Sermon and Worship Resources

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 · Timothy’s Encouraging Report

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Thanksgiving Means Giving

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon
by Richard Gribble

When Billy Walsh was a youngster, his family lived near Mrs. Smithson. A widow eighty years of age, Mrs. Smithson was in constant pain and crippled by rheumatoid arthritis that ravaged her body. Living alone she could only walk a few steps at a time with the help of her cane. Every week when Billy’s mom went to the market, she took her son, who would always deliver groceries to the old widow. The family car would pull up into Mrs. Smithson’s driveway and the command would be heard, “Billy, here are Mrs. Smithson’s groceries.” That was all the instruction that was needed. Billy instantly responded, delivering the groceries with a sense of delight. Without fail Mrs. Smithson always gave Billy a quarter for his efforts.

The boy enjoyed the older woman, especially listening to her stories. She told him about her life, a beautiful, old church in the woods, horse and buggy rides on Sunday afternoons, and much about her family’s farm that had no modern conveniences such as electricity or running water. After a short time together the older woman would give Billy his quarter, which he would half-heartedly refuse, knowing that she would insist that he keep it. Usually he walked across the street to Johnson’s candy store and bought himself a treat.

One day in mid-December Billy was delivering the woman’s groceries as usual, but the season’s first significant snow was falling and the boy very much wanted to go out and play. He decided, therefore, to make his delivery and refuse to accept Mrs. Smithson’s weekly offering of 25 cents. The snow beckoned him to go outside.

Thus, Billy delivered the groceries much faster than normal. The older woman took the items out of the bag and told Billy where each went in the cabinets. Normally he enjoyed this, but the snow was calling. Then, somewhat suddenly Billy began to realize how lonely Mrs. Smithson must have been. She had been a widow for nearly twenty years and she had no children. Her only living relative, who never came to visit, lived far away in Boston. Nobody even called her at Christmas. When the holiday drew near, the house had no tree, no presents, and no stockings. For her, Christmas was just another day on the calendar. Billy began to think, Maybe the snow could wait a bit; it wasn’t that important.

Billy and Mrs. Smithson sat and talked about many things but especially past Christmas celebrations. The journey of reflection and memories must have been somewhat healing for the older woman. Then she said, “Well, Billy, I bet you want to go out and play in the snow.” She reached into her purse, fumbling to find the proper coin. “No, Mrs. Smithson,” he said, “I cannot take your money this time. I am sure you have more important uses for it.”

But she replied, “What more important thing could I do with it than give some to a friend at Christmas time?” She placed a silver dollar in Billy’s hand. He tried to give it back, but she would have none of that.

Billy hurried out the door and ran to Johnson’s candy store. He wondered what he would buy — a comic book, a chocolate soda, or ice cream. Then he spotted a Christmas card with an old country church on the cover. It was just like the church Mrs. Smithson had described from her youth. Billy purchased the card and borrowed a pen to sign his name. “Is this for your girlfriend?” Mr. Johnson asked. Billy started to say, “No,” but responded, “Well, yeah, I guess it is.”

He walked across the street and rang the widow’s doorbell. He handed her the card, saying, “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Smithson. Thank you for your kindness.”

The older woman’s hand began to tremble as she opened the card and read its contents. She began to cry. “Thank you very much,” and then in almost a whisper, “Merry Christmas to you.”

Several weeks later, one cold and blustery day, an ambulance arrived at Mrs. Smithson’s home. Mrs. Walsh, Billy’s mother, told her son that she had found Mrs. Smithson in bed; she had died peacefully in her sleep. On her nightstand was found, still illuminated by a light, a solitary Christmas card with an old country church on the cover.

This story, set during the Christmas season, provides a perfect entrée to the Advent period, which the church begins today. In essence the story is one of thanksgiving, the young boy’s thanksgiving to the woman and her thanksgiving to him. Our second lesson, drawn from 1 Thessalonians, presents us with a message of thanksgiving, but one that is specific in giving thanks through giving.

Saint Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians, most probably the first letter of his corpus, approximately in the year 50 AD. He had founded the Christian community at Thessalonica during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). In the short passage we heard proclaimed, the apostle offers thanks to the Thessalonians. He is grateful for them and the faith they have demonstrated, but he wants to suggest certain ways that thanksgiving must be manifest.

First, Paul suggests that thanksgiving must be an act of presence; he believes we demonstrate thanks to each other by being physically present with one another. As a nation, we in the United States have just completed the celebration of our national day of Thanksgiving. Most people gathered with families and friends; we were present to each other. We intentionally sought to be with these people at this special time. Many people traveled great distances; one might say we went out of our way to be present to special people in our lives. We made these journeys joyfully because these are people we know and love; there was no great strain to be physically present with these people. We welcomed the opportunity.

However, Paul’s concept of presence as an action of thanksgiving requires more of us. Being an excellent judge of human character, Paul realized that to be present to people we know, like, or perceive can be of advantage to us is not difficult at all. He realized the need, and so must we, to move beyond being present simply to those we like, but in an act of thanksgiving, to be present to those we know and possibly do not like. I suspect at the outset Billy was not too pleased to be present to Mrs. Smithson, as it would take him away from his friends. But he learned about the importance of being present, especially to those who needed him most. Equally importantly he discovered the peace and beauty that came to him through his act of thanksgiving. He found that he was serving not only the individual, but God who gives us the opportunity to be present and serve.

Being present can manifest itself in many different ways. We need to take up the challenge and be thankful by visiting a neighbor, a colleague at work, or a member of our church community who is sick, whether in the hospital or at home. Taking the time that we seemingly do not possess to be present with another and simply sit and listen is a great gift, almost a lost art in today’s world. Many times all people need is simply a compassionate ear. We need to be present with the elderly, family members most assuredly, but also those we know in various ways. We need to be present for special events — birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. But the everyday events, being present for meals, sporting events of children, and family time together is essential. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to be present to each other and thereby demonstrate thanksgiving. The same is true for us.

A second aspect of Saint Paul’s concept of thanksgiving is mutual love. He writes, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). As the first season of the new liturgical year, Advent presents us the opportunity for new beginnings, to start afresh in demonstrating mutual love. If we are at odds with someone it is the perfect time to once again demonstrate the love to which all Christians are called. Jesus never held a grudge. In fact, we recall his words on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Disagreements arise within families, coworkers, neighbors, and even within our church communions. Paul’s words encourage us to “drop the hatchet” and move toward reconciliation and love. Still we must go further. We must reach across borders and boundaries that separate and drive people apart. Racial and ethnic divisions, national boundaries, and even religious denominations and teachings keep us from being the mutually loving people that is part of Paul’s thanksgiving message to the Thessalonians.

Instead of division and strife we should offer love as the concept of belonging, unity, and harmony. A thanksgiving of mutual love requires us to be inclusive in all we do and say. Jesus continually crossed borders, both literally and figuratively, to demonstrate an inclusive ethic with all people. He visited lands and cities outside Israel, such as Tyre, Sidon, and the Gerasene Territory. He never shied away from lepers, cripples, the blind, or others with physical handicaps. On the contrary, he embraced these people, demonstrating an ethic of being inclusive.

Rather than being inclusive, too often people in contemporary life are exclusive. We choose our friends, opportunities, and associations with great care. Only certain people or possibilities that pass our personal litmus test show up on our radar screens. People are chosen based on their attributes, skills, and the possibilities they bring in our lives. Opportunities similarly are chosen if they will advance our personal or professional lives or serve us in an advantageous way. The thanksgiving effort of mutual love that Paul preaches to the Thessalonians is completely antithetical to such an exclusive way of thinking or acting.

Paul’s third aspect of thanksgiving is proper conduct. He writes, “May he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). The new start that Advent brings challenges us to transform our lives of faith and make them more conformable to that of Christ. We should use this time to root out vices that ill-affect our health — smoking, overheating, excessive drinking, or laziness. It is a time to cast out hatred, jealousy, pride, and arrogance, those things that create violence in our lives, and replace them with justice, goodness, humility, kindness, and those things that generate peace. In short, we must root out actions that are inconsistent with our common Christian vocation to holiness. As a Christian hymn goes, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” We must find peace in our hearts by doing what is right. Right conduct leads directly to peace within our hearts.

There is a short little story that aptly illustrates this point. One day a young man answered a want ad for a farm hand. He told the owner about his previous experience, which was abundant, and his references were impeccable. He ended the interview in a rather odd way, however, by telling the owner that he could count on him, because he could sleep during the wind. The owner was confused but he could not argue with the man’s credentials so he was given the job.

Late one night a fierce Midwest storm arose. It was two in the morning but the farmer arose, got dressed, and went outside to see what needed to be secured. First, he checked the barn, but the doors were closed, shutters were locked tight, and the animals were tethered and safe. He next checked the springhouse, the pump room, and storage shed, and all the trucks. Everything was secured. He ran from place to place thinking most assuredly that something must be out of order. Finally, the owner stuck his head in the bunkhouse and saw the farmhand fast asleep. He remembered the curious statement of the farmhand when he was interviewed, “I can sleep during the wind.” The farmer smiled and thought to himself, “Yes, he is at peace and has done all things well. He can sleep during the wind.”

As we begin a new liturgical year by lighting the first candle on the Advent wreath, Saint Paul encourages us to manifest an attitude of thanksgiving. While saying “thank you” in a physical sense is a start, we must go further. Paul tells the Thessalonians that he is grateful to them, but now they must demonstrate an ethic of thanksgiving of presence, mutual love, and right conduct to others. Similarly, we need to manifest thanksgiving in our lives. People need us to be present to them; they have the right to our love and respect. Society and God challenge us to reform our lives more along that of Jesus Christ. Let our Advent journey begin by being thankful. Our attitude can be so simply and succinctly stated, as articulated by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, “May all we do and say give greater glory and honor to God.” Amen.

CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Gifts of Thanksgiving, by Richard Gribble

Overview and Insights · Paul’s Ongoing Concern for the Thessalonians (2:17–3:13)

Overview: Paul had attempted to return to Thessalonica again and again, but those attempts had been hindered by Satan (2:18). Paul saw these believers as his hope and joy and crown in whom he will “glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes” (2:17–20). He sent Timothy to Thessalonica in his place to strengthen and encourage them in their trials and to see how their faith was holding up (3:1–5). Timothy’s positive report (3:6–8) leads Paul to pray for them once again (3:9–13). He asks God to make a reunion possible (3:11), and he prays that their love will increase and for spiritual strength so that they may endure faithfully until the return of Christ (3:12–13).

Insight: Paul’s Co-workers · The apostle Paul succeeds in his gentile mission due in large part to a network of Christi…

The Baker Bible Handbook by , Baker Publishing Group, 2016

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 · Timothy’s Encouraging Report

Commentary · Timothy’s Encouraging Report

3:6–10 · Timothy’s return:The event that prompted Paul to pen this letter was Timothy’s return from his trip to Thessalonica (see 1 Thess. 3:1–2). He had departed from Athens, and upon his return from the Thessalonian church, he caught up with Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5). We can only guess how he traveled (by road or sea?) and how long the trip and stay with the church lasted (up to a month or so?). The wait must have been agonizing for Paul. “But Timothy has just now come to us from you” and, contrary to fears, “has brought good news about your faith and love” (3:6). Timothy’s report was “good news,” with this being one of the few places in the New Testament where this verb is not used of the preaching of the gospel (cf. Luke 1:19). In his report, Timothy pointed out the Thessalonians’ “faith and love,” the distinctive virtues of those who are true members of the redeemed community (Gal. 5:6; Eph. 1:15; Col. 1:4–5; 1 Tim. 1:14; Philem. 5; 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:3). Their relationship with God and with one another was intact. Presently Paul will comment on their steadfastness (3:8), which is the fruit of their hope (1 Thess. 1:3). Faith, love, and hope marked this church, and these virtues were proof positive that Paul’s labors among them had indeed not been in vain (3:5). But the Thessalonians also had “pleasant memories” of the apostles, and Timothy noted that they truly did “long to see us, just as we long to see you.” There were no hostile feelings or bad memories, but rather their memories of the apostles were “pleasant” in the sense of “good,” “friendly,” or “tender.” The longing for reunion was mutual. Friendly letters often included a comment that the separation was only physical and not emotional, and also expressed the desire to be reunited (1 Thess. 2:17; cf. 2 Cor. 1:16; Philem. 22; 2 John 12; 3 John 14). Such reciprocity marked true friendship.

The mutuality of friendship (cf. Rom. 1:10–11; 2 Cor. 1:7) finds expression in 3:7 as well: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.” As Timothy was sent to encourage the believers (3:2), so now Paul is encouraged because of them (as we may understand “about you”) due to the report about their faith, love, and longing to see him (3:6). Paul was in Corinth at this time during a difficult stretch in his ministry. The sufferings, persecution, and mocking he endured in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Athens (Acts 17), plus the rough character of Corinth, left him with considerable fear (Acts 18:9–11; 1 Cor. 2:3). Paul speaks here of his “distress,” the afflictions and calamities he and his associates endured (2 Cor. 6:4; 12:10), and “persecution,” those direct attacks that came because of their proclamation of the gospel (Acts 14:22; Rom. 5:3; 8:35; 12:12). The Thessalonians’ faith, love, and steadfastness were like renewed life for Paul: “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord” (3:8). Paul uses “live,” perhaps suggesting “recover” (Mark 5:23; John 4:50–51, 53), in the figurative sense. Oppressed by circumstances, he and his associates “recovered” with hope and encouragement because of the Thessalonians’ firm stance in the gospel. But we should not lose sight of the way Paul was repeatedly in danger of death (1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 4:10–11, 16). Under such pressures we can well understand how the verb “live” would come to mind. “Standing firm” suggests constancy and stability in the faith (1 Cor. 16:13), in the community of faith (Phil. 1:27), in the received doctrine (2 Thess. 2:15), or, as here, “in the Lord” (Phil. 4:1). The Thessalonians maintained their solidarity with the Lord despite the persecution (1 Thess. 2:14) and satanic attacks to lead them into apostasy (3:5). This was the fruit of their hope (1 Thess. 1:3).

At this point the letter explodes into thanksgiving and joy: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” (3:9). This is the third thanksgiving in the letter (see 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13). The thanksgiving implies that, though Timothy did his job (3:2) and the Thessalonians continued in faith, love, and hope (3:6, 8), God was the one who produced the believers’ stability in the face of adversity. The way Paul poses the question recalls Psalm 116:12. Here, as in the psalm, thanksgiving to God is regarded as a debt to be paid, yet one impossible to pay in full. The principle of reciprocity is at the heart of the thanksgiving: to return thanks for a benefit received was an essential social obligation. So here the apostles received a great gift from God—the continuance in the faith of the Thessalonians. In response they want to offer thanks, but they cannot find a way that is adequate or equal to the gift. Paul speaks of “the joy we have” or, as the Greek, “the joy with which we rejoice,” a rejoicing that exceeds measure. The joy is expressed “in the presence of our God,” likely at their times of prayer (1 Thess. 1:3). Prayer was not just for petitioning God (3:10).

Paul attempted to return to the church (2:17–18) and now prays to be reunited with them: “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith” (3:10). The prayers are constant, even reaching into the night hours. The verb “pray” means to implore, and their prayers are intense beyond measure (suggested by the term translated “earnestly”). Timothy’s visit and this letter were not enough (see 2 Cor. 1:16; Philem. 22; 2 John 12; 3 John 14). Paul was able to return later, in answer to these prayers (Acts 19:21–22; 20:1–6; 1 Cor. 16:5; 2 Cor. 1:16; 1 Tim. 1:3). The reason he wanted to return was to make their faith complete (“supply”; Luke 6:40; Heb. 13:21). The verb appears in educational contexts that refer to the process of training and completing the education a student receives. The Thessalonians were ignorant of certain fundamental theological tenets (1 Thess. 4:13) and had forgotten some teaching they had already received (5:1–2). They had not appropriated all of the apostles’ moral teaching (4:3–8). A visit would help put all this right.

3:11–13 · Prayer to return to Thessalonica:The apostles now voice their prayer in the letter: “Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you” (3:11). The prayer is addressed to “our God and Father,” echoing Jesus when he taught the disciples to pray (Matt. 6:9; and see Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). But the prayer is also directed to our Lord Jesus, who is elevated to the same level as the Father. Paul’s high Christology is evident here as in 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, where the Lord Jesus Christ is addressed before God our Father. The prayer is that their Father and Lord will “clear the way” for them to return. The verb means “to make straight” and alludes to the few straight paths that one could traverse. The use is metaphorical, as in both Jewish (1 Sam. 6:12; Ps. 5:8; Prov. 4:26–27) and Greek literature and communicates the idea of heading straight on without diverting. Here they pray that God would facilitate their return to the city without any impediment or diversion (1 Thess. 2:18).

They follow with a petition regarding the church’s love: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you” (3:12). The Thessalonians are the objects of God’s love (1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13, 16), and God himself has infused love into the community (1 Thess. 4:9). Their love for each other is noteworthy (3:6), and they express that love toward other congregations in Macedonia (4:9–10). Timothy had reported this love, and in this the Thessalonians became a model for other congregations (1:7; 2 Thess. 1:3–4). This mutual love was the counterpoint to the hostility and social ostracism that the church experienced from without. This “love” has to do with group attachment and solidarity. Love places the interests of the other first and is not the same as feelings of affection and emotional warmth. Even though the Thessalonians already show mutual love, the apostles pray that their love might increase abundantly and even overflow. And the prayer is answered (2 Thess. 1:3). The objects of this love are the other members of the Christian community. Here Paul echoes Jesus’s love command (John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17; Rom. 12:10; 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:22; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11–12). The prayer is also that their love would abound “for everyone else,” that is, those outside the community of faith (see 1 Thess. 5:15; cf. Gal. 6:10; 2 Tim. 2:24; Titus 3:2). The apostles are concerned about the relationships within the church but also about the church’s relationship with outsiders (4:12; Col. 4:5; cf. 1 Cor. 5:12–13). The roots here are embedded in Jesus’s teaching (Matt. 5:43–48; 22:39; Mark 12:31–33; Luke 10:27–37).

The final portion of the prayer focuses on the church’s existence in light of its eschatological hope: “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father” (3:13). The prayer is that their hearts, or persons, be established (the same verb appears in 3:2) blameless in holiness. “Hearts” can refer to the inner life of a person (see 2:4, 17) but in other contexts, as here, may focus on the center of someone’s life and moral decisions (Matt. 5:8; Acts 15:9; Heb. 10:22). “Blameless” appears frequently with regard to the moral life of a person as well, especially focusing on the final outcome of one’s life. So it appears often in funeral epitaphs as well as in judicial contexts where the verdict is pronounced over the accused. The hope is that the Thessalonians will not be found guilty in any way. “Holiness” denotes the condition of sanctification, a principal concern of the apostles regarding this congregation (1 Thess. 4:3–4, 7; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13). The term has to do with the consecration of one’s life to God and the separation from sin that happens at the same time. The process of sanctification began at conversion (1 Thess. 1:9), was the will of God for their lives in the present (4:3a), included the separation from immoral practices that characterized their previous life (4:3b), and was enabled by the activity of God in their lives (5:23).

The prayer is that this moral purity will be theirs in the last judgment, “in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes” (3:13b). Their God and Father (3:11) is also their judge, and the prayer is that they be found blameless before him. In this last time, the Lord Jesus will come “with all his holy ones.” These may be deceased Christians (1 Thess. 4:16) or angels (2 Thess. 1:7). The verse is an allusion to Zechariah 14:5, where celestial beings are in view (see Deut. 33:2; Ps. 89:5, 7; Job 5:1; 15:15; Dan. 4:13; 8:13). The New Testament often speaks of the angels or the saints who will accompany the Lord in his coming (Matt. 13:41; Mark 8:38; 13:27; 2 Thess. 1:7; Jude 14–15).

The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary by Gary M. Burge, Baker Publishing Group, 2016

The somber note on which the previous section ended now gives way to joy at the news brought to Paul at Corinth by Timothy. The Thessalonians were standing firm in the faith and still held the missionaries dear. In view of the missionaries’ intense longing for the Thessalonians (2:17), this news is like a breath of life to them—“now we really live” (vv. 6–9). On the strength of it, Paul reports, they pray night and day that they may see them again (v. 10). An actual prayer to that end follows in verses 11 to 13, with prayer also for the Thessalonians that they may grow in love and in holiness. This is “the first of the two main wish-prayers to be found in the epistle,” the second being in 5:23 (G. P Wiles, Paul’s Intercessory Prayers [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1974], p. 52; see also 2 Thess. 2:16f. and 3:16). It is called a wish-prayer because it is expressed in the optative (may it be …) rather than in the imperative mood (let it be …). The distinction between these two forms of expression is one of style only (cf. also 2 Thess. 2:16f.; 3:16).

3:6–8 At the center of these verses stands the statement, we were encouraged (cf. 3:2). All the rest is added by way of explanation, starting with Timothy’s report. Timothy, says Paul, has just now come to us from you and has brought good news. Evidently this letter was written soon after his arrival. In the NT, euangelizō especially refers to preaching the gospel, but here it describes good news in a more general sense (cf. Luke 1:19). It touches on three things: their faith, again in the sense of their trust in God (see disc. on 3:2); their love, the outworking of that faith which had been evident in them from the outset (cf. 1:3; Gal. 5:6); and their pleasant memories of the missionaries. “Pleasant” captures well what Paul means here by agathē. It means “good,” not in the sense that the Thessalonians had a good recall of events, but that what they recalled of the past, when the missionaries were with them, was good. So much so that the longing the Thessalonians experienced for the missionaries matched the missionaries’ own intense longing to return (cf. 2:17). The verb, epipotheō, is a strong one, and the present tense of the participle (ongoing action), and the adverb, pantote, “always,” further strengthen it. The Thessalonians’ longing was no less intense than that of the missionaries.

In verse 5, the phrase dia touto, “for this reason,” points to what follows. Here, in verse 7, it looks back to what was just said. Addressing them again as brothers (see disc. on 1:4), and with their faith, love, and longing for the missionaries in mind (“for this reason” NIV therefore), Paul tells them that he and his colleagues are encouraged, adding four more points to fill out that statement. First, their encouragement came during all their own distress and persecution. The preposition epi with the dative has a range of meanings but is best understood here (with NIV) as having a temporal sense. Of the two nouns in this phrase, we have already met the second, thlipsis (see disc. on 1:6). Like thlipsis, anankē implies pressure from without, so that there is no clear distinction between the two, and together they simply underscore the point. In the earlier references, the context showed that thlipsis meant persecution, but that meaning is less certain here. Rather, it may describe the missionaries’ mental state—their anxiety for the Thessalonians as well as their anxiety for themselves and for their mission generally (cf. Acts 18:9f.; 1 Cor. 2:3). Persecution, of course, cannot be ruled out of this reference. Acts suggests that Paul did suffer persecution in Corinth (Acts 18:6, 12ff.).

Second, the encouragement, he says, was about you. The preposition is again epi with the dative, but in the sense now of “resting upon”—the Thessalonians were the basis of their encouragement (cf. 3:9). This phrase resumes the thought of verse 6. So too does the third qualification, because of your faith, which expresses more explicitly what was so encouraging about the Thessalonians. The preposition dia with the genitive strictly denotes “through.” The thought is, then, that their faith—and what Paul really means is the news of their faith—was the means through which the encouragement came to them.

The fourth qualification, comprising verse 8, builds upon that last point. It is added as an explanation and is structured as a conditional sentence. “We were encouraged,” he says, “because (hoti, NIV for) if you stand … we live.” They were, of course, “standing,” otherwise none of this would have been written, and this explains the construction of the Greek. Ean, “if,” would normally be used with the verb in the subjunctive mood, but here it occurs with the indicative. The difference is between what might be and what is the case—they were in fact standing. The verb stēkō is a late form developed from the perfect of histēmi, serving better than histēmi to express the thought of standing firm, which they did, says Paul, in the Lord (en kyriō, cf. 4:1 and see note on 1:1). There may be no difference of meaning between this phrase and the more common “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus” (cf. 2:14), although C. F. D. Moule, The Origin of Christology (Cambridge; Cambridge University Press, 1977), pp. 58–62, does discern a tendency for the latter to be “associated with the fait accompli of God’s saving work,” and the former “with its implementation and its working out in human conduct.” If that distinction does indeed hold true, the thought expressed in the statement that the Thessalonians were standing firm in the Lord would sit well with Paul’s earlier remembrance of their work produced by faith (1:3).

On the condition that the Thessalonians were standing firm, the missionaries lived. The verb is in the present tense, we … live, and the adverb now (nyn) probably refers to the time of writing. Clearly, there was a lot at stake for Paul in Thessalonica. Part of the explanation may be that he saw the mission there as something of a test case. It was the first large city in which he had worked since he left Antioch in Syria (Acts 13:1ff.) and certainly the first large city in Grecian lands. Athens seems not to have produced many converts, and now he had come to Corinth. Would there be converts there? Could a church be established in a city like Corinth? If the Thessalonians were standing firm, the chances were that it could, and in that sense the missionaries “lived”—their ministry in Corinth was potentially viable. But this is only part of the explanation. Surely they “lived” not simply in terms of the ongoing mission, but because of the Thessalonians themselves. What happens to the Thessalonians matters intensely to Paul, and if they fall, something in him and the others would die. It is no accident that this passage leads into prayer, for the more we care for others, the more we pray.

3:9 Paul’s immediate response to the news from Thessalonica is to ask, “How can we thank God enough?” Timothy’s report confirmed that the work had been well done, much had been achieved, and this might easily have become for Paul a source of pride. But he knew that, whatever he and his colleagues had done, it was God who had opened the hearts (see disc. on 3:2). It is to God, therefore, that thanks must be returned. The Greek reads literally, “What thanks can we pay back to God?” where the verb antapodidomi, here in the aorist infinitive (cf. 2 Thess. 1:6), has the sense, “to pay back what is due.” His thanks are peri hymōn, “in reference to you,” i.e., the Thessalonians (NIV for you) and are offered “on the basis of (epi with the dat., see disc. on 3:7) all the joy” (NIV for all the joy). But now, having introduced the theme of joy, Paul cannot let it pass without comment. This is the joy, he explains, that we have (lit. the joy that we rejoice) in the presence of our God because of you, and with this the verse returns full cycle to where it began. For it is thanks to God that they have something to rejoice in, and the phrase, “in the presence of our God,” is Paul’s recognition of that fact (cf. 2:19 and 3:13 where the same or a similar phrase has an eschatological reference). Throughout this letter, there is a consciousness of God, which in this instance leads naturally to prayer (cf. 1:3 and see on 5:18).

3:10 Paul and the others express their joy in the context of prayer (note the present participle, we rejoice … praying) night and day (for the order of the words, see disc. on 2:9). This phrase emphasizes the centrality of prayer in their lives; hyper-ekperissou intensifies this even more. This adverb is a double compound of an already strong word, creating what Findlay described as “a triple Pauline intensive” with the sense “beyond—exceedingly—abundantly” (cf. 5:13). Pauline style typically features such compounds (cf. Rom. 5:20; 2 Cor. 7:4), but he almost certainly uses it deliberately here “to express a feeling too deep for words” (Morris). Paul poured out his heart in prayer most earnestly for the Thessalonian Christians. Of a number of verbs that he might have chosen to relay the idea, “to pray,” Paul adopts one in particular, deomai, that conveys his sense of dependence on God. What follows relates both the content and the purpose (see disc. on 2:12) of his prayer. It was twofold: First, that we may see you again—the longing for the Thessalonians already mentioned several times in this epistle (cf. 2:17f.; 3:5f.)—and second, that we may supply what is lacking in your faith. That is, Paul has a pastoral as well as a personal interest in his prayer. “Notice how Paul understands ministry as a mutual act between pastor and people. It is a giving and receiving on both sides, a ministering and a being ministered to. What comfort and joy they had given him (vv. 7, 9); what new strength he wants to give them (v. 10)” (Saunders). Nothing in the letter thus far suggests that there is any serious problem within the church. On the contrary, in the fundamentals of faith and love, the Thessalonians are a model for others (cf. 1:3, 7; 3:6). But clearly, there are some areas of the faith—in the sense of the body of Christian teaching (see disc. on 3:2)—in which they do need further instruction (katartizō means “to make complete”). The nature of these areas emerges from chapters 4 and 5. Paul must have realized that he would not be able to come to them in the short term and decided, therefore, that his written instructions must substitute for face-to-face teaching. Notice how he emphasizes the positive, giving thanks for what has been achieved before mentioning what remains to be done.

3:11 From a rhetorical question about prayer, which in the Greek includes both verse 9 and verse 10, Paul turns to an actual prayer (cf. 5:23, where he prays again for the Thessalonians). Broadly there are two petitions: one for the missionaries, the other for the Thessalonians. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. The emphatic pronoun, “himself” (autos), which in the Greek stands at the beginning of the prayer as also in the other wish-prayers of 5:23 and 2 Thessalonians 2:16f. and 3:16, is not easy to explain. Some see it as marking a contrast with their own attempts at returning or with Satan’s hindrance of those attempts, while others regard it as simply marking a new section of the letter. In view of the similar construction elsewhere, Bruce may be right to see it as an echo of “the language of the synagogue liturgy, where the address would be in the second person; this goes back in turn to the language of the Psalter, as for example in Ps. 22:19, ‘But thou, O Lord.’ ” Particularly striking is the coupling of Jesus with the Father both in the address and in the ascription of the right to determine in what way they should go (cf. 1:1 and Ps. 32:8; 37:23; 40:2; Prov. 3:6; 4:26; 16:9). Nowhere more plainly than in these early Christian prayers do we see how high a status Jesus had in the minds of his followers as a result of their experience of him, especially of his resurrection (see disc. on 1:1). People like Paul were nurtured on the truth that there is one God (Deut. 6:4). Without ceasing to believe that truth, they now prayed to him as Father and Son. The singular verb could be taken as further evidence of Paul’s belief that Father and Son are one. However, Greek regularly requires the verb to take its number from the first or the nearest of its subjects if there is more than one. Thus the evidence is inconclusive. The fact remains, however, that Jesus is petitioned, no less than God, and indeed, as God, “to clear the way,” i.e., to remove the hindrances to their return (kateuthynō, strictly, “to make or keep straight,” also “to direct,” cf. 2 Thess. 3:5; see note on 1:1 for God as Father and Jesus as Lord, and the further disc. on 2 Thess. 2:16f. of the significance of prayer addressed to Jesus and to God).

3:12 The second petition, for the Thessalonians, is as follows: May the Lord make your love increase and overflow. The two petitions of verses 11 and 12 are united by “but” (de), and the Greek word order in the second has “you” (the direct object of the verbs) at the beginning for emphasis. This shows that whatever God has in store for the missionaries—whether to clear the way for them or not (cf. “not what I will, but what you will,” Mark 14:36)—the Thessalonians are foremost in their mind, and this remains their prayer for them. Because Jesus is called “Lord” in verse 11, we must assume that he is the Lord of this verse (see note on 1:1). Thus the prayer is now addressed to him alone. It is for the enlargement of the Thessalonians’ love, love being the hallmark of true Christianity (pleonazō, “to abound,” or “to make to abound,” cf. 2 Thess. 1:3; perisseuō, “to abound,” “to excel,” or “to make to excel,” cf. 1 Thess. 4:1, 10, also 2 Cor. 6:11, 13). The prayer is that it might extend beyond the love that they have for each other (church members) to everyone else (those outside the church; JB, “the whole human race”; cf. 5:15 and Luke 6:32–36, Gal. 6:10, etc. for the same universality). That Paul so prays reminds us that love is a gift of God: he gives both the motive and the model in his own love for us, and he provides the means—the ability to love—by his Spirit. Since God loves everyone (John 3:16), his gift of love to us is to the same end. That end (in some measure at least) had been realized in Paul’s own and his colleagues’ lives, for he adds, just as ours i.e., our love, overflows for you. Paul not only practiced what he preached, but he practiced what he prayed!

3:13 NIV presents this verse as a separate petition, but in fact, in the Greek it is part of the petition of verse 12, expressing what is the goal of this enlargement of their love (see disc. on 2:12); namely, that their “hearts might be established blameless in holiness” (NIV, that he may strengthen [their] hearts so that [they] will be blameless and holy). For “heart,” see disc. on 2:4. What Paul is getting at is that love (agapē) is unselfish, and its practice develops the unselfishness which is the basis of holiness. He can, therefore, speak of love as the means to that end. Hagiosynē, “holiness,” refers exclusively to God in the Greek OT (cf. Rom. 1:4 where it concerns the Spirit of God). Against this background, Paul’s use implies that the holiness of God must be the measure of whether a believer is “blameless in holiness”—“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). This implication is reinforced by the addition of the words: in the presence of our God and Father (see disc. on 3:9). In Christ, believers are already holy in terms of status. God accepts them as blameless (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30). But this prayer has to do with practice. Their practice should match their status—that they might “be who they are” (see J. F. Kilner, “A Pauline Approach to Ethical Decision-Making,” Interp 43 [4, 1989] p. 373)—and that, in fact, they might be “blameless in holiness” when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones (see note on 1:1 for the titles and the disc. on 2:19 for the Parousia). The Parousia is both the goal of our Christian life, for only then will God’s work of salvation be completed, and an incentive for us to work (God being our helper) towards that goal (see disc. on 4:3ff. and 2 Thess. 2:13f. for hagiasmos, the process of becoming holy). The identity of his holy ones (hoi hagioi), who accompany Jesus, is uncertain. A number of OT passages suggest angels are in view (cf. Deut. 33:2; Ps. 89:5, 7; Dan. 7:10; Zech. 14:5; cf. also Matt. 13:41; 25:31; Mark 8:38; 13:26f.; Luke 9:26; 2 Thess. 1:7; Jude 14f.; Rev. 19:14). But in the NT, “the holy ones,” does not appear to be used of angels. Rather, the term is commonly applied to believers. In 2 Thessalonians 1:10, “holy ones” (NIV “his holy people”) and “those who have believed” are synonymous. In the light of this and 4:14 (see also Rom. 8:19; 1 Cor. 6:2), we should understand Paul to be at least including believers who have died, even he is not exclusively referring to them (note that Paul speaks of all his holy ones).

Additional Notes

3:13 When our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones: One scenario of the end time embraced by many Christians today sees a twofold return of Jesus: the first in secret to gather up the church, the second openly, following the tribulation (which, on this theory, only the world will endure) to judge the world. The first return is called the Rapture, the second the Revelation. The Greek word from whose Latin equivalent (rapere) our word “rapture” is derived, is actually used by Paul in 4:17, “we … will be caught up” (but not, we believe in the sense of the modern theory; see disc. on 4:17 and 2 Thess. 2:1). The theory rests largely on a conclusion drawn from the verse before us. If Jesus is to come with his saints, it is argued, as this verse says he will, he must first have come for them. A number of other passages are enlisted to corroborate this scenario (e.g., Mark 13:27; Rev. 11:11f.), but none of them, and least of all 1 Thessalonians 3:13, can bear the weight of this interpretation.

Some would even doubt that the holy ones refers to his saints; but allowing that it does (see the disc.), what more is Paul saying here than he says, for example, in 4:14? Paul wants to assure the Thessalonians that their dead will not be disadvantaged. They will be raised, the living will be transformed, and together, the living and the dead will “meet the Lord” and be “with the Lord forever” (4:16f.). The “all” of 3:13 is important. In anticipation of his fuller treatment in chapter 4, Paul casually indicates that all will be involved in the Parousia, but he says nothing more than that. Besides reading too much into a passage dealing with other matters, the whole idea of the Rapture founders (1) on the fact that the church’s hope—based, we may believe, on Jesus’ own teaching—has from the outset been fixed upon his visible return (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; Titus 2:13); and (2) on the language of 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where Paul speaks of “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him.” Paul used two nouns governed by the one definite article, which shows beyond question that he thought of the “coming” and the “gathering” as two facets of the one event. In short, Christ’s Revelation is at one and the same time our Rapture (see Williams, Promise, pp. 112–14).

Understanding the Bible Commentary Series by David J. Williams, Baker Publishing Group, 2016

Dictionary

Direct Matches

Christ

The founder of what became known as the movement of Jesus followers or Christianity. For Christian believers, Jesus Christ embodies the personal and supernatural intervention of God in human history.

Birth and childhood. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:4, 11). Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC, shortly before Herod’s death (Matt. 2:19). Both Matthew and Luke record the miracle of a virginal conception made possible by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35). Luke mentions a census under the Syrian governor Quirinius that was responsible for Jesus’ birth taking place in Bethlehem (2:1 5). Both the census and the governorship at the time of the birth of Jesus have been questioned by scholars. Unfortunately, there is not enough extrabiblical evidence to either confirm or disprove these events, so their veracity must be determined on the basis of one’s view regarding the general reliability of the Gospel tradition.

On the eighth day after his birth, Jesus was circumcised, in keeping with the Jewish law, at which time he officially was named “Jesus” (Luke 2:21). He spent his growing years in Nazareth, in the home of his parents, Joseph and Mary (2:40). Of the NT Gospels, the Gospel of Luke contains the only brief portrayal of Jesus’ growth in strength, wisdom, and favor with God and people (2:40, 52). Luke also contains the only account of Jesus as a young boy (2:41–49).

Baptism, temptation, and start of ministry. After Jesus was baptized by the prophet John the Baptist (Luke 3:21–22), God affirmed his pleasure with him by referring to him as his Son, whom he loved (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Jesus’ baptism did not launch him into fame and instant ministry success; instead, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted for forty days (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13). Mark stresses that the temptations immediately followed the baptism. Matthew and Luke identify three specific temptations by the devil, though their order for the last two is reversed. Both Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread, expect divine intervention after jumping off the temple portico, and receive all the world’s kingdoms for worshiping the devil. Jesus resisted all temptation, quoting Scripture in response.

Matthew and Mark record that Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum in Galilee, after the arrest of John the Baptist (Matt. 4:12–13; Mark 1:14). Luke says that Jesus started his ministry at about thirty years of age (3:23). This may be meant to indicate full maturity or perhaps correlate this age with the onset of the service of the Levites in the temple (cf. Num. 4:3). John narrates the beginning of Jesus’ ministry by focusing on the calling of the disciples and the sign performed at a wedding at Cana (1:35–2:11).

Galilean ministry. The early stages of Jesus’ ministry centered in and around Galilee. Jesus presented the good news and proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near. Matthew focuses on the fulfillment of prophecy (Matt. 4:13–17). Luke records Jesus’ first teaching in his hometown, Nazareth, as paradigmatic (Luke 4:16–30); the text that Jesus quoted, Isa. 61:1–2, set the stage for his calling to serve and revealed a trajectory of rejection and suffering.

All the Gospels record Jesus’ gathering of disciples early in his Galilean ministry (Matt. 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–51). The formal call and commissioning of the Twelve who would become Jesus’ closest followers is recorded in different parts of the Gospels (Matt. 10:1–4; Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16). A key event in the early ministry is the Sermon on the Mount/Plain (Matt. 5:1–7:29; Luke 6:20–49). John focuses on Jesus’ signs and miracles, in particular in the early parts of his ministry, whereas the Synoptics focus on healings and exorcisms.

During Jesus’ Galilean ministry, onlookers struggled with his identity. However, evil spirits knew him to be of supreme authority (Mark 3:11). Jesus was criticized by outsiders and by his own family (3:21). The scribes from Jerusalem identified him as a partner of Beelzebul (3:22). Amid these situations of social conflict, Jesus told parables that couched his ministry in the context of a growing kingdom of God. This kingdom would miraculously spring from humble beginnings (4:1–32).

The Synoptics present Jesus’ early Galilean ministry as successful. No challenge or ministry need superseded Jesus’ authority or ability: he calmed a storm (Mark 4:35–39), exorcized many demons (5:1–13), raised the dead (5:35–42), fed five thousand (6:30–44), and walked on water (6:48–49).

In the later part of his ministry in Galilee, Jesus often withdrew and traveled to the north and the east. The Gospel narratives are not written with a focus on chronology. However, only brief returns to Galilee appear to have taken place prior to Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. As people followed Jesus, faith was praised and fear resolved. Jerusalem’s religious leaders traveled to Galilee, where they leveled accusations and charged Jesus’ disciples with lacking ritual purity (Mark 7:1–5). Jesus shamed the Pharisees by pointing out their dishonorable treatment of parents (7:11–13). The Pharisees challenged his legitimacy by demanding a sign (8:11). Jesus refused them signs but agreed with Peter, who confessed, “You are the Messiah” (8:29). Jesus did provide the disciples a sign: his transfiguration (9:2–8).

Jesus withdrew from Galilee to Tyre and Sidon, where a Syrophoenician woman requested healing for her daughter. Jesus replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). Galileans had long resented the Syrian provincial leadership partiality that allotted governmental funds in ways that made the Jews receive mere “crumbs.” Consequently, when the woman replied, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table,” Jesus applauded her faith (Matt. 15:27–28). Healing a deaf-mute man in the Decapolis provided another example of Jesus’ ministry in Gentile territory (Mark 7:31–37). Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ took place during Jesus’ travel to Caesarea Philippi, a well-known Gentile territory. The city was the ancient center of worship of the Hellenistic god Pan.

Judean ministry. Luke records a geographic turning point in Jesus’ ministry as he resolutely set out for Jerusalem, a direction that eventually led to his death (Luke 9:51). Luke divides the journey to Jerusalem into three phases (9:51–13:21; 13:22–17:10; 17:11–19:27). The opening verses of phase one emphasize a prophetic element of the journey. Jesus viewed his ministry in Jerusalem as his mission, and the demands on discipleship intensified as Jesus approached Jerusalem (Matt. 20:17–19, 26–28; Mark 10:38–39, 43–45; Luke 14:25–35). Luke presents the second phase of the journey toward Jerusalem with a focus on conversations regarding salvation and judgment (Luke 13:22–30). In the third and final phase of the journey, the advent of the kingdom and the final judgment are the main themes (17:20–37; 19:11–27).

Social conflicts with religious leaders increased throughout Jesus’ ministry. These conflicts led to lively challenge-riposte interactions concerning the Pharisaic schools of Shammai and Hillel (Matt. 19:1–12; Mark 10:1–12). Likewise, socioeconomic feathers were ruffled as Jesus welcomed young children, who had little value in society (Matt. 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16; Luke 18:15–17).

Passion week, death, and resurrection. Each of the Gospels records Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with the crowds extending him a royal welcome (Matt. 21:4–9; Mark 11:7–10; Luke 19:35–38; John 12:12–15). Luke describes Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem as a time during which Jesus taught in the temple as Israel’s Messiah (19:45–21:38).

In Jerusalem, Jesus cleansed the temple of profiteering (Mark 11:15–17). Mark describes the religious leaders as fearing Jesus because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching, and so they “began looking for a way to kill him” (11:18). Dismayed, each segment of Jerusalem’s temple leadership inquired about Jesus’ authority (11:27–33). Jesus replied with cunning questions (12:16, 35–36), stories (12:1–12), denunciation (12:38–44), and a prediction of Jerusalem’s own destruction (13:1–31). One of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas Iscariot, provided the temple leaders the opportunity for Jesus’ arrest (14:10–11).

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted a new Passover, defining a new covenant grounded in his sufferings (Matt. 26:17–18, 26–29; Mark 14:16–25; Luke 22:14–20). He again warned the disciples of his betrayal and arrest (Matt. 26:21–25, 31; Mark 14:27–31; Luke 22:21–23; John 13:21–30), and later he prayed for the disciples (John 17:1–26) and prayed in agony and submissiveness in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36–42; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–42). His arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection followed (Matt. 26:46–28:15; Mark 14:43–16:8; Luke 22:47–24:9; John 18:1–20:18). Jesus finally commissioned his disciples to continue his mission by making disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8) and ascended to heaven with the promise that he will one day return (Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:9–11).

Faith

Faith in the context of the OT rests on a foundation that the person or object of trust, belief, or confidence is reliable. Trust in Yahweh is expressed through loyalty and obedience. The theme of responsive obedience is emphasized in the Torah (Exod. 19:5). In the later history of Israel, faithfulness to the law became the predominant expression of faith (Dan. 1:8; 6:10). OT faith, then, is a moral response rather than abstract intellect or emotion.

Faith is a central theological concept in the NT. In relational terms, faith is foremost personalized as the locus of trust and belief in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the Gospels, Jesus is spoken of not as the subject of faith (as believing in God), but as the object of faith. In the Synoptic Gospels, faith is seen most often in connection with the ministry of Jesus. Miracles, in particular healings, are presented as taking place in response to the faith of the one in need of healing or the requester. In the Gospel of John, faith (belief) is presented as something that God requires of his people (6:28 29).

In the book of Acts, “faith/belief” is used to refer to Jews and Gentiles converting to following the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and becoming part of the Christian community. The book correlates faith in Christ closely with repentance (Acts 11:21; 19:18; 20:21; 26:18).

Paul relates faith to righteousness and justification (Rom. 3:22; 5:11; Gal. 3:6). In Ephesians faith is shown as instrumental in salvation: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (2:8).

In Hebrews, faith is described as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (11:1). Faith thus is viewed as something that can be accomplished in the life of the believer—a calling of God not yet tangible or seen. To possess faith is to be loyal to God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ despite all obstacles. In the Letter of James, genuine works naturally accompany genuine faith. Works, however, are expressed in doing the will of God. The will of God means, for example, caring for the poor (James 2:15–16).

In 1 Peter, Christ is depicted as the broker of faith in God (1:21), whereas in 2 Peter and Jude faith is presented as received from God (2 Pet. 1:1). In the Letters of John “to believe” is used as a litmus test for those who possess eternal life: “You who believe in the name of the Son of God, . . . you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Fast

Fasting, often linked with prayer, was one avenue of appeal to God in the face of crises, both national and personal. Moses ascended to Mount Sinai and was with God forty days and nights without eating bread or drinking water, both before and after the Israelites’ sin with the golden calf (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 9:8 18). David fasted when his son was dying (2 Sam. 12:15–23). Esther called all the Jews of Susa to fast for three days before she ventured before the king (Esther 4:15–17). Joel called the people to repentance and fasting as the land was devastated by a locust plague (Joel 1:13–14; 2:12). Forty days of fasting, an echo of Moses’ experience, prepared Jesus to face the devil’s temptations (Matt. 4:1–11 pars.).

The OT prophets criticized Israelites who presumed that their religious obligations were met simply by fasting (Isa. 58:1–10; Zech. 7:1–5). When asked why his disciples did not fast and pray, Jesus indicated that sometimes fasting is inappropriate (Matt. 9:14–17 pars.). Luke recorded an addition to Jesus’ statement about new wine in old wineskins: “No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5:39), perhaps suggesting that the accumulation of fasting practices was “new wine” and they ought simply to observe the Day of Atonement.

Father

People in the Bible were family-centered and staunchly loyal to their kin. Families formed the foundation of society. The extended family was the source of people’s status in the community and provided the primary economic, educational, religious, and social interactions.

Marriage and divorce. Marriage in the ancient Near East was a contractual arrangement between two families, arranged by the bride’s father or a male representative. The bride’s family was paid a dowry, a “bride’s price.” Paying a dowry was not only an economic transaction but also an expression of family honor. Only the rich could afford multiple dowries. Thus, polygamy was minimal. The wedding itself was celebrated with a feast provided by the father of the groom.

The primary purpose for marriage in the ancient Near East was to produce a male heir to ensure care for the couple in their old age. The concept of inheritance was a key part of the marriage customs, especially with regard to passing along possessions and property.

Marriage among Jews in the NT era still tended to be endogamous; that is, Jews sought to marry close kin without committing incest violations (Lev. 18:6 17). A Jewish male certainly was expected to marry a Jew. Exogamy, marrying outside the remote kinship group, and certainly outside the ethnos, was understood as shaming God’s holiness. Thus, a Jew marrying a Gentile woman was not an option. The Romans did practice exogamy. For them, marrying outside one’s kinship group (not ethnos) was based predominantly on creating strategic alliances between families.

Greek and Roman law allowed both men and women to initiate divorce. In Jewish marriages, only the husband could initiate divorce proceedings. If a husband divorced his wife, he had to release her and repay the dowry. Divorce was common in cases of infertility (in particular if the woman had not provided male offspring). Ben Sira comments that barrenness in a woman is a cause of anxiety to the father (Sir. 42:9–10). Another reason for divorce was adultery (Exod. 20:14; Deut. 5:18). Jesus, though, taught a more restrictive use of divorce than the OT (Mark 10:1–12).

Children and parenting. Childbearing was considered representative of God’s blessing on a woman and her entire family, in particular her husband. In contrast to this blessing, barrenness brought shame on women, their families, and specifically their husbands.

Children were of low social status in society. Infant mortality was high. An estimated 60 percent of the children in the first-century Mediterranean society were dead by the age of sixteen.

Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean societies exhibited a parenting style based on their view of human nature as a mixture of good and evil tendencies. Parents relied on physical punishment to prevent evil tendencies from developing into evil deeds (Prov. 29:15). The main concern of parents was to socialize the children into family loyalty. Lack of such loyalty was punished (Lev. 20:9). At a very early stage children were taught to accept the total authority of the father. The rearing of girls was entirely the responsibility of the women. Girls were taught domestic roles and duties as soon as possible so that they could help with household tasks.

Family identity was used as a metaphor in ancient Israel to speak of fidelity, responsibility, judgment, and reconciliation. In the OT, the people of Israel often are described as children of God. In their overall relationship to God, the people of Israel are referred to in familial terms—sons and daughters, spouse, and firstborn (Exod. 4:22). God is addressed as the father of the people (Isa. 63:16; 64:8) and referred to as their mother (Isa. 49:14–17).

The church as the family of God. Throughout his ministry, Jesus called his disciples to follow him. This was a call to loyalty (Matt. 10:32–40; 16:24–26; Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23–26), a call to fictive kinship, the family of God (Matt. 12:48–50; Mark 3:33–35). Jesus’ declaration “On this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18) was preceded by the call to community. Entrance into the community was granted through adopting the values of the kingdom, belief, and the initiation rite of baptism (Matt. 10:37–39; 16:24–26; Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23–26, 57–63; John 1:12; 3:16; 10:27–29; Acts 2:38; 16:31–33; 17:30; Rom. 10:9). Jesus’ presence as the head of the community was eventually replaced by the promised Spirit (John 14:16–18). Through the Spirit, Jesus’ ministry continues in the community of his followers, God’s family—the church. See also Adoption.

Good News

The English word “gospel” translates the Greek word euangelion, which is very important in the NT, being used seventy-six times. The word euangelion (eu = “good,” angelion = “announcement”), in its contemporary use in the Hellenistic world, was not the title of a book but rather a declaration of good news. Euangelion was used in the Roman Empire with reference to significant events in the life of the emperor, who was thought of as a savior with divine status. These events included declarations at the time of his birth, his coming of age, and his accession to the throne. The NT usage of the term can also be traced to the OT (e.g., Isa. 40:9; 52:7; 61:1), which looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, who would bring a time of salvation. This good news, which is declared in the NT, is that Jesus has fulfilled God’s promises to Israel, and now the way of salvation is open to all.

Holiness

Holiness is an attribute of God and of all that is fit for association with him. God alone is intrinsically holy (Rev. 15:4). God the Father is holy (John 17:11), as is the Son (Acts 3:14), while “Holy” is the characteristic designation of God’s Spirit (Ps. 51:11; Matt. 1:18). God’s name is holy (Luke 1:49), as are his arm (Ps. 98:1), ways (Ps. 77:13), and words (Ps. 105:42).

With reference to God himself, holiness may indicate something like his uniqueness, and it is associated with attributes such as his glory (Isa. 6:3), righteousness (Isa. 5:16), and jealousy—that is, his proper concern for his reputation (Josh. 24:19).

God’s dwelling place is in heaven (Ps. 20:6), and “holy” functions in some contexts as a virtual equivalent for heavenly (11:4). God’s throne is holy (47:8), and the angels who surround it are “holy ones” (89:5; cf. Mark 8:38).

A corollary of God’s holiness is that he must be treated as holy (Lev. 22:32)—that is, honored (Lev. 10:3), worshiped (Ps. 96:9), and feared (Isa. 8:13).

While “holy” is sometimes said to mean “set apart,” this does not appear to be its core meaning, though it is an associated notion (Lev. 20:26; Heb. 7:26). Holiness, as applied to people and things, is a relational concept. They are (explicitly or implicitly) holy “to the Lord” (Exod. 28:36), never “from” something.

The symbolic representation of God’s heavenly palace, the tabernacle (Exod. 40:9), and later the temple (1 Chron. 29:3), and everything associated with them, are holy and the means whereby God’s people in the OT may symbolically be brought near to God. For God to share his presence with anything or anyone else, these too must be holy (Lev. 11:44 45; Heb. 12:14).

The OT system of worship involved the distinction between unclean and clean, and between common and holy, and the means of effecting a transition to a state of cleanness or holiness (Lev. 10:10). People, places, and items may be made holy by a process of consecration or sanctification, whether simply by God’s purifying presence (Exod. 3:5) or by ritual acts (Exod. 19:10; 29:36).

God’s faithful people are described as holy (Exod. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:9). In the OT, this is true of the whole people of God at one level, and of particular individuals at another. Thus, kings (Ps. 16:10), prophets (2 Kings 4:9), and in particular priests (Lev. 21:7) are declared to be holy. While the OT witnesses to some tension between the collective holiness of Israel and the particular holiness of its designated leaders (Num. 16:3), the latter were intended to act as models and facilitators of Israel’s holiness.

Pray

In the OT there is no language or understanding comparable to modern ways of talking about prayer as conversational or dialogical. Prayer does not involve mutuality. Prayer is something that humans offer to God, and the situation is never reversed; God does not pray to humans. Understanding this preserves the proper distinction between the sovereign God and the praying subject. Therefore, prayers in the OT are reverential. Some OT prayers have extended introductions, such as that found in Neh. 1:5, that seem to pile up names for God. These should be seen as instances not of stiltedness or ostentation, but rather as setting up a kind of “buffer zone” in recognition of the distance between the Creator and the creature. In the NT, compare the same phenomenon in Eph. 1:17.

A presupposition of prayer in the OT is that God hears prayer and may indeed answer and effect the change being requested. Prayer is not primarily about changing the psychological state or the heart of the one praying, but rather about God changing the circumstances of the one praying.

The depiction of prayer in the NT is largely consistent with that of the OT, but there are important developments.

Jesus tells his disciples to address God as “Father” (Matt. 6:9; cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Prayer to God is now to be made in the name of Jesus (Matt. 18:19 20; John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23–26).

Prayer can also be made to Jesus (John 14:14), and such devotion to him in the early church is evidence of his being regarded as deity. Unlike anything prior in the OT, Jesus tells his followers to pray for their enemies (Matt. 5:44). Jesus and his followers serve as examples (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in prayers. It is by him that we are able to call out, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). The Spirit himself intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). Our praying is to be done in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18; Jude 20; possibly 1 Cor. 14:15).

Jesus encourages fervent and even continual or repeated prayer (Luke 18:1–8), but not showy or repetitive prayer (Matt. 6:5–8).

Jesus becomes the model of prayer. He prays before important decisions (Luke 6:12–13) and in connection with significant crisis points (Matt. 14:23; 26:36–44; Luke 3:21; 9:29; John 12:27). He offers prayers that are not answered (Luke 22:41–44) and prayers that are (Heb. 5:7). Even as he tells his disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1 [which is also the meaning of the sometimes overly literalized “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thess. 5:17 NRSV]), so he himself wrestles in prayer (Luke 22:41–44; Heb. 5:7). He has prayed for his disciples (John 17; Luke 22:32), and even now, in heaven, he still intercedes for us (Heb. 7:25). Indeed, our intercession before God’s throne is valid because his is (Heb. 4:14–16).

Timothy

First Timothy, along with 2 Timothy and Titus, is known as one of the apostle Paul’s Pastoral Epistles. These letters have earned this designation because they were addressed to pastors and deal with particular problems that they were facing in their respective churches. This letter was addressed to Timothy, whom Paul affectionately called “my son,” most likely because the apostle had led him to faith in Christ (1:18; cf. 1:2). At Paul’s urging, Timothy took on the role of providing leadership to the church in Ephesus (1:3), which had been infiltrated by false teachers (1:3 4). Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, instructing him to rebuke the false teachers in the church and to fight the good fight of faith (1:18). The apostle concisely summarized the major theme of this letter by saying, “I am writing you these instructions so that . . . you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (3:14–15).

Direct Matches

Increase

In the OT, increase at times refers to a harvest’s yield (Ps. 67:7) but more commonly to numerical growth. In Gen. 1 God’s creation blessing is expressed in the imperative “be fruitful and increase in number” (1:22, 28). Even after the fall in Genesis, God reiterated his intention to bless and increase Noah (9:1, 7), Abraham (17:2), Ishmael (17:20), Isaac (26:24), and Jacob (35:11). This blessing was fulfilled initially when Israel increased greatly in Egypt (47:27).

Moses stressed God’s intention to further increase his people if they would obey God (Deut. 6:3; 8:1), and he warned that disobedience would bring about ruin and destruction (28:63). According to Hosea, when Israel prospered, it increased in sin and idolatry (Hos. 4:7; 10:1). Yet God restated his intention to increase the remnant of his people following exile (Jer. 23:3; Ezek. 37:26).

The NT records prayer for increased faith (Luke 17:5) and love (1 Thess. 3:12) and stresses the increase of God’s grace (Rom. 5:20) and the advancement of the word of God (Acts 6:7; 12:24).

Secondary Matches

The following suggestions occured because 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 is mentioned in the definition.

First Letter to Timothy

First Timothy, along with 2 Timothy and Titus, is known as one of the apostle Paul’s Pastoral Epistles. These letters have earned this designation because they were addressed to pastors and deal with particular problems that they were facing in their respective churches. This letter was addressed to Timothy, whom Paul affectionately called “my son,” most likely because the apostle had led him to faith in Christ (1:18; cf. 1:2). At Paul’s urging, Timothy took on the role of providing leadership to the church in Ephesus (1:3), which had been infiltrated by false teachers (1:3–4). Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, instructing him to rebuke the false teachers in the church and to fight the good fight of faith (1:18). The apostle concisely summarized the major theme of this letter by saying, “I am writing you these instructions so that . . . you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (3:14–15).

Authorship and Date

The authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles has been questioned more than that of any of Paul’s other letters. This is due to differences in style and theology as well as the difficulty in establishing their place in the travels of Paul in Acts. The letters, it is presumed, were written by a disciple of Paul after his death and were meant to be a “testament” honoring the memory of Paul.

Despite these claims, there is not enough evidence to overturn Pauline authorship. Differences in theology can be accounted for by the different circumstances addressed. Stylistic differences may have arisen from Paul’s use of an amanuensis (scribe) to write the letter, a common practice in the ancient world (see Rom. 16:22). In terms of their time of writing, the Pastorals were likely written after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment and so after the narrative of Acts. Paul expected to be released (Phil. 1:25; 2:24), and it is likely that his Jewish accusers never made the long and arduous trip from Jerusalem to Rome.

Evidence in support of Pauline authorship can also be found: (1) The many personal comments to Timothy (cf. 2 Tim. 4:13) show that the letters are either authentic, or blatant forgeries, not “testaments” honoring the memory of Paul. (2) All of Paul’s key theological themes appear in the Pastorals. (3) Paul makes negative statements about himself that a disciple writing to honor Paul is unlikely to have made, for example, referring to himself as the “worst” of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).

First Timothy was likely written between AD 63 and 66, after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment in Rome (AD 62–63; cf. 3:14; Acts 28:30–31).

Recipient

Timothy came from the city of Lystra in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). His father was Greek and his mother Jewish (Acts 16:1). Eunice, his mother, and Lois, his grandmother, brought him up under the influence of the Jewish religion (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14–15). Timothy gained a good reputation among the local believers, so Paul added him to his missionary team (Acts 16:2–3). He accompanied Paul during his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:3; 17:14; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4). Paul listed Timothy as the coauthor or cosender in several of his letters (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1) and included him in the greetings that he sent to the church in Rome (Rom. 16:21). In addition, the apostle sent his protégé as a messenger to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:1–6), Corinth (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10), and Philippi (Phil. 2:19, 23). Because Timothy was by nature shy and timid, Paul had to exhort him to use his gifts and to boldly carry out his ministry (1 Cor. 16:10; 1 Tim. 4:12; 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:6–7).

Background and Occasion

During his third missionary journey, Paul warned the Ephesian church that false teachers would arise from their midst (Acts 20:30). After his first imprisonment in Rome (cf. Acts 28:16, 20, 30), the apostle accompanied Timothy to Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3). They discovered that certain teachers were spreading “false doctrines” in the church. According to 1 Timothy, these false teachings included a morbid interest in myths, old wives’ tales, and genealogies. Some were promoting controversies, meaningless talk, incorrect teaching of the law, abstinence from marriage and certain foods, and ungodly gossip (1:3–7; 4:3, 7; 5:13; 6:4–5). These false teachers also attempted to secure financial gain by promoting their doctrines (6:3–5). Paul hoped to visit Ephesus again (3:14), but in the meantime he wrote this letter instructing Timothy and the church leadership to correct these problems (1:3–4; 3:15).

Paul’s instructions to Timothy were not only to defend the church from false teachers but also to give guidelines on the proper behavior for men and women in the church (2:1–15). He gave Timothy standards for selecting godly leaders (3:1–16) and practical advice on dealing with various age groups in the church (5:1–20). Throughout the book Paul exhorts his young protégé and the church to lead a holy life (1:18; 2:8–15; 4:12–16; 6:6–8, 11–14, 20).

Outline

I. Introduction (1:1–2)

II. Warning about False Teachers and Exhortation to Keep the Faith (1:3–20)

A. False teaching and false teachers of the law (1:3–11)

B. Paul, an example of God’s grace (1:12–17)

C. Exhortation to keep the faith in the midst of apostasy (1:18–20)

III. Prayer and Proper Behavior in the Church (2:1–15)

A. Prayer in the church (2:1–7)

B. Men and women in the worship service (2:8–15)

IV. Qualifications for Church Leaders (3:1–16)

A. Qualifications for elders (3:1–7)

B. Qualifications for deacons (3:8–13)

C. The purpose behind Paul’s instructions (3:14–16)

V. Correction of False Teaching (4:1–16)

A. Apostasy and false teaching (4:1–5)

B. Exhortation to confront apostasy (4:6–16)

VI. Responsibility toward Various Groups in the Church (5:1–6:19)

A. Relating to men and women in the church (5:1–2)

B. Responsibility toward widows (5:3–16)

C. Responsibilities toward elders (5:17–25)

D. Responsibility of slaves toward their masters (6:1–2)

E. Contrasting corrupt teachers with true godliness (6:3–10)

F. Pursuing the life of faith (6:11–16)

G. Instructing the wealthy (6:17–19)

VII. Closing Admonition and Benediction (6:20–21)

Perseverance

The state of remaining faithful to God in light of the revelation given to persons at their particular stage of redemptive history. Perseverance has always required a continued trust in God, obedience to his commands, and reliance upon his merciful provision.

Old Testament. In the OT, perseverance is related to the covenantal relationship that God had with his people. Abraham was the quintessential model of perseverance, as he was faithful in waiting for God to provide him with the heir that had been promised him. Israel had to persevere by remaining faithful to its covenant with God, which meant being obedient to his commandments and decrees. In the subsequent history of Israel, however, the nation lacked perseverance and fidelity and often turned away from God to worship the gods of other nations. Indeed, the sweep of Israel’s history, according to the prophets, was that Israel had failed miserably at persevering in the covenantal promises and thus had incurred God’s judgment (e.g., Neh. 9:6–37; Ezek. 20:1–39; Dan. 9:4–19).

New Testament. In the Gospels, Jesus is the ultimate example of the faithful Israelite and also provides many exhortations about perseverance in light of the dawning kingdom of God. Jesus perseveres when tested by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13). The parables of growth warn about those who do not persevere in their reception of the word (e.g., Luke 8:15). Endurance under the duress of eschatological trials is also the means by which one gains one’s life (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19). In his farewell speech in the Gospel of John, Jesus exhorts his disciples to abide in him as branches stay rooted in a vine or else risk being cut off (John 15:1–11).

In the course of his letters, Paul has much to say about persevering in faith in Christ. Paul considers “endurance” (hypomonē) to be among the cardinal qualities of a believer (Rom. 5:3–4; 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:4; 8:25; 1 Tim. 6:11; Titus 2:2). There is a sense in which God himself gives endurance to the believer (Rom. 15:5; Col. 1:11; 2 Thess. 3:5). Paul offers some stern warnings about apostasy and falling away (Rom. 11:21–22; 1 Cor. 10:1–12; Gal. 5:4), but he also adds that Christians experience a sense of assurance because God is “faithful” and will keep believers “blameless” on the day of Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:8–9; Phil. 1:10; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23). Paul also writes that nothing in creation can separate a believer from the love of God in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:31–39).

The General Epistles provide further teaching about perseverance. James commends the virtue of perseverance that leads to maturity (1:3–4) and urges his audience to endure just as Job endured sufferings (5:11). Jude writes that believers should endeavor to “keep yourselves in God’s love” while also acknowledging that God himself will “keep you from falling” (vv. 21, 24). The book of Hebrews is built around the theme of perseverance and endurance, with key statements about not “drift[ing] away” (2:1) and the exhortation to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (12:1).

The book of Revelation focuses strongly on persevering in light of persecution and hardship. In the letters to the seven churches there is the repeated promise of the blessings that await those who “overcome,” which means enduring in the faith (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; cf. 21:7). The churches of Asia Minor corporately are admonished to remain faithful to the point of death (2:10) and in light of the coming judgment (14:12). Three times calls for patient endurance are made (1:9; 13:10; 14:12). In Revelation, perseverance means holding to the testimony of Jesus (12:17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4).

Summary. The biblical teaching on perseverance attempts to balance divine sovereignty and human responsibility. The warnings of apostasy and the promises of assurance are interwoven in such a way so as not to compromise the grace and justice of God.

Persevere

Preservation of the Saints

Second Coming

Jesus’ personal return to earth at the end of history. Three main Greek terms are used in the NT to describe this event: parousia, apokalypsis, and epiphaneia. The word parousia means “presence” or “arrival” and was used in ancient times to describe the arrival of a ruler or king (e.g., Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8; James 5:7–8; 2 Pet. 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28). The term apokalypsis refers to an “unveiling” or “revealing” of Jesus Christ at the end of the age (Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7, 13; 4:13; cf. Rev. 1:1). The word epiphaneia speaks of an “appearing” or “manifestation” and refers to the visible, earthly appearance of Jesus (2 Thess. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13).

Jesus clearly predicted his second coming in his Olivet Discourse: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). Jesus uses the word “come” in this discourse to speak about his return (Matt. 24:39, 42–44, 46; 25:19, 27, 31). Jesus’ return is also predicted by angels (e.g., Acts 1:11) and apostles (Phil. 3:20; Acts 3:20–21; 1 Cor. 11:26; Heb. 9:28).

The NT describes certain events that will precede Jesus’ coming. There will be wars, famines, earthquakes, and other cosmic disturbances (Matt. 24:6–8, 29). Believers will be persecuted and hated (Matt. 24:9–13, 21–22). Many erstwhile believers will turn away from the faith (Matt. 24:10–13; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; 2 Pet. 3:3–4). There will be false messiahs and false prophets who will deceive many through signs and wonders (Matt. 24:11, 23–26). The “man of lawlessness” (sometimes referred to as the antichrist) will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:1–12). In addition, the gospel will be preached to all nations (Matt. 24:14).

Although Jesus’ coming is certain, its exact time is uncertain in the sense that it cannot be predicted. Jesus himself said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36 [cf. Acts 1:7; 3:21; 2 Pet. 3:4, 8–9]).

When Jesus comes again, his return will be visible to all, like “lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west” (Matt. 24:27). The last trumpet will announce his coming in awesome power and great glory with his holy angels (Matt. 16:27; 24:30–31; 25:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7; 2:8; Jude 14). His coming will also be sudden and unexpected, “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1–2; see also Matt. 24:37–39, 43–44; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15).

Jesus will come again for several reasons. He will raise the dead (John 5:28–29; 1 Cor. 15:22–23, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16) and separate the wicked from the righteous (Matt. 24:40–41; 25:31–32). He will transform the bodies of believers into glorious resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:51–53; Phil. 3:20–21), gather his followers to himself (1 Thess. 4:17; 2 Thess. 2:1), and reward them for their faithfulness (Matt. 16:27; 24:46–47; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 22:12). The believer’s suffering will be replaced with the Lord’s praise (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:13) and the full experience of salvation (Heb. 9:28). By contrast, Jesus’ second advent means wrath for the wicked (Matt. 24:51; Rom. 2:5; 2 Thess. 1:8–9; Jude 15; Rev. 20:11–15) and destruction for God’s enemies (1 Cor. 15:25–26; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:11–21; 20:7–10).

Since his coming is imminent but its timing uncertain, believers should eagerly expect his return (1 Cor. 1:7; 11:26; 16:22; Phil. 3:20; James 5:7–8; Rev. 22:20). Remaining watchful and ready consists of being faithfully engaged in doing what Jesus instructed (Matt. 24:46; 25:14–30; 1 John 2:28), even if this means suffering (Matt. 24:13; 1 Pet. 1:6–7). Believers are called to live holy and blameless lives in anticipation of meeting Jesus face-to-face (1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23; 1 Tim. 6:14; 1 Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:11–14; 1 John 2:28–29; 3:2–3). The promise of Jesus’ return is a motivation for mission (2 Tim. 4:1–2; 2 Pet. 3:12) and obedience (Rev. 22:7, 12, 17). It is, in short, the “blessed hope” of the believer (Titus 2:13).

Second Letter to the Thessalonians

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians addresses a church troubled by an overly realized eschatology. Whereas at the time of the first letter the Thessalonians were expecting the imminent return of Christ (1 Thess. 5:6), by the time of the second letter some believed that Christ had already come (2 Thess. 2:2). Because of this, some were being drawn from their work into idleness (2 Thess. 3:6). Paul’s purpose, then, was to correct their eschatology, restore them to their tasks, and rebuild their confidence in Christ. He does this both by emphasizing Jesus Christ as Lord (the letter is uniquely consistent in the NT in applying the title “Lord” [Gk. kyrios] to Jesus) and by describing two apocalyptic events that must happen before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: the great apostasy and the appearance of the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3). Scholars have noted that Paul most often refers to Jesus as Lord in hortatory and eschatological passages. Indeed, though brief, 2 Thessalonians emphasizes exhortation and eschatology.

Literary Considerations

Authorship and the question of pseudo-nymity. As early as AD 110, Polycarp of Smyrna alluded to 2 Thessalonians in his letter to the Philippians (Pol. Phil. 11:4), and both Marcion and the Muratorian Canon refer to the epistle. It was known to Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. In the modern era, beginning at the end of the eighteenth century, the Pauline authorship of the epistle was questioned, first by J. E. C. Schmidt, then by F. C. Baur, and more fully by W. Wrede, who dated the letter to a little before the date implied in Polycarp’s letter.

Comparison of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The case for pseudonymous authorship depends largely on a comparison between 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. The letters share a number of similarities in language, style, and content, including similarly worded salutations (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1–2), expressions of thanks (1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13; 3:9; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2:13), intercessory prayers (1 Thess. 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:16), references to the broad reputation of the Thessalonian church (1 Thess. 1:1–10; 2 Thess. 1:3–4), the persecution of the Thessalonian church (1 Thess. 2:14–16; 2 Thess. 1:5–10), divine election (1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13), references to a personalized antagonist (“Satan” in 1 Thess. 2:18; “the evil one” in 2 Thess. 3:3), the exhortation to avoid idleness (1 Thess. 4:11–12; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:7–13), a common concern for the parousia and its anticipation (1 Thess. 4:13–5:11; 2 Thess. 2:1–11), and a number of stylistic resemblances (cf. 1 Thess. 3:11 with 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 Thess. 4:1 with 2 Thess. 3:1; 1 Thess. 5:23 with 2 Thess. 3:16).

In addition to resemblances, advocates of pseudonymous authorship have perceived some deep discontinuities between the letters. The question, then, is to devise a theory to explain both types of features (see below). In 1 Thessalonians the parousia is depicted as an imminent event that could occur at any moment, “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2), whereas in 2 Thessalonians the basic supposition is that the end will come not unexpectedly but only following the series of public events described in 2 Thess. 2:3–4. The imminent tone of 1 Thessalonians can be compared to that of 1 Corinthians (an undisputedly Pauline letter), while the attitude of 2 Thessalonians and its acceptance of an indefinite delay of the parousia find no obvious parallel in the other letters widely accepted as written by Paul, but have been described as best fitting a context in the last quarter of the first century, within the milieu of eschatological debate that gave rise to two other disputed Pauline letters, Ephesians and Colossians. Although we should not facilely harmonize the differences between the letters, neither should we overstate the imminence of eschatological expectation in 1 Thessalonians, where, as in 2 Thessalonians, Paul reminds his readers that in fact they will not be surprised by the parousia (1 Thess. 5:4)—although, admittedly, less apocalyptic detail is given than in 2 Thessalonians. Moreover, both letters give ample attention to life in the period of eschatological anticipation (2 Thess. 3:1–16), particularly to the temptation to idleness (1 Thess. 4:11–12; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:7–13).

In 2 Thess. 2:2 the author warns against letters circulating in Paul’s name but falsely attributed to him. As proponents of the pseudonymous authorship of 2 Thessalonians have pointed out, this problem is unlikely to have arisen during the lifetime of Paul himself, as he would have been able to discredit such letters. Also, the handwritten signature at the end of the letter (2 Thess. 3:17 [the rest of the letter would have been dictated to a secretary, as in Rom. 16:22]) and the special emphasis placed on it (compared to 1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; and in a disputed Pauline letter, Col. 4:18) have been taken as indicating an attempt to deceive, or at least as consistent with what a pseudonymous author would have deemed necessary to pass off the letter as the work of the famous apostle. Of course, this argument depends on the fact that Paul actually did sign some of his genuine letters in this way, though 2 Thess. 3:17 does admittedly go beyond the other examples listed as a plea for authenticity, even to the point of raising suspicion. On the other hand, if falsely attributed letters were being passed around in Paul’s lifetime, the extra emphasis on his personal mark would be called for.

Finally, some have described a shift in tone between the two letters, from joyfulness to somberness. Supposing that 2 Thessalonians was written some years after 1 Thessalonians and the death of Paul, this has been taken as a reflection of eschatological disappointment during the interim and a readjustment of expectations to the reality of a longer-than-anticipated delay in the parousia. However, the difference in tone, as well as the difference in theological emphasis noted above, might simply reflect differences in the sets of circumstances that occasioned the two letters, and the tone of both letters could be construed as coming from the mind of a single author.

Relationship between 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Considering similarities and differences together, the proponents of pseudonymous authorship judge the theological, linguistic, and stylistic differences to be substantive and real and to reflect both a significant lapse in time and the work of two distinct authors. In this view, the long list of resemblances indicates only that 2 Thessalonians is a rather studied imitation of 1 Thessalonians. If Paul wrote both letters, why would he have repeated so much of his earlier letter in the second and done so within a relatively short span of time? As alternatives to the theory of pseudonymous authorship, several proposals have been advanced to explain this unexpected behavior, including the notions that the letters were addressed to two groups within the city of Thessalonica (Jewish and Gentile); that each letter reflects the differing authorial contributions from the three senders of both letters (Paul, Silas, and Timothy [1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1]); that one of the letters was addressed privately to a restricted group within the community; that 2 Thessalonians was written not shortly after 1 Thessalonians but rather following a second visit to Thessalonica (see Acts 20:1–2), during which developments not recorded in Acts would have set the stage for the distinctive emphases of the second letter; or that reversing the chronological priority of the letters so that 2 Thessalonians preceded 1 Thessalonians provides a scenario in which the Pauline authorship of 2 Thessalonians can plausibly be maintained. At present, the authorship of 2 Thessalonians remains a matter of dispute among biblical scholars.

Theological considerations. Apart from the internal evidence discussed above, the theory of pseudonymous authorship raises theological questions. How does the possibility that Paul did not write the letter bear on the authority of this letter as Scripture? Is the intent to deceive as to the authorship of the letter consistent with the belief that the letter was divinely inspired by a holy God? In terms of its history of reception, 2 Thessalonians has the highest pedigree and, as noted above, was alluded to as early as the first part of the second century. The Pauline authorship of the book and its status in the canon do not seem to have been a matter of dispute in antiquity. Responding to critical assessments of the book’s authorship and date in the modern era (and more broadly to assessments of other “disputed Pauline letters”), some evangelical theologians and biblical scholars have argued that epistolary pseudepigraphy was not considered respectable in antiquity; that is, such a practice was considered tantamount to forgery and an intent to deceive. The early church would not have knowingly accepted into the canon any letter known to have been pseudepigraphically authored and promulgated. In light of this reconstruction of ancient attitudes, the proposal of pseudonymity in the case of 2 Thessalonians and other supposedly Pauline letters becomes a significant theological problem.

In addressing this issue, it should be noted that the concept of authorship was and is somewhat flexible. Paul did not likely write with his own hand any of the letters in the NT, apart from adding his signature at the end of 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and possibly 2 Thessalonians and Colossians. In each instance the degree to which the scribe or amanuensis contributed to the wording or content of each letter (see Rom. 16:22) is unclear. In the case of 2 Thessalonians and some other Pauline Epistles, the letter originated from a group of three associates: Paul, Silas, and Timothy. It is unclear to what extent Silas and Timothy should be considered as having made an authorial contribution to the letter. Admittedly, the theory of pseudonymous authorship of 2 Thessalonians goes far beyond any of these cases, since, as generally articulated, it involves dating the letter to the last quarter of the first century, at least ten years or so after the death of Paul. In terms of the theological problem described above, a letter authored in Paul’s name under such circumstances represents a qualitatively different scenario than one written by associates during his lifetime yet ultimately knowingly authorized and sent (and signed) by the apostle himself. Still, the range of meanings entailed in the concept of “authorship” should lead to circumspection in evaluating the theological implications of the theory of pseudonymous authorship. Reducing this theory to the possible element of deception may risk oversimplifying and even demonizing the motivations and aims of the pseudonymous author. (See also Pseudepigraphy, Pseudonymity.)

Date. As is obvious from the foregoing discussion of authorship, the date of 2 Thessalonians is bound up in the question of authorship. If Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians, it would have to have been prior to his death in the mid-60s. First Thessalonians was likely written around AD 50, and 2 Thessalonians may have been written shortly thereafter, if it was written prior to Paul’s second visit to the region of Macedonia (Acts 20:1–2), during his time in Corinth (18:1–5) or Ephesus. A second visit to the city is not mentioned in 2 Thessalonians, and in contrast to the evidence of Acts 18:5 regarding the second missionary journey of Paul, we cannot with certainty place the three authors of 2 Thessalonians (Paul, Timothy, and Silas) together at a later date. Advocates of pseu-don-y-mous authorship usually date the letter to the last quarter of the first century in order to allow some time for the supposed development in eschatological expectation between the two letters, and probably also for the collection of Paul’s letters in later years to provide the background for the reference in 2 Thess. 3:17 to “all my letters.” At any rate, it should be dated prior to the composition of Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians around AD 110.

If pseudonymous authorship is accepted, then two passages in the letter that refer to events after Paul’s death may bear on a more precise dating of the composition. First, the reference to “God’s temple” in 2 Thess. 2:4, if it refers to the temple in Jerusalem, would suggest a date prior to AD 70, when that edifice was destroyed. Second, some have argued that the reference to the revelation of the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thess. 2:3 refers to an expectation that the emperor Nero was to come back from the dead. This would suggest a date after Nero’s death in AD 68. Both passages can be explained in other ways: the figure of God’s temple continued to be invoked symbolically after AD 70, and the “man of lawlessness” is obscure enough to inspire caution in too quickly identifying him with a historical person.

Outline

I. Introductory Greeting and Thanksgiving (1:1–12)

A. Greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1:1–2)

B. Thanksgiving (1:3–10)

C. Prayer (1:11–12)

II. The Coming of Christ (2:1–12)

A. Warnings against reports that Christ has come (2:1–2)

B. The man of lawlessness and the great apostasy must come first (2:3–7)

C. God will ensure the destruction of both through Christ (2:8–12)

III. Exhortations (2:13–3:15)

A. Thanksgiving and prayer (2:13–3:5)

B. Exhortation to avoid idleness in themselves and in others (3:6–15)

IV. Closing Prayer and Benediction (3:16–18)

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1. Stop Speculating!

Illustration

Gary L. Carver

Here, in my judgment, is one of the subtlest temptations that faces any Christian in any era: If we are not careful, we can get diverted here from what Christ has called us to do in this present age. This happened in Thessalonica not twenty years after Jesus died, and Saint Paul met the issue head on. Some of the folk there got so caught up in expecting and predicting the imminent return of the Lord that they had ceased to do any work and degenerated into idle busybodies who prattled only about the future. Paul rebuked this tendency to let an over-interest in "the last things" divert us from faithfulness to "the first things."

There is a legendary story about a warrior who was struck one day by a poisonous arrow. This man happened to be a speculative sort of person, so as he lay on the ground, with the poisonous arrow buried in his leg, he mused to himself: "I wonder what kind of wood this arrow is made of? What sort of birds, do you suppose, the feathers come from? I wonder what type of man shot this arrow — tall or short, dark or light." His comrades, who saw his plight, could bear it no longer, but cried out in frustration: "For God's sake, man! Stop speculating and pull out the arrow!"

Need I say more?

2. What is Love?

Illustration

John R. Steward

What is love? It is difficult for most people to define love very well other than it is a feeling that they experience. Someone has said that love is a verb. That is what Beno Fischer found out many years ago.

Beno Fischer is a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. During that terrible ordeal, Beno encountered a man who begged him to "trade my cold soup for his cube of bread." He really did not want to do it because he himself was very hungry. But it was apparent that this other man was near death. Even though the cold soup would have satisfied Beno's hunger more than the dry bread, he made the trade anyway. "Each day I set the tasteless broth by his bedside and slowly bit off pieces of the bland crust of bread."

When the camp was finally liberated, the captives were taken to a hospital and given physical examinations. Beno says, "The doctor told me I lived for only one reason: out of love for my fellow prisoner, I traded my soup for the bread! The bread had enough nutrition in it to keep me alive. The soup had no source of nourishment." (Source: Robert Schuller, It's Possible (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company), p. 99. )

Perhaps then, the best definition of love is in learning how to forget and abandon ourselves and to serve others. At least that is what we find in Jesus Christ.

3. School Prayer

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Whether legal or not, kids have been praying in school for as long as anyone can remember.

We prayed that the school would burn down the night before the math exams. We prayed the teacher would break her leg on the way to our house to talk to Mom. We prayed that Dad would not notice the D on our report card. We prayed the music teacher would not ask us to sing the scale. We prayed the most popular classmate would ask us to the prom. We prayed the bus carrying the rival team would go into the ditch. We prayed for good marks so we could go to summer camp. We prayed for laryngitis so we would not have to dress like a tree and recite that silly Arbor Day poem. Oh, yes, we prayed in school.

4. The Pastoral Search Report

Illustration

James Kegel

A pastoral report: "We have been unable to find a suitable candidate for this congregation though we have one promising prospect. We have followed up the recommendations from church members with interviews or calling at least three references. This is a confidential report on the prospective candidates:

ADAM: Good man but has had problems with his wife and children. He and his wife have been known to walk around outside without wearing clothes.

NOAH: Former pastorate of 120 years with no converts. Prone to unrealistic building projects.

ABRAHAM: References reported that he once offered to share his wife with another man.

JOSEPH: Big thinker, but brags, believes in dream – interpretation and has a prison record.

MOSES: Modest and meek man but a poor communicator. Stutters. Known to blow his stack and act rashly. Left an earlier position under a murder charge.

DAVID: The most promising leader of all. Very musical. We discovered he had an affair with his neighbor's wife.

SOLOMON: Great preacher but our parsonage wouldn't hold all his wives and children. Has grandiose tastes.

ELIJAH: Prone to depression; collapses under pressure.

HOSEA: A tender, loving pastor but his wife is a floosy or worse.

DEBORAH: Pushy female.

JEREMIAH: Emotionally unstable, alarmist, negative, always lamenting things.

ISAIAH: Claims to have seen angels. Has trouble with his language.

JONAH: Refused God's call until he was forced to obey when he was swallowed by a fish. He said the fish spit him out on the shore. We hung up.

AMOS: Backward and unpolished. Would only fit in a poor rural congregation.

JOHN: Says he is a Baptist but doesn't dress like one. Has slept outdoors for months on end, eats a weird diet. Doesn't work well with others – we suggest he become a camp director instead of a pastor.

PAUL: Powerful CEO type and fascinating preacher. Short on tact. So long-winded he has been known to preach all night.

JESUS: Popular at times, but once his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all and his church dwindled to 12 people. Seldom stays in one place every long. And of course, he is single.

JUDAS: His references are solid. A steady plodder and good money manager. Conservative and well-connected with the community and religious leaders. This is the candidate we recommend to the congregation..."

5. Second Coming Nonsense

Illustration

Staff

The first perversion of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ is perpetrated by those I'm going to call "prophecy mongers." You know these people. They come with their charts and graphs, with their predictions and projections, claiming to have special insight into the workings of God in the world, so that they're able to cue us in on just where we are in the divine timetable. And somehow, every political event of the past fifty years fits neatly into their scheme of things. But Jesus said that no one not even himself knew the day or the hour of his coming, but only the Father.

But there is another distortion of this doctrine that is equally vitiating although in comes from a completely different direction. Here I refer to those who, far from exaggerating the eschatology of Jesus, want to minimize it because they are embarrassed. They rationalize it or demythologize it or spiritualize it, so that they can embrace Jesus and his teachings without getting all the supernatural trimmings that go with it. The fundamentalist and the rationalist share a common assumption about the second coming. They both assume that this is teaching we can easily understand and exploit and have at our disposal, so that it no longer threatens us, no longer hangs over our heads like Damocles's word, ready to fall upon us and shatter our pretty pretensions into a thousand smithereens. The fundamentalist over explains the second coming, and so takes away its mystery, while the rationalist explains it away, robbing it of its meaning.

Jesus said, "Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." It is here at the point of waiting that most of us have our greatest difficulty.

6. Hurry Hinders Ministry - Sermon Opener

Illustration

Staff

An ethics professor at Princeton Seminary asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. About half the class met him at the library to receive their assignments. The professor divided the students into three groups of five each. He gave the first group envelopes telling them to proceed immediately across campus to Stewart Hall. He told them that they had 15 minutes and if they didn't arrive on time, it would affect their grade. A minute or two later, he handed out envelopes to five others. They were also to go over to Stewart Hall, but they had 45 minutes. The third group had three hours to get to Stewart Hall. The students weren't aware of it, but the professor had arranged for three drama students to meet them along the way. Close to the beginning of their walk, one of the drama students had his hands on his head and was moaning aloud as if in great pain. About half way to Stewart Hall, on the steps of the chapel, the seminary students passed a man who was lying face down as if unconscious. Finally, on the steps of Stewart Hall, the third drama student was acting out a seizure. In the first group of students, those who had only 15 minutes to get across campus, no one stopped to help. In the second group, two students stopped to help. In the last group, the one that had three hours for their assignment, all of the students stopped to help at least one person. The professor had clearly shown these seminarians that hurry hinders ministry.

The disciples have been out on their own preaching, driving out demons, and anointing and healing the sick. When they return they gather around Jesus and report in. They had done good work and they must have been excited about the new authority they held in the name of Jesus. Jesus must have been excited to see his apostles too; he wanted to hear about their experiences, so he invites them to come aside. "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while," Jesus said.

What is Jesus trying to get across to his disciples? He is trying to tell them and tell you and me that:

1. We Need to Take Time to Be Present to One Another
2. Saving Time Is Not Making Time
3. Let God Give You Time

7. The Power of Memories with Dad

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

After Tim Russert's book about his father, "Big Russ & Me," became a best-seller, he received letters from daughters and sons who wanted to tell him about their own fathers. This story comes from his new book, "Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons." Russert wrote:

"A few years ago, I became the victim of a senseless, unprovoked act of violence that left several scars on my neck. I survived, and the assailant is in prison, but I will never really be the same. When I shave I see one of the scars, and, until recently, to see that scar was to trigger a visual memory of my assailant's rage-filled face.

The obvious solution was to stop shaving, but that didn't work. I began to remember the terrible event with increasing vividness, until I finally sought help.

My therapist's first question to me was, "Do you have a good relationship with your father?"

I said, "Yes. We have a great relationship."

The therapist asked if he had taught me how to shave. Before I could answer, a memory I had forgotten for many, many years popped into my head, and I smiled.

'Doctor,' I replied, 'this is so cool! I remember standing at my dad's side as a little boy, infatuated with the process of shaving. It got to the point that when he shaved in the mornings I was always there, watching him. My dad bought me a little toy razor, with a little knob on the bottom of the handle that opened the top, just like his. The blade was a piece of cardboard that looked like a razor blade.

'After that, I got to smear shaving cream all over my face and shave with my dad.'

My therapist then suggested that I think of this happier memory every time I shaved, to displace the memory of the attack.

And, indeed, the "new" memory has replaced the violent one. Now, when I shave, I feel the love my dad showed me, and I also remember what it felt like to be innocent. My shaving memory marked the start of a long journey best described as post-traumatic growth.

Precious memories are made in an instant and last forever. I am so thankful that my dad had the patience back then to let me "shave." That memory has strengthened an already strong relationship, and what made me happy then is making me a happier man today. Bless you, Dad."

8. ADJUSTABLE JUSTICE?

Illustration

G. William Genszler

Saint Paul reminds us that we ought to pray, make intercession for, and thank God for all those in authority, "so that our common life can be lived in peace and quiet." He reminds us that "those in authority are given this authority from God for the maintenance of law and order and for the punishment of evil doers." If we pray for good government, good law and order, and good schools, we must be willing to play our part as responsible citizens to stand by and support these activities. Much of the terrible lawlessness that imperils our nation is not due to lack of efficiency of our law officers. It is due to the chicken-livered foolishness and perverted sense of values so many ordinary citizens have with regard to their duty to help maintain order.

How many people will swear out a warrant when evil has been committed, or how many people will report a civil offense when they witness such an act? Yet, let those same people become a victim of foul play and they will be the first to critize those in authority. People who aren’t concerned with justice, deserve very little mercy. Never forget that the police officer, the judge, the government official, yes, even the school teacher can only be as good and efficient as you and I make it possible for them to be.

9. As a Parent I Would...

Illustration

John Drescher

We often regret the things we should have done, or done more of, with out children. So, if you want to improve the overall health of your children makes these "I would" admonitions part of your life:

I would love my wife/husband more. In the closeness of family life it is easy to take each other for granted and let a dullness creep in that can dampen even the deepest love. So, I would love the mother/father of my children more and be freer in letting them see that love.

I would develop feelings of belonging. If children do not feel that they belong in the family, they will soon find their primary group elsewhere. I would use meal times more to share happenings of the day instead of hurrying through them. I'd find more time for games or projects which all could join.

I would laugh more with my children. The best way to make children good is to make them happy. I see now that I was, many times, far too serious. I must always be careful that I do not communicate that being a parent is a constant problem.

I would be a better listener. I believe that there is a vital link between listening to children's concerns when they are young and the extent to which they will share their concerns with their parents when they are older.

I would do more encouraging. There is probably nothing that stimulates children to love life and seek accomplishment more than sincere praise when they have done well.

I would try to share God more intimately. We are not whole persons when we stress only the physical, social and intellectual aspects of life. We are spiritual beings, and if the world is to know God and his will, parents must be the primary conveyors. For my part, I would strive to share my faith with my children, using informal settings and unplanned happenings as occasions to speak of my relationship with God.

10. Who Is Jesus?

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

Now, more than ever, we need to face the question, "Who is the real Jesus?" Is the Christ of faith the Jesus of history? What is the truth about Jesus? What can we believe? We turn to the Apostles' Creed which has given the church's answer for 2,000 years.

Different Positions

It is not strange that the most popular question of our time is, "Who is Jesus?" Was this question not answered in Matthew 16:16 when Peter said to Jesus at Caesarea Philippi: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"? In Jesus' day, too, there were different opinions about Jesus. When on a retreat with his disciples, he asked them what people were saying about him. The public was divided: Jesus was considered to be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. What more of an answer do we need than the answer of Peter? Jesus accepted his answer as the truth, for he said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). Yet, after twenty centuries, we do not believe what Peter said about the identity of Jesus. According to a Gallup poll, 42 percent of Americans agreed with the statement: "Jesus is the Son of God." A recent report from Germany indicated that only one out of every four believe in Jesus Christ. Throughout Christian history down to the present, there are different views of Jesus. Now let us look at some of them.

1. The All-Human Jesus

Human

According to this position, Jesus is 100 percent human. It was held as early as the first centuries of Christianity by the Ebionites. They denied that Jesus was divine. He was only a teacher, prophet, miracle-man, and one with an outstanding character. But he was not divine, the Son of God. Today this view is held by many, including atheists, agnostics, Unitarians, Jews, Moslems, and other non-Christian religions.

2. The All-Divine Jesus

Divine

Opposite the Ebionites, Docetists held that Jesus was entirely divine. He was not at all human. This view was originally taught by Eutychus, a monk in a monastery near Constantinople. In the fourth century, Appolonarius, bishop of Laodicea, popularized the teaching. It was known as Docetism, from the Latin word docere meaning "to seem." It just seemed that Jesus was human. It was based on the idea that the physical and material were inherently evil. The human body therefore was sinful. Jesus therefore was not human, for God could not be identified with sin. Docetists held that Jesus' human nature was swallowed up by the divine. This denied the Incarnation, the biblical teaching that "the Word became flesh."

3. The Half And Half Jesus

Human/Divine

Nestorians took the view that Jesus was half human and half divine. It was taught by Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, in the fifth century. To this day it is a very popular understanding of Jesus. When we see Jesus hungry, thirsty, and tired, we say it was because he was human. When he struggles in prayer and on the cross cries out, "My God, why ...?" we see the human Jesus. On the other hand, Jesus is God when he walks on water, feeds 5,000, raises the dead, heals lepers, and rises from the grave. The problem with this view is that we have a divided Jesus -- two persons in one body.

4. The Adopted Jesus

Divine

Human

This is known as adoptionism. According to this position, Jesus came into the world as a human. Because of his moral excellence, his perfect obedience to God, his wisdom, his compassion for people, and his willing sacrifice of himself on the cross, the Father adopted him as his son at his baptism. This adoption was confirmed by the resurrection and the ascension. Jesus then became a deified man.

5. The Both And Jesus

Human & Divine

The above different positions concerning Jesus caused great concern, for the gospel was at stake. If Jesus were only human, then he was just a martyr on the cross and not the Lamb that took away the sin of the world. If he were only human, the resurrection was a fairy tale. His promises of forgiveness and eternal life were meaningless. His claims to know God and to be one with God would then be the words of a religious fanatic who was deluded into thinking he was the Son of God.

On the other hand, if Jesus were only divine and not human, humanity would be the loser. Because he was human, he became one of us. As a human, he fulfilled the law for us. Through his humanity we could see the nature of God. Above all, he became sin for us so that sin, through him, could go out of the world. As a human Jesus knows our human condition. Like all of us he was tempted and he showed that by the power of God we can overcome temptation to sin.

Consequently, the church had to take a stand on the question of Jesus. Is he only human, only divine, or half and half? In 451 A.D. the church held a council at Chalcedon to decide the issue. The church decided that it was not a matter of Jesus being fully God or fully human, or half and half, but it was a matter of both, both fully human and fully divine. To this day the church holds to this truth stated at Chalcedon:

We confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in manhood, truly God and truly man, or a rational soul and a body, of one substance with the Father with respect to the Godhead, and of one substance with us in respect of the manhood, like us in everything but sin ...

This is to say that Jesus is fully God and fully man. These two natures are blended into one integrated personality. He is not a split personality, nor does he suffer from schizophrenia. It is like a blender in your kitchen. Suppose you put apples, peaches, and pears in it and pushed the "on" button for a minute. Now what do you have -- apples, peaches, and pears? Yes, you do, but can you tell which is which? They have become one fruit, one substance. Also, it is like homogenized milk. When the raw milk comes from the farm, a dairy runs it through a homogenizer. As the milk runs through the machine, pistons compact the milk so that the cream and skim milk are made one. As a result you cannot take cream off the milk. In the same way, the human and divine natures of Jesus are compacted into one integrated person.

This means that the Father and the Son are one. When Jesus prays, God also prays. When the human Jesus suffers and dies on a cross, God is in Jesus enduring the cross. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). When the human Jesus speaks, it is also God who speaks. When Jesus weeps, God weeps. This truth makes us realize the seriousness of the cross. It was not only a human on the cross, but God was there in Jesus. Good Friday is the day God died in Jesus. Indeed, the murderers did not know what they were doing; they did not know they were killing God! As the spiritual says, "Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble."

11. Last Christmas Letter

Illustration

Martin Luther King

A great way to end your sermon might be to read Dr. King's Last Christmas Letter. I have seldom seen it referenced, since King is most often cited for his "I Have a Dream" speech. But this Christmas Letter is also a dream speech. So here it is in its entirety.

Greetings of the Season:

When the horizons of man’s destiny loom ashen and somber; when the deafening report of weaponry stuns yearnings for peace; when people are alienated from the outside society, spiritually isolated, and weary of heart; when a child is hungry, a father desperate, and a mother fearful, the beseeching question arises, where can one turn?

This year that question is so relevant and contemporary, so deeply serious and urgent for all who will face it that all of us must search now for a reasoned yet comforting answer.

We cannot deny the dreadful conditions found in our society and in the world. Global holocaust is no longer a mere technological possibility; it is a direct and escalating threat. The spirit of man everywhere has been dampened, and often his mind is engulfed in gloom. And there are millions of hungry children, defeated fathers, and frightened mothers in our land and others.

We, these people, you, all of us must have not only hope for the unknown future but also confidence in our capacity to change the menacing present. Let us put hands and heart, mind and muscle to this task. Let us not give up, for surrender and apathy are nothing but failure. In our work let us see scorn and ridicule of us for what they are, scornful and ridiculous. “Keep your hand on the plow,” the old spiritual admonishes. “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ’round,” the freedom song declares.

This is a season when we can summon that kind of determination and bold purpose required to create inner peace and to commit external acts of good will.

Peace and good will, the simplest and most elusive of dreams, the dreams of this season, begin with the individual before they can be extended to collective man. So let us begin with ourselves.

If we as individual human beings will spurn selfishness, we shall appreciate the value of true love of self, and the exhilarating beauty of living. And if we recognize that all people can become truly alive and beautiful, we will understand the cosmic truth that all men are brothers and inseparable. Then we will see where we must go and how we must live. Real brothers cannot kill each other, are incapable of oppressing each other, and are utterly unable to hate each other because they are as one in the embodiment of dignity and respect.

We who know we are brothers therefore have a duty to bring others back into the broken family of man and into our world house. In the context of the modern world we must live together as brothers or we shall perish divided as fools……

We wish you and yours a joyous Holiday and a New Year of fulfillment.

Martin Luther King, Jr., December 25, 1962

12. Labor Laws

Illustration

Staff

Do you ever feel overworked, over-regulated, under-leisured, under-benefited? Take heart. This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building. It was dated 1852.

This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.
Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.
Overshoes and topcoats may not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.
A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.
No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.
No talking is allowed during business hours.
The craving for tobacco, wine, or spirits is a human weakness, and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.
Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 and noon, but work will not on any account cease.
Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. A new sharpener is available on application to the supervisor.
The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners.
The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.

13. Undivided Attention

Illustration

Robert W. Herron

Good listening is like tuning in a radio station. For good results, you can listen to only one station at a time. Trying to listen to your spouse while looking over an office report is like trying to receive two radio stations at the same time. We end up with distortion and frustration. Listening requires a choice of where we place our attention. To tune into my partner, we must first choose to put away all that will divide our attention. That might mean laying down the newspaper, moving away from the dishes in the sink, putting down the book I'm reading, setting aside any projects.

14. Defining Moments

Illustration

John P. Jewell

Did you ever play the game "Freeze" as a child? The group is running and playing as though everything were normal and then the one who is "it" yells, "Freeze!" Everyone has to freeze exactly as they are when they hear the word. The first person to stumble or move from their "frozen position" are "it" for the next round.

There are moments in all of our lives that are frozen in time and frozen in our memories. They can be good moments, or bad moments. Moments of utter joy and moments of profound grief. Whatever else they may be, these are moments that are locked in our hearts and minds because of the power they hold.

That first kiss.
The time she said, "Yes."
The first date.
A look on the doctor's face.
The day a child was born.
The time your mortgage was approved on the first house.
The time you lost the person you loved most.

These are moments locked in place and time. We stop when these frozen moments are called to mind. The most dramatic of them all are those moments of life and death that make up the greatest most wonderful, and the worst most devastating events of our living.

"Defining" moments some folks might call them. As we gather on this Easter Sunday we celebrate the single most important defining moment of our Christian faith - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without this moment, none of the other defining moments of our lives would ever make sense.

15. Fear of Disappointment

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

Sometimes we don't open our eyes, because we're afraid we'll be disappointed in what we see, that it won't live up to our memories or expectations. It's like trying to recapture a childhood memory. Most of the time, the reality is never as good as the memory.

For example, one of my favorite meals as a teenager was to cook a cup of macaroni noodles. While they were cooking, I would sauté lots of onions. I'd throw in a can of corned beef hash, and when it was good and crispy like potato cakes, I'd add in a can of mushrooms. When all of that was done, the macaroni would be finished. I'd drain it and then mix the whole concoction together.

I tried it a couple of years ago. It was edible, but just barely. My memory of my creation was 150% better than the actual thing. That's the way some people are with opening their eyes to see Jesus. If Bartimaeus had been afraid to open his eyes, he would have blown his chance to see.

16. Meeting the Requirements to Drive

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

On his sixteenth birthday the son approached his father and asked, "Dad, I'm sixteen now. When I get my license can I drive the family car?"

His dad looked at him and said, "Son, driving the car takes maturity, and first, you must prove you are responsible enough. And one way you must do that is to bring up your grades. They are not acceptable. Secondly, you must read the Bible every day. And finally, I want you to get that haircut—it looks outrageous."

The son began the task of fulfilling his father's requirements, knowing that the last might be impossible. When his grades came out he came to his dad with a big smile. "Look, Dad, all A's and B's on my report card. Now can I drive the family car?"

"Very good, Son. You are one-third the way there, but have you been reading the Bible?" the father asked.

"Yes, Dad, everyday," said the son.

"Very good, Son. You are two-thirds of the way there. Now when are you going to get that hair cut?"

The son, thinking he could outsmart his dad, responded, "Well, I don't see why I should get my hair cut to drive the car. Jesus had long hair, didn't he?" The father looked at his boy and said, "That's right, Son, and Jesus walked everywhere he went."

17. 101 Ways to Spend Your Time

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

Becoming good at the things that build inner confidence and calm takes practice and a dash of creativity! The following list might provide some cloudseeding for a brainstorm or two of your own:

Pay off your credit cards.
Take off ten pounds or accept where you are without any more complaints.
Eat dinner together as a family for seven days in a row.
Take your wife on a dialogue date (no movie, guys).
Read your kids a classic book (Twain's a good start).
Memorize the Twenty-third Psalm as a family.
Give each family member a hug for twenty-one days in a row (that's how long the experts say it takes to develop a habit).
Pick a night of the week in which the television will remain unplugged.
Go out for a non-fast food dinner as a family.
Pray for your spouse and children every day.
Plan a vacation together.
Take a vacation together.
Read a chapter from the Bible every day until it becomes a habit.
Sit together as a family in church.
Surprise your teenager. Wash his car and fill up his gas tank.
Take an afternoon off from work; surprise your child by excusing him from school and taking him to a ball game.
Take a few hours one afternoon and go to the library as a family.
Take a walk as a family.
Write each member of your family a letter sharing why you value them.
Give your spouse a weekend getaway with a friend (same gender!) to a place of their choice.
Go camping as a family.
Go to bed early (one hour before your normal bedtime) every day for a week.
Take each of your children out to breakfast (individually) at least once a month for a year.
Turn down a promotion that would demand more time from your family than you can afford to give.
Religiously wear your seat belts.
Get a complete physical.
Exercise a little every day for a month.
Make sure you have adequate life insurance on both you and your spouse.
Write out information about finances, wills, and important business information that your spouse can use to keep things under control in the event of your death.
Make sure your family car is safe (tires, brakes, etc.) and get it tuned up.
Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm.
Put a security system in your house.
Attend the parent/teacher meetings of each child as a couple.
Help your kids with their homework.
Watch the kids on Saturday while your wife goes shopping (but if a friend calls, don't say that you're "babysitting").
Explain to your spouse exactly what you do for a living.
Put together a picture puzzle. (One thousand pieces or more.)
Take time during the week to read a Bible story to your children and then discuss it with them.
Encourage each child to submit to you his most perplexing question, and promise him that you'll either answer it or discuss it with him.
Finish fixing something around the house.
Tell your kids how you and your spouse met.
Tell your kids about your first date.
Sit down and write your parents a letter thanking them for a specific thing they did for you. (Don't forget to send it!)
Go on a shopping spree where you are absolutely committed to buying nothing.
Keep a prayer journal for a month. Keep track of the specific ways that God answers your needs.
Do some stargazing away from the city with your family. Help your children identify constellations and conclude the evening with prayer to the majestic God who created the heavens.
Treat your wife to a beauty make-over (facial, manicure, haircut, etc.). I hear they really like this.
Give the kids an alternative to watching Saturday morning cartoons (breakfast at McDonald's, garage sales, the park, chores, etc.).
Ask your children each day what they did at school (what they learned, who they ate lunch with, etc.).
After you make your next major family decision, take your child back through the process and teach him how you arrived at your decision.
Start saying to yourself "My car doesn't look so bad."
Call you wife or husband from work just to see how they're doing.
Compile a family tree and teach your children the history of their ancestors.
Walk through an old graveyard with your children.
Say no to at least one thing a day even if it's only a second piece of pie.
Write that letter to the network that broadcast the show you felt was inappropriate for prime-time viewing.
Turn off the lights and listen to a "praise" tape as you focus your thoughts on the Lord.
Write a note to your pastor praising him for something.
Take back all the books in your library that actually belong in someone else's library.
Give irritating drivers the right to pull in front of you without signaling and yelling at them.
Make every effort to not let the sun go down on your anger.
Accept legitimate criticism from your wife or a friend without reacting or defending yourself.
If your car has a Christian bumper sticker on in drive like it.
Do a Bible study on the "wise man" and the "fool" in Proverbs...and then apply what it takes to be wise to your life.
Make a list of people who have hurt your feelings over the past year...then check your list to see if you've forgiven them.
Make a decision to honor your parents, even if they made a career out of dishonoring you.
Take your children to the dentist and doctor for your wife.
Play charades with your family, but limit subjects to memories of the past.
Do the dishes for your wife.
Schedule yourself a free day to stay home with your family.
Get involved in a family project that serves or helps someone less fortunate.
As a family, get involved in a recreational activity.
Send your wife flowers.
Spend an evening going through old pictures from family vacations.
Take a weekend once a year for you and your spouse to get away and renew your friendship.
Praise your spouse and children in their presence to someone else.
Discuss a world or national problem, and ask your children for their opinion on it.
Wait up for your teenagers when they are out on dates.
Have a "quiet Saturday" (no television, no radio, no stereo...no kidding).
If your children are little, spend an hour playing with them but let them determine the game.
Have your parents tell your children about life when they were young.
Give up soap operas.
De-clutter your house.
If you have a habit of watching late night television, but have to be to work early every morning, change your habit.
Don't accept unnecessary breakfast appointments.
Write missionaries regularly.
Go through your closets and give everything that you haven't worn in a year to a clothing relief organization.
Become a faithful and frequent visitor of your church's library.
Become a monthly supporter of a Third World child.
Keep mementos, school projects, awards, etc. of each child in separate files. You'll appreciate these when they've left the nest.
Read the biography of a missionary.
Give regularly and faithfully to conscientious church endeavors.
Place with your will a letter to each family member telling why you were glad you got to share life with him or her.
Go through your old records and tapes and discard any of them that might be a bad testimony to your children.
Furnish a room (or a corner of a room) with comfortable chairs and declare it the "disagreement corner." When conflicts arise, go to this corner and don't leave until it's resolved.
Give each child the freedom to pick his favorite dinner menu at least once a week.
Go over to a shut-in's house as a family and completely clean it and get the lawn work done.
Call an old friend from your past, just to see how he or she is getting along.
Get a good friend to hold you accountable for a specific important need (Bible reading, prayer, spending time with your family, losing a few pounds, etc.).
Establish a budget.
Go to a Christian marriage enrichment seminar.

18. God's Evangelism Plans

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

The fall of Haile Selassie in 1974 did not bring the kind of peace that the Ethiopians had hoped might follow their somewhat "benevolent" dictator. They had hoped for democracy. They had hoped for freedom. What they got, instead, was a Marxist state that ruled with an iron hand. Repression was everywhere. Persecution was everywhere. The Christian church became a target of this repression and persecution. The almost 20 years of Marxist rule was a very difficult time for the Christians of Ethiopia. During the waning years of this Marxist rule an Ethiopian pastor named Yadessa addressed an American audience concerning this persecution. He told of churches being closed and of many Christians and Christian leaders being put in prison. He said that there were hardly any churches left open in the western region of Ethiopia where evangelical Christianity had been very strong.

But closed church buildings did not close down the church. "Houses became churches," Pastor Yadessa told his audience. Christianity not only survived but thrived and grew under state repression. Pastor Yadessa reminded his audience that the most significant person to be imprisoned in those years was the president of the church himself, Pastor Gudina. Pastor Gudina was jailed and released several times but he eventually died in prison, Pastor Yadessa reported. He further reported that Pastor Gudina's wife was also imprisoned. "She has adjusted to prison life very well," Pastor Yadessa said. "She sews sweaters for people and distributes Bibles that are sent to her. She and many of the other imprisoned Christians have become great evangelists in the prisons. God has God's own evangelism plans," Pastor Yadessa proclaimed with a smile.

He told another story of God's evangelism planning. At the time of his address to his American audience Pastor Yadessa was the director of evangelism for the Ethiopian Evangelical Church -- Mekane Yesus. (Mekane Yesus means "the place of Jesus.") He planned that evangelism leaders from the Addis Ababa area and evangelism leaders from the land to the West that had been so heavily persecuted should meet in a city on the border of the two areas. "Just the logistics of planning the meeting," Pastor Yadessa said, "were extremely difficult. Communication between parties was almost impossible. But," he continued, "when the day for the meeting arrived, somehow, under God's providence, all of us arrived safely." The meeting, of course, was a bit subversive in light of the state's persecution of the church. The evangelism leaders gathered, therefore, in a simple home in the city. "We were just about to start our meeting," said Pastor Yadessa, "when seven uniformed policemen barged through the door of the house. 'This is an illegal meeting,' the head of the policemen shouted at us. 'You are all under arrest. Come with us at once.' It wasn't long until all of us were locked together in prison." As Pastor Yadessa told the story he indicated that the first hour or two that the leaders were in the jail were moments of great despair. "But then," he said brightening, "we realized that God had given us a great opportunity. Here we were all together in one place with nothing to do but pray together and talk together and think about evangelism together. We found ourselves on a wonderfully unplanned evangelism retreat. God, indeed, has God's own evangelism plans that surprise and surpass our own!""

19. We Ache to Know God’s Blessings

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

In his book, Faith Works, Jim Wallis writes of a personal experience I heard him share in a class several years ago, while I was doing sabbatical study at Harvard Divinity School. Jim Wallis is a leader of the Sojourners community, intentionally located in a poor inner-city neighborhood of Washington, D.C. After living in that neighborhood for more than twenty years, Wallis found himself the victim of a mugging. Preoccupied with an upcoming speaking opportunity, Jim failed to "watch his back" as he turned the corner on a deserted street, and by the time he heard the running feet behind him, it was too late. As he turned around, he was hit by something sharp enough to open a gash over one eye, and he immediately felt the blood running down his face. Several hands pushed him to the ground, and he could hear one of his assailants shout, "Keep him down! Get his wallet! Take his money!"

Popping up quickly to face the muggers, Jim discovered that there were four of them, all young teenagers, no one more than fourteen years of age. The youth circled Jim, and the youngest one, who couldn't have been more than twelve years old, clearly had watched a lot of television, because he began to flail away at Jim with earnest but ineffectual karate kicks. Noting that the youth weren't carrying guns, Jim decided to confront them with what they were doing. "Stop it! Just stop it!" Jim scolded them. "You guys have got to quit terrorizing people like this." The young teens, taken by surprise, dropped their hands, so Jim continued, "I'm a pastor. You boys want to try and beat up a pastor and take his money? Come on ahead. Take your best shot." At that they fled down the street, but the little karate kicker turned back, looking directly in Jim's eyes with a sad expression and saying in a sincere voice, "Pastor, ask God for a blessing for me."

Who among us does not yearn for a blessing from God? Even those we are tempted to write off as too tough, too entrenched in destructive behavior—buried deep beneath the hardened exterior there is a yearning for blessing. Whether a troubled youth, one struggling with addiction, or the "respectable" person fearful of giving voice to his or her own inner struggle—whatever our situation in life, we ache to know God's blessing.

20. This is My Son, Listen to Him

Illustration

James Garrett

In the book, Unconditional Love, Father John Powell tells of a young man, Tommy, a student in his class, The Theology of Faith. Tommy turns out to be the “atheist in residence” in the course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father-God.

At the end of the course he asked in a slightly cynical tone: “Do you think I’ll ever find God?” Powell decided on a little shock therapy. “No!” he said. “Oh,” Tommy responded, “I thought that was the product you were pushing.” I let him get five steps from the door and then called out: “Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find him but I’m absolutely certain he will find you!” He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.

Later, I heard a report that Tom had graduated, and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report, Tommy had a terminal illness. Before I could search him out, he came to see me.

“Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often. I hear you are sick.”

“O yes, very sick."

“Can you talk about it?”

“Sure. What would you like to know?”

“What’s it like to be only 24 and dying?”

“Well, it could be worse.”

“Like what?”

“Well, like being 50 and having no values or ideals, like being 50 and thinking that booze, and making money are the real ‘biggies’ in life.”

“But what I really came to see you about,” Tom said, “is something you said to me on the last day of class. I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’ which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But he will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was not at all intense… at that time.

“One day I woke up, and decided to spend what time I had doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class, and remembered something else you said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without living. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ So I began with the hardest one, my dad.

“He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. ‘Dad?’ ‘Yes, what?’ he asked without lowering the newspaper. ‘Dad, I would like to talk with you.’ ‘Well, talk.’ ‘I mean, it’s really important.’ The newspaper came down three slow inches. ‘What is it?’ ‘Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.’

The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could not remember him ever doing before. He cried, and he hugged me. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me.

“It was easier with my mother and little brother. We shared things we had been keeping secret for so many years.

“Then one day I turned around, and God was there. Apparently, God does things in his own way and at his own hour.

“But the important thing is that he was there. He found me. You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for him.”

Tommy learned a universal truth. The surest way to find God is not to make him a private possession or a problem-solver. The surest way is to listen, to open ourselves up to his love and he will find us.”

21. The Doctor's Diagnosis

Illustration

Staff

Psychologist Gordon Allport once told about a patient who was dying in a hospital. The attending physicians told him quite frankly that he could not expect to be cured since the diagnosis was unknown. The only hope they offered him was that a distinguished diagnostician had been called in and was soon to give his expert opinion. The specialist arrived but needed only a little time to reach his conclusion. To the physicians in attendance and almost out of the patient's earshot he pronounced: "Moribundus." After some years, our patient, who did not die, called on the specialist to report on his good health and to thank the physician for saving his life. The ex-patient explained how the medical staff had told him that he could be cured only if the disease could be diagnosed. Therefore, he explained, he knew that he would recover as soon as he heard the consultant's diagnosis of "moribundus."

Such is the power of positive thinking.

22. Believers Together

Illustration

Life seems to be so constituted that it's our nature to need one another, to walk together with one another. This is seen in the way we band together as families and as friends, in the way we turn to one another in times of sorrow or joy, in the way we celebrate life's high moments and share the experiences which are meaningful to us.

And, if we are Christian, the fellowship of being together has dimensions of meaning never found anywhere else. Long ago, Jesus said, "Come to me." And, believing in him, people came. But this isn't all they did: as we are told in Acts 2:44, "They who believed were together ..." Not only did they come to him, they also got together with one another. They were mutually encouraged by the faith of one another and drew strength from the fellowship they shared.

Paul wrote to one of the churches: "I thank God whenever I think of you, and when I pray for you, my prayers are always joyful, because of your good fellowship in the gospel of Christ from the first day until now."

My dear friends, if we are at all sincere about this business of Christian living, there is no way to describe the values there are for us in being together - in fellowship, in shared experience, and in the adoration and worship of God.

23. Agree or Disagree

Illustration

Staff

A poll for U.S. News and World Report's found that 93% of Americans say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Of those polled, 65% say religion is losing its influence on American life, although 62% say religion is increasing its influence in their personal lives. Other findings:

The Bible is the actual word of God to be taken literally, word for word: 34%
The Bible is the inspired word of God, but not everything in it can be taken literally: 46%
The Bible is an ancient book of legends, history and moral precepts, recorded by man: 16%
God is a heavenly father who can be reached by prayers: 76%
God is an idea, not a being: 11%
God is an impersonal creator: 8%
We have to keep church and state completely separate Agree 53% Disagree 42%
There is no one set of values that is right Agree 48% Disagree 44%
Each individual must determine what is right or wrong Agree 70% Disagree 25%
The president should be a moral and spiritual leader Agree 78% Disagree 17%
Our government would be better if policies were more directed by moral values Agree 84% Disagree 9%
Individual freedom is critical to democracy in this country Agree 91% Disagree 4%
God is the moral guiding force of American democracy Agree 55% Disagree 35%

Nearly 60% of Americans say they hold their current religious beliefs because of their parents' example. More than 8 of every 10 Americans today believe that it's possible to be a good Christian or Jew even without attending a church or synagogue.

24. The Smell of a Memory

Illustration

Jeff Smith

Consider your childhood. Think of the very best times that you shared with your family, and I am sure that the dining-room table will come to mind. Remember the smell of the kitchen. Close your eyes and smell those aromas, those memories. The brain remembers odors and smells and scents better than just about anything else. Lin Yutang, the great philosopher, put it this way: “What is patriotism except the memories of the good things that we ate as a child?”

25. A John the Baptist Christmas Card

Illustration

Darrick Acre

I love receiving Christmas cards. I especially like Christmas cards with good Christian artwork on the cover. The lion with the lamb; the three wise men and the message, "Wise Men Still Seek Him;" the Madonna and child; or the star piercing the darkness over stable and manger; all are beautiful depictions of the Christmas story. Again, I am positive that as a group we have all perused thousands of Christmas cards like these. Yet I do not recall ever receiving one with John the Baptist preaching in the desert. Do you? I can picture it in my mind: a card front marred by the dead, barren wilderness of Judea out by the Jordan River, with this animated, prophetic figure as the focal point. But I have never read one that even closely resembles such a scene. Have you?

John the Baptist is totally inappropriate for the way we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus as Matthew and Luke report that holy night many years ago. Mary, Joseph, angels, manger, shepherds, wise men; a child is born unto us. Glory to God in the highest! That is what Christmas is all about. Jesus is the reason for the season. So we honor sweet, little Jesus boy, get warm fuzzies, and hug our family members. What does John the Baptist have do with Christmas?

For Mark, everything. Instead of Bethlehem and choirs of angels, he begins the story of Jesus' coming with a prophet blaring and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea. In so doing, he adds a new figure to the good news about the incarnation and coming of the Christ. It is John the Baptist. Throughout the centuries the church has recognized Mark's unique contribution through its observance of Advent in preparation for the celebration of Christmas.

26. The Devil Made Me Do It

Illustration

Michael Horton

As I mentioned earlier, the faith teachers maintain that when Adam sinned, the world was turned over to Satan. The devil became the legal owner of the planet. The faith teacher's position accommodates the Gnostic view (particularly evident in Zoroastrianism, a Persian Gnostic religion), in which a good god rules the spiritual world and a bad god rules the physical realm. In such a philosophy the problem of evil is solved by blaming everything that goes wrong on the bad god (the devil); the good god is seen as no more than a counterbalance. One is left with the impression that the two gods each possess equal power both in quality and quantity. Everything that is wrong in the world is the fault of the bad god. And it's up to the initiate or believer to make sure the good god wins. Back when Jimmy Swaggart defied the orders of the Assemblies of God to refrain from preaching for one year, he assured the public that he was free of moral defect, for, he said, Oral Roberts had cast out the demons from his body over the phone. Oral Roberts confirmed Swaggart's report, insisting he had demons and their claws deeply embedded in Swaggart's flesh. Now that the rascals were gone, Swaggart and Roberts asserted, Swaggart could get on with preparing the way for Christ's return. Evidently, personal responsibility for sin can be dismissed by blaming it on an external force. Yet Flip Wilson's famous quip, "The devil made me do it" is hardly comedy when we're talking about the biblical view of sin.

For these metaphysical evangelists, even personal sins can be attributed to the bad god, since he is, after all, sovereign over this earthly realm as the good god is relatively in charge of the spiritual domain. Here again, then, is the echo of the Gnostics of old. When that heresy was revived toward the end of the medieval period, Calvin said, "They made the devil almost the equal of God." In this way, the problem of sin is replaced with the problem of Satan. It is facing Satan, not my own sin and rebelliousness, that becomes the great task of the Christian life. I'm not the problem the Devil is!

27. The Matchmaker

Illustration

King Duncan

This oldie but goodie came out of London during the Olympics in 2012:

Benjamin the Tailor, lived in a small town outside London, and his wife wanted a husband for their daughter Becky. She was a nice girl, not beautiful or overly sharp, mind you, but good-hearted and deserving of a happy life.

They hired a Jewish Matchmaker. He had no luck. The interest just wasn’t there. In one of his progress reviews, Benjamin told him he was dissatisfied, and unless he had some progress to report, their relationship was over.

The Matchmaker said: “No, there’s progress. I think I have a husband for Becky.”

“And who is this young man?” Benjamin asked.

The matchmaker replied: “The Queen’s grandson, Prince Harry.”

Benjamin thought for a moment, and then said, “Prince Harry is not a Jew.”

“He’ll convert.”

“Prince Harry is a wild young man.”

“That was then. Now, he wants a wife and family.”

“And the children?”

‘‘Naturally, they’ll be raised in the Faith.”

“Anything else?” asked Benjamin.

“Yes, I think the Queen wants to offer you an apartment in Buckingham Palace so you can be near the extended family.”

“Very well then,” said Benjamin, extending his hand, “Prince Harry may marry Becky.”

They shook hands and the Matchmaker walked out on the little porch and started down the stairs. He clapped his hands together, smiled, and said: “Half sold!

28. Essential Faith

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Faith is central to all of life. For example, you go to a doctor whose name you cannot pronounce and whose degrees you have never verified. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you do not know. He gives you a chemical compound you do not understand. Then you go home and take the pill according to the instructions on the bottle. All in trusting, sincere faith!

29. Parable of Grading the Teacher

Illustration

Staff

"Bill, you will never get into college, if you settle for C's on your report card."

"Dad, I work hard, but that new teacher just can't explain things right. He's only a "C" teacher. Everyone in the class says he doesn't know how to teach."

"What seems to be wrong with his teaching?" asked the father.

"He doesn't have time for questions, he talks about too many other things than the lesson and he can't seem to explain the subject very well. Maybe he will learn after a few years, but it will be too late for us."

Truly, giving grades is a real problem to teachers and many students do acquire knowledge more easily than others. But the skill of teaching depends on both the teacher and the students communicating with each other freely in the exchange of knowledge.

Students, who are afraid to ask questions or who feel intimidated by severity, deter the process. Teachers, who lack self-confidence, often try to cover their failures with an unnecessary severity in grades.

Good teachers win the love and respect of the students by clear illustrations, that all may understand. Through a willingness to accept criticism, the teacher proves democracy and eases the admission of ignorance on the part of the student in regards to any particular lesson.

The real concern of both the student and the teacher to gain knowledge is a necessary blessing in the art of education. Love is at work in both discipline and direction that goes with factual knowledge in the happy classroom Good teachers are the treasures of our society and must win and receive respect by their own good examples."

30. Everyone Wants a Winner

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

Bishop Ernest Fitzgerald tells about a slightly crooked Texan who was a big racer of horses. He took one of his prize thoroughbreds to London for an international race. The Texan was back in the stable area prior to the race feeding his horse some suspicious-looking little white pills. The Duke of Marlborough who also had a horse in the race, happened to see what the Texan was doing. "My good man," he said, "Don't you know that that is illegal. You cannot give a horse any performance-enhancing drugs. I will have to report you."

The Texan said, "wait a minute, Duke. These are nothing but little sugar pills." with that, the Texan popped one into his mouth and began chewing it. He handed one to the Duke who chewed it and said, "Yes, it does taste like sugar. I'm afraid I falsely accused you, my man. Please forgive me." "Think nothing of it," said the Texan. The Duke headed back to the grandstands.

Just then the jockey walked up who was to ride the Texan's horse. The Texan said to him, "Now listen to my instructions and you can't help but win. As soon as the race begins, get this horse into an outside lane, because there is nothing here that can catch him, except me and the Duke of Marlborough."

You and I have something in common with that Texan. We want to back a winner in every phase of our living.

31. Blessed Are They Who Find Christmas

Illustration

James Garrett

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the age-old story of a babe born in Bethlehem. To them a little child will always mean hope and promise to a troubled world.

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the Christmas star. Their lives may ever reflect its beauty and light.

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the joy of giving lovingly to others.They shall share the gladness and joy of the shepherds and wise men of old.

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the fragrant greens, the cheerful holly and soft flicker of candles. To them shall come bright memories of love and happiness.

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the happy music of Christmas time. They shall have a song of joy ever singing in their hearts.

Blessed are they who find Christmas in the message of the Prince of Peace. They will ever strive to help him bring peace on earth, good will to men (author unknown).

32. A Good Mom

Illustration

Andrew M. Greeley

Once upon a time there was a Mom, who tried her best to be a good Mom and to be fair with all her children. Her children, like all children, didn't really appreciate this and were always telling her she did more for one or the other of them than she did for all of them. "You love her (him) more than you do me", was an oft heard refrain from one or the other. Though the Mom felt bad about her children's reaction, she just continued to do the best she could to keep them all satisfied. She encouraged their individual talents, seeing them as God-given gifts that needed her encouragement. When they reached adulthood and were out on their own, each one doing his or her own thing, she often wondered if she could have done something else to discourage sibling rivalry.

Imagine her surprise one Mother's Day, when she was well up in years, when each child told a story about a time when she made them feel so loved that they were able to take the necessary steps to succeed in some project. They said that these memories have been a powerful force in their everyday lives and in how they try to parent their children. They ended their storytelling by singing "A Mother's Love is a Blessing!"

33. The Long Road to Forgiveness

Illustration

Jim Cymbala, with Dean Merrill

One day, a woman named Amalia came to Pastor Jim Cymbala’s office at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. She began to tell him her life story. Amalia’s father had been a violent alcoholic who beat Amalia’s mother. One night, to protect her mother from another beating, Amalia traded bedrooms with her mother. That night, Amalia’s father began molesting her. Soon, the only way to keep Amalia’s father from beating her mother was to allow him to molest little Amalia. After many years of this abuse, Amalia married a young man in her building and moved out. Amalia’s new husband introduced her to the pleasures of drug use, and soon she was hooked. Their marriage ended, and she found work as a stripper. After giving birth to a baby boy, Vinnie, Amalia decided that she needed to make some changes if she was going to be a good mother to her little son. And here was the point of her visit: Amalia wanted to know if God could really accept her after all she’d done, and if He could change her life. Through the prayers and guidance of the Brooklyn Tabernacle prayer group, Amalia became a Christian. God healed her feelings of shame, her depression, her nightmares, and her memories of abuse. A few months after her conversion, Amalia found her father and forgave him for all he had done to her.

34. They Were Only Children

Illustration

Brett Blair and Billy D. Strayhorn

Many years ago a Philadelphia congregation watched as three 9-year-old boys were baptized and joined the church. Not long after, because of dwindling membership, the church sold the building and disbanded.

One of those three boys was Tony Campolo, who became an author and Christian sociologist professor at Eastern College in Pennsylvania. Listen to this short story as he tells it: "Years later when I was doing research in the archives of our denominations, I decided to look up the church report for the year of my baptism. There was my name, and Dick White's. He's now a missionary. Bert Newman, now a professor of theology at an African seminary, was also there. Then I read that church's report for the year of our baptism. It read: 'It has not been a good year for our church. We have lost 27 members. Three joined, and they were only children.'"

Now, not everyone who is baptized grows up to be a Tony Campolo or a Seminary professor like Bert Newman. And while we might not go on the mission field like Dick White, we all become missionaries through the water of our baptism because, that water is the water of life. It changes everything. It cleans us up and gives us a starting over point. And it reminds us just how much we are loved. And all we're asked to do is drink deep from the water of life.

Mark starts his gospel, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." I like that. It tells me every Baptism is a beginning. Every Christian is a new chance to tell the story of the beginning of the Gospel.

35. Black Sheep

Illustration

Staff

Even that first famous Adams generation (children of 2nd president John Adams, 1735-1826) had more than its share of black sheep. John and Abigail's eldest child, Abigail, married a good-for-nothing and at her death left her children to their care. Son Charles married the sister of his spendthrift brother-in-law, dissipated family funds, died of alcoholism and left his widow to the care of his parents. Son Thomas Boylston also became an alcoholic, again bequeathing his children to the care of the family. Though John Quincy (1767-1848) turned out well, he and his unhappy wife Louisa hardly went unscathed. Their first son was an alcoholic and committed suicide at the age of 31. Their next son was expelled from college, failed in business and died of an alcohol-related illness.

Only their youngest son, Charles Francis (1807-86), reacted against the family pattern by his exemplary sobriety, his prudence in business and fervent dedication to his wife and children. He spent years writing the biography and editing the words of his grandfather John Adams. But he concluded, "The history of my family is not a pleasant one to remember. It is one of great triumphs in the world but of deep groans within, one of extraordinary brilliancy and deep corroding mortification." (quote from Charles Francis Adams, grandson of 2nd President John Adams, son of 6th president John Quincy Adams, in U.S. News and World Report, Dec 12, 1988)

36. A Man Who Would Be God

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

It was to be his first trip back to China. He was born in China to missionary parents in the 1930s. When his parents had to flee China and return to the States because of the Second World War, however, Tom Stone came with them. And he had never been back; never seen the land of his birth -- until his journey in the 1990s. As the plane landed in Beijing his heart began to pound. What would it be like? Would he remember anything? What would he discover about himself in this land of his birth?

Tom Stone took in China like a breath of fresh air. He loved so very much of what it was. The Great Wall. China's bustling cities. The gentle people. The vast landscape. Wonderful! Breathtaking! Exciting! How good it was to be home again. He found China much to his liking except for one thing -- one thing that he had not expected to find. He thought the great Chairman Mao Tse-tung was dead and gone. Not so. It seemed like he ran into the image of the Chairman at every turn.

Tom knew that Chairman Mao had written The Little Red Book as a kind of "bible" of his thoughts. Tom assumed that The Little Red Book was a thing of the past, tucked away with memories of the Chairman. But it was not so. The Little Red Book was for sale everywhere. The Chairman's "bible" functioned like the "bible" for many Chinese people.

If it wasn't The Little Red Book that reminded Tom Stone of the Chairman there were plenty of other reminders. Aluminum buttons with Mao's picture on it were abundantly evident. He saw them everywhere on people's clothing. People wore them proudly as a way to venerate their great ancestor. "Was this just nostalgia?" Tom wondered, "or are these people looking to Mao as a kind of god?"

Once he had become aware of the presence of Mao, Tom Stone found him everywhere. Posters and portraits of the Chairman were omnipresent. "Why do you hang his picture like that?" Tom asked one day. "Mao's picture helps to ward off evil spirits," he was told. Elsewhere Tom saw a woman trudging up the streets caressing a tiny bronze statue of Mao. "Mao made us proud of China," the woman said to Tom. "Our leaders now dishonor his name."

Tom Stone had discovered that for millions and millions of Chinese citizens Mao Tse-tung still lives and is believed to exercise supernatural powers on behalf of his people. Perhaps the greatest sign of all this was the way in which Mao had become the "St. Christopher" of China. Nearly every taxi he entered and every truck that he saw carrying goods for the life blood of modern day China, prominently displayed a portrait of Chairman Mao. His face dangled from rear view mirrors or was plastered on the dash board of their vehicles. Mao Tse-tung was, indeed, respected and venerated as a godlike man.

Tom Stone had read much on China. He had read much on Mao Tse-tung. He knew that Chairman Mao sought to portray himself to his people as one larger than life. Mao was a man who was sorely tempted to reach for the stars. He was a mortal who reached for immortality. He was a man who would be god. Millions of Chinese people today firmly believe that Mao was, indeed, a man who would be god."

37. Long-Term Learning

Illustration

Elden M. Chalmers

Do you feel as if you're a million years behind in one or more of your classes? Do you have trouble recalling anything when you hear the word "test"? You might do better if you tried a few simple learning techniques. When you study, what position are you in? Research shows lying down is the poorest position for learning. Sitting up is much better. Standing while learning is better still. And walking while learning is best of all, provided you're in familiar territory and don't stumble over anything. And if you are firmly gripping something while in any of these positions, they you increase the level of learning for that position. So the best position would be to walk while gripping your book. Another tip is to study in the place where you will have to recall the material. Studies show that environmental cues help trigger our memories.

It's so important, whenever possible, to sleep following your study. Unless you are very fatigued, you'll find it best to study at night and review in the morning. Sleep improves retention greatly because the brain has time to consolidate the material without added interference. So if you are studying for a lot of tests, it would be good for you to take a nap several times a day.

When you're studying a series of subjects, one right after another, make sure the subjects are dissimilar. If you finish studying Spanish, don't switch right to English. Students who have recall problems on tests should check their diets it's recommended they cut out all sugar and make sure they're getting enough vitamins. You won't believe the difference it makes in your grades.

We have two memory processes in our brain. Our short-term memory is designed to handle details we need for a brief time, but don't want to clutter our minds with forever. Facts we want to remember indefinitely are processed in the area of the brain set aside for long-term memory. To send material to the long-term segment of the brain, repetition and drill are very important. If you review any given bit of information for as long as 60 minutes, even over the course of a few days, that material will register almost indefinitely.

If you had two hours to spend in studying a subject, should you do it in one sitting or should you break up the time into 10-, 15- or 20-minute segments? Breaking up the time will improve your learning efficiency.

There are a couple of additional tips that may help you. First, in serial learning, where you have a long list or a whole chapter to master, the first part will be easiest to remember and the last is the next easiest. So if you want to remember everything equally well, spend a little extra time on the part just past the middle. The last little trick involves "chunking." The average brain has the capacity for holding seven bits of information at any given instant for immediate recall. Knowing this fact, you can make things easier by dividing up a chapter into five parts and then divide each of those parts into five, and so on. You should be able to amass a greater amount of material in a far shorter time and be able to recall it.

38. Parable of the Garden Hose

Illustration

Staff

"I'm selling garden hose," said the little boy. "It's ten cents a foot."

"Wonderful," said the neighbor, "I'll take thirty feet."

"Alright," said the little boy, who began to measure the amount of hose with his own feet.

"Just a minute, son," said the neighbor. "You need a ruler or a tape measure."

"No," said the boy, "I use my own feet to measure with. I make more money that way."

There are many men in business who find ways to give 9 1/2 pounds of potatoes in a 10 pound bag or get an extra bag of strawberries out of a crate by repacking them. The steel industry and others also have their ways. The automotive business with its extra charge for accessories all scheme to make things look different than the original measurement.

Many church goers also report their giving in relationship to income tax by a different standard than that which appears in the reports of church treasurers. We cheat ourselves out of the Kingdom of Heaven by dishonest measurements.

It was good that the neighbor pointed out the boy's mistaken way of measuring; but he also was buying the hose at a bargain price without inquiring where the hose came from.

Happy living depends upon a sound standard and generous giving in substance, in service, in friendship and in loving.

39. Are We Too Late

Illustration

Brett Blair

The following study should alarm us adults and cause us to do something NOW to reverse this looming crisis. Here's the study:

A group of educators and scholars, alarmed at soaring rates of teenage homicides, suicides and out-of-wedlock births, attacked what it called the "timidity" of schools in instilling good character traits in the young. The 27 academics warned that "schools in general are not doing enough to counter the symptoms of serious decline in youth character." The report, "Developing Character: Transmitting Knowledge," cited government statistics showing that out-of-wedlock births females ages 15-19 have increased 800 percent since 1940, and the rate of death by homicide for males, 15-24 climbed 315 percent.

A horrible outlook. But perhaps we are too late, since this report was published by the Spokesman-Review, in November of 1984.

40. A Reminder Where Our Hearts Belong

Illustration

Wm. McCord

Since Thanksgiving, the shopping malls have been telling us that "It's the most wonderful time of the year." And it is - for them. For many others, however, it is a mixed bag. Christmas isn't what it was when I was a child and never will be again. I'm an adult; it's different; it just is. In this economically difficult time, many have lost jobs or seen their investments and securities dwindle unsure of what the future holds.

Perhaps we have not been able to do what we might have liked to have done for Christmas. Many husbands and wives, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, are serving in harm's way and are not able to be with family this Christmas. There are those living with illness or with grief at the death of a loved one sorrow intensified during this season of memories of Christmases past and high, perhaps unrealistic, expectations of what Christmas is supposed to be. There might be those who are just as happy to have the celebration done with and over.

In this season of gift giving and all that pulls and tugs on our hearts, may we remember the good gifts that the Creator has given us, the sun and the moon, this good earth with all its blessings of sky and water, plants and animals, this incredible gift of life, of flesh and blood, of breath and memory, this day, this moment, and all those who people our lives, both joy and sorrow, and all that it means for us to be fully human, fully alive. And, above all, may we remember the gift of the Word made flesh sent to save us, to heal us, to bring us joy, to bring us back to God's own self.

41. Loving Ourselves

Illustration

James McCormick

She was a beautiful Scandinavian girl. She had come to the hotel room of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Trobisch for counseling, just one day after they had given a lecture at one of the universities of northern Europe. As they talked about her problems, one basic issue kept coming up – one that seemed to be at the root at all her problems. She could not love herself! In fact, she hated herself so much that she was only a step away from ending her own life. She had been raised in a very religious home. Her parents were sincere, no doubt, but they had given her a terribly distorted understanding of the Christian life. Because of what her parents and pastors had taught her, she was afraid of affirming any good thing about herself. She was afraid that self-appreciation would lead to pride, and pride would lead to alienation from God. So, for her, the life of faith required self-depreciation – putting herself down! She believed that rejection of the self was the only way to God!

That's why her religious convictions led her to the brink of suicide. During the counseling session there in the hotel room, Dr. Trobisch led her to a mirror where he asked her to look carefully at her image. She turned away, unable to look at herself. He held her head gently but firmly and made her look into her own eyes. Obviously the experience was painful for her emotionally. Dr. Trobisch asked her to repeat after him: “I am a beautiful girl – I am a beautiful girl." But she couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it - because in her eyes that was sinful.

Where did we ever get the idea that to affirm ourselves, to appreciate ourselves is wrong? Certainly we didn't get that from Jesus. When we read the gospels carefully, we discover that Jesus went around day after day looking for the good in people, pointing it out to them, and asking them to celebrate it. And, in the scripture from the 22nd chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells us to love our neighbors. How? As we love ourselves. Notice that Jesus does not say we are to love our neighbors instead of ourselves. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. It is inarguable: Jesus wants us to love ourselves!

42. 2020 Vision

Illustration

Staff

According to the market-research group Nielsen, adults spend over 11 hours per day interacting with media. That's up from 9 hours and 32 minutes just four years ago. Of that 11 hours, 4 hours and 46 minutes are spent watching TV. According to an oft-cited report by Common Sense Media, teens spend an average of 9 hours per day interacting with media, not including time spent for school or homework. For kids ages 8-12, the same Common Sense Media survey report found that they spent 6 hours per day interacting with media. Kids ages 2-5 spend around 32 hours per week in front of a screen (e.g., watching TV, videos, gaming).

Guidelines:

A. Priorities: TV should not come before personal and family devotions, church responsibilities, schoolwork, or household chores.
B. Personal growth: TV should not become a substitute for reading good books nor replace family sharing.
C. Principles: TV programs should be rejected if they; 1) present violence as a legitimate way of achieving goals. 2) Approve of adultery, homosexuality, or sex before marriage, either directly or by implication. 3) Reflect a negative attitude toward the sacredness of the family and fidelity in marriage. 4) Minimize the seriousness of such sins as murder, violence, dishonesty, greed, lust, profanity, and immorality.

The 39,000 member American Academy of Pediatrics says too much TV watching by your children can turn them violent, aggressive or overweight and possibly all three. In their statement on kids and TV, the pediatricians advised the nation's parents to reduce their children's video-viewing by at least half. Data from the A.C. Nielsen Co. confirm the above data. Children aged 2 to 5 currently watch about 32 hours of TV a week; Preteen and teen are spending even more since our world has turned to video for so much of our social interactions.

Let's do the math. If video interaction now stands at 11 hours a day that's...

4,000 hours a year
280,000 hours by the time we are 70 years of age.

There are 8760 hours in a year. So, how many years of our lives will we have spent in front of the screen? I'll give you a moment to do the math.

A staggering 32 years of our lives, of our children's lives, will have been spent in front of the screen. Is that what we want? I don't think so. We have to do something now. Make new rules. Shut the things off! We adults need to stop modeling this behavior. Here's a simple rule: No gaming or TV during the school year Monday through Thursday. None.

That's one suggestion but action needs to be taken. Obviously, it's not going away and it is the new world we live in but relationships, healthy social skills and studies should be a priority over the new entertainment. Find that balance in your family and stick to it.

43. We Can Take Control

Illustration

King Duncan

One stressful day, Eric Fellman and his sons set out late in the afternoon to do a little fishing. As he backed the boat into the water, Fellman realized that he had forgotten to unhook part of the trailer from the boat. The boat tipped over and began to fill with water. As Fellman jumped out of the car to survey the situation, he accidentally hit the electric lock, locking his keys inside the still-running car.

Everything was a mess! Most of the live bait had escaped into the lake, the boat was almost full of water, and their lunches were effectively drowned. Eric's natural instinct was to get very angry and throw a fit. That's certainly what his sons were expecting. But suddenly, he wondered what Jesus would do in his place.

He realized that Jesus must have faced a similar situation when he ran into the fishermen who had just come in from a disappointing night of fishing. Although they had given up for the day, Jesus convinced them to go out again. And, of course, they caught a whole boat-load of fish. With this thought inspiring his mind, Fellman figured out how to pop open a window and unlock his car. Then he proceeded to unhitch the boat.

Although they only had three minnows left for baiting their hooks, Eric and his sons set out to fish. Within minutes, Eric got a tug on his line. Twenty minutes later, after a fierce tug of war, he reeled in a gargantuan large mouthbass. His sons were ecstatic. And all the excitement and good memories never would have happened if Eric Fellman hadn't consciously decided to change his attitude and start all over.

We are not mere puppets forever jerked around by our emotions. We can take control.

44. When We Fail to Listen

Illustration

Brett Blair

A certain public school superintendent passed down a verbal set of instructions to his assistant concerning the appearance of Halley's Comet a few years back. The superintendent said:

Next Thursday at 10:30 a.m., Halley's Comet will appear over this area. This is an event that occurs only once every 75 years. Call the school principals and have them assemble their teachers and classes on their athletic fields, and explain the phenomena to them. If it rains, then cancel the day's observation and have the classes meet in the auditorium to see a film about the Comet.

The assistant superintendent telephoned the school principals with this message: By order of the superintendent of schools, next Thursday Halley's Comet will appear over your athletic field at 10:30 a.m. If it rains, then cancel the day's classes and report to the auditorium with your teachers and students, where you will be shown films, a phenomenal event which occurs only once every 75 years.

The principals told their teachers the following: By order of the phenomenal superintendent of schools, at 10:30 a.m. next Thursday, Halley's Comet will appear in the auditorium. In case of rain over the athletic field, the superintendent will give another order—something which occurs only once in every 75 years.

The teachers then told their students: Next Thursday at 10:30 a.m., the superintendent of schools will appear in our school auditorium with Halley's Comet—something which occurs every 75 years. If it rains, the superintendent will cancel the Comet and will order us out on our phenomenal athletic field.

By the time the message was taken home to parents by the students and it sounded like this: When it rains next Thursday at 10:30 a.m. over the school's athletic field, the phenomenal 75 year-old superintendent of schools will cancel all classes, and appear before the student body in the auditorium, accompanied by Bill Haley and the Comets.

When we fail to listen, we misinterpret or modify what we have heard. It is then that chaos and confusion come in. We practice selective listening and hear only what we want to hear! Good Shepherds listen carefully, attentively, and intentionally to the voice of the Master Shepherd. In listening to Jesus, we hear the instruction, guidance, and sensitivity we need in relating to members of our flock.

45. Meet in the Middle

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

Shortly after the turn of the century, Japan invaded, conquered, and occupied Korea. Of all of their oppressors, Japan was the most ruthless. They overwhelmed the Koreans with a brutality that would sicken the strongest of stomachs. Their crimes against women and children were inhuman. Many Koreans live today with the physical and emotional scars from the Japanese occupation.

One group singled out for concentrated oppression was the Christians. When the Japanese army overpowered Korea one of the first things they did was board up the evangelical churches and eject most foreign missionaries. It has always fascinated me how people fail to learn from history. Conquering nations have consistently felt that shutting up churches would shut down Christianity. It didn't work in Rome when the church was established, and it hasn't worked since. Yet somehow the Japanese thought they would have a different success record.

The conquerors started by refusing to allow churches to meet and jailing many of the key Christian spokesmen. The oppression intensified as the Japanese military increased its profile in the South Pacific. The "Land of the Rising Sum" spread its influence through a reign of savage brutality. Anguish filled the hearts of the oppressed and kindled hatred deep in their souls.

One pastor persistently entreated his local Japanese police chief for permission to meet for services. His nagging was finally accommodated, and the police chief offered to unlock his church ... for one meeting. It didn't take long for word to travel. Committed Christians starving for an opportunity for unhindered worship quickly made their plans. Long before dawn on that promised Sunday, Korean families throughout a wide area made their way to the church. They passed the staring eyes of their Japanese captors, but nothing was going to steal their joy. As they closed the doors behind them they shut out the cares of oppression and shut in a burning spirit anxious to glorify their Lord.

The Korean church has always had a reputation as a singing church. Their voices of praise could not be concealed inside the little wooden frame sanctuary. Song after song rang through the open windows into the bright Sunday morning. For a handful of peasants listening nearby, the last two songs this congregation sang seemed suspended in time. It was during a stanza of "Nearer My God to Thee" that the Japanese police chief waiting outside gave the orders. The people toward the back of the church could hear them when they barricaded the doors, but no one realized that they had doused the church with kerosene until they smelled the smoke. The dried wooden skin of the small church quickly ignited. Fumes filled the structure as tongues of flame began to lick the baseboard on the interior walls. There was an immediate rush for the windows. But momentary hope recoiled in horror as the men climbing out the windows came crashing back in their bodies ripped by a hail of bullets.

The good pastor knew it was the end. With a calm that comes from confidence, he led his congregation in a hymn whose words served as a fitting farewell to earth and a loving salutation to heaven. The first few words were all the prompting the terrified worshipers needed. With smoke burning their eyes, they instantly joined as one to sing their hope and leave their legacy. Their song became a serenade to the horrified and helpless witnesses outside. Their words also tugged at the hearts of the cruel men who oversaw this flaming execution of the innocent.

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for such a worm as I?
Just before the roof collapsed they sang the last verse,
their words an eternal testimony to their faith.
But drops of grief can ne'er repay
the debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away
'Tis all that I can do!
At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.

The strains of music and wails of children were lost in a roar of flames. The elements that once formed bone and flesh mixed with the smoke and dissipated into the air. The bodies that once housed life fused with the charred rubble of a building that once housed a church. But the souls who left singing finished their chorus in the throne room of God. Clearing the incinerated remains was the easy part. Erasing the hate would take decades. For some of the relatives of the victims, this carnage was too much. Evil had stooped to a new low, and there seemed to be no way to curb their bitter loathing of the Japanese.

In the decades that followed, that bitterness was passed on to a new generation. The Japanese, although conquered, remained a hated enemy. The monument the Koreans built at the location of the fire not only memorialized the people who died, but stood as a mute reminder of their pain.

Inner rest? How could rest coexist with a bitterness deep as marrow in the bones? Suffering, of course, is a part of life. People hurt people. Almost all of us have experienced it at some time. Maybe you felt it when you came home to find that your spouse had abandoned you, or when your integrity was destroyed by a series of well-timed lies, or when your company was bled dry by a partner. It kills you inside. Bitterness clamps down on your soul like iron shackles.

The Korean people who found it too hard to forgive could not enjoy the "peace that passes all understanding." Hatred choked their joy.

It wasn't until 1972 that any hope came. A group of Japanese pastors traveling through Korea came upon the memorial. When they read the details of the tragedy and the names of the spiritual brothers and sisters who had perished, they were overcome with shame. Their country had sinned, and even though none of them were personally involved (some were not even born at the time of the tragedy), they still felt a national guilt that could not be excused. They returned to Japan committed to right a wrong. There was an immediate outpouring of love from their fellow believers. They raised ten million yen ($25,000). The money was transferred through proper channels and a beautiful white church building was erected on the sight of the tragedy. When the dedication service for the new building was held, a delegation from Japan joined the relatives and special guests.

Although their generosity was acknowledged and their attempts at making peace appreciated, the memories were still there. Hatred preserves pain. It keeps the wounds open and the hurts fresh. The Koreans' bitterness had festered for decades. Christian brothers or not, these Japanese were descendants of a ruthless enemy. The speeches were made, the details of the tragedy recalled, and the names of the dead honored. It was time to bring the service to a close. Someone in charge of the agenda thought it would be appropriate to conclude with the same two songs that were sung the day the church was burned. The song leader began the words to "Nearer My God to Thee."

But something remarkable happened as the voices mingled on the familiar melody. As the memories of the past mixed with the truth of the song, resistance started to melt. The inspiration that gave hope to a doomed collection of churchgoers in a past generation gave hope once more. The song leader closed the service with the hymn "At the Cross." The normally stoic Japanese could not contain themselves. The tears that began to fill their eyes during the song suddenly gushed from deep inside. They turned to their Korean spiritual relatives and begged them to forgive. The guarded, calloused hearts of the Koreans were not quick to surrender. But the love of the Japanese believers not intimidated by decades of hatred tore at the Koreans' emotions.

At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away ...

One Korean turned toward a Japanese brother. Then another. And then the floodgates holding back a wave of emotion let go. The Koreans met their new Japanese friends in the middle. They clung to each other and wept. Japanese tears of repentance and Korean tears of forgiveness intermingled to bathe the site of an old nightmare. Heaven had sent the gift of reconciliation to a little white church in Korea.

46. The World Needs Men

Illustration

Charles Swindoll

THE WORLD NEEDS MEN...

who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."

47. For the Right Reasons

Illustration

King Duncan

In her book, Memories of War, Promises of Peace, Sister Mary Jo Leddy writes about her parents' World War II experiences. Her father, Jack, was a surgeon in the Allied army. Jack, stationed in a French town, often went to a nearby church for rest, refuge, sanctuary and prayer. For him it was a special and holy place. Forty years later, he returned to the village with his wife and daughters, insisting that they all visit the precious chapel.

When they reached the church, Leddy was delighted and wanted to go inside right away. But the family was horrified by the homeliness of the building. Ugly was the word. The walls were beige stones, stained and covered with fungus. On the roof was something that looked more like a chimney than a bell tower. In any case, there was no bell to ring. Not a single flower or blade of grass grew in the grim clay ground around. Mother and daughters criticized the church's appearance. They remarked that it was like a scene from a Gothic horror movie.

Leddy's Dad looked at them rather blankly. In 1944, he had never really noticed what the church looked like. "It looked pretty good at the time," he said. "It was a place to go and pray." Leddy eventually came around to her father's viewpoint. Speaking of the church she writes: "This was where he was at home in the world, where he knew who he was with God."

It is amazing how much better a church looks when you are there for the right reasons. Some people use putdowns, and criticism to keep from confronting their own spiritual poverty.

48. Lost and Found

Illustration

Everyone has lost something at one time or another. There is even a website now at www.lostandfound.com that acts as a global ‘lost and found' box. Users can report items missing and users can report items found. It is a good example of how technology can help people connect in a useful way. This is a gateway site for all of the physical things that can be retrieved and returned to their rightful owners. According to their statistics, about twice as many objects have been reported lost as have been reported found in the U.S. So, the site's users are losing things at twice the rate they are finding them.

Haven't we all had the experience of losing things that we know deep down we will never recover? Depending on the situation, we can feel disappointed, heartbroken, hopeless, or simply discouraged by our own inability to keep up with things. Isn't it a wonderful relief to know that we will never fall into the ‘Lost Forever' category? Isn't it reassuring to know that God will never give up on us? Let us include a word of thanks in our prayers this week to acknowledge how grateful we are for that kind of gracious love.

49. Parable of Cutting Tile

Illustration

The boy watched his father cutting an expensive furnace tile. "Let me try that," he said.

"No," said the father, "a wrong cut will ruin the expensive tile."

"Then I'll watch." He saw his father draw the line in black chalk, place the chisel carefully on the line and repeatedly tap his blows. First lightly, as he circled the tile slowly, and then heavier blows were made.

"It looks to me," said the boy, "like you are getting nowhere. You haven't begun to cut through."

"Watch," said the father. After a number of blows carefully repeated, the father gave one hard blow and the tile separated with a perfect cut.

"Why didn't you hit it that hard in the first place?" asked the boy.

"It would have ruined the tile and made it worthless," said the father. "All those earlier blows set the pattern for the final one."

There are many things in life that seem repetitious and sometimes worthless but they set the stage for the truly important decisions in life. The drinking habits of Gideon's army determined which ones were chosen for battle.

Our habits of regular worship, of daily cleanliness and friendly enthusiams, of genuine kindness may provide many seemingly unimportant experiences, but they lead along the pathway to true greatness. The development of the human soul in sincere faith and loving kindness is important all through life and the Heavenly Father knows our times of sorrow and our times of joy and rejoices in the growth of each human soul.

50. Staying Ready

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

There is praise here for the servant who is ready when the Lord returns, and He is going to return. We don't know when or how, but you can't read the New Testament faithfully and miss that message.

Do you remember that hilarious scene in one of Peter DeVries' novels? A character named Stan Waltz is terrified by the deafening night-time explosion of a fireworks factory in the town. Persuaded by his wife, who belongs to a fundamentalist Christian sect, that it is the second coming of Christ, Stan hastily baptizes himself under the cold water faucet in the kitchen, just in case.

Some people relate to the Second Coming in that fashion. And in some quarters of the church, there is almost perverted pre-occupation with the issue.

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