1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 - Becoming an Example

4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Target Date: Sunday, 27 February 2022

Word Study/ Translation Notes:

Became (3 forms) – γίνομαι – to come into being, to be, be made, become. Much depends on the verbal details and conjugation.

1096.γίνομαι ginŏmai, ghin´-om-ahee; a prol. and mid. voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen”-erate), i.e. (refl.) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (lit., fig., intens., etc.):— arise, be assembled, be (-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, × soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

V5 – proved to be – First-person plural, aorist indicative, passive – the English word “became” is not really strong enough for this word here (perhaps nowhere is it really strong enough for the nuances). The passive voice indicates that it was not the team that was causing the “becoming”, but that they were “being made” into this kind if men.

V.6 – became imitators – Second-person plural, aorist indicative, passive – like v.5, this indicates that the Thessalonian believers received the action rather than causing it (which would be denoted in a middle voice – although the root ginomai is in itself a middle).

V.7 – became – infinitive, aorist middle – their actions produced a result in themselves, linguistically, not theologically. By the work of the Spirit in their lives and through their testimony, they became an example for other churches to follow.

7 – so that - ὥστε – adverbial result. Often translated “therefore”. This says that their becoming an example to the other believers followed as a result of their transformation in becoming imitators.

7 – example – τύπος – a pattern.

It could also denote the seal that leaves an impression or the mold by which some material, such as soft clay, was shaped.

This word is singular, so they are not providing multiple examples (for each individual believer), but a single example (as a church).

This passage can be seen as a group of bullet points:

Knowing…His choice of you

Gospel not in word only

But in power

And the Holy Spirit

And with full conviction.

You saw what manner of men we were

And you became imitators of us

and the Lord

Having received the word in tribulation

With the joy of the Holy Spirit

To the result that you became an example to all the believers around you,

And your example is still rippling out

They are proclaiming YOUR testimony (to God’s glory)

And you hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

You hope in the return of Jesus Christ

3 Great Evidences of God’s Election:

5 – Their faithful initial response to the gospel.

6-7 – Their faithful growth in the gospel.

8-10 – Their faithful proclamation of the gospel.

Thoughts on the Passage:

Following Paul’s example:

You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. 12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. – Galatians 4:10-12

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; - 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. – Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Being a model:

nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. – 1 Peter 5:3

7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. – Titus 2:7-8

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. - 1 Timothy 4:12

In his homily on 1 Thessalonians, Chrysostom comments on this verse, saying, “illustrious and admirable men do not shut up their virtue within themselves, but by their good report benefit many, and render them better”

The gospel of Jesus Christ has ALWAYS meant leaving behind the material concerns, lusts, and faiths and living in trust, love, and glory to God alone.

These believers had been faced with this crisis, even when their own lives degraded – and they followed Christ.

5 – Paul explains that their own endurance of persecution in Thessalonica was for the sake of the Thessalonians.

They would have a godly example to follow.

They would have encouragement in their tribulation.

They would have the same hope of glory on the Day of the Lord.

Applications:

For the Christian:

You will be recognized as a child of God not by your great arguments or your great works, but by your abiding love for others.

For the Backslidden:

There may be some here who, once professing Christ have turned again, loving the things of this world. There is no greater danger for your soul than this. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; (Revelation 3:2)! Find that first love; judge the things of this world against the light of the grace of God, who gave His SON to die for your sin. Pray that God will turn your love continually to Him while you practice despising the attractions and comforts of this present life.

For the Unconverted:

You have before you the example of people just like you who once lived for the things they could see, feel, hear, and taste; and they turned to God, finding in Him something greater than they could even imagine before. What does it take to awaken your soul to God? The first step is to realize you are sinful. It is more than the fact you do the occasional sinful thing, but that your heart is foul with sin you have dismissed as normal. It is not normal – it is not the way God intended you to be.

Sermon Text:

We began last week to look at the use of a single word in the 5th, 6th, and 7th verses of our passage today: the word “became”.

I would remind you by way of introduction that everything in verses 5 through 10 is a sort of list of reasons Paul and his companions are confident of God’s election of the saints in the church in Thessalonica.

We can see in verse 5 the first evidence of their authentic election – their initial response to the gospel.

We looked a few weeks ago at the transformation the gospel had for them from the very beginning.

That they had received it with great faith, supplied by the Holy Spirit in His work in the hearts of those who have been chosen.

We are currently in the midst of looking at the second of these great evidences in favor of God’s election – their transformation in growing in the faith through the Holy Spirit.

We know that people anywhere can be brought into an emotional frenzy, having their hearts touched by stories or by the presentation,

But authentic election CONTINUES in growth and faith beyond that initial excitement.

It rebuilds the foundation of your life, moving the pieces one by one from the shifting sands of your own control to the steady rock of God’s control.

This is not at all a question of someone EARNING their salvation; but rather the evidence of that salvation that cannot be hidden:

No one lights a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. – Matthew 5:15

Everyone around sees the light and knows a lamp has been lit.

The third great evidence of their authentic election, which we will get to in its time, God willing, is that the gospel of Jesus Christ burst forth from them with zeal as they evangelized the people around them.

I’ll not go into the details of this third evidence at the present time, but will simply note that if this is the ONLY evidence you have,

That you proclaim your faith at every opportunity,

But do not have the other evidences,

You are in danger of being one of those Jesus describes in Matthew 7:22-23:

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

These self-deluded people sought to earn their salvation by their works in the preaching of the gospel, but never allowed the Holy Spirit to transform them in the first place.

Anyone can preach a great sermon, in that they can choose a great text,

Provide deep insights,

Deliver it with seeming conviction,

And persuade many.

Orators, con men, and fraudsters from Hymenaeus to Joel Osteen have proved this very thing.

But the salvation God has provided begins with a changed life, not a skilled tongue;

A transformed heart in addition to a changed mind.

That is why it is crucial we understand the subject we will be looking at today: that second evidence of salvation – the transformation of the believer’s life at its core.

As we look at all the verses 5-10, we see most of the examples Paul cites are in this category.

And so we return this week to this word “became”.

I remind you that it is found three times in verses 5, 6, and 7 – once in each verse.

We looked at the first two last week:

In verse 5, we saw that the phrase what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake was literally “what kind of men we became [or “were made”] among you”.

And we saw that in the persecution and tribulation the evangelistic missionaries experienced, they became even more obedient to Christ.

And I would also remind you that the voice of this word “became” is in the passive voice, meaning this “becoming” was done TO them, not BY them.

Then in verse 6, we see the Thessalonian believers themselves “becoming”:

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord

And we saw that this, too, was in the passive voice, meaning their transformation was given TO them.

No doubt, much was driven by the same persecution and trials the missionaries experienced,

But it was in all things the work of the Holy Spirit, making that change in their hearts that had begun at their conversion into full bloom.

Because even if they had the great example of the apostle to the Gentiles and his companions,

They would still need the Holy Spirit of God to work the same transformation of faith in them.

That is exactly what he says at the end of verse 6:

having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit

They received the word of the gospel.

They received it in the middle of tribulation.

And they received it in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

That is how they became imitators of these men who were sent out from the church to take the gospel to all the world.

So today, we come to the third of these “becames”: verse 7:

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia

The first thing I would have us all notice is that this “becoming” is not detached from the others.

It is forever entangled with the phrase before it.

He did not say, beginning in verse 6:

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, … [“AND”] you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

The conjunction there is not “AND”; it is “so that”.

What that means is that their becoming an example for other believers was CAUSED by their obedience and growth in the gospel.

This was not an independent action:

You became imitators of us.

Then you made yourselves an example to others.

They became an example to the believers around then BECAUSE they had worked to imitate, through the Holy Spirit, the example set before them by Paul and the other evangelists.

This is an important point, because, particularly in our age, people often try to become examples before they are an example worth following.

Sometimes, it is simply a young believer who, after diving into deep doctrines, comes to the surface with the idea that anyone who doesn’t agree with him must be wrong.

Perhaps ironically, we often see that when someone comes to understand from within the doctrines of grace, embracing the complete and sovereign work of God in salvation – often called Calvinism.

How many of us who have come to this great doctrine have allowed ourselves to say, “If someone doesn’t believe in this doctrine of election – I don’t know if they can even BE a Christian”?

With few exceptions, most Reformed people I have known have had this very thought.

We think people who are really saved MUST think our way, must hold the same secondary doctrines we hold.

And if they do not, well – we have reason to have some doubts about their salvation.

This applies even to our Confession – written by godly men in 1689.

Not every true believer holds to this confession.

And not everyone who might agree with this confession is made a believer.

The confession is simply a tool to help us organize and summarize our understanding of the teaching of Scripture – it is not Scripture itself.

It is based in Scripture, but disagreement with most of the articles of the confession will not make you a pagan, just not a Reformed Baptist.

But we are tempted to assume other people should follow OUR example in doctrine and understanding of the Scriptures, or else be in peril.

That is one of my greatest concerns about the social medias of our time;

Their tendency to legitimate every opinion and cause those with similar opinions to live in an echo chamber rather than critically examine their beliefs in the light of Scripture, brought so often to us by dissenting voices.

Anyone can begin a podcast, blog, or other medium, and their opinion is legitimated simply because they are broadcasting it.

But no matter their number of followers or listeners, pass everything through the full council of God’s word, not just the parts they may try to reinterpret for their own benefit or reasons.

We should ALWAYS be severely skeptical of “facts” and “experts”, especially when they advocate some belief or action against what we know the Scripture says.

Believers, we must always consider what is the heart of the gospel, and hold tightly to it, while treating all else with grace and understanding.

Repent from your sins because God will one day judge you by His holy standard.

Trust on the Lord Jesus Christ as the payment of your sin, and the application of His righteousness to your account.

And then know:

1. On all other things, know that true believers in Jesus Christ can, and will, be often mistaken for some time until the Holy Spirit brings them into that knowledge.

2. You could be the one that is currently mistaken.

3. If you do not conduct yourself in love and grace toward others, YOU ARE the one who is wrong.

At other times, we may think that the virtues we hold forth are the only virtues that are legitimate for believers in Jesus Christ.

That others should follow our morality. For example:

Some believers think it a sin to drink any alcohol; others consider the sin to become intoxicated.

Some believers think that women should wear only dresses; others think this is legalistic.

We could list a thousand different ways we can disagree on morality, but it comes down to this:

You abide by your conscience and allow others to abide by theirs.

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. – James 4:17

Unless something is clearly sinful or harmful, if it simply a difference – give grace and understanding.

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. – Romans 14:1

Recall rule 2 before – You can be the one that is currently mistaken.

All this to say that we are not commanded to SEEK to be examples, but to do things worthy of being emulated.

Even when Paul was writing to his protégé Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, he said:

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

He didn’t tell him to set himself up as an example, to command others to emulate him.

He told him to BE an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Do those things SO THAT others CAN follow.

In this verse TO Timothy, we find the same elements as in our verse FROM Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the Thessalonian believers:

Become an example.

Become an example in Jesus Christ worth following.

The second thing I would like to look at this morning is the word “example”.

First, and perhaps the most obvious, the word is singular, not plural.

While, like the 1 Timothy passage we looked at a minute or so ago, some examples relate to the individual believer,

In our passage today, this singular “example” is the church AS A WHOLE being an example.

He is not picking out an individual believer like Jason or others;

The church, the body of believers, WAS the example.

What they had accomplished together: rejecting the idolatry they knew, following Christ in the midst of persecution and threats,

THOSE were the things they were becoming examples in.

The way they followed Christ through the persecution.

The way they maintained their witness in the face of opposition.

The way they placed all their hope on our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those things are a timeless example worthy to be followed.

The second point about this word “example” is its meaning; it is a very rich word.

The picture of this word is a seal that leaves an impression or the mold by which some material, such as soft clay, was shaped.

It is the word from which we get the word “type”, as in a type of apple or a type of phone.

It is the model, the representation, the impression or mold from which copies are made.

Even the word “typewriter” originated because it made identical impressions of letters on paper when the keys were pressed.

One place this word is used, twice in fact, is in John 20:25:

When Thomas has returned to the upper room after the resurrection of Jesus, but has not yet seen Him, he says:

Unless I see in His hands the imprint [example] of the nails, and put my finger into the place [example] of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

For Thomas, he needed to see the impressions, the marks, the evidence, of the nails in the hands of Jesus Christ before he could believe anything as wonderful as His resurrection.

So we should ask: what does it mean for a CHURCH to become an example?

In this very day, we are seeing that happening in the part of the church that is in the Ukraine.

They continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the Communist threats on every side.

And why do I even know about this?

Because they are remaining faithful right now in the midst of tribulation.

As we pray for them, pray primarily that their witness will not be dimmed, that their courage will not fail, and that the message of the gospel will proceed louder than ever in this time of trouble.

do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence - Acts 4:28-29

Looking at history, I see only two ways a church becomes an example:

1. God pours out a great revival, and people are converted in astounding numbers, or

2. God brings them into a time of tribulation, and they stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ.

Because in other times, churches have tended to try to become examples in lesser things.

They have tried to be examples in programs,

In preaching,

In marketing,

In stewardship,

In buildings,

In fame,

Or in worship style.

Not all these are bad things, but the example of a faithful church is faithfulness in all situations.

For a church with great wealth, being faithful to use the resources they have as God intends, not to build great cathedrals or make flashy marketing.

For a church with little wealth, to be faithful with what they have been given, caring for each member as best they can.

For a church in times of ease, trusting in Jesus Christ to seek His will rather than in their leisure or comfort.

For a church in times of tribulation, holding to Jesus Christ in spite of all opposition.

For a church that is embattled, to remain loving and gracious in the face of persecution.

For a church that is an example, to be loving and faithful servants of God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.