When
J.B. Phillips
translated the New Testament Epistles, he called the volume ‘Letters to Young
Churches’. The epistles tell of how the churches came into being and give us an
insight into their strengths and weaknesses. We learn from these letters what
sort of community God wants the Church to be. In the first chapter of Paul’s
first letter to the Thessalonians, we have already found about the
Thessalonians’ forward-looking faith, the welcome they gave to outsiders, and
their evangelistic example. In the second chapter we discover Paul’s ideas
about Christian service: pleasing God, caring for people and encouraging
godliness. In the second talk in this series, I shall be looking this morning
at the closing verses of chapter 2 and at chapter 3, sections headed in the NIV
‘Paul’s longing to see the Thessalonians’ and ‘Timothy’s encouraging report. In
these verses, as John Stott puts it, ‘Paul lays bare his heart of love for the
Thessalonians’.
The
first two chapters also contain key lessons about suffering and perseverance,
and it is worth reminding ourselves of the climate of persecution surrounding
Paul’s own ministry to the Thessalonians and which he knew would threaten the
newly-fledged church he had left behind. Acts 17 sets the scene: it is an
action-packed story, worthy of a
‘The dark cloud of suffering was brought on because
Christians in their allegiance to Christ were challenging the powers of the
world. Jesus won the battle against evil on the Cross, but the church is
charged with implementing this victory.’
How
long will it be before it gets worse for us? More Christians were killed in the
20th century for being Christians than in all the centuries before
put together. Think of ways in which Christians are already being attacked in
the name of political correctness. Those who have come to Christ during their
schooldays now find that at their universities, positions of leadership in
Christian Unions have by law to be open to believers of other faiths or of
none. If we are not being persecuted we are fortunate, but as Christians we
should expect opposition. Maybe we are inclined to avoid persecution through
compromises of the wrong sort. Someone once said that the Devil’s best trick is
not to get us to give up Christianity altogether, but rather to tell us not to
be too enthusiastic, because then people will leave us alone. Are we not being
persecuted because we don’t want to live a truly godly life? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German pastor who was executed by the
Nazis, said that ‘suffering is the badge of the true Christian’; and Martin
Luther reckoned suffering to be a true mark of the church. Jesus himself had
plainly taught the inevitability of suffering (Mt 5:11, John 15:20, 16:33), and
the suffering brought by persecution was a regular topic of Paul’s instruction
to converts.
So
we discover firstly in these verses Paul’s awareness of the reality of persecution for the young Thessalonian
church. Secondly we discover his passion
for their spiritual well-being and development. ‘Passion’ is a word bandied
around too easily, sometimes, like ‘tragedy’ or ‘nightmare’, but it is an
appropriate way of describing how Paul felt towards the Thessalonian
believers. Paul’s detractors had launched a smear campaign, saying that he
didn’t care about the young church there: they made out that as soon as
opposition arose in Thessalonica, he disappeared. Paul answers his critics in
these verses: in 2:17 we discover that he left them with the greatest
reluctance; and in 2: 17b and 18, that he tried repeatedly to return; that at
great personal cost he sent Timothy to them (3:1, 5), although Paul would be
left alone in
Paul’s
care for the Thessalonians has some familiar features, with which we may be
able to identify in another sense. He is in suspense over having no news from
them; he feels a great sense of joy and relief when Timothy brings a favourable
report; he shows great affection for the young church; and he prays constantly
for them. This is the language of parenthood: parents separated from their
children, missing them dreadfully, being profoundly anxious when they have no
news of them. A parent can’t rest easy until they know their child is safe.
(2:7, 11). John Stott goes so far as to say that ‘pastoral love is parental
love’.
Paul’s
passionate pastoral concern leads, finally, to his constant prayer for them: 3:11. Maybe we can
pray more effectively if we love more. Are we praying for other Christians?
Have we told them? Paul does so. Jim Packer emphasises the importance of
prayer:
‘I believe that prayer is the measure of the man,
spiritually, in the way that nothing
else is, so that how we pray is as important a question as we can ever face.’
3:9
– Paul asks ‘How can we thank God enough for you?’ He brings three particular
petitions to God in verses 11-13: that God will bring him to see the
Thessalonians again; that God will increase the Thessalonians’ love for each
other ‘and for everyone else’; and that He will increase their holiness. Paul’s
prayer is grounded in the life and work of God himself: we note that he prays
(v. 11) that ‘our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus’ would answer his prayer; he is praying to a
sovereign God who is supreme over all and who ‘can do more than we can ever ask
or think’ (Ephesians 3:20). Paul prays that the Thessalonians would be able to
put their faith into practice by loving one another, and loving others: an
important emphasis for us this morning, as we look in prayer beyond the
confines of our own church family to those in need in other countries. Paul
prays for a real outpouring of love: ‘May your love increase and overflow for
each other and for everyone else’, just as his love for them is so fervent.
He
prays finally for holiness and purity, that God would strengthen the
Thessalonians so that ‘[their] hearts will be blameless and holy’. The things
that Paul prays for will make full sense on the day of Christ’s return: and so
Paul once again gives his own love for the Thessalonians and their love for
each other an eternal perspective. We are encouraged – in the light of this –
to see how what matters most to us shapes up in the light of eternity.
So
what can we take away from this passage? Well, when we look at things from an
eternal perspective it will change the way we see everyone around us. We will
care for others, using Paul’s passionate concern as a model; and we will be
prepared to make sacrifices for each other, as Paul did in sending Timothy to
the Thessalonians when he could not come himself. And we will pray for others,
praying regularly and earnestly. In these verses Paul understands the reality
of persecution; he shows his passion for the young church that he
has helped to create; and he provides an example of the prayer that we can pray for our own church as we seek to love each
other and to strive for holiness in the time that is left before Jesus returns.
Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, may you make our love overflow for each other and for
everyone else; please strengthen us so that we may be holy, and that we may be
able to endure whatever pain and struggle we have to face.