The Thessalonians

[kwikphilly]

34 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

While the pressure to avoid Caesar worship would have been a big concern

with regards to persecution, avoiding idols pertains to purity of heart. This

concern regarding idols not only comes up again and again in the Old Testament,

but is also a major topic in the New, so where is the emphasis in today's church?

Ezekiel 14:

1 Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 

2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 

3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts,

and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. 

Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

4 Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and

puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then

comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes,

according to the multitude of his idols, 

5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart,

because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.

Revelation 9:

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, 

did not repent of the works of their hands,

that they should not worship demons, 

and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood,

which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 

21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorcery

or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Agree 100% but I was answering what I thought was a very specific question you posed"What idols was Paul & the Apostles dealing with" I assumed you were asking WHAT the idols in THessalonica where,at that time....

  THe idols are always a matter of "purity of heart" ,yes indeed ....though the idol itself can be any person,place or thing......anything esteemed above God ,First & Foremost  reflect an impure heart,be it gold or silver,a rock star,a political figure,Country,Teacher,FOOD,drugs,cars,vanities,self.....you name it!!!!! Yes?

                                                             With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Mr. M]

17 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

THe idols are always a matter of "purity of heart" ,yes indeed ....though the idol itself can be any person,place or thing......anything esteemed above God ,First & Foremost  reflect an impure heart,be it gold or silver,a rock star,a political figure,Country,Teacher,FOOD,drugs,cars,vanities,self.....you name it!!!!! Yes?

The easiest way to check yourself for idols is to simply

evaluate how you spend your time and money!

Edited February 17, 2023 by Mr. M
spelling

[kwikphilly]

24 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

The easiest way to check yourself for idols is the simply

evaluate how you spend your time and money!

                    ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!

Quote

Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.…

Berean Standard Bible

[Mr. M]

9 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

                    ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!

Treasure For Your Heart

Isaiah 33:6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability

of your times, and the strength of salvation; 

The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice

and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me

above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me 

a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

[kwikphilly]

4 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Treasure For Your Heart

Isaiah 33:6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability

of your times, and the strength of salvation; 

The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice

and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me

above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me 

a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

If,if,if......I just love God's Word!

Thank you Brother 👍

[Mr. M]

Nursing Mothers For Christ

1 Thessalonians 2:

5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words,

as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness

—God is my witness. 

6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you

or from others, when we might have made demands 

as apostles of Christ. 

7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother 

cherishes her own children.

After disavowing himself of any insincerity or dishonesty

in ministering the Gospel, the apostle Paul then calls on

God as His Witness, while taking on a maternal tone.

"as a nursing mother cherishes her own children";

reminds us of the words of Christ:

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 

Paul then makes clear that though he was gentle among them,

they were in no way spoiled!

1 Thessalonians 2:

9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring

night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

we preached to you the gospel of God.

10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 

11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged

every one of you, as a father does his own children. 

Now the paternal nature manifests as a Father expresses His

expectations for His own children. "charged every one". 

The lesson shows that the Holy Spirit manifests a parental care

among the body of Christ, both paternal, and maternal.

[Mr. M]

Pursue these two things.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 That you would walk worthy of God,

Who has called you unto

His Kingdom and Glory.

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John.

Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached,

and everyone is pressing into it.

Romans 2:

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, 

forbearance, and longsuffering, 

not knowing that the goodness of God

leads you to repentance? 

5 But in accordance with your hardness and your

impenitent heart you are treasuring up

for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation

of the righteous judgment of God, 

6 who will render to each one according to his deeds: 

7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance

in doing good seek for glory,

honor, and immortality; 

8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey

the truth, but obey unrighteousness—

indignation and wrath, 

9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man

who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 

10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works

what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

11 For there is no partiality with God.

2 Thessalonians 2:

13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you,

brethren beloved by the Lord,

because God from the beginning chose you for salvation 

through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 

14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of

the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 22:

11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man

there who did not have a wedding garment. 

12 So he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here

without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 

13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot,

take him away, and cast him into outer darkness;

there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

[Mr. M]

On 2/14/2023 at 8:52 AM, kwikphilly said:

⁴ Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

How could Paul speak so confidently about the election of the 

Thessalonians? He explains in the narrative.

6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having

received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 

7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia

who believe. 

8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth,

not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place.

Your faith toward God has gone out,

so that we do not need to say anything.

The called know they are chosen (the elect), when they

are fully established in God's Purpose, not only for themselves,

but a part of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is operating 

through them with some sort of gift for the All. This is throughout

the apostolic message.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God.

The Elect have come to know and understand God's Will,

and have received and acknowledged the measure of faith

by which they are established. Romans 12:3

 

Continuing in 1 Thessalonians @kwikphilly, it was inevitable

that the Thessalonians and the Election threads would intersect.

13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing,

because when you received the word of God which you

heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men,

but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively 

works in you who believe. 

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God

which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the

same things from your own countrymen, just as they did 

from the Judeans.

Those who receive the Gospel in the midst of persecution 

prove their election. This was so in the beginning, and will

be in the end.

Revelation 7:

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me,

“Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of

the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made

them white in the blood of the Lamb.

In Romans 11, the elect is used in a very specific way:

7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks;

but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 

The Elect here are Jews not blinded to the Truth by Isaiah 6.

Their purpose is for the sake of the Gentiles.

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?

Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them

to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 

12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their

failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle

to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 

14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those

who are my flesh and save some of them. 

15 For if their being cast away is the

reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance 

be but life from the dead?

Gentiles are not referred to as the Elect in this narrative.

They have just become the called, and the apostles are

clarifying God's Purpose. 

[Mr. M]

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.  For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

In spite of his own difficulties, Paul is more concerned with how his persecutions are affecting the faith of the saints! Being totally selfless he sends Timothy, who he could have kept nearby to minister to his needs, to go in person to check on the church at Thessalonica. Having refreshed their faith, Timothy returns to bring a good report, and refresh Paul!

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

The Saints are perfected in the sharing of mutual faith. We abound in this refreshing and enriching through prayer.

11-13 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Amen.

 

[Episcopius]

I have heard of 54 AD as a date for 1st Thess

Earliest in New Testament if true