| Day 84: Destined for Suffering! |
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The first 2 chapters of 1Thessalonians is about how the gospel was brought to the Thessalonian people and how Paul is impressed with them and how Paul and they suffered while they were together. The interesting thing to me is what Paul tells them at the beginning of chapter 3: 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 3:2And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. Paul tells them that hos suffering were "appointed". In other words, his suffering was planned ahead of time. Anyone who thinks that God does not bring suffering on his people for his glory is not paying close enough attention to what the scripture says. Paul basically says that the Thessalonians shouldn't be surprised to see him suffer. He says in the next verse "see....I told you it was coming" (my paraphrase). Our suffering as Christians is for God's glory and our good. We don't like to think of God as causing our suffering or planning it out for us ahead of time. What do we do when we encounter suffering in our lives? Do we get depressed or do we thank God for an opportunity to experience growth even through pain?
Chapter 1 of 2Thessalonians takes things a step further. 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 1:5 [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Suffering is a gift from God that shows to the world that He has found us worthy of the kingdom! He sends us trials and then gives us patience and faith to endure them!
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are about how a man of God should conduct himself, how the people of the church should live, the qualifiactions for various positions in the church and how people should conduct themselves when gathered together. I think the main thing in all of these books can be found in chapter 1 of 1Timothy.
1:5 But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:
If the end result of the teaching of the church is "love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (NASB), then the church is doing a good job.
Philemon is a beautiful letter written by Paul on behalf of his friend. Onesimus had apparently run away from Philemon, who was his master, and had found Paul. Paul led Onesimus to Christ and had a deep love for him. He didn't want to send him away, but Onesimus had to be reconciled to his master and Paul wanted to make sure he got a warm reception. Onesimus ran away as a lost slave, he returned as a slave of Christ and brother of Paul and Philemon. Its a real life example of what happens to all of us as Christians. We start out as slaves of sin and end up as slaves of righteousness. What a glorious freedom it is to be chained to Jesus :-) |
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