"Our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority (1 Thessalonians 2:6).

 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus... Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:2, 8).

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

In this short letter to the Thessalonians Paul repeatedly asserts his apostolic and prophetic authority. This authority was attested not merely with words but with power. Paul's words were not his own but given directly by God and approved by God. Therefore, those that would contest what Paul wrote would find themselves going against God. It is after all of this that Paul concludes the letter with the following instruction:

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).

Paul had already spoken prophetically and authoritatively in this letter. He had reminded them that this authority came by a display of power by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5). This is the same kind of defense Paul would give to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:12,

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.

But why would Paul have to give this final admonition to the Thessalonians regarding the prophetic word, especially the counsel to "test them all" and to "hold on to what is good" and "reject every kind of evil"? The reason would become apparent by the time we come to his second letter to the Thessalonians. There we read,

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed (2 Thessalonians 3:14).

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write (2 Thessalonians 3:17).

Notice Paul's warning against those that would try to claim Paul's authority and prophecy falsely. Paul exhorted them to hold fast to the teaching that they received from him explicity, whether by word or letter. He even ended his letter with a distinguishing mark, so that they could clearly know his authentic writing from any counterfeit claims. 

Already in the first century Satan had planted his minions inside the church to confuse and disrupt the true working of the Spirit through what had been revealed through Paul and the other approved apostles. Again and again he had to assert his authority to contrast with the counterfeit claims of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets.

Friends, we have those same kinds of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets today. They have no infallible proofs of their authority as the true apostles and prophets, but they claim this authority in making doctrinal pronouncements that are contrary to or outside the boundaries of biblical teaching. We need to be wary.

Friends, I encourage you to read these short books thoughtfully, and if you have the time, read it more than once. It is good that you can read a whole book (or letter) in one day's reading like this because you will have a better birds-eye view of the context rather than seeing just a portion, as is the case for the longer books. This is how the first recipients would have read these letters, not split up into chapters over several days, but as one letter to be read in one sitting.

Context is absolutely vital, so the more you can read at one time, the better. In fact, this is why speed readers have better comprehension than slow readers. They don't read word for word but phrase by phrase, and sometimes even paragraph by paragraph. They see more context at one time, and so their comprehension is much improved.

I know that some of you are contemplating changing your one-year reading plan into a two-year plan for 2012. Why? My twenty-six years of experience in reading through the Word tells me that this would be a mistake. Do you think that this will make you more consistent? It will not. And even if it did, with the little we already read daily, you would gain consistency at the heavy cost of comprehension. Do you think that shorter readings will help you comprehend better? It will do just the opposite. When you see less context, you have a reduced grasp of meaning and you will be more prone to misinterpret and, God-forbid, "proof-text."

Now, if you told me that you were changing your reading plan to read more (e.g. reading through the Bible twice in a year), I would commend you, for then you would be doing something that will help your comprehension. But the desire to spend less time reading the Scriptures, when the annual plan already demands so little of us, is a temptation that I would strongly urge you to resist. 

While I have emphasized the importance of daily consistency over chosing one plan over another, the current annual reading pace is a baseline and not a ceiling for reading. As I've urged some of you, who at times have expressed a zeal to expand your study with commentaries, word studies, etc., do these things in addition to your daily reading and not in stead of it. So, I say again, those of you contemplating drawing out your one-year plan into two years, think again.

-------------------

As you read this epistle (note: an epistle is simply a letter with spiritual and moral instruction) to the Thessalonians, did you notice that even in this epistle there is mention of conflict with the Jews (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Just as Paul was persecuted by the Jews throughout his ministry (as you can read about in the Book of Acts), these churches, which he established, suffered the same things. Understanding this will help you grasp the backdrop against which Paul gave his words of comfort and counsel to the Thessalonians. 

Also, when you read things like, "For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:9), it is neither necessary nor right to spiritualize Paul's words here as some kind of "spiritual labor." That is not what he is talking about. When we come to 2 Thessalonians 3:8, Paul explains, "Nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you." We have virtually the same phraseology, and the context makes clear that he is talking about real secular work, which Paul and his companions did so that the Thessalonians might not be burdened with taking care of them. He even paid for the food they gave him. This is one reason that I have insisted that pastors stop accepting special discounts and free services from members and secular establishments. This does not promote a pure biblical witness. 

Paul preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians free of charge. How? By taking every free moment "night and day" to work his secular job (likely "tent-making" from Acts 18:3). In fact, if you go through all of Paul's letters, when he speaks of "imitate me," particularly to would-be pastors, missionaries and other leaders, this is often what he had in mind, namely, to earn their own keep and administer the Gospel for free. Consider, for example, his final charge to the elders in Ephesus:

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:32-35).

Do you notice what I've highligted in the above passage? After Paul speaks of providing for his own needs and that of his companions, he tells these Ephesian elders, "By laboring like this, that you must support the weak." Paul is telling these elders to imitate him, to follow his example in providing for their own needs and even supporting the needy among those whom they minister.

After this, Paul quotes Jesus' oft quoted adage, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." People have used this to collect for charities the world over. And that's fine, but don't miss the context and the audience to whom these words were first given. It was to the Ephesian elders (i.e. the pastors of the Ephesian churches). It is for the elders more blessed to give to their members than it is for them to receive from their members. How ironic that an offering is collected for the pastors from the members today. In the early church, Paul, who perhaps established more churches than anyone, commanded that offerings be collected for the members from the pastors.

Paul practiced what he preached. In fact, it was even his boast that he could give the Gospel free of charge. He said that he would rather die than have anyone take this privilege away from him (1 Corinthians 9:16). It was more blessed for him to give in this way than to receive money from people for preaching the Gospel. And it is more blessed for Christian ministers today to give the Gospel for free than for a salary, wage or honorarium. In this way, no one can accuse us of peddling the Word of God for a profit (1 Corinthians 9:12). We would also save ourselves from any kind of greed with respect to the ministry of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:18 NKJV). 

Paul's point elsewhere regarding the ministry of the Gospel is that even though they, as traveling apostles, may have had reason and right to ask for support (i.e. perhaps thinking of Jesus' example in sending out the twelve and seventy-two, where Jesus allowed them to be supported in food and drink, though never a salary), they chose not to do it. Even if Gospel ministers could get support from the ones to whom they minister, this did not mean that they should:

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10).

This, then, is at least a part of Paul's meaning in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12,

that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Paul urges Christians and ministers to provide for themselves so that it will not hinder the administration of the Gospel, especially to "outsiders" (a euphemism that usually refers to unbelievers). For example, by giving the Gospel freely, they could not be accused of selfishness or greed:

If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ... What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:11-12, 18).

I know it seems "radical" to call ministers of the Gospel to stop receiving wages, salaries, honorariums and such in their churches and to instead pursue a secular job. Yet, how truly revolutionary would that be?! The number one offense of the Gospel in America today is not our Gospel message but the financial excesses of its ministers. We attack some for commercializing holidays like Easter and Christmas, but haven't we in a larger part commercialized the Gospel in our churches?

---------------------

Finally, friends, what a wonderful verse of hope we find in 1 Thessalonians 5:9:

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

While there is some debate as to whether Paul is talking about the "Lake of Fire" or the "Great Tribulation" in the word "wrath," we know clearly from other Scriptures that God will save Christians from the final judgment, that is, the Lake of Fire. And if He also rescues us from the Great Tribulation, that would be an added bonus. But the great comfort I find from this verse is not so much in the breadth of our deliverance but rather in the basis of it, namely, that God appointed it. In this same way, the Gentiles rejoiced in Acts 13:48,

Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 

Those God appointed for eternal life believed. Their thread-bare faith was made effective for eternal life by the steel rod of God's sovereign predetermination. As it was for them, and so it is for us. Praise God!!

Even though Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians appear further along in the NT, these were among the earliest writings in the NT and of Paul. They were written on just his second missionary journey. Why is this signficiant? It demonstrates the early theological foundation for Paul's later more developed teaching. And what do we find even in these early epistles? We find the teaching on election. Consider 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4,

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

Paul's main focus here is giving thanks to God. Three participles (i.e. supporting points) reveal the how, why, and on what basis he gives thanks: How? - "making mention of you in our prayers"; Why? - "constantly bearing in mind your work of faith..."; On what basis? - "knowing...His choice of you." The ground on which Paul can give thanks to God for the Thessalonians is not their faith, nor their works, but God's choice of them for salvation. Young's Literal Translation makes this point more clearly by translating verse 4, "having known, brethren beloved, by God, your election."

What difference does the doctrine of election make? It removes all grounds for boasting about our salvation. In other words, we would understand that if it were not for God's grace, even those of us who believe would have rejected Him. It is not that we were more humble or exerted greater faith than the next person, but God freely chose to have mercy on us over them. We may in part be grieved that they were not chosen, but how intense is our gratitude, mixed with "fear and trembling," that we were chosen!

In the Gospels, what do you think was the point of Jesus pointing out again and again His disciples' lack of faith? He said they had "little faith" (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8), "no faith" (Mark 4:40), they were "faithless" (Matthew 17:17), they did not even have the faith of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20; Mark 19:19), They did not even believe when the women first announced Jesus' resurrection (Matk 16:11). When they received further witness, they still did not believe it (Mark 16:13) and was rebuked by Jesus when He appeared before them (Mark 16:14). 

Do we imagine that Jesus' disciples had faith? Hardly! You may say that their faith was a work in progress, and right up to the end, Jesus did not have a high estimation of any of them in their faith. Remember, their pack leader, Peter, denied Jesus three times, even after he was told that he would do so that very night. 

So what made this ragtag team of unbelieving disciples into a powerful witness in the Book of Acts and thereafter? It was the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, which took their weak faith based on their own free will and turned it into a substantive faith by the power of God. They were, in a sense, born again by the Holy Spirit, so that they could believe. Do you think it is easier for you and I to believe, who have not seen and experienced Jesus first hand, as they did? No, dear friends, we ought not to be so arrogant in our faith, but recognize that this faith of ours, as theirs, is only real and saving because God chose to make it so by the Holy Spirit. 

So, let those who boast, boast solely and completely in the Lord, not on their good works, not on their faith, not on anything but the pure and sovereign grace of God.