The writer begins this chapter by addressing the church in Thessalonica about times and dates concerning the Lord’s coming, 1 Thessalonians 5:1. I think it would be useful to look at those two words to gain a better understanding of what the writer means.
The word ‘times’ is the Greek word ‘chronos’, which deals with time chronologically speaking. In other words, whatever you are doing for ten minutes is still ten minutes.
But the Greek word for ‘seasons’ is the word ‘kairos’, which deals with time in terms of quality. In other words, ten minutes spent with someone you love might seem like a fleeting moment, but ten minutes with someone you don’t like being around might seem like an eternity.
And so in the context of this letter, the writer speaks of time and also speaks of the nature of the times or the events that surround the return of Jesus. It’s obvious that Paul must have already spoken to them about this matter whilst he was in their company, and they should already know about these things because he tells them, ‘we do not need to write to you, for you know very well,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:1.
Paul is reminding them that they should know that nothing, no one, except the Father, of course, knows exactly when Jesus is going to return, but when He does, it shall be like a thief in the night for some, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 / Matthew 24:43 / 1 Thessalonians 5:4 / 2 Peter 3:10 / Revelation 16:15.
Lipscomb, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Only by a righteous and pure life can one be ready for his coming. We should not only be ready for him, but should love his appearing and desire earnestly the day of his coming.’
And I use the word ‘some’ carefully here, as Christians, we should always be ready and prepared for His return. For those who are not Christians, and if Christians are not ready for His return, it certainly will be like a thief in the night, Matthew 24:43 / 2 Peter 3:10 / Revelation 3:3 / Revelation 16:15.
Paul says that Jesus will return when people are saying, ‘peace and safety’, 1 Thessalonians 5:3. These words shouldn’t come as a surprise to us, as this has been proclaimed time and time again throughout the Scriptures, Ezekiel 13:10 / Jeremiah 6:14 / Jeremiah 8:11 / Micah 3:5 / Matthew 24:39.
It’s interesting in the world today, many so-called Christians believe that Jesus will return when there is a lot of trouble going on in the world, but here Paul says it will happen during peaceful times, 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
But again, we are reminded that it will be sudden, just like a woman who goes into labour; it will be destructive for those who just aren’t ready or prepared, 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
Ward, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sudden pain of labour, even when it is expected (and a woman expects labour just as a Christian expects the (parousia), it is sudden when it comes.’
When we get to 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, we will see that there will be no time or any way to escape this destruction. And so in the meantime, we need to be ready and prepared for His coming, 2 Thessalonians 1:10 / 2 Thessalonians 4:17-18.
Paul has just finished telling the saints what will happen to those who aren’t ready for the Lord’s Day and how they won’t escape destruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5. He is making a contrast and reminding them that they must live as children of light because they do not belong in the darkness.
We know that darkness is representative of evil and light is representative of goodness. Dark and light are used in the same way throughout the Scriptures, Romans 13:12 / 2 Corinthians 6:14 / Ephesians 5:8 / Ephesians 5:11-12 / Colossians 1:13 / 1 Peter 2:9 / 1 John 1:5-7 / 1 John 2:8-11.
We need to remember what Paul is reminding the saints at Thessalonica. If we don’t want to be surprised when the Lord returns, and although we don’t know when Christ will return, we do know that He will, and this should prompt us to live the Christian life properly until His return.
We are children of light, not dark, and we are children of the day and not night. In other words, we should have nothing to hide and everything we do should be in the open, as Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:15.
The writer begins by reminding the church ‘not to sleep, as the rest do’, 1 Thessalonians 5:6. There are people who aren’t really concerned about spiritual matters, there are Christians who aren’t really concerned about the way they act or live; these are the people who are ‘asleep’, 1 Thessalonians 5:6.
The word ‘sleep’ used in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 is the Greek word ‘koimao’, which is a different Greek word the writer uses in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Here, the word ‘sleep’ carries with it the idea of spiritual slackness or unconcern. And so, a Christian who has no spiritual concerns will certainly not be watchful; they will certainly not be watching out for the Lord’s return.
As Christians, we are constantly awake, on the watch, 1 Thessalonians 5:7, watching out for Satan’s schemes and ploys to tempt us to sin, Mark 13:33-37. We’re constantly watching out for our own souls, 1 Corinthians 16:13, and the souls of our brothers and sisters in Christ, Hebrews 13:17. All of which would certainly include praying, Matthew 26:41 / 1 Peter 4:7.
Not only are Christians to be watchful but also sober, 1 Thessalonians 5:7. This is the Greek word ‘nepho’ which literally means to abstain from wine or anything intoxicating, 1 Peter 1:13 / 1 Peter 5:8.
Moffatt, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are few of us who are not rather ashamed of our sins and follies as we look on the blessed morning sunlight, which comes to us like a bright-winged angel beckoning to us to quit the old path of vanity that stretches its dreary length behind us.’
It’s common sense that Christians shouldn’t get drunk, not only because the Bible condemns drunkenness, Ephesians 5:18, but also because there is no way that they can be fully watchful for the Lord’s return whilst under the influence of alcohol.
At the beginning of this chapter, the writer contrasted those who live as children of the night with those who live as children of the day. Here, when he writes, ‘For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:7.
He is contrasting those who are watchful and sober with those who aren’t. This is why the writer goes on to remind the church in Thessalonica that they belong to the day, 1 Thessalonians 5:8. It’s all very well pointing our fingers at those who aren’t Christians and complaining about the way they live their lives, but as Christians, we need to constantly be looking at ourselves.
Are we being sober (serious)? Are we armed and waiting? When you think about a soldier getting ready to go to war, the commanding officer wouldn’t let him go anywhere drunk or unprepared and unarmed!
We already reminded ourselves of the important link of faith, hope and love back in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 / 1 Corinthians 13:13. Faith and love protect our hearts from evil, and our hope protects our minds against fear and doubt, 1 Thessalonians 5:8.
We are in the middle of spiritual warfare, and so we should be sober, prepared and armed. Paul writes about our full armour in Ephesians 6:11-18, but here, he reminds us that we should arm ourselves with the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope (salvation), 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Please remember these are not the only spiritual weapons we have at our disposal, Romans 13:12 / 2 Corinthians 6:7 / 2 Corinthians 10:4 / Ephesians 6:13-17.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, the writer mentions the word ‘us’. Who are they? Well, again, he is referring to the children of light, those very same individuals who are sober, prepared and armed.
And notice that it is these individuals who have NOT been appointed to wrath, the individuals who ARE appointed to wrath are those who are of the darkness and night. Those who are not sober, not prepared and not armed, 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
Morris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Whoever thinks he can smile at God’s wrath will never praise him eternally for his grace. One of the things that gave salvation so full a meaning to New Testament Christians was that they were sure of the wrath of God and knew that Christ had rescued them from a terrible fate.’
These saints in Thessalonica had obeyed the Gospel and were striving to remain faithful so as to be prepared when Christ returned. They are the ones who are appointed to salvation, 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
They recognised who Jesus was and what He did for them, 1 Thessalonians 5:10 / Philippians 2:8 / Romans 6:3 / Galatians 2:20. The whole purpose of Jesus dying, according to this text, is that ‘whether we wake or sleep’, we should live but live together with Him, 1 Thessalonians 5:10 / John 11:25-26 / Philippians 3:10.
This is why we are to exhort or comfort one another with the comfort we each receive from God, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, and with the comfort of our hope we have in Christ, 1 Thessalonians 4:18. The word ‘strength’ is the word, ‘comfort’, which is the Greek word, ‘parakaleo’, and it literally means to call to one’s side, call for, summon. The idea is of someone walking alongside another, providing comfort, even exhortation.
We are also to edify or build each other up, which is the goal all Christians are to pursue, Romans 14:19, and as we know, is the main work of the church, Ephesians 4:11-16. Now the great news was that the church in Thessalonica was already doing these things, but the writer encourages them to continue to do so, 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
The word ‘edify’ is the Greek word ‘oikodomeo’, and this literally means to build a house. The idea is that we are supposed to edify one another by promoting spiritual growth and the development of the character of believers by teaching or by example.
As we are the sons of light and sons of the day, we have an obligation to comfort and edify one another, and these are just some of the things we need to do as the body of Christ. Each member has to be involved in this in order for the body to develop and grow, Ephesians 4:15-16.
But we also need to acknowledge those within the body who edify the body through their service in certain areas, such as evangelists, pastors and teachers, as their purpose is to equip and edify the saints for the work of ministry, Ephesians 4:11-12.
Acknowledging these saints is not in terms of just about knowing them, but we need to know their worth, appreciate the value in what they do and hold them in high regard, after all, they do work hard amongst us, 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
Elders, also known as pastors and bishops, are among the people we need to acknowledge, whose duty is to watch and feed the local congregation, Acts 14:23 / Acts 20:17 / Acts 20:28 / 1 Peter 5:1-2 / 1 Timothy 3:1-7 / Titus 1:5-9. Deacons are also among the people we need to acknowledge, as they minister to the needs of the congregation, Philippians 1:1 / 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
Evangelists, whose ministry is to the Word of God, proclaim the good news to both sinner and saint, Ephesians 4:11 / 2 Timothy 4:5, 2 / 1 Timothy 4:16. Teachers, who provide instruction in the doctrine of Christ, Ephesians 4:11 / Acts 13:1-2 / 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 / Titus 2:3-5.
Now we need to also acknowledge a whole bunch of other people within our congregations. This would also include those who teach our children and those who teach those who are not Christians within our families and communities.
Those who minister through exhortation, giving, and showing mercy, such as in visiting the sick, Romans 12:6-8. Those who use their talents to do good deeds, as did Dorcas, Acts 9:36-39. Those who keep up the facilities in which we meet to worship, clean the building, prepare the communion, etc.
Here in the text, the writer has elders in mind as he says those who ‘care for you in the Lord’, 1 Thessalonians 5:12. The KJV says, ‘those who lord it over you’. They are the only ones given authority ‘over’ us in the Lord, Acts 20:28 / 1 Peter 5:1-2.
Mason, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The presbyters are not only organisers, managers of the corporate affairs of their church, but also spiritual guides to give practical advice. These are the two senses in which they ‘are over you.’
As elders, they have a duty which very often requires them to admonish and warn, 1 Thessalonians 5:12 / Titus 1:9. But they also need to be qualified to teach, 1 Timothy 3:2. And so any congregation with men qualified to serve as elders should certainly be careful to acknowledge and recognise them as such, and respect their God-given duty, 1 Thessalonians 5:13.
Not only are we to acknowledge them, but we are to honour them in love, 1 Thessalonians 5:13. Now it is true we are to honour all our brothers and sisters in Christ, Romans 12:10 / Philippians 2:3, and it is true we are to love all our brothers and sisters in Christ, 1 Peter 2:17 / John 13:34-35.
But how much more should we honour and love those who spend their time and energy serving each of us! 1 Thessalonians 5:13. When you think of the work of an elder, we should love them and hold them in high honour, after all, they feed us, they watch over us, they provide examples for us, 1 Peter 5:1-3, and they must give an account for our souls, Hebrews 13:17.
The writer continues and encourages the church in Thessalonica to be at peace among themselves, 1 Thessalonians 5:13. Peace is something all Christians should be pursuing, Romans 14:17-19 / Hebrews 12:14, and there is nothing better than a congregation that is at peace with each other.
This certainly helps with unity, Psalm 133:1 / Ephesians 4:3, and is also a sign of heavenly wisdom, and provides the atmosphere in which much righteousness can be sown, James 3:17-18. If there is peace, then the work of an elder can be a lot easier; after all, the work of an elder can carry a heavy responsibility, Hebrews 13:17.
And so we can make their load lighter. We can make their work a joy, contributing to peace through obedience and submission, and so avoid adding unnecessary grief, which would not be good for us. And so as we wait for the coming of the Lord, we are blessed not to wait alone. The Lord’s church is here to comfort and edify us, and many individuals labour among us and are over us in the Lord.
Some meet our needs, which makes it easier for us to grow in Christ, and there are others who watch over us and admonish us as necessary and for that, we should be thankful.
So far in 1 Thessalonians 5, the writer has reminded us that we are children of light and children of the day, and we have responsibilities to be prepared and sober whilst we wear the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope. We also have the responsibility to comfort and edify one another and acknowledge those who serve us whilst honouring them in love.
Now the writer turns our attention to those who are in need, whether they are a part of the church or not. He asks us to admonish the disorderly or unruly, as some translations have it, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. The Greek word for ‘unruly’ is ‘ataktos’, meaning disorderly, out of ranks and is often used of soldiers who fall out of line or deviate from the prescribed order of rule.
And so the unruly Christian is one who does not abide by the teachings of the apostles, and so there may well be times when they need to be warned, just like the apostle Paul had to do with the brethren at Ephesus, Acts 20:31, and just like he encouraged his young friend Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 4:1-2.
Any Christian who is unruly after being warned needs to be identified and withdrawn from fellowship, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15. This is done in order to save them and to keep the church pure, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
As Christians, we also need to identify and encourage the fainthearted, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. The Greek word for ‘fainthearted’ is ‘oligopsuchos’, and it literally means small-souled or little-souled. It describes those who lose heart, are prone to dropping out or quitters. These are the Christians who need to be encouraged and consoled.
This is something the writer has already done in this letter, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. But notice the contrast, some Christians (the unruly) need to be warned and admonished, while other Christians (the fainthearted) may need a more tender touch, to be encouraged, 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
The writer continues to identify other Christians in need of help; he reminds the church in Thessalonica to uphold the weak, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. This is likely a reference to those who are weak in the faith. Those who are easily tempted by sin, and or those who are likely to violate their weak consciences, 1 Corinthians 8:7-13.
But we uphold them by receiving them, Romans 14:1-3, not by arguing with them or by putting them down because they have a weak faith, but by bearing with them, Romans 15:1-2. We do need to learn this lesson that many who are weak in the faith need time to grow; they need time for their consciences to become stronger, Romans 15:2.
And for us to learn this lesson, we need to learn to be patient, not just with each other but with everyone, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. The Greek word for ‘patient’ is the word ‘makrothumeo’, and it means to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles.
And so we are to be patient with the fainthearted and the weak, but we’re also to be patient with those we teach. Hence, why we need to be patient in terms of warning the unruly, 2 Timothy 4:2, and patience needs to be shown when we’re dealing with those who oppose us, 2 Timothy 2:23-26.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:15, the writer comments, ‘See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone’. This is a principle that Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44-45, the apostle Paul elaborated upon in Romans 12:17-21, and discussed in Peter’s letter in 1 Peter 3:9.
Leon Morris says the following.
“Faced with opposition from both Jews and Gentiles, and with some differences within the church itself, this must have been exceedingly difficult for the Thessalonians, yet Paul does not hesitate to put the matter plainly to them. Christian teaching is not meant to be applied only when circumstances are easy. Christianity is a robust faith, empowered with a divine dynamic, and is to be lived out even under the most trying circumstances.” (The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians, pg. 101)
And so we are not to return evil for evil, but we are encouraged to follow after that which is good. And what good would this be? Well, for Christians, it would certainly be things like peace and edification, Romans 14:19. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness, 1 Timothy 6:11; and holiness, Hebrews 12:14.
And for the non-Christian, this would certainly include things which are honourable, and honour itself, Romans 12:17 / 1 Peter 2:17, things that are good, Galatians 6:10. Things like civil obedience, kind words, gentleness and meekness, Titus 3:1-2, and prayers on their behalf, and a knowledge of the truth leading to their salvation, 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
There are times when we need to look after our own spiritual well-being. Here, the writer shares with us three ways to do just that.
1. Rejoice always. 2. Pray continually. 3. Give thanks in all circumstances.
Notice also that the writer reminds us that all these things are God’s will for all Christians, 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In other words, God wants us to consciously and actively do all three in order for us to be of better service to others.
Remember, rejoicing isn’t going around with a constant smile on our faces; it is much deeper than that. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that there is great strength in joy. Romans 15:13 reminds us that when we have joy in what we believe, we also abound in love.
When we are joyful, it helps those around us to be joyful, 2 Corinthians 2:3. And so if we are a joyful people, it helps us to remain strong whilst also being a source of strength for others, Proverbs 15:13 / Proverbs 17:22.
Now we might ask, where are we to rejoice always? First and foremost, our joy needs to be in the Lord, Philippians 4:4, because it is in Him who gives salvation, Psalm 21:1.
It’s Him who gives joy to anyone who pleases Him, Ecclesiastes 2:26 / Ecclesiastes 5:20. It’s Him who provides mercy, Psalm 31:7, when we are in Him we can experience the fullness of that joy, Psalm 16:11.
We also may ask, how are we to rejoice always? Well, if God is the source of our joy, then it should follow that we should spend as much time with Him as possible. There is joy in reading and feeding upon God’s Word, Jeremiah 15:16. There is joy in meditating upon God’s Word, John 15:11 / 1 John 1:4.
There is also joy in simply spending some valuable time with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul was filled with joy because of the encouragement he received from Titus, 2 Corinthians 7:13. That wonderful little letter to Philemon reminds us that Philemon’s love and joy refreshed the hearts of the saints and also gave Paul joy, Philemon 7 / Philemon 20.
Another great source of joy is found when we bring others to Christ, not just because they have become Christians but because of the joy they bring with them. We’ve already read about this happening in this letter.
The Thessalonians brought Paul a great deal of joy, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 / 1 Thessalonians 3:9. And as we mentioned above, Philemon brought Paul a great deal of joy, Philemon 1:7, the people that John brought to Christ gave him joy too, 3 John 4.
And so, we can actively and consciously rejoice always if we consciously and actively remember the above. And when we come together in worship and sing praises to God, our joy will be expressed in our singing, Psalm 71:23 / Psalm 104:33-34 / Psalm 135:3 / James 5:13.
I believe one reason why a lot of Christians lose their joy is that they spend too much time in the world and not enough time in the Lord. But not only are Christians commanded to rejoice always, but the writer also reminds us that Christians are commanded to ‘pray continuously’, 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This cannot mean the constant and unintermittent utterance of petitions to God, but means ‘maintain the good habit of frequent prayers.’
We are not just a joyous people; we are also a people of prayer because it is through prayer that we find mercy and grace in our time of need, Hebrews 4:14-16. It’s through prayer that we find the forgiveness of our sins as we confess them to God, 1 John 1:9. It’s through prayer that we receive that peace which goes beyond our understanding during anxious times, Philippians 4:6-7.
But how is it possible to pray continually? This is where it comes down to self-discipline. If we look at the examples we have within the Scriptures, we see godly men praying at certain times of the day and night. David was a man who prayed evening, morning and noontime, Psalm 55:17. Daniel was also a man who prayed three times a day, Daniel 6:10.
These men disciplined themselves to pray at certain times of the day and night, and so, as Christians, we too should set aside some time every day to spend some much-needed time in prayer with God.
This doesn’t mean that the time we set aside should be the only time we pray; there may be important occasions that need our prayers, Luke 6:12-13. There may be times when our lives are getting a little difficult, Acts 16:25 and of course, there may well be times when we just want to pray on the spot, there and then, Nehemiah 2:4-5.
The point is, if we have time set aside, pray during important occasions or difficult times or simply on the spot, all of these prayers will help us to pray continually. And so, we are a people who are to rejoice in the Lord and pray continually to the Lord, but we are also a people who are full of gratitude to God, 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
When we’re in prayer to God, we need to remember to include some form of thanksgiving within our prayers. After all, when you stop for a moment and think about what God has done in Christ for every one of us, that, at the very least, is one reason to be thankful, Colossians 1:12-14 / Colossians 2:7 / Colossians 4:2 / 1 Timothy 2:1.
Now, please take note that the writer doesn’t say, ‘be thankful when things are going well’; he writes, ‘be thankful in ALL circumstances,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18. When was the last time you heard anyone thanking God for the trials they are going through?
Thankfulness comes by remembering that all things can work for our own good, Romans 8:28, and when we remember what God has done and continues to do in our lives, we will understand that we can be thankful even when suffering comes, Romans 5:3-5. We can be thankful and even rejoice when persecution comes our way, Matthew 5:10-12 / James 1:2-3.
When we remain in Christ, we spend time with God in His Word and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. By consciously and actively trying to bring people to Christ, we will remain a joyous people. We will spend a lot of time in prayer to God, and as we remember His good purpose for us, we should always be a thankful people.
The writer says that this is God’s will for us, and when you think about it, the more thankful we are, the more prayerful we will be and the more prayerful we are, the more joyful we will be; all three are knitted together.
What does 1 Thessalonians 5:20 mean when it says, ‘Do not despise prophesying’? When one encounters a problem passage, it is important to consider the context. In practice, this means looking at the verses which go before, and those which follow.
That is always sound advice, and it is advice worth following as we consider the question before us. The previous verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, says, ‘quench not the Spirit.’ Now, the Spirit is referred to is unquestionably the Holy Spirit.
Notice that in this verse the present imperative tense is used, which means that we have here a statement that relates to something which the believers in Thessalonica had evidently been doing and were continuing to do up to that moment.
An ‘imperative’ is a command or an instruction, so the sense of this verse is literally, ‘Do not continue to quench the Spirit’. This tells us that the Thessalonians were offending the Holy Spirit. They were disregarding and perhaps even repressing a particular manifestation of the Spirit.
We see from the next verse that the specific gift involved was the gift of prophecy because the word which is translated ‘prophesying’s’, ‘propheteia’, occurs on only two other occasions, 1 Corinthians 14:6 / 1 Corinthians 14:22, where Paul discusses the exercise of spiritual gifts.
The church at Thessalonica, therefore, is told, in effect, ‘Do not continue what you have been doing, quenching, or suppressing, this manifestation of the Spirit’. Certainly, at the very least, they were discouraging the exercise of the prophetic gift.
The apostolic command in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 is followed by the verse, at which we are now looking, 1 Thessalonians 5:20, ‘And do not despise prophesying’. Here, again, this is a present imperative, and it means, ‘Do not continue to despise prophesying’.
You will notice that there is a significant difference between the Authorised Version and many modern versions in the way in which 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 is rendered. In the A.V., we find two short sentences, ‘Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying’s.’
But in modern versions (the Revised Standard Version, for example), the two verses are separated only by a comma, so that they read as one sentence, ‘Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying.’ The implication is that to despise ‘prophesying’ was to quench the Spirit.
Clearly, then, Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Spirit, regarded the exercise of that particular gift, the gift of prophecy, as of very real importance to the spiritual growth and well-being of the infant church in Thessalonica.
Now, this letter was written during the second missionary journey, and is, therefore, reliably regarded as one of the earliest of the apostolic letters. It was written from Corinth, where Paul arrived about 50 AD, after leaving Thessalonica, and where he stayed for eighteen months, Acts 18:11.
We arrive at this date because we know that the proconsul Gallio, who is mentioned in the next verse, Acts 18:12, took up his position in Corinth about that time. The letter was probably about 51 or 52 AD. It is even likely, although not stated, that it was Paul himself who imparted spiritual gifts to the Thessalonian Church as he had at Corinth during the year and a half he remained in that city.
On the matter of spiritual gifts in the infant church, we learn that Paul informed the Ephesian believers that prophets were among the Lord’s gifts to the church, Ephesians 4:11. Earlier in the same letter, he had stated that apostles and prophets had laid the foundation on which the church is built; that foundation being Christ himself, Ephesians 2:20.
He followed this in 1 Thessalonians 3:5, with the assertion that the Spirit used apostles and prophets as instruments for the revelation of truth. Although we do not believe that there are such inspired men alive today, it should not be difficult for anyone to understand that in those days, apostles and prophets fulfilled an essential role in the revelation of the truth and the establishment of the church.
Bear in mind that the New Testament had not then been compiled. Indeed, as I have already implied, many of the books which comprise our present New Testament had not even been written.
Therefore, instead of being able to study written instruction and teaching, we find that prophecy, ‘oral,’ that is, spoken instruction, was the means by which the early Christians were taught.
Bear in mind, also, that the word ‘prophesying’ does not mean that a new revelation was presented every time the prophet opened his mouth! The word ‘profetes’ means ‘to speak forth’, and covers preaching and teaching generally.
And, if you examine the Old Testament books, you will find that many of the writers never foretold future events, but simply delivered a message on God’s behalf. In fact, in the Old Testament, a prophet.
1. Delivered a message from God.
2. Interpreted current events. He explained what was happening at that moment. And very often, the explanation the prophet gave was very different from what the people thought!
3. And sometimes was able to tell the people what God was going to do.
In the New Testament, the exercise of the gift of prophecy simply meant that men were led by the Holy Spirit to speak in order that the church might be strengthened and built up.
Now it is clear from 1 Thessalonians 5:20 that some of the Thessalonian Christians had been inclined to undervalue this particular gift because the word ‘despise’ means ‘set at nought’. So, Paul is urging them not to ‘set at nought’ these Spirit-led teachers, or the messages they delivered.
However, he also issues this warning: ‘Test everything’. In other words, ‘Be on your guard, and hold fast what is good’, 1 Thessalonians 5:21. I stress again that this instruction to pay attention to the prophets was valid as long as the spiritual gifts, which included apostles and prophets, remained. But when they were removed, the specific sense of these words ceased to apply.
Yet there is a sense in which they contain a message for us today. ‘Prophesying’ means ‘speaking forth’. And prophecy, in the general sense of the word, is that which is preached. It is preaching and teaching. There is no one today who possesses the gift of prophecy, about which Paul writes. Be on your guard, and do not trust those who claim to predict future events.
Remember that almost two thousand years ago, Paul said that prophecies would fail; the word means ‘cease’. The gift of tongues, which was the ability of people to speak in languages they had not learned, would cease, and the gift of miraculous knowledge would end, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
We have no inspired, Spirit-led messengers, no apostles and prophets such as those who served the infant church. But we do have those who preach and teach that which the Holy Spirit has preserved for us and presented to us in the Word.
We have inherited the rich blessing of ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness’, in the New Testament Scriptures. We have the recorded words of ‘holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit,’ 2 Peter 1:3 / 2 Peter 1:21.
It is as imperative today as it ever was that we who love the Lord should not undervalue or despise the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. We should never forget that the Lord himself told his apostles, Luke 10:16. I wonder how anyone can claim to accept the authority of Christ, whilst rejecting the writings of the apostles whom he authorised to speak on his behalf.
And so, as a quick recap, we need to remember to keep this in the context of its date; when the writer was writing, they were still in the age of miraculous revelations from God.
We know miracles, wonders and signs had a purpose and were to confirm the preached Word, Mark 16:20 / Hebrews 2:4. We also know what these miracles, signs and wonders were, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, and finally, we also know when the miraculous would cease, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 / Ephesians 4:7-16.
It was the Holy Spirit who was the one who empowered those who prophesied for the purpose of giving God’s revelation to men, and so to despise prophecies would be to quench the work of the Holy Spirit, and so remove oneself from the life-giving revelation of God, Ephesians 4:30.
Today, if we turn our back on the result of the Spirit’s work (the word of God), we can, in a sense, quench the Spirit. God’s word was made known through His Holy Spirit, John 16:13.
In Old Testament times, God did this through prophets, 1 Peter 1:10-11 / 2 Peter 1:20-21, and in New Testament times, God did this through the apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ, John 16:13 / John 14:26. Throughout history, mankind has always had problems accepting God’s Word; even God’s own people, Israel, struggled with this, Hosea 4:1.
Romans 1:18-23 reminds us that even the Gentiles had problems accepting God’s Word. And so, what the writer is telling the Thessalonian church is, don’t refuse to listen and obey what the Holy Spirit was making known to them through revelations at that time.
He’s reminding them not to despise prophecies, in other words, don’t belittle the prophecies which were being made through the prophets, don’t refuse to accept what God was revealing through them.
But this is important, they cannot simply just accept any ‘new’ revelation, they have to test them, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, and the reason they had to test them was because they had to recognise that NOT every claim to be from God was true. John reminds us in 1 John 4:1 that we’re ‘not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits.’ Why? ‘Because many false prophets have come into the world.’
And so today, especially within the charismatic churches, we need to test what people say when they claim they have a ‘new’ revelation from God, or God is still performing miraculous signs and wonders through them.
Today, we need to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, who received the word with great readiness, but they also searched the Scriptures daily to find out for themselves as to whether what Paul was teaching was true or not.
We should accept everything which is in harmony with the Scriptures and their teaching, and reject everything which is not, 1 John 4:6 / Acts 2:42. We hold on to everything that is good and reject everything which is evil, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 / Amos 5:15 / Psalm 97:10 / Romans 12:9.
The word ‘reject’ is sometimes rendered ‘abstain’. The Greek word for ‘abstain’ is the word ‘apechomai’, and it literally means to run in the opposite direction. Are we actively running away from evil or running towards it?
The writer again ends this chapter with another reference to the return of Christ, and he also ends with a prayer mentioning both peace and sanctification, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
We know that God is a God of peace, as too is the Christ, Isaiah 9:6 and as Christians, we can experience this peace because it comes from Christ, John 14:27 / Philippians 4:7. The very Gospel we are to proclaim to people is called the Gospel of peace, Romans 10:15.
But not only does God give us peace, but He also sanctifies us, the Greek word for ‘sanctify’ is the word, ‘hagiazo’, and it means to make holy, to set apart. In other words, God sets us apart from the world for a holy purpose, remembering that He does this through His Word, John 17:17 / Acts 20:32. Again this is a subject that the writer has already mentioned back in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, in regards to sexual purity.
The average person weighs around 10.5 stone and is made up of the following chemicals: 92.4 lbs. Oxygen, 31.5 lbs. Carbon, 14.6 lbs. Hydrogen, 4.6 lbs. Nitrogen, 2.8 lbs. Phosphorous, 1.12 lbs. Chlorine, 1.02 lbs. Iron, 0.34 lbs, potassium, 0.24 lbs. Sulphur, 0.12 lbs sodium, 0.04 lbs magnesium, 0.02 lbs. Fluorine.
Now, if you accept that, that is all there is to a human being, then you’ve sadly missed the point; there’s a lot more to a human being than just a few chemicals. All human beings are triune beings. Let me explain.
The Godhead is made up of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Human beings are also triune beings because we have a body, soul, and spirit. But sadly, many people have forgotten the soul and spirit part; all they think about is the body. You see all these so-called supermodels who in the world’s eyes have great physical bodies, but sadly, the soul is dead.
The apostle Paul gives us a complete description of the nature of man in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Here, the apostle clearly reveals that man is a triune being, consisting of spirit, soul and body.
And even though this is the only verse in the Bible in which the three-fold nature of man is mentioned, these three elements, body, soul, and spirit, are referred to in different combinations in other places, in both the Old and the New Testaments.
In the Old Testament, for example, in his God-given wisdom, Solomon refers to the body and the spirit, Ecclesiastes 12:7. Solomon says that at death, the body returns to the dust of the earth, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
So straight away, we can see a distinction between the body and the spirit. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus Himself speaks of those who are able to kill the body, but who are unable to kill the soul. This statement proves that the body and the soul are also different.
The Hebrew writer tells us that the Word of God is able to pierce, `to the dividing of soul and spirit’, Hebrews 4:12. Again, this shows us that there is a difference between the soul and the spirit. And remember the spirit to which the Hebrew writer makes reference here is not the Holy Spirit but the human spirit.
Paul makes this clearer in Romans 8:16 where he writes, “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” He also makes it clearer in 1 Corinthians 5:4.
And finally, in Hebrews 12:23, the writer, contrasting the assembly of the Israelites at Mount Sinai with the assembly of the Hebrew Christians at Mount Zion, the writer tells them, “You have come to the spirits of just men made perfect”.
And so, in Ecclesiastes 12:7, we see the distinction between the body and the spirit. In Matthew 10:28, we see the distinction between body and soul. And in Hebrews 4:12, we see the distinction between soul and spirit.
Now, please remember that in these verses where these three elements are mentioned, I’m not offering them as proof of man’s nature because we need to understand them in the context in which we find them. It’s in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 where we find a definite statement as to the nature of man.
We have to remember where we came from. Why? Because some people have forgotten their creator, Hosea 8:14 / Deuteronomy 32:18. That’s what happens when you forget where you came from: you become unmindful.
When you take God out of the picture, you’re left with a pointless existence. When you take God out of the picture, you’re left with being nothing special. Now, if we’re going to try to reach anyone, we ourselves first need to understand the nature of man. We too first need to understand where we came from.
We see in Genesis 2:7 that God formed or fashioned or moulded man’s body out of the ground, and we read that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”. The word ‘being’ has been preferred by later translators, rather than the word ‘soul’, which is used in the King James Version, because the original word ‘nephesh’ does not mean ‘soul’ in the special New Testament sense.
Mickelson’s Hebrew Dictionary says this: nephesh (neh’-fesh)
1. (properly) a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality
2. used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental).
Mickelson’s Greek Dictionary says this: psuche (psoo-khay’).
1. soul, inner being or life
2. (literally) breath. In fact, in the Old Testament, where the word ‘nephesh’ occurs 745 times, the translators of the King James Version have rendered it by at least 30 different words or phrases.
So, the difference between the Hebrew ‘nephesh’ of the Old Testament and the Greek ‘psuche’ of the New Testament is easily recognisable. Something else we need to remember is that we’re not to suppose that man was a ‘dead soul’ until God breathed into him ‘the breath of lives.’
The word ‘life’ is plural in the Hebrew text. In other words, there was nothing before; it was the entrance of ‘the breath of lives’ which actually constituted him ‘Man’. Notice that the word ‘became’ is categorical. We should read the verse in this way: “God breathed’ into his nostrils the breath of lives, and Man came into being – a living soul’.”
That phrase, ‘a living soul’, is adjectival and describes and defines man after God breathed life into the form which He had shaped. And it’s here we see the difference between man and the rest of Creation. Remembering that the Hebrew word ‘Adam’ means ‘man.’
‘Life,’ like animal life, is something which Adam shared with every other living creature created by God. But the difference between the other creatures and man lies in the fact that God said, ‘Let us make Man after our own image, after our likeness,’ Genesis 1:26.
Only with reference to man is this said, and it is this ‘likeness to God’ which uniquely constituted man as a rational and moral being, possessing a conscience that enabled him to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, obedience and disobedience. It is in this sense that man is a soul, a self, having self-awareness and self-consciousness.
Genesis 1:26 shows us that man is not only superior to all other living creatures on Earth because he possesses this moral awareness. This also shows us that the gulf between man and the rest of creation was further emphasised and endorsed when God assigned dominion to him over all other living creatures.
So how do these three different parts of man relate to each other? I go into the local schools quite regularly, and every now and then they ask me to come in and have a question and answer session with the children about God, the Bible and religion as a whole.
And I remember one child asking me an amazing question: Does the body have a soul? Now that’s a great question, and yes, we can answer and say yes, the body has a soul, but maybe we should say, it’s the soul which has a body.
I say that our soul is self-conscious in light of what we’ve just looked at, the ‘soul’ is man’s unique self. It is the part of his being that, because it is rational and moral, determines the actions performed by his body, and which, therefore, renders him personally accountable for what he does.
And so, it is man’s ‘soul’ which will ultimately be either saved or lost, depending on his response to the offer of salvation which was made first possible by the coming of Christ into the world.
So now let’s look at the body, as someone once said to me, ‘The Body is of the earth and for the earth’. We might describe the body as ‘Earth-conscious’, since it is the physical tool or instrument, by means of which a person’s ‘soul’ or ‘self’, by its very nature, is invisible and is able to function in a physical world. If we think about Jesus Himself, when the Lord came into the world, John 1:1-2 / John 1:14.
Although the Son existed ‘in the beginning with God’, it was necessary that ‘the Word’ should ‘become flesh’ and ‘dwell’ or ‘tabernacle’ among us. The Lord needed a physical body. And as Paul tells us, without the human form that He took on Himself, it would have been impossible for Him to fulfil the unique purpose for which He came, Philippians 2:6-8. Jesus needed a body. Why?
1. To be able to communicate with mankind in a personal, unmistakable, and uncomplicated manner.
2. To present the ‘signs’ which were to be the authentication and endorsement of His Messiahship.
3. To set the human race as the perfect example of obedience to the will of the Father.
4. And above all, by means of that perfect life, to demonstrate His worthiness to become the perfect offering for the sin of the world.
And so, The Word must become flesh, John 1:1-2 / John 1:14. This was the divine plan, and it is why we find the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, in Hebrews 10:5, placing the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 40:6-8, into the Lord’s mouth, Hebrews 10:5. Notice that the ‘body’ was prepared for ‘me.’
Peter also talks about the body in 2 Peter 1:14, and he describes it as “putting off my tent.” In other words, loved ones, man is more than just a bunch of chemicals. Man is not merely an animated construction of flesh and bones; he is a soul, a ‘self.’
Man is housed in a physical body, and since his body is designed for earthly life, at death, the body returns to the earth, Genesis 3:19. We’ve briefly looked at the soul and the body; now let’s briefly look at the spirit of man.
If we consider the body to be ‘Earth-conscious’, and the soul to be ‘Self-conscious’, we may think of the spirit as being ‘God-conscious’ as Job suggests, Job 32:8. In other words, it is that part of man’s nature which enables him to reach out to and communicate with God. It is the spiritual dimension in man’s character, and here again, we see the difference between man and other creatures.
Its only man says who can say, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God”, Psalm 42:2. It’s only man who is encouraged to “seek after Him, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him,” Acts 17:27.
It’s only man who is given the assurance that “He is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:27. And like we saw earlier according to Ecclesiastes 12:7, at death, “the spirit returns to God Who gave it”.
Someone recently shared with me an illustration to help me get this point, and I would like to share it with you because I think it’s helpful. When I am away from home, I use the telephone as a means of communication with my wife. But when I am at home, we talk face to face, and so I do not need the telephone.
Well, in a similar way, God has endowed us with the ability to contact and communicate with Him, whilst we are here on earth. And so, when we are ‘at home with the Lord’, 2 Corinthians 5:8, we will no longer need the telephone. And so, it will be with our spirit.
And so our God of peace wants to sanctify us completely in order to keep us blameless, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 / 1 Thessalonians 3:13, when Jesus returns. Blameless means without fault, Jude 24. This doesn’t mean we are sinless because we are sinners, but if we remain faithful, Colossians 1:23, and confess our sins to Him, we will be blameless in His sight. In other words, we need to do what God asks of us when we sin, 1 John 1:8-9, to remain right with Him.
Notice that the writer reminds the saints in Thessalonica that God is faithful and can be counted on to help us answer this prayer, but we must cooperate with God, 1 Thessalonians 5:24 / Philippians 2:12-16.
It’s good to know that even the great men of God ask for prayers. If these men requested the prayers of others, then we too today shouldn’t be afraid to ask people to pray for us, 1 Thessalonians 5:25 / Philippians 4:6 / 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
As a body of believers, we should always be praying for each other, we should be praying that the Gospel can be spread easily without any hindrance, 2 Thessalonians 3:1 / Colossians 4:3, we should pray when we sin, 1 John 5:16-17, when we are serving the Lord, 2 Thessalonians 3:1, and when we are sick, James 5:14-16.
Now think about this for a moment, if the prayer of one righteous man avails much, how much more do the prayers of many righteous? The point is, if the apostles didn’t hesitate to ask for prayers because they believed in the power of prayer, then we, too, should have the same attitude and belief. The writer asks for prayers and then goes on to ask the recipients to greet all the saints with a holy kiss, 1 Thessalonians 5:26.
How many times is the Holy Kiss mentioned in the scriptures? Besides this reference in Romans 16:16, we find it also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:20 and 2 Corinthians 13:12. In these verses, the same words are used. We also have it mentioned as a holy kiss in 1 Thessalonians 5:26, and described as a kiss of love in 1 Peter 5:14. And so, it is mentioned five times. But what is it that these verses teach?
1. We must remember that throughout Bible times, this was the customary, familiar mode of greeting.
We find it as early as Genesis 27:27, when Isaac greeted Jacob. It was the manner in which family members greeted each other when they were either meeting or parting.
And we have an example of the degree of importance they attached to observing this custom, when we see how deeply offended they must have felt when he complained bitterly that Jacob and his family had slipped away secretly, without allowing him to bid his daughters and grand-daughters farewell, Genesis 31:28.
2. Outside of the family relationship, it was the way in which men greeted men and women greeted women.
In 1 Samuel 10:1, the prophet Samuel kissed the young king Saul. 1 Samuel 20:41, when David had to flee from King Saul, he and Jonathan kissed in parting. This incident is sometimes used by homosexuals to justify their unnatural behaviour, but they use it because they are in grave ignorance of the familiar, long-established social customs of that time.
David kissed the aged Barzillal, who had helped him when he was a fugitive, being hunted by Absalom, 2 Samuel 19:39. This incident is also sometimes used by homosexuals to support their perversion, but they make such a claim because they are ignorant of the ancient Eastern social custom of that time. Ruth 1:9 records that Ruth kissed her two daughters-in-law farewell after the deaths of her two sons.
3. But this ancient, familiar custom could hold hidden dangers, as we see in the account of the treachery of Joab, David’s uncle, 2 Samuel 20:9.
Joab regarded Amasa as a rival for the then post of commander of David’s army, and so, when the two met, Joab extended his right hand, apparently in friendship, and, according to ancient custom, he took hold of Amasa’s beard, as though he was about to kiss him. But, with his left hand, he thrust a sword into Amasa. The deception worked because Joab was left-handed, and Amasa was caught out by his treachery.
4. The kiss was also a familiar mode of greeting in New Testament times. Consider the following.
The father’s greeting of the returning Prodigal, Luke 15:20. The kiss with which Judas betrayed Jesus, Matthew 26:48-49. The shame of the appalling action of Judas is revealed in the reproachful response of Jesus Himself, Luke 22:48.
After the establishment of the church, the kiss was still used when friends were parting. When Paul met with the Elders of the Ephesian church who had come to meet him, knowing that this was to be their last meeting with him, they ‘fell on his neck and kissed him’, Acts 20:37.
5. Furthermore, this was the expected mode of greeting in the days of Jesus.
It was the traditional act of courtesy and welcome which expressed respect. Jesus rebuked Simon, the Pharisee, for failing to offer Him the kiss of welcome when he accepted the invitation to visit Simon’s house, Luke 7:44-45. It must have been a particularly ungracious invitation!
6. In those days, it was not the custom to shake hands in greeting or parting.
It would have been better for Amasa if they had! Instead, the use of the kiss followed rules which had been set by custom. Family members and Friends would kiss on the cheek, or both cheeks, as in certain countries, even today, France, Russia, and Italy, e.g.
Young people would kiss the hand of an older person, whilst the older person would kiss the young person/s head or forehead. It is important to notice that whilst men greeted men, and women greeted women with a kiss, it was not the practice for men and women to greet each other in this way.
Obviously, the kiss as a token of love between men and women was also practised, as is shown in ‘The Song of Songs’, which is an Eastern love song, Song of Songs 1:2 / Song of Songs 8:1, but the kiss of greeting was something quite different and distinct, and free from any romantic associations.
7. The Holy kiss and the church.
History records that the early church continued to use this mode of greeting, as Paul’s letter makes plain, so we understand that he is not introducing a new revelation or imposing a new practice on the church.
Justin Martyr, who was born about 100 A.D. and lived during the 2nd Century, when describing the church’s worship, wrote, ‘Prayers being ended, we salute one another with a kiss, and then the bread and wine are brought to the president.’
It is interesting to notice his use of the term ‘president’. He merely describes the brother, usually an elder, who ‘presided’ at the Lord’s Table. The older congregations in the UK adopted that term and used it when they referred to the brother who ‘presided’ at the Lord’s Table on the Lord’s Day worship. Also worth noting is the following.
1. The kiss was given during the service.
2. It is before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
3. It was intended to show that those who met at the Lord’s Table meet in harmony and love.
So, this is what we have seen so far. The kiss was an Eastern mode of greeting of very great antiquity. It is found throughout Old Testament times and in the days of the Lord Jesus Himself. Christians used it among themselves after the church was established.
In his letters, Paul commended it to the churches as the usual greeting of members of the family, and he stresses the word ‘holy’, although he does not describe the kiss as something that has been expressly commanded by God. That is, he does not describe it as ‘the holy kiss’ in a way that would imply that it was a distinct ceremony or ritual.
My personal view is that if Paul were writing today, he would probably say, ‘Greet each other with a warm handshake!’ Let me stress his use of the word ‘holy’ because it indicates something pure and free from defilement.
There is nothing suggestive or promiscuous about the kiss of fellowship. It is ‘hagios’, holy, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God. It is godlike in character.
Another early writer, Cyril of Jerusalem, who lived about 350 A.D., wrote, ‘Do not think that this kiss is like the kiss given to each other by mutual friends in the marketplace.’
Historically, this mode of greeting continued for several centuries, as the last quotation reveals. There is evidence to show that it remained in the Western church, that is, the church in the western part of the world, until about the 13th Century, and it remains in the Eastern church up to the present time and is especially widely practised by congregations at so-called ‘Easter-time’ when it is described as ‘the kiss of love’.
Why did it die out as a regular practice in Western Christianity? There may be several reasons.
1. There is the simple fact that the kiss, as a form of greeting, belongs to the East rather than to the West.
Here, as every woman knows, it is more usual to shake hands, and when you examine ‘hand-shaking’ closely, you see that it is a very significant gesture.
There was a long period in our history when men wore sidearms. They carried swords, and the practice of extending the right hand in greeting showed that the hand was empty; it carried no weapon, and this implied a friendly greeting.
Remember that the sword was usually carried on the man’s left side, and was used in his right hand, the hand he extended in greeting. In those days, also, men would embrace each other in greeting and would kiss the hands of ladies.
2. Another plain fact is that the kiss of greeting felt out of use because it was clearly liable to abuse and could degenerate into something dangerous and harmful.
3. The enemies of the church were always ready to seize on anything that might be construed as immoral or suggestive behaviour.
From Roman times, Christians were falsely accused of all kinds of excesses in their worship. The Lord’s Supper was actually said to be a time when Christians ‘ate human flesh and drank blood’, by people who were not interested in learning what the Lord’s Supper really is!
It is not difficult to see that those who spread such reports were capable of putting the wildest interpretation on the Christian’s kiss of fellowship. It was to disprove and dispel such stories that the kiss was probably discontinued.
4. No doubt, also, the growth of the church and the size to which congregations grew would make it difficult to continue the practice.
There is no doubt that, although the number of Christians grew rapidly, they did not form the very large congregations that are seen in some places today.
So long as the congregation remains within a manageable size, it is not difficult to maintain the intimate sense of ‘family’, but the sad reality is that, here in the West, where size and number are regarded as desirable, it is not unusual to learn of congregations that are so large that the Shepherds do not know their sheep! And the sheep do not know each other!
Growth is fine, but we need to ensure that the close bond of family is not lost. I am not arguing either for or against very large congregations. I am merely pointing out that it is possible for a congregation to become so large that it loses its character as a family in which the members know and care for each other.
However, if the practice of greeting with the Holy Kiss has died out, the brotherly love created by the love of Christ Himself should never die. But, even if today we do not ‘greet one another with a holy kiss’, there should be other tokens of brotherhood. I believe that when we meet as a church, we should make an effort to greet as many of our brethren as possible.
I say, ‘make an effort’, because in most congregations, when the church meets for worship on the Lord’s Day, there are some members who never make a move to greet their brothers and sisters.
If you wish to greet them, you will find it necessary to go to them, because they will never make the effort to come to you. And it is not unusual for these brethren to complain that they ‘feel neglected’ in the church, or that they feel ‘left out’.
Well, just as it takes two to kiss, it takes two to be friendly. Fellowship is not a one-way street. As congregations, we need to make a greater effort to show ourselves interested in people.
When visitors and strangers attend our services, what do we do? Do we sit or stand around speaking to our special friends? Or do we realise that, as members of the Lord’s Body, it is both our responsibility and privilege to extend a welcoming hand to someone who may be finding it both unfamiliar and strange to be in our Service?
I am thankful that there are many friendly people in our congregations, but if it were to be left to others, visitors may well form a poor opinion of us! Be friendly! Make an effort.
It is not necessary to become involved in a theological discussion, much less an argument with visitors. Just remember that if at some time, someone had not made an effort to speak to you, you probably would not be in the church today.
The writer continues by charging them to make sure this letter is read by all the saints in Thessalonica, 1 Thessalonians 5:27. The Greek word for ‘charge’ is ‘horkizo’, and it carries with it the idea of being a command as you would find in the military when a high-ranking officer gives a lower-ranking officer a command which needs to be carried out.
But as the writer uses the term, ‘by the Lord,’ he is simply magnifying the command, 2 Timothy 4:1-2. The point is that everyone was to hear what the writer had to say, Colossians 4:16. Just as a side note, we are reminded of the importance of reading the Scriptures for ourselves; all too often, we neglect to study the Scriptures because we underestimate their importance in our lives.
Paul ends his letter with a simple prayer, ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:28. He ends his letter mentioning grace, just as he mentioned grace at the introduction to his letter, 1 Thessalonians 1:1. The word grace derives from the Greek ‘charis’ and is closely related to the Greek word ‘chairo’, which simply means to rejoice.
In the New Testament, the word grace appears one hundred and fifty-six times and takes on a special redemptive sense in which God makes available his favour on behalf of sinners, who actually do not deserve it.
Now remember that grace cannot be merited, not even by doing good deeds; we need to remind ourselves that no one deserves salvation, Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus Himself told us that our sins have put us in major debt, and no one can pay it off, Matthew 18:24-27. Don’t we all need the grace of God? Especially as we live our lives in expectation of the Lord’s return.