Thessalonians - Part 2
1 Thessalonians - Faith, Love, and Hope exemplified
•It is Paul’s first use of his triad of virtues of ‘faith, love, and hope’ – often expressed as ‘faith, hope, and love’ as seen in 1 Cor. 13:13; however, lets begin to consider the significance of the sequence here (v. 1:3; 5:8) of
‘faith, love, and hope.’
The Moody Bible Commentary had this to say: (emphasis mine)
“Faith, love, hope, are here named in their logical order.
‘Faith rests on the past;
love works in the present;
hope looks to the future’”
(D. Edmond Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles [Chicago: Moody, 1971], 47; Hiebert cites J. B. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1959 reprint of 1879 ed.], 134).
Application Question
What are some Scripture Passages that would support these statements?
1Faith looks back to Christ on the cross;
love looks up to Christ at the Father’s right hand;
hope looks forward to the coming of Christ for His own!
Extra Credit:
Observations of some avenues leading to faith, love, and hope in Thessalonica and Berea
Conclusions:
The Thessalonian converts were made up of some believing Jews but mostly of two categories of gentiles – gentile proselytes(devout Greeks) of the Jewish Synagogue and other idol worshiping gentiles. (Acts 17:4)
Interestingly, in Thessalonica, there was an apparent majority of Gentiles vs Jewish believers. (Acts 17:4)
In Berea, there appeared to be a more even ratio of Jews vs Gentile believers?
(Acts 17:12)
What do you think were some of the reasons for the Thessalonian Jews’ unbelief?
Their intellect, pride, position, prominence, blocked and clouded their openness to the pronouncement of Christ as Messiah according to the Scriptures.
The Thessalonian Jews had the scriptures but many seemed to refuse to examine them as the Bereans had. And the majority of the believing Thessalonians were God-fearing Greeks and leading women of Thessalonica who believed without having the benefit of examining the Scriptures!
Conclusions:
The Thessalonian converts were made up of some believing Jews but mostly of two categories of gentiles – gentile proselytes(devout Greeks) of the Jewish Synagogue and other idol worshiping gentiles. (Acts 17:4)
Interestingly, in Thessalonica, there was an apparent majority of Gentiles vs Jewish believers. (Acts 17:4)
In Berea, there appeared to be a more even ratio of Jews vs Gentile believers?
(Acts 17:12)
What do you think were some of the reasons for the Thessalonian Jews’ unbelief?
Their intellect, pride, position, prominence, blocked and clouded their openness to the pronouncement of Christ as Messiah according to the Scriptures.
The Thessalonian Jews had the scriptures but many seemed to refuse to examine them as the Bereans had. And the majority of the believing Thessalonians were God-fearing Greeks and leading women of Thessalonica who believed without having the benefit of examining the Scriptures!
It is interesting to observe the two ‘avenues’ leading to saving faith: (1) ‘simple acceptance’ of the message by the majority of Thessalonians(mostly Greek) and (2) that of the Berean Jews’ faith found after examining and accepting the Truth of the Scriptures? (It was Luke who pointed out the “Nobility” of the Bereans! Why?)
Is it not a lot similar to Tim Sandford’s illustration in his sermon on last Sunday?
https://www.fbcva.org/media/6mc9y6v/and-the-word-became-flesh-do-not-be-afraid-behold-all-things-new
Where he spoke of Zacharias (Luke 1:18), a Priest, who knew and had the scriptures but doubted the Angel’s message concerning the Messiah. His unbelief, consequently, caused the loss of his voice until he saw and finally believed.(Luke 1:59-64)
All of that contrasted with the Angelic messages received and simply believed by Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds.
Certainly, both the believing Thessalonians as well as the believing Bereans had saving faith yet through different avenues in coming to that faith.
Some of us seem to be from Missouri and need to be shown!
3 passages that speak to these avenues of faith: Prov.3:5-6; John 20:29; Heb 11:7