Is the Persecution of Christianity On Our Horizon?
(1st Thessalonians chapter 3 part 1, verses 1–5) by Minister Paul J. Bern
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When we left off last week, we had just finished chapter two of 1st Thessalonians. In it, and our study of Paul’s letters to the early churches, we found the apostle Paul commenting at length about the ongoing persecution of the followers of Christ that was happening as these words were being written. Today as we move on to chapter three, Paul continues his commentary on the ongoing persecution of the early church. Paul’s words continue to resonate to this day, as we will soon see. So let’s kick off today’s study of chapter three, beginning with verse one.
Part One of This Week’s Bible Verses for Study and Memorization
“So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.” (1st Thessalonians 3, verses 1–5)
Comparing 1st Century Christianity With Today’s Unsavory World
In the first verse, we can see one thing about the apostles that has long since been forgotten by modern workers — they knew when to take a break. “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens”. They faced persecution and much personal hardship as they spread the Gospel throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean coastal areas. They dedicated their lives to ministry, and no doubt frequently had their own lives and personal safety threatened.
Contrast this with today’s financial idolatry in the workplace. So many are putting in lots of overtime at work (assuming you’re lucky enough to have a job). Working overtime has become the norm rather than the exception. There is one primary and notable reason why they work themselves to death. They are buried under a mountain of debt. This, as I see it, is happening for two main reasons. The first is medical debt, and the other is student loans. On the other hand, sometimes people are heavily in debt due to living beyond their means.
Some People Work Themselves to Death for Money
They are the ones who say, ‘I can’t afford it because I might miss a house payment or a car payment or whatever,’ but therein lies the core issue. If certain people weren’t living in twice as much house as they need, or if they weren’t driving around in a car or truck with a $1,000.00 monthly payment, if they were a lot more practical (not to mention being a lot less covetous), they wouldn’t be having the difficulties they are experiencing. I am excluding those who are long-term unemployed or retired from this train of thought. Remember what the Bible says in Genesis chapter one, “And on the seventh day God rested…”. So rest and recreation are ordained by God, and we were never meant to work seven days or 70 hours a week. It’s no wonder that people are having heart attacks and strokes in their 30’s and even their 20’s. Having said all that, let’s move on to another verse.
I Can’t Say Enough About Timothy, and Neither Could the Apostle Paul
“We sent Timothy… to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way as you well know.” There is a reason that the apostles sent Timothy, which hearkens back to the Book of Acts. Timothy had been trained by, among others, Barnabas, who was a much beloved figure in the early Church, and whose name translates as “son of encouragement”.
I can practically visualize Timothy as he studied and grew in the Lord and his Word as an eager young apprentice who preached, and later taught, as we just read, the Word of God with what must have been great vigor and enthusiasm. His youthful vitality energized the early Church to the point where he was sent on what may have been his first solo assignment — the strengthening and building up of the Church and the Body of Christ. I can almost hear Paul saying, ‘Let’s send Timothy, he can get those people fired up about their faith as well as any of us can.’
It’s Time for Us to Set Our Sights Higher
But Timothy was also sent to calm the fears of the people regarding their Roman occupiers and their running fight with the Hebrew religious establishment of that time. So, here is a good example for us to follow: That of Timothy who, though he was not one of the original apostles, had equivalent stature with them. Let’s pause and reflect on this for a moment. Wouldn’t you like to be Timothy, or any of the early church leaders, for that matter? (Barnabas would be my choice) That’s what God is calling us to do — to aspire to be counted among the righteous and worthy in the sight of Almighty God. It’s time for us to set our sights higher so we may aim for more lofty goals in life and in our walk with Christ. Everyone we meet, or work with, or worship with — or not — is a chance for us to be a witness for Christ too.
That will be all for the first half of 1st Thessalonians chapter 3. Be sure to catch part 2 next week, or in the next video. We will be picking up Paul the apostle’s train of thought, as we witness Paul the apostle communicate a sense of fear, and of being wary, of the Roman occupiers of Paul’s time, as well as his own trepidation about their situation. See you then!
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