Growing Love, Enduring Faith

Introduction

Suffering and persecution serves as much of the backdrop of the New Testament.

The early churches were not aggressive in missionary activity in the way that we might like to assume.

Outside of a few early examples of large-scale conversions, there is little to indicate that the early churches in Asia Minor and Europe were very large.

They faced the mobs and the authorities local and provincial.

Hopefully, we have learned to be filled with gratitude.

What is spiritual maturity?

Where does it lead?

We do not have to guess.

The Thessalonian congregation is an exemplary one for learning what a strong, mature congregation looks like.

They were recent believers, yet they held firm in the faith.

What does it mean to practice the faith?

God and Jesus

God and Jesus serve two purposes in this passage.

They define the realm or the domain in which these Thessalonians are “the assembly.”

This is because the Thessalonian congregation alone in Thessalonica worships the true and living God and the true Messiah.

Paul, for the first time, refers to God as “our Father.”

Through Jesus Christ, all true believers share God as “our Father.”

This also follows the teaching of Jesus who, when teaching about prayer, said: “Our Father, who is in heaven.”

He places God and Jesus on an equal plane.

They together define this assembly.

“Lord” echoes the LXX for Jehovah.

This is an important theological declaration and assurance for the Thessalonians and for every true congregation.

An Obligatory Thanksgiving

In his first letter, Paul praised the Thessalonians for what he, probably, witnessed firsthand, namely, their endurance of suffering.

After Paul left, he worried the Thessalonians would think that he had been dishonest.

Notice what he says about Timothy’s report to him in 1 Thess 3:6.

Now he tells the Thessalonians that he has an obligation to thank God always for them.

While this does begin a section where Paul will laud the Thessalonians, we should notice that Paul credits God for the evidence present in their lives/church.

Paul is also filled with gratitude for the faithfulness of this church.

The obligatory thanksgiving is “according as it is worthy.”

The Causes of Thanksgiving

You faith is growing.

The situation on the ground was likely not favorable for continued loyalty.

This would indicate that Paul thinks their trust in the gospel message was increasing producing enhanced loyalty.

Their circumstances had not caused them to doubt or to abandon the truth.

The love of each one of you for one another is increasing.

Paul wrote something similar to them in 1 Thess. 4.

This is made all the more remarkable by their tribulations.

Instead of conflict and adversity severing the bonds between them, the Thessalonians remained loving toward one another.

Endurance and Loyalty: Evidence of Love

This made Paul proud of the Thessalonians to such a degree that he bragged about them.

We should not think of this as vanity.

We should see this as evidence that the Thessalonians may have faced more difficult circumstances than other churches.

Paul could proudly use them as a source of encouragement to other congregations. They could be an example.

Paul cites their growing faith and their increasing love as an indication of “your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you are holding up (under).”