2022-09-16
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The city of Thessalonica still exists today as it has before Paul wrote his epistle to the citizens and his workers spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This beautiful city is the second largest in Greece and lies on the NE inlet to the Aegean Sea. It is known for its Byzantine, Roman, and Sephardic Jewish architecture, as well as some of the best beaches in Greece. It is also a main seaport. Today it is a World Heritage Site and its main university is Aristotle University, the largest in Greece and the Balkans. It has a large Bulgarian community, stemming from when a migration of many Bulgarians came from western Macedonia settling down there looking for prosperity and security after 1878. The city had been conquered by the Romans [in 41 BC under Mark Antony] and Ottomans [in 1430-1912] in its history prior to that time. In 1912, Thessalonica became a part of the kingdom of Greece. After WW II, the city became known as the “City of Ghosts,” because what had been a central hub for Jews and saw 90% of them die in the Holocaust. The city was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, who named it after his wife, Thessalonike, the daughter of Phillip II of Macedon and sister of Alexander the Great. By the Roman period it was an important metropolis.
1 THESS 1: 4-6, was included in Paul’s letter and gives us a picture of the spreading of the Gospel in Thessalonica. “For we know, brothers and sisters, loved by God, that He has chosen you because our Gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Sprit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message amidst severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” Paul had been to this city before and had wanted to go there again. His heart attitude is revealed in 1 THESS 2: 18-20, “For we wanted to come to you –certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and our joy.” Once again Paul’s joy is expressed in 1 THESS 3: 8-9, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?”
Paul’s same attitude is seen in 2 TIM 1: 4-5, a letter to his young protégé, Timothy. “Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother, Lois, and in your mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded now lives in you also.” Paul wrote to Philemon, a friend and fellow servant of the Lord who could have punished his runaway slave, Onesimus. The latter person had also come to the Lord, which is the reason that Paul wanted Onesimus to receive forgiveness from Philemon. We see where Paul’s heart is in his words to Philemon, in PHL 1: 6-7, “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”
The more Scriptures that I study about Paul, it has become clear to me that his greatest joy on earth (and possibly in heaven) was the opportunity to convey the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring others to faith in the Lord. Paul clearly had yielded his life and its activity to that end and to the Lord. Yielding control over one’s decisions and actions to God doesn’t come naturally to us, and Paul’s willingness to subject himself to terrible suffering for his faith [see 2 COR 11: 22-33, for example] demonstrated its depth. In looking at the big picture, we must understand that God’s omnipotence is so great that He was able to take a person whose job was to persecute Jewish Christians for the Sanhedrin and bring him to a faith in Jesus Christ strong enough to be the greatest apostle with the job of establishing the church and spreading the Gospel.
PRAYER: O Lord, once again You hear our prayers and advocate for us with the Father. Today, we acknowledge the wisdom and courage that You gave the apostle, Paul. With all of that, his heart was changed from hardness, cruelty and stubbornness to deep faith in Jesus Christ, courage in suffering, and willingness to let You lead in his life. Paul would never have been able to utter his words, in PHIL 1: 21-24, had it not been for the power of the Holy Spirit. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two; I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Paul was a man whose power to serve is given by You and whose heart has clearly yielded to Christ. His only crown on earth is the joy he felt when the early church grew under his faithful leadership. We ask You, to give us hearts like Paul’s in the ways we serve Christ with the skill set He has given us for His sake. We ask this in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen
NEXT WEEK: We’ve just asked God for stronger faith and dedication to His work. These are our tasks while earthbound, but they also imply a great change in our hearts. EZK 36: 26-27, ”I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” Our loving Lord will keep this promise; that I believe. Next week, we will look at some ways we can experience this joy from faith and ways it is blocked. I can look back on my faith journey realizing that God organizes us into congregations for the main purpose of faith-building. Groups within a good congregation appeal to our personalities and outside interests. Friendships which last are forged and the Gospel is spread in many ways—music, study of the word, good preaching from the pulpit, etc. Opportunities to serve arise, and a person becomes dedicated to the Lord’s work. Some decide to help administer the congregation, some are leaders, some serve as teachers, and some go to seminary to become pastors. Our God knows what He is doing, and we must remember that He loves each and every one of us. Thanks and praise be to Him!
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives