 14 and 15 are how day-walkers should to respond to one another and to all people; and in verses 16-22 Paul tells the Thessalonians how they can begin to cultivate this concern.

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit, 20 do not utterly reject prophecies, 21 but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, 22 abstain from every form of evil.”

This is our inward response. We “admonish the unruly” (others); we also never stop rejoicing or praying or giving thanks. We don’t become Negative Nancys by quenching the Spirit. We have the courage to engage “prophecies” and not dismiss them out of hand. And we “hold firmly to that which is good, [while we] abstain from every form of evil.” As mentioned earlier in this series, this is very much James’ message to the Church that had given in and was looking to come back to a full, powerful, and life changing faith.

Those who live in the day have a responsibility to others and to themselves to strengthen the faith.

“23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it. 25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 I put you under oath by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians ends with his prayer for the church. He askes that all that may pull them away from Christ be removed from them, that God sanctify them fully. May they be of one mind and heart and purpose so that when that great and glorious day comes, the one back in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, they will be ready. 

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” None of this is possible for the Thessalonians to accomplish on their own; they must die to themselves for Christ to live. Only God can do the impossible. “…in humility receive the implanted word which has the power to save your souls,” is how James puts it. Just because we cannot do what is necessary on our own, it does not mean that we are to fail to attempt it. The ultimate question is this: Do we really want to?

“Brothers and sisters, pray for us…Greet [each other] with a holy kiss…have this letter read to all the [Thessalonians].”

Lifechanging care begins with the smallest—the least—sign or action: the prayer, the kiss, sharing time with another for his or her betterment. What starts with these simple acts grows into a deep concern for others’ well-being that finally blooms into an inescapable, unshakeable desire for their salvation on that last Day.

I hope that through this series on 1 Thessalonians your faith in and trust of God has strengthened. Like the Thessalonian church, keep the faith when troubles occur, seek to live sanctified lives that are pleasing to God, and seek the best for others. 

Thank you for listening to First Day and see you soon in the next series of 2 Thessalonians. Blessings and peace.

Part I (NASB)

Thank you for listening to the First Day podcast. I am Patrick Cooley. Visit the podcast website @ firstday.us to subscribe, listen to past episode, and share.

The Thessalonian church has probably had better days. Although we aren’t told precisely the nature of the trial or trials that they are facing, here are some things that we know to be true from history. We know that the city has spent several years facing food shortages. We know that there were many other religions and religious cults there, too. And we know that the cult of the emperor was quite strong there. In fact, the city enjoyed a strong relationship with Rome for many generations. So the Thessalonian Christians weren’t just thoroughly Greek, but they were also thoroughly Roman.

Since the church wasn’t cut-off from the rest of the city, and its members not isolated, Paul was concerned, it seems, that the temptation to go back to what they had always known would negatively impact the community’s faith, considering the social, religious, and cultural pressures that would be ever-present. Unlike in his letter to the Galatians where the church there has already begun to falter: Need I remind you that Paul uses the words, “You foolish Galatians”? We hear no such criticism of the Thessalonians. In fact, we hear the opposite.

Paul is kind to and supportive of the church. He seems to be trying to cut any trouble off before it even begins rather than manage any crisis. He reminds the church of its example of love and the positive impact it is having on the other Christians there in Macedonia and across Greece. Chapter four of his letter is spent encouraging the church’s members that, since they had already been sanctified by Christ, they were expected to live life differently than their pagan neighbors—differently than how they used to live.

They were to be intentional about life: about sex, about business, and about grief. And it is in his concern for how the Thessalonians are dealing with their grief that he invites Christians to think about what comes next. 1 Thessalonians 4 is the first, exclusively Christian scripture that deals with the subject of eschatology. Therefore, when Paul speaks in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 of the dead in Christ rising and those saints who are still alive being “snatched up” to meet Jesus, he does so in relationship to the Thessalonian’s grief over fellow Christians who have died.

Perhaps Paul has received word that the Thessalonians are worried dying before the second coming of Christ. This would explain their inordinate, almost despairing, grief. They are afraid that the people they love who have died will not be blessed with eternal life. 

Chapter five begins as a continuation of this word of comfort to the Thessalonians concerning grief over those who have gone on before and of the future of all the faithful and the world.

“Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Paul begins this final part of his letter using two different Greek words concerning time—translated here as periods and times: They are chronos and kairos, “length of time” and “period of time”, respectively. This phrase, “periods and times,” is being used to point to the end-time and regards the divine timing of events. We see the same combination used later by Luke in Acts 1:7. When used, authors are directing their readers’ attention to the Day of Judgement.

Jeremiah 6, for example, speaks of the suddenness of the LORD’s Day of Judgement, with verse 15 reading, “At the time that I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.

We see this reference to the God’s timetable again in Jeremiah 27:22, “’They will be brought to Babylon and will be there until the DAY I visit them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’” We find the same implied in Daniel 8:17: “So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; and he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’”

Daniel 12:5-7 kicks this up a notch.

“5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the stream and the other on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish smashing the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.”

Although John’s Revelation will not be authored for many decades, God’s promise to remake everything is inescapable in Israel’s faith, and these prophetic uses of the word “time” in the Old Testament make it clear that Paul’s use of chronos and kairos in these opening verses of chapter 15 are about those end-times and how they concern those Thessalonians who have died.

“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.” The Thessalonians have already received teaching about the end-times, though we do not know the details. But Paul tells us here that “the day of the Lord” will come quickly. The prophets speaks of this day in Isaiah chapter 2 and in Malachi chapter 4 and go into detail about its events in Isaiah 24 and Micah 1, for example. There is no need to flee when floodgates are opened if it is done slowly, now is there? “The great day of the LORD is near, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD!” (Zephaniah 1:14)

“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

In Ezekiel 13, the LORD commands the prophet to speak “against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD!’” (2) These prophets “are following their own spirit and have seen nothing” and are “like jackals among ruins.” (3) These false prophets are condemned, “because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace.” (10) And Ezekiel is then commanded by concerning these prophets, “And when anyone builds a wall, behold, their plaster over it with whitewash; so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, hailstones, will fall, and a violent wind will break out.” (10b,11)

So, Paul isn’t speaking to the Thessalonians about something new, except for this, whereas the Day of the LORD was once only for Israel’s ultimate benefit, now it was for their as well.

“ 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.”

Considering the Day of the LORD and all that God promises to those who remain faithful, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to continue to live in the new way that they already are. He has already said this to them in chapter four, when he reminded them that they had been sanctified—that they had been made holy—and because of this they must now practice a new kind of relatio...

(NASB)

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul has been encouraging the church to remain faithful in times of trial. He reminds them at the very beginning of the chapter that they have been sanctified and, therefore, can no longer live like the others around them. He begins by focusing on avoiding sexual immorality and then, possibly, moves on to avoiding underhanded, self-serving business practices. They have been set aside by God; they have been made holy, so their behavior cannot remain as it once was. 

By avoiding the things that might cause their faith to waver, they will certainly escape temptation. Paul tells them that they are already doing things right, they are already loving each other in the way God wants them to, but he suggests that if they want to be certain that they will overcome, then the must philadelphia even more. They do this my loving those outside of the church in the same way that they do each other. AND, they take responsibility for their life in Christ. 

So, don’t treat sex the way the pagans do; don’t do business the way the pagans do; don’t treat others the way that the pagans do; live deliberately. You oversee your walk with Christ. This then morphs into a statement about grief and emotionalism. To take control of our faith life, Paul tells us, we not only have to have to reevaluate how we use  our squishy bits and our financial needs and our relationships with one another and with outsiders, but we also have to have a handle on our emotions. 

“Don’t grieve the way the pagans do,” Paul instructs. “They despair. But you have hope.” He then tells them why they have hope: Because one day, Jesus will return and draw the faithful—those already physically dead and those still living—to Himself. 

Phew. Summary of chapter 4: done! You can stop listening to this episode here if you want to. This is a decent summary of the chapter. However…I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t address the pachyderm residing in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. So I am going to pause here for a few seconds and let you decide if you want to continue. 

Before I proceed, remember Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians about being overly emotional and my episode on the subject that is entitled, What Makes a Vulcan Cry? Let’s keep out wits about us. 
“17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

To certain Christians in certain traditions and denominations, this is one of the most important verses in the whole of scripture. Indeed, in numerous congregations a person will not be considered a true Christian if he or she doesn’t agree with the meaning that that these congregations apply to verse 17. And that meaning is summed up in one word: rapture. 

Paul tells the Thessalonians that just after the physically dead in Christ rise those “who are alive [Paul includes himself in this group] …will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord [Jesus] in the air…”

The apostle uses the word arpagesometha, meaning “will be snatched up”, to describe the event. This is foundational to the prophecies of Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth and popularized by Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series.

To put this as succinctly as possible, the belief is that the Christian faithful will be snatched away from the earth before the tribulations that precede the day of judgement. True believers then don’t have to worry about all that stuff that happens in Revelation—during the time of God’s wrath—because they will have been called up to heaven to be with Jesus there. I guess to be as specific as possible, this is known as the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. But is this what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Thessalonians?

Now, the rapture of God’s people is a topic that can get a person into the weeds. Just do an internet or YouTube search and there before your eyes and in your ears will appear millions of words both for and against it. And as I have already stated in this very episode, some Christians have made the belief in the rapture dogma. Meaning that you MUST believe in it or you’re not a REAL Christian. They may not state this directly, but to quote Jimmy from South Park, “Come on.”

I do find it interesting that those who make the belief in rapture dogmatic will turn around and criticize Roman Catholics for their church’s position about the belief of Mary’s perpetual virginity by using arguments like, “Believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and letting Him take away your sins is the only thing that is required.” We Christians do have a way of claiming something to be simple and then making it really, really, complicated for others to do?

But I’m going down a rabbit hole. Sorry. My point here is this: The topic of the rapture—like the topic of Mary’s place in our Christian faith—is a very deep one. It is a complex belief and very touchy to some people. And I don’t want to spend hours or multiple episodes on the subject: in this case the rapture, and in later series the extent of Mary’s involvement in our faith. Here, I just want us to consider this one question: Is Pre-Tribulation Rapture what Paul had in mind when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:17?  

When Paul wrote his letter, only two of the current books of the Bible that are recognized by the vast majority of the world’s Christians were in existence: those being James and Paul’s own Letter to the Galatians. Neither of these letters concerned themselves with the eschaton—the end times or the tribulations and judgement. In James’ case, he was concerned with helping the Church return to its faith from its foray into temptation. In Paul’s, he is trying to defuse a situation that may lead the Galatians’ into falling away from their faith in Christ. Again, the thought of the tribulation is nowhere to be found. 
“But that doesn’t mean that Paul can’t be talking about that here,” I hear some say. This is true, but I don’t think that it is that likely. And here’s why: The context and purpose of the letter. 

Paul is writing to encourage the Thessalonian church to keep up its faith. It is successfully facing its trials and withstanding temptation. He’s just reminded them that they have been sanctified by Christ in His death and that they can’t go back to living the way that they used to. He says that they are abounding in love for one another and that they should now extend that love to everyone and not just their brothers and sisters if they want to remain strong against temptation.

There is no talk about the end times or about future judgement, and certainly none about the Tribulation. Paul writes about the living being “snatched up” only in response to a question about whether or not any members of the Thessalonian church who have or will die before Christ’s return will be blessed. And this is only after his exhortation not to grieve like the pagans because unlike them, “who have not hope,” the Thessalonians do. “And this is why,” Paul says. (v 14-17)

Paul even gives us his reasoning for reminding each other of verses 16 and 17: It is so that the Thessalonians might “comfort one another with these words.” (18) The apostle isn’t concerned here with the Great Tribulation at the end of time but only with helping the Thessalonians continue to face their trials and hardships in faith. 

Macedonia, the province in which Thessalonica was located, had been in a food shortage and in famine conditions for the better part of a decade. We know from the historical record that this is true for Macedonia from c.44-c.51. Talk about trial. Add to that the fact that Thessalonia was a center for cultic worship—as mentioned in the introductory episode for 1 and 2 Thessalonians. It is a large city with many religious alternatives. Yet, these Chri...

Part II (NASB)

In the first half of chapter 4 we finally catch a glimpse of what is happening in Thessalonia that prompts Paul’s letter. It appears that the church’s members are undergoing some trial, and Paul doesn’t want them to give in to temptation. This concern links Paul’s letter to James’ letter, since it, too, deals with the subject of temptation. The differences between the two letters, though, warrant mentioning.

Firstly, James’ letter is addressed to Jewish Christians, while Paul’s is to Gentiles. And James’ church, secondly, seems to have already yielded to temptation, whereas the Thessalonians have not. Paul’s letter, then, can be understood to be a preemptive measure to cut off any turning away from their faith in Christ.

As we covered last time, Paul instructs the church that they have been called “in sanctification” and should adjust their behavior accordingly. I understand this to mean that Paul believes that how we choose to live our lives can and will impact our faith. We cannot claim to be people of faith while continuing in sexual immorality and choosing to remain in slavery to our baser appetites. Paul’s aim here is to salt any field that might produce a crop of unrighteousness. He wants the members of the church to remove from their lives anything that could impact their faith negatively.

Here in verse 13, I still think that the apostle has this goal in mind.

“13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.”

“…those who are asleep,” is a euphemism for death widely used in the literature of the ancient Mediterranean world. Just as a believer who has been made holy must put away behaviors that might detract from that holiness, the Thessalonians mustn’t grieve their loss in the same way as “the rest of mankind do”.

I had an episode of First Day entitled, What Makes a Vulcan Cry?, that was about who emotionalism and reactivity is damaging the Church. It takes our eyes and hearts off God and places them on ourselves: our ideas and our feelings. Grief is normal, expected, and necessary—Paul is not advocating that the Thessalonians become Stoics. But a grief that leads to despair becomes prideful by taking one’s heart off God and focusing it on oneself. 

This fits perfectly with the opening section of this chapter. Sex is great—a gift from God that is very much needed—but when we become sexually immoral and give into our lustful passions—sex becomes like excessive grief—it devolves into a prideful distraction from God. Paul tells the church that it cannot give into despair in its loss because the Christian possesses something that the pagan does not: hope.

“14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.”

And this is the source of our hope, “that Jesus died and rose from the dead”. Notice, though, Paul’s use of that qualifier that so many Christians would rather ignore. He says that we will have hope “if we believe”. Maintaining hope, then, becomes our prerogative. It is our choice to not excessively grieve; it is our choice not to despair.

The second thing of note in this verse is what Paul tells the Thessalonians what God is going to do if they choose to hold onto their faith. “…so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.” In the last series on Galatians, Paul closes out chapter 2 and spends much of chapter 3 explaining the meaning of this part of verse 14.

In Galatians chapter 2 he tells the church that he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him. And the life that he has now he has through and because of Jesus. Therefore, “…those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” are not only those who have physically died but are also those who have allowed themselves to die in order that Christ might live in them.

“15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

Some commentators understand Paul’s motivation in saying this to be the belief that the living Christian is more blessed than those that have come before—that the Thessalonians believe that since they are living, they will receive the first share. But I don’t think so. Rather, what I discover here is the cause of the Thessalonians’ grief.

“16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

The Thessalonians grieve because they fear that their brothers and sisters who have physically died before the return of Christ will not receive the blessing eternal life through faith. This is why Galatians is so important, since, as I have already mentioned here today, we who are in Christ have already died; we live only because Christ lives in us. Paul tells the church not to give into despair because when the Day comes, all of those who have died through Christ—including those who are still living—will be with the Lord Jesus.

Part I (NASB)

At the end of chapter 3, Paul tells us readers something that many of us probably don’t want to hear and will try our best to reject out of hand: How our choice to remain faithful or to be unfaithful affects others is our responsibility not theirs; the onus is on watched and not the watcher.

Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. Paul encourages the church to keep being faithful and to keep striving for righteousness; he reminds them here that they already know what to do and how to live.

“3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

Finally, after three chapters, we perhaps catch a glimpse as to why Paul has written to the Thessalonians. The Greek word porneia—translated here in verse three as “sexual immorality”—although it can mean from prostitution to incest to sexual immorality to unchastity or even to idolatry—tells us at least one of the church’s temptations.

Paul states that holiness is the will of God. This is the first time in his writings that the apostle declares something to be God’s will. First and foremost, it is God’s will that believers live in a way that is pure, good, and unlike how the world would have you live. In this case, the Thessalonians first sign of holiness—of specifically sanctification—is to “abstain from sexual immorality”, porneia; human behavior and God’s will are hereby linked. Later on scripture, remember what Jesus says to Peter: “If you love me, you will feed my sheep and care for my lambs.”

To be sanctified—to be holy—is to set aside and dedicated to God’s purposes. Put another way, it is to put God’s needs first. Also important here is the fact that we do not become holy by abstaining from porneia. But we abstain from porneia BECAUSE we have been made holy. Remember Galatians: Christ is first. So Paul’s message in this passage can be summed up as: God has made you holy, so don’t do “x,y,z”.

In verse 4 Paul writes:
“4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God…”

The holy—sanctified and set apart—person is not controlled by his or her sexual appetites. This is a matter of learning—"that each of you know how to”—and appears to be able to be in our wheelhouse. We can choose “to possess” our bodies and not be swept away in our base urges or “lustful passions”.

We learn at the end of verse 5 that this ability to control our urges derives from knowing God. Again, honorable and pure sexual behavior is preceded by God’s will for holiness. I say honorable and pure sexual behavior because Paul does not say here that the Thessalonians must be abstinent; only that they should not be sexually immoral and slaves to baser sexual desires.

What Paul means in verse 6 is something that folks just can’t quite agree upon. Some think that it is a continuation of Paul’s exhortation on sexual immorality and others think the apostle is speaking about another kind of impurity. Let me give you the options and you can be the judge. Let’s look.

“ 6 and that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you.”

In the former position (that this verse is still about sex) the thinking is that Paul is warning the Thessalonians to not engage in illicit sex with one another. Perhaps 3-5 concern avoiding the attitudes and desires that lead to sexual immorality and that verse six is a specific warning about hubba-hubba-ing with fellow church members. Or maybe more specifically that no one use the special relationship that Christians within the church have with one another in order to gratify themselves.

For the latter position (that Paul is changing the subject from verses 3-5) some scholars argue that Paul is talking about the need to maintain honorable business practices in with fellow church members: “don’t violate the rights and take advantage of…” Here, sanctification involves avoiding sexual immorality and lust, controlling your bodily urges, AND dealing honestly with one another. This is not an unreasonable position, especially in light of what Paul writes in verses 10 and 11. Impure desires are not exclusively sexual in nature.

“7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.”

Christians are called “in sanctification.” Again, this act of God comes first, and then we choose how to respond. All in all, this is a restatement of verse three. Paul REALLY wants to make this clear to the Thessalonians.

“ 8 Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

And since our transformation starts with Christ—see the last series on Galatians—we best pay attention to Paul’s instruction. Our practices must be in alignment with what God has done and is doing. If they are not, we are not rejecting a human being’s instruction but “the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

By using this phrase, I think Paul is linking back to something that he teaches in Galatians: that the descendant of Abraham that will bless the world is only Jesus Christ, and He blesses us with the Holy Spirit. And it is only through the power of the Spirit that we can die to ourselves so that Christ may live in us. So, to put this into the context of what Paul has been saying in this section of 1 Thessalonians:
Our natural state is one of sexual immorality. It is one of lust. It is one where we are controlled by our urges. God sanctifies us with the Holy Spirit through Christ so that we might live through Him. Through the presence of that same Spirit, we come “to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor”. But if we continue in sexual immorality, even though we don’t have to, since we have the Spirit, we are telling God that we want none of what He is offering.

“ 9 Now as to the love of the brothers and sisters, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to excel even more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we instructed you, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”

God has taught the Thessalonians to love each other, and they do! They philadelphia one another to be precise. They are a family, brothers and sisters, and they even include the Christians “in all Macedonia” in the family. But Paul thinks that they can do better, can “excel even more”. They can do better by extending that love for one another even to outsiders. “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands…so that you will behave properly toward outsides and n...

Chapter Three (NASB)

Paul is desperate to return to the Thessalonians, but he cannot. He is prevented again and again from them. He tells us at the end of chapter two why he wants toe return to them: It is because they are the proof of calling; they are his miracles. And here is where we pick up in chapter 3. 

“Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know.5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.”

Since Paul was going to be unable to go the Thessalonians to be with them in the “afflictions” that they were facing—and because they were so important to him—Paul sends Timothy to be with them. He is Paul’s brother and fellow worker and has been sent to remind the church of the power, presence, and work of Jesus Christ, “to strengthen and encourage” them for the “benefit of [their] faith”. This is so that their faith will not waiver— “for fear that the tempter might have tempted [them]”—as they faced this unspecified trial. And this trial is related to the message that had been preached to them.

The last part of verse 3 and verse 4 bear this out. “For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know.” Paul reminds them here that the gospel message of Jesus Christ WILL LEAD TO SUFFERING. And those who live by it will be off-putting to others. 

This is something that is often overlooked in today’s Christianity. Our faith will not win us admiration and kudos from the world. It’s a way of life that brings difficulties. This is not supposed to be an easy thing. Paul says, “I told you if you chose to have faith in Jesus you’d suffer because of it, and so it happened…” What’s Bill Ingvar’s catch phrase? “Here’s your sign.” 

In verse five he tells them that when his worry about them got too high, it was then that he “sent to find out about [their] faith.” The apostle feared that they were slipping to temptation—as many in James’ audience had done. They are his crown and joy, and he doesn’t want to see the falter and his efforts wasted.
 
“ 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

Here Paul encourages the church to do a Dory and just keep swimming. He tells them of Timothy’s report of their continuing faith and love. They are staying the course in their trial. Paul says in verse seven that their faithfulness is an encouragement to him in his “distress and affliction”. Such is the power of faith, and this is something that we need to remember. 

You are not the only person facing whatever it is that you are facing. But 1 Thessalonians 3:7 is here to remind you that you are not alone. There are examples of people that have faced and are facing these same things that you are because of their faith that have chosen to remain faithful to the gospel that is Jesus Christ.

Maybe it’s a relative or a stranger or even one of your heroes pushing you and trying to discredit your faith. Maybe the Tempter is trying to convince you that just this once to not seek to do what Christ would do—to act or say something that is contrary to the Way and the Truth and the Life that is Jesus. Remember, you aren’t the first to face these trials and afflictions, and you won’t be the last, but you are an example to others, just as they are to you. 

If we choose to react as the You Tube or Tick Tok advises us to; if we choose to change course to get along and choose not to keep our integrity, what telling other believers?

“…for now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.” Okay. Now Paul has crossed a line! Paul makes the impact of the Thessalonians’ willingness to remain faithful more than academic. He places the onus not on those watching but on those demonstrating their faith or their faithlessness. Rephrasing this verse makes this clearer: if you stand fast in the Lord, I will continue to live. In other words, it is the Thessalonians’ responsibility to remain faithful for the sake of others. They—we—are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.
 
Remember, Paul has already implied this very idea earlier in this letter when he informed the church of its positive impact on the other churches—how its faith has helped others to become faithful. This back in chapter one. Now he just kicks it up a notch. 

“9 For what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, 10 as we keep praying most earnestly night and day that we may see your faces, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?”

Just as the Thessalonians’ faithfulness is for Paul’s benefit, so too is his joy for their “sake before our God”. And since their faith is not perfect—whose is—the apostle prays to finally get to be with them to “supply what is lacking” in their faith. Remaining faithful takes work, and discipleship is ongoing until the end. 
“ 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you;12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

Paul then offers a prayer. He prays to be able to finally get to see them and that cause their love to “overflow” for each other in the church “and for all people.” Here, yet again, Paul reminds his readers that their faithfulness and love is not for themselves but for others. Finally, Paul prays that Christ will keep the church faithful through all their current afflictions and the ones yet to come.

Chapter Two (NASB)

Paul begins chapter 2 by fleshing out chapter 1 verse 5 when he writes, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.” Here in chapter two, he provides the Thessalonians with proof of this. 

“For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.”

In a similar way to what he had done in his letter to the Galatians, here Paul begins to catalog all the reasons why the Thessalonians can trust him. He reminds them of what they already know: that when he had preached the gospel to them, their lives had changed, since this preaching “was not in vain.” And the power of his message was in no way curtailed by what had happened in Philippi, even though there was such opposition to it that he and his companions were run out of town. He preached the same gospel to the Thessalonians despite what had happened to him there!

And he maintained the boldness of his message even after this incident at Philippi: 
“3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who examines our hearts.”

In other words, Paul can be bold because he knows that his message, that his teaching and exhortation, is the truth. He can because—just as he told the Galatians—he speaks because of the Lord’s calling upon his life. He remains bold because what he says isn’t intended “to please people, but to please God”.
He then reminds the Thessalonians why they know that this is the truth. 

“5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness— 6 nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though we could have asserted our authority as apostles of Christ. 7 But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

The message—the teaching—was not accompanied by any flattery, requests for money, or demands for honor even though he, “could have asserted [his] authority as [an apostle] of Christ.” He could have demanded that they listen to him and follow whatever he said since he was called to be an apostle, but he didn’t even do that. And in verses seven and eight he reminds them that he responded to them in quite the opposite way, actually. He was gentle, motherly, “delighted to share with [them] not only the gospel of God, but also [his own life]”, because the Thessalonians “had become very dear” to him. 

In verses 9-12, Paul provides them with evidence of this care: 
“9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

Paul’s proof of his care for the Thessalonians is in his “labor and hardship”. He never took a dime from them, and he provided for his own financial needs. He did not want concerns about money to get in the way of the mission. (Ahem) 

The final two verses in the above passage can be summed-up in this way: We practiced what we preached and anytime we may have been hard on you, we only did so so that you would do likewise and live a life worthy of your calling and faith. It is for the sake of the Thessalonians’ walk with God that Paul chose to live among them as he did. 

To use a modern expression: There is a difference between ministry to the poor and ministry with the poor. The Thessalonians are not a project for Paul to complete before he can move on to the next group. Quite contrary, Paul loves them has both a mother AND a father! He is personally invested in their growth as Christians. 

“13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews…”

Paul is grateful that the congregation accepted his message and call as authentic and from God. It is for this reason that the Thessalonians, “became imitators” of the Jewish Christian’s in Judea. The apostle is thankful that God has empowered these Gentiles to persevere in the same way that their Jewish counterparts were being equipped to: “for you also endured the same suffering at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews”. 

It is here that we catch the first glimpse of Paul’s reason for writing to the Thessalonians. The congregation is facing trials and persecution for its beliefs. 

“15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.”

As I pointed out in the Galatians series, Paul makes a distinction between Abraham’s two offspring: Isaac and Ismael. The latter he refers to as child of the flesh, but the former he calls the child of the promise. They may both be Abraham’s sons, but only through one of them, Isaac, will the promise of God’s blessing be extended to the whole world. 

Likewise, Paul distinguishes between Jewish Christians and their Jewish countrymen. I guess the apostle is sticking with what he said to the Galatians in Galatians 3:28; in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile. Like the Thessalonians and the Galatians, these persecuted, Jewish Christians are no longer who they were before they came to know Christ—“or to be known by Christ.”

He tells the Thessalonians that the worldly descendants of Abraham are “hostile to all people,” because they hinder the proclamation of a gospel to the Gentiles that would bring salvation to all. This hindering has consequences (i.e., it comes with a price). 

“…with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.”
There will come a time when they will no longer be able to prevent the spreading of the gospel of salvation. Even though Paul is specifically talking about Jews oppressing Jewish Christians, this statement can be equally applied to the “countrymen” who oppress the Thessalonians. In other words, “Haters gonna’ hate.” 

“But wrath has come upon them fully.” Paul here introduces the concept of orge, which means wrath or retribution, as the means through which God will rectify the oppression that the Thessalonians are currently experiencing. God will bring salvation to those seeking the gospel and to those who are seeking to prevent them…His wrath. So, to seek to prevent a person from sharing the gospel of salvation is to become an enemy of all people.&nb...

Chapter One (NASB)

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”

The letter begins with a typical greeting. Paul identifies that he is not alone in delivering this message to them, and that Silvanus’ and Timothy’s hearts are with the church as well. In the day, it was not uncommon for a person to have and use both a given name and a Roman or Greek name—depending on the circumstance. (For example, John Mark and Simon Peter). Of course, Paul is his Roman name and Saul his given. 

Here also, Silvanus is likely Silas—Paul’s fellow missionary to the Greeks. We will see him again with Paul and Timothy in ministry to the Corinthians. 

Although this is a common enough “how do you do” I think that there may be something a bit deeper here:
Paul defines the Thessalonians with the word ekklesia, “church, assembly, community.” This word is used to associate people with a liturgical body and/or the people of God. It is used in the same way as the Hebrew, synagogue. So, to Paul, their assembly exists “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” They and their church are who and what they are because of God. 

Paul’s greeting continues: 
“2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.”

The apostle tells them that they are not forgotten, and that they are being lifted to God in prayer. Indeed, their faith—their belief and subsequent deeds—are always on his and his compatriots’ minds. Let’s look a bit more intently at verse three.

“…your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope…” Them’s a lot of “of’s”.

Notice the action words here: work, labor, and perseverance. I am reminded of a line in the movie A League of Their Own when Tom Hanks’ character says that playing baseball professionally is supposed to be hard. In fact, we and the Thessalonians can only remain in faith and in love and maintain hope “in the presence of our God and Father”.  

Although Paul doesn’t start his letter directly addressing the reason why he sends it, unlike James does in his, I think we catch a glimpse of the letter’s purpose here at the beginning.

To have faith is more than just to believe. It is to order one’s life around belief—to choose to act in that belief. To keep faith, Paul says here, is work. Now I will remind you of something I brought out in the James series: I think that it is reasonable to assume that—although the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the stories of Jesus—there was in existence a collection of Jesus’ sayings and teachings: all of which could be supported by the Tanak—the Hebrew Bible. 

Surely the Thessalonians would know Jesus’ teachings about love—about the love that counts, the love of one’s enemy. This is love that is self-sacrificing for sake of those who hate you. This love is seen when we are kind and merciful to the wicked and the ungrateful. This love is laborious. It involves turning the other cheek and praying for one’s enemies—and not that a piano or widow AC unit will fall on their heads as they walk by! 

And finally, Paul constantly keeps in mind the Thessalonians’ “perseverance of hope”. We touched on hope in the Galatians series. There is certainty in following the Law of Moses—certainty in oneself and one’s choices—but there is no faith in it. To be hopeful IS NOT to be CERTAIN; to be hopeful is to act in faith. And when we are under stress, when we are, as I am certain the Thessalonians are, facing great trials, you know as well as I do how easy it is to give up hope. 
 
Yet, Paul in his greeting reminds the Thessalonians of their successes because they have remained in God’s presence. Which makes me wonder how well I have remained in that Presence: “4 knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you”.

By implication, Paul lets us know that something is happening TO the church at Thessalonica, but that they are facing it in power and with success. Essentially, the coach is telling the team to keep it up; that no matter what you are facing you can and will prevail because you always have remained faithful, loved, and maintained hope. 

Paul tells them that they can rest assured that they can face—and overcome—whatever it is that they are facing because they remain in God—that they have been made a part of God’s people although they are Gentiles. 

He writes in verse five, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.” The Thessalonians can trust that everything that he has just said to them is true because when the gospel was brought to them, it came with the proof of the Holy Spirit. And, he says, this is demonstrated by our character and seen in our faith and choices.

Paul continues building the Thessalonians up: 
“6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place the news of your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us as to the kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

Paul reminds them that they have already become apostles and have already begun changing other people’s lives. They are already examples for other believers who are facing affliction and prove that even in tough times, a Christian and be faithful, loving, and hopeful—not to mention even joyful! 
In verse 8 Paul tells them that they are already serving as apostles, declaring the gospel by their work, labor, and perseverance. So much so that in verse nine, he tells them that other believers in other congregations “report about us as to the kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God”. Their story is a witness to the power of God in Jesus! And their reputation precedes them. 

The Thessalonians have turned away from other gods and have claimed the LORD as their Savior. They now LIVE by and through God—and that life has the power or change others. Only God is living and true! 
Paul concludes this chapter and his greeting encouraging the Thessalonians to remain patient in their time of trial, that Christ Jesus will rescue them in the end.

Written in the early 50’s (c.50-51), while Claudius is still emperor of Rome.

Paul’s claim that he was called by Christ Jesus to preach the gospel to the Gentiles is one that he quite obviously took seriously. (Galatians 1:16) The gospel that he carried with him took root in at least four Roman provinces: Galatia, Asia (Colossae and Ephesus), Macedonia (Philippi and Thessalonica), and Achaia (Corinth).  

Some scholars believe that Paul’s mission to the Thessalonians occurred between his two visits to Jerusalem that are mentioned in Galatians 1:18 and in 2:1—during the 14 years between Paul’s arrival in Syria and Cilicia and his return to Jerusalem for the conference with the other apostles. 

Prior to his visit to Thessalonica, Paul and Silas had been expelled from Philippi by the city’s leaders. (Acts 16:39) 

It is uncertain how long Paul and Silas stayed in the city—anywhere from four weeks to four months. Regardless, their time in Thessalonica was tumultuous; Luke stating at the beginning of Acts 17 that the two preached in the synagogue there for three sabbaths providing “evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” (2) This message resulted in a mob attacking the two apostles’ host, Jason. Anger against Paul’s and Silas’ message stemmed from a claim that the two advocated a king other than Caesar. 

Thessalonica is in Macedonia and located on a good natural harbor; it was the meeting place of four roads, one being the Via Egnatia, Rome’s main east-west highway. This combined with its harbor made the city a commercial center and ultimately the capital of the province. At the time of the apostles’ visit Thessalonica was estimated to have had a population of around 100,000 people. (532, Carson and Moo) This was no piddling backwater.

Thessalonica was a free city, meaning that although it was part of the Roman Empire, it maintained its own government, and Roman troops were not stationed within it—except for some personal guards attached to Roman officials. The status of civitas libera was granted after the battle of Philippi in 42 BCE settled the civil war between Brutus and Cassius, who had killed Julius Caesar and the forces of Marc Anthony and Octavian—who would later become Caesar Augustus—in recognition of the city’s loyalty to Rome. By 44 CE, just a few years prior Paul’s letter—but sometime close to the time of James’ letter—Macedonia became a senatorial province. This meant that it was governed by the senate and not the emperor. So Paul’s Thessalonica was governed, essentially, by the people. So taking all this into consideration, the very Greeky Thessalonians were also proudly Roman. 

Thessalonica’s population also maintained a fairly high percentage of immigrants: Roman, Jewish, and many others. The last bit of this historical stuff that is important to know is that from 40-51 CE, the latter date is about the time of Paul’s letters, this part of the eastern Roman Empire was experiencing food shortages and famine. Acts 11 touches on the impact of this famine. 

Now a brief look at the city’s religion: Thessalonica was a cultic center for the worship of the many gods that were shared throughout the empire, as well as for some that were not. These included Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Cabrius, and Serapis: “You know that old chestnut.” The city possessed a Serapeum where the gods of Egypt were worshipped; Isis worship was wide-spread. To put it clearly, there were many cults vying for the Thessalonian’s attention and faith. 

Lastly, by the time of Paul’s letters to the church there, the imperial cult had been present in Thessalonica since 42 BCE with the divinization of Julius Caesar. It was not forced upon the population—yet—but served as a sort of social and religious glue across the Empire. Its presence in the city was seen as a sign of gratitude for all that Rome had done for it. 

This context helps shape the issues that the Thessalonian church is facing and even provides some understanding to Paul’s theology. We need to keep this in mind as we study Paul’s letters to the congregation. 

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians can be divided into sections: 2:1-3:13, describing Paul’s interaction with the church, and 4:1-5:11, concerned with the apostle’s teachings and exhortations. In the first half of chapter 2, Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his ministry there and how they had received his message. The second part of the letter concerns the need to live in a way that pleases God. This is necessary despite the persecution the church appears to be facing. Once again, we give a nod back to James and his teaching on how to remain faithful in times of trial. In this respect, 1 Thessa-lonians is reminiscent of James’ letter. In many ways, Thessalonians is a Gentile mirror for James’ church, since both letters concern themselves primarily with dealing with the temptation that believers are experiencing during trial.

If you recall from that series, James’ letter is addressed to Jewish Christians who are facing pressures from all directions. James begins his letter by reminding them that trials and tribulations should be expected and should be considered a blessing because they prove and strengthen faith. However, it appears that many in the Church are yielding to temptation, or have already done so, while facing their struggles. He reminds them of all that they have learned in their Jewish faith and explores why believers fall into temptation. And in response to this situation, James provides them with instructions as to how they can return to faith. 

James, therefore, is concerned primarily with how Christians who have given in to temptation can fully return to their faith. By comparison, Paul addresses here a Gentile church facing troubles and provides it with instruction on how to maintain and strengthen its faith through it all.

Chapter 6 (NASB)

Paul begins chapter 6 in verses 1-5 with an example of what “competing in love” looks like as opposed to competing in the legal works of the religious Law. The Law could be harsh on those “caught in wrongdoing,” like stoning or/and ostracizing them. These sinners must be restored “in a spirit of gentleness”, and believers must, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby [fulfilling] the law of Christ,” which is to “love your neighbor as yourselves.” (See chapter 5)

"Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load."

“…each one [must look] to yourselves, so that you are not tempted as well…For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” When we bring the end of verse one together with verse three we get a better understanding of what Paul is getting at. 

The Galatians must not get judgy with one another when unrighteousness rears its ugly head. Paul is telling them to be sure that they have come to rest in the Spirit’s power and presence and not their own merit, or else they will fall into temptation as well. Here, let me remind you that the problem that James was addressing in the Church was its yielding to temptation during trial. Since each person will have to “bear his own load,” he will have to face his or her own weaknesses and failures. Everybody’s poop stinks. 

In the next section, verses 6-10, Paul tells the Galatians why they mustn’t get judgy, why they must choose the deeds of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.

"6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."

 “6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” The teacher and the student share in the good that comes from learning the gospel; they must share the fruits of the Spirit. "7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap." The Galatians must not delude themselves into thinking that they can turn their noses up at the gospel of Christ and the life the results from faith. They cannot look to justify themselves by their merit and expect a harvest of the fruits of the Spirit. 

In verse nine, Paul speaks of not becoming discouraged and not becoming weary of the faith the Galatians live. Let’s not tire of living in faith, to put this a slightly differently. And I think that I can understand what the apostle is talking about. 

It can become tiring and frustrating when things don’t go the way that we would like them to or expect. To live by faith is to live in hope and not in certainty. To live by the Law, well that is something entirely different. Sure it is pretty clear that no one can fulfill Moses’ Law, but there is more certainty in taking matters into our own hands. 

Now good deeds are by definition good, whether done to show one’s faith or not. When the starving person gets fed it really doesn’t matter to her if the food comes from a Buddhist, an atheist, or a Christian: from a Baptist or a Roman Catholic for that matter. 

Paul concludes this section by writing, “So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people…” (6:10a) Deeds done in the flesh will fail. Deeds done in the flesh will not last. Whatever we do by our own power—according to our own merit—will ultimately lead to the sin of pride and also to those deeds of the flesh that Paul named in chapter 5. 

But the works born out of faith, out of the fruit of the Spirit, that is another thing entirely. Oh to have the kind of faith that remains deep even in the face of setback. And we know in deepest recesses of our hearts and minds what Paul is talking about here, because we’ve all begun good deeds that rested in our strength and merit. How long did they last? Did they change anyone’s life for good? Didn’t you simply grow weary of doing and doing? 

The fruits of the Spirit, however, are lasting; in fact, they are going to outlast us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, these nine fruits arise out of faith, and when we choose to live by the Spirit, choose to leave the tomb and die to ourselves—our efforts and work and merit and pride—we allow Christ’s Spirit to live in us, and we receive that blessing that Israel could never hold on to.

"11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 12 All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who [d]are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

In verse eleven Paul tells the Galatians that this means so much to him that he, himself, is writing them this letter. He was investing even more of his time into their faith—this time in the hope of helping them reclaim it. By comparison, in the next two verses Paul gives the Galatians a glimpse of the agitator’s motivations in what they are doing to the church. “…they want to compel you to be circumcised…so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ…they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.” (12, 13) They don’t really care about the Galatians but only about themselves—as anyone committed to the works of Moses’ Law would be. 

In the closing verses of this section, Paul brings his letter back around to the Christ-centered doctrine that he laid out back in chapter two. He writes:

"But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ [meaning he has done nothing, and Christ has done everything], through which the world has be crucified to me, and I to the world [“…for I no longer live, but it is Christ who lives within me]. For neither is circumcision anything [the way that I was, living under the Law and trying to justify myself by it], nor uncircumcision [the only thing that matters is faith working through love], but a new creation.” (14,15)

Paul will return to this idea of being a new creation in his letter to the Corinthians. And his point to the Galatians here is clear: Having welcomed Christ, His faith has brought them into a relationship with God and has offered them the chance to live. To live a new life as a new person and to see the world and other people with the eyes of their new life—the life of Christ that lives in their hearts. 

All the matters is what they have become not what they once were—no matter who you were. “And all ...