Category: 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word2 Comments

Advice for Parents Who Want Their Children to Follow Jesus (1 Thessalonians 3;1-5)

georgepwood

Every night since my son Reese was born, I have prayed this prayer for him as I put him to sleep: “Jesus, I ask that Reese would follow you from an early age.” Because Reese is three years old, it is easy for me and my wife Tiffany to create the conditions for this prayer to be answered. We attend church, pray and read the Bible together, and model the kind of life we think a Christ-follower should live. But there will come a day when Reese has grown up and must choose for himself whether and how to follow … Continue reading Advice for Parents Who Want Their Children to Follow Jesus (1 Thessalonians 3;1-5)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Destined for Trials (1 Thessalonians 3:3–4)

georgepwood

Many American Christians assume that if they believe and God and do what is right, God will bless them. Sometimes, this takes the extreme form of the Word of Faith theology, which assures believers that God will give them what they confess. If they confess health, they will be healthy. If they confess wealth, they will be wealthy. Popularly, this extreme is known as the Prosperity Gospel, the Health-Wealth movement, and Positive Confession—or more derisively, Name It and Claim It or Blab It and Grab It. More often, however, this assumption takes the form of America as a Christian nation. … Continue reading Destined for Trials (1 Thessalonians 3:3–4)

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Love Jesus, Love His Church (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20)

georgepwood

Do you ever miss church? By miss, I do not mean “to fail to be at or present for.” Every Christian misses church in this sense now and again. Rather, by miss, I mean “to notice the absence or loss of.” According to 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20, Paul, Silas, and Timothy missed the Thessalonian church in this second sense. But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, … Continue reading Love Jesus, Love His Church (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Were Paul, Silas, and Timothy Rank Anti-Semites? (1 Thessalonians 2:14–16)

georgepwood

The casual reader of 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 might conclude, at first glance, that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were rank anti-Semites. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way, they always heap up their sins to … Continue reading Were Paul, Silas, and Timothy Rank Anti-Semites? (1 Thessalonians 2:14–16)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

The Preaching of the Word of God Is the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

georgepwood

Every Sunday, Christians gather in churches across the globe to worship God. That worship includes singing, praying, baptizing new believers, receiving communion, and exercising spiritual gifts. One of those spiritual gifts is preaching, to which much of the service is given over. Why is preaching so important to Christian worship? Indeed, what is preaching? Paul, Silas, and Timothy answer both questions in 1 Thessalonians 2:13: And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of … Continue reading The Preaching of the Word of God Is the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

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As a Father Deals with His Own Children (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12)

georgepwood

In the course of a few verses, Paul, Silas, and Timothy compare their relationship with the Thessalonian believers to “young children,” “a nursing mother,” and “a father” (1 Thes. 2:7, 11). Each of these emphasizes one aspect of the missionaries’ behavior. “Young children” emphasizes the innocence of their dealings with the Thessalonians. “Nursing mother” emphasizes their tender care for them. But what does “father” emphasize? Here’s what the missionaries write: For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who … Continue reading As a Father Deals with His Own Children (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Appropriate, but Potentially Dangerous (1 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

georgepwood

As a vocational minister, I constantly hold in tension two thoughts about what I get paid to do: First, vocational ministry is how I make my living. According to the Bible, getting paid for ministry is appropriate. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages’” (1 Tim. 5:17–18; cf. Deut. 25:4, Luke 10:7). (I wonder whether Paul compared preachers and teachers to treading oxen … Continue reading Appropriate, but Potentially Dangerous (1 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

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As a Nursing Mother Cares for Her Children (1 Thessalonians 2:7b–8)

georgepwood

Paul, Silas, and Timothy used three metaphors to describe how they acted toward the Thessalonian believers: “young children” (1 Thes. 2:7a), “nursing mother” (v. 7b), and “father” (v. 11). Each of these emphasizes one aspect of the missionaries’ behavior. “Young children” emphasizes innocence. “Nursing mother” emphasizes the missionaries’ in-it-together-ness with the Thessalonians. And “father” emphasizes the goals they were trying to accomplish. I recognize that discussion about sex roles in America is contested ground, so I want to tread lightly on the differences between mothers and fathers. Nevertheless, it seems to me that that there is a basic difference between … Continue reading As a Nursing Mother Cares for Her Children (1 Thessalonians 2:7b–8)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Don’t Let Your Life Refute Christ’s Message! (1 Thessalonians 2:3–7a)

georgepwood

The problem with Christianity is not Christianity—let alone Christ!—but Christians. Our walk too often undermines our talk. Our faults cast our faith in a negative light. We rightly strive to defend the truth of the evangel, but that effort comes to little when we evangelists are not trustworthy. This is not a new problem. It seems that some of the Thessalonians entertained doubts about Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They believed in Jesus Christ with “deep conviction,” and their faith became “known everywhere” (1 Thes. 1:5,8). But because the missionaries left Thessalonica just as the believers there started to experience persecution … Continue reading Don’t Let Your Life Refute Christ’s Message! (1 Thessalonians 2:3–7a)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word8 Comments

With the Help of God they Dare… (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

georgepwood

On December 23, 2011, the Iranian Intelligence Agency raided an Assemblies of God church in Ahvaz during a worship service. Church members, including children, were arrested, detained, and interrogated. Hours later, most of the members were released. As of today, however, Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, his wife, Shahnaz Jizani,  and church members Naser Zamen-Dezfuli and Davoud Alijani are still under arrest. Their location and condition are not known. Another Christian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, has been in prison since 2009. Tried and convicted for apostasy because he converted from Islam to Christianity as a teenager, Nadarkhani sits in jail with a death sentence … Continue reading With the Help of God they Dare… (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)