NOTE: Due to technical difficulties with the recording equipment this message is incomplete.
“For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone,” – 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 CSB
Read Chapter 2. (last verse “You’re our pride and joy!” – The Message)
Unpack more of the background information, than Chris did in the opening, including some of the background research here from Acts 17 etc.
Note: Paul is affirming, encouraging, and teaching the value of spiritual family in the Jesus Movement regionally. He is recalling how the Thessalonian church started and pointing out the similarities to the persecution seen in Jerusalem, Phillipi, etc. This is leveraged as a point of identity, values, passion, and purpose as an encouragement to endure. This includes their identity in Christ across racial, cultural, gender, and civic identities.
How we suffer matters. Suffering as we follow/imitate Jesus.
Suffer – to be in pain
· “before my suffering” – Luke 22:15
· “experiences we suffer” – 2 Corinthians 1:6
· “the sufferings of Christ” – 1 Peter 4:13
· “suffered in Phillipi” – 1 Thessalonians 2:2
· “sufferings of prisoners” – Hebrews 10:34
· “shall I not suffer” – John 18:11
· “as I must suffer” – Mark 10:38
“If somebody had cut off 1 Thessalonians at verse 13 of chapter 2, we would have a sense of clear skies, beautiful views, and everything in the young church developing straightforwardly. Alas, things are not usually like that in the kingdom of God in its present form. There is a struggle still going on, and those who give their allegiance to Jesus as Messiah and Lord will become involved in it whether they like it or not.”
“Paul’s own struggles have been clear from early on. He had been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, and there was much opposition when he worked in Thessalonica itself (2:2). But now we hear that the Thessalonians, too, have already suffered for their new-found faith. Indeed, Paul gives this as the reason, at least in part, why he can tell that the gospel of Jesus had had its effect in them, not as a mere human message but as the word of God himself.”
“If it had been a merely human message, one might expect that when the hearers began to be persecuted for accepting it they would turn back and give it up. But they have not. The word has produced in them the same kind of steadfastness as that of the very first Christians, the communities of Jesus’ followers in Judaea. (As in 1:1, the word sometimes translated ‘church’ is more general, meaning ‘community’ or ‘assembly’. ‘God’s communities in Judaea’ by itself could mean simply the Jewish synagogues; so Paul adds ‘in the Messiah, Jesus’.) Their suffering, in other words, doesn’t mean that something has gone badly wrong with God’s purpose for them; it means that they are on the same map as the very first churches. They are on the same map, too, as Paul himself.”
“The dark cloud of suffering hangs over much of the early Christian experience. Why? What is the wind that brings it on?”
“Paul would have said, without a doubt, that it was because the church, in giving its allegiance to the crucified Jesus as Lord, was challenging the still-active powers of the world. The battle between the true God and the powers of evil that enslave and deface humankind came to its height on the cross. But the church is charged with implementing the victory that was won there, and the powers don’t like it.” – Wright, T. (2004). Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians (p. 101). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” – Matthew 5:11
“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22
“Remember what I told you; ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” – John 15:20
Suffering before Glory is part of Jesus’ shared identity.
“We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 NCB
What do we learn?
1. The Good News of Jesus will be received by some and rejected by others.
2. The Good News of Jesus will be met with opposition.
What should we do?
1. Read 1 Thessalonians 2, pray, and write one truth from it.
2. Pray for Christians around the world being persecuted. Help the Persecuted provides prayer topic emails. Sign up at HTP.org
