Paul's concern for the church
Paul’s concern for the church
The main theme of this book is concerned with the coming of Jesus Christ. Throughout the epistle, Paul keeps mentioning the Lord’s coming (1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:15-16, 5:2, 5:23). Each chapter repeats this key message, seemingly to remind the readers not to ignore this important message for several reasons:
1. the church is in affliction and the message brings them comfort and hope
Paul at the beginning said of praying for the church, remembering their “patience of hope” (1:3). He witnessed their strong faith when they received Paul’s gospel at first hand in times of affliction—“ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction” (1:6). Paul said they had the “patience of hope” for the Lord’s return—“and to wait for his Son from heaven...even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1:10).
In Chapter 2, Paul keeps mentioning their affliction as they received the gospel—“For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus, for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews”. (2:14)
Paul sent Timothy to comfort the church with the message of the Lord’s return—“sent Timothy…to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these afflictions”. (3:2-3) He told them that affliction was normal for any Christian—“when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation”. (3:4)
In Chapter 4, Paul mentioned what was going to happen at the Lord’s coming. He said that the living believers were going to meet the Lord in the air and be with the Lord forever. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (4:18) This is exactly what all the afflicted Christians are hoping for.
In Chapter 5, Paul again comforted them with the message of the Lord’s coming: “for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…wherefore comfort yourselves together”. (5:9-11)
2. the Lord’s coming is to bring wrath—a comforting as well as warning message for the believers
As mentioned above, 1:10 says “and to wait for his Son from heaven…even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Here, the Lord’s coming is a comfort for the believers.
On the contrary, the Lord’s coming is a warning message for the unbelievers. Paul in 2:14-16 mentioned some of the Jews as their enemies, “who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost (「神的忿怒臨在他們身上已經到了極處」).” Hence, the Lord’s coming is a revenge upon the enemies on behalf of the believers who suffered from them.
In Chapter 5, Paul described that the day of the Lord’s coming was going to be a terrible day that would surely catch everyone by surprise: “when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape”. (5:3)
The Lord’s coming is not only a warning message for the unbelievers, but more so for the believers. Paul has expressed his concern for the faith of the Thessalonians even before he wrote this epistle. Paul sent Timothy at first “to comfort you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these afflictions.” (3:2-3) Paul is worried that they might drop their faith due to their afflictions. He continued, “for this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.” (3:5) Timothy brought comforting news to him: “brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith. For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” (3:7-8) Paul prays that “to the end he (the Lord) may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (3:13)
In Chapter 4, Paul reminded the church of his message of sanctification: “For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification…that every vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence (「不放縱私慾的邪情」), even as the Gentiles which know not God…because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you.” (4:2-6)
In Chapter 5, Paul continued with the warning message to the church: “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night…but ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (5:2,4) He encouraged them with this exhortation: “we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (5:5-6) “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (5:9)
3. comforting those whose loved ones are gone
Toward the end of the epistle, Paul spent quite a bit of time describing the situation on the day of the Lord’s coming, due to the fact that some of the Christians were grieved for the death of their loved ones: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (4:13) Paul was telling them that the believers who passed away were just like sleeping, and would wake up on the day of the Lord’s coming: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him (「與耶穌一同帶來」).” (4:14)
Then Paul went on to describe the vision that he received from the Lord regarding the Lord’s return: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (「斷不能在那已經睡了的人之先」). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (4:15-17) This is certainly a comforting message for the deceased families. Jesus himself said to the disciples on the mount of Olives, “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26) “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (4:18)
4. clarifying the message about the Lord’s coming
The reason why Paul spent quite a bit to describe the event of the Lord’s coming in detail is that the church may have received different interpretations about the Lord’s coming.
Paul has once and again emphasized the validity of the gospel he shared with the Thessalonians previously. In 2:3-6, Paul claimed that “for our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness (NRSV, ‘impure motives’), nor in guile. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness; nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.” Apparently, there are some preachers who came to the church and preached for gain and other motives, and they preached untrue gospel messages. He continued: “when ye received the word which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God”. (2:13)
Paul worried that the believers might be deceived by Satan’s followers: “I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.” (3:5) In Chapter 4, as mentioned above, Paul emphasized the words “sanctification”, “holiness”, “fornication”, “the lust of concupiscence” [“passionate lust” (NIV)], “uncleanness”, and said that “no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter” .(4:3-7) He is worried not only the church might receive the wrong message, but more importantly, the believers might be misled to conduct misbehavior. He reminded them that “ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness”. (5:4-5)
Some may have distorted the message regarding the Lord’s coming and “say, Peace and safety”, contrary to Paul’s warning message of “sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child”. (5:3) Paul reminded them of what he said before among the Thessalonians: “But of the times and the seasons (論到時候日期), brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night”. (5:1-2) If the believers doubt the Lord’s coming and take this matter for granted, they can fall into the trap of being what Paul depicts as “they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night”. (5:7)
Jesus also warned us, “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey…Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” (Mark 13:33-37) Three times the Lord Jesus told us to “watch” and not live our days like sleeping.
5. Paul’s hope is to present the church holy at the Lord’s coming
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (2:19)
“I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (5:23)