****1 thessalonians 1:5-10

10-212

Imitate the Lord

LIFESTYLE

1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 (NRSV)

5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by 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 in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among 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—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

(POSB: Note 2)

The word follow means to imitate. Is it right for people to imitate and follow preachers and other outstanding Christian leaders? A.T. Robertson gives an excellent answer to the question:

It is a daring thing to expect people to “imitate” the preacher, but Paul adds “and of the Lord,” for he only expected or desired “imitation” as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus, as he expressly says in 1 Cor. 11:1. The peril of it all is that people so easily and so readily imitate the preacher when he does not imitate the Lord.46

1 Thessalonians–Philemon (King James Version) (B. The Model Church: A Strong Conversion, 1:5–10)

(1:5–10) Introduction: Paul says that the Thessalonian church was a pattern. He says that they were examples not only to the heathen, but also to believers. Their example is primarily found in their strong conversion and in their thundering forth the Word of the Lord (v. 8).

1. They had ministers who preached the gospel as it should be preached (v. 5).

2. They received the Word (the gospel) despite opposition and persecution (v. 6).

3. They became examples to other believers (vv. 7–8).

4. They turned to God from idols (vv. 9–10).

1 (1:5–6) Ministers: the model church had ministers who preached the gospel as it should be preached. When Paul went to Thessalonica, he went for one purpose and for one purpose only: to preach the gospel and to minister to the needs of people. Note three striking lessons.

1. Paul did not preach in word only; that is, he did not preach mere words, depending upon his own ability to influence people. He did not stand before people using nothing but his own words to reach people. His preaching was not dependent upon …

• his eloquence

• his ability

• his wisdom

• his novel ideas

• his charisma

• his appearance

When Paul stood before people and preached, he was not concerned with words and eloquence, nor with whether or not people thought he was a good preacher. He was concerned with only one thing: sharing the Word of God and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knew that God honored His Word and His Word only.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Ro. 1:16).

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Co. 2:1–2).

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Co. 2:4–5).

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Co. 2:13).

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Co. 4:20).

“Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Co. 9:16).

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Co. 15:1–4).

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Co. 4:5).

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Ti. 4:2).

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (He. 4:12).

2. Paul preached in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

a. Preaching in power (dunamis) means preaching in the power and energy of God Himself. This is what is so often missed and misunderstood. The gospel is not mere words nor just sharing an idea. Words and ideas are, of course, involved; but the gospel is more, much more. The gospel is the power of God at work in the human heart. The gospel is the power of God operating, working, stirring, convicting, and energizing a person to believe and accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the reason it is so important for the preacher to be completely surrendered to God—living ever so closely to Him—living and moving and having his being in the Lord. The preacher must be under the control of God so that the power of God can rest upon and flow through his life. The preacher must become nothing but an instrument in the hands of God. Then and only then can the gospel—the very power of God—flow through his preaching like it should.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Ac. 1:8).

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Ro. 1:16).

“For it is God which worketh [energizes] in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Ph. 2:13).

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (He. 4:12).

“Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them” (Je. 5:14).

“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Je. 23:29).

b. Preaching in the Holy Spirit means that the Holy Spirit was also working in the hearts of people. He was doing what God had sent Him to earth to do: convict the hearts of the hearers and convince them of the truth of the gospel:

⇒ that Jesus Christ did die for their sins.

⇒ that Jesus Christ does provide righteousness for men; that His righteousness does stand for the righteousness of men.

⇒ that Jesus Christ did bear the judgment and punishment of sin for men.

“And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment [all borne by Christ]: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (Jn. 16:8–11).

c. Preaching in assurance is a critical point. How can a minister preach and have the assurance that his preaching will bear fruit? How can he be assured that the power of God and of the Holy Spirit will rest upon his preaching? The answer is found in what is said in the following point, point three.

3. Paul lived what he preached. He lived a life that was completely surrendered to Christ. He lived and moved and had his being in Christ, walking and living ever so closely to Him. Assurance and confidence come from obedience—knowing that we are doing what we should be doing. It comes from knowing that we please God—that we are living pure and clean lives, praying and studying God’s Word every day and witnessing to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we know that we are pleasing God, then we know that His presence and power will be upon us.

⇒ Obedience is the secret to assurance.

⇒ Obedience is the secret to the presence and power of God upon our lives and preaching.

⇒ Obedience is the secret to bearing fruit through preaching. This was the secret of Paul. Paul obeyed God; therefore, Paul was convinced that his preaching would be in power and in the Holy Spirit.

Thought 1. The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who obeys Him—totally and completely obeys Him—obeys Him …

• by living a pure and clean life

• by praying and studying God’s Word every day

• by witnessing and sharing the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lu. 9:23).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro. 12:1–2).

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Co. 9:27).

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Co. 6:19–20).

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Co. 10:5).

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ep. 4:24).

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1–4).

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (He. 10:22).

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 2:3).

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him” (1 Jn. 3:18–19).

Thought 2. The point is this: the Thessalonians had a preacher who preached the gospel as it should be preached. They had a minister who surrendered his life totally to Christ: he lived and preached Christ and Christ alone. What a dynamic example for us! When we live and preach like we should, then our preaching will be in power and in the Holy Spirit. The presence and power of God Himself will rest upon our lives and ministries.

2 (1:6) Decision: they received the Word (the gospel) despite opposition and persecution. Remember: unbelieving Jews had opposed Paul and aroused some of the city troublemakers against him. The persecution became so threatening that Paul had been forced to flee the city (see Acts 17:4–10). However, his absence did not stop the persecution. In fact, it seems that the attack upon the church and its young believers became even more fierce. The Jews had convinced some of the Gentile citizens—some countrymen of the believers—to join them in trying to stop the gospel and destroy the church (see 1 Th. 2:14). But note what Paul says:

⇒ The gospel still bore fruit. Some persons still received the Word and accepted Christ despite the opposition and persecution.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28).

“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Ph. 1:29).

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Ti. 3:12).

⇒ The Holy Spirit rewarded the believers’ commitment to Christ. He stirred joy in their hearts and lives, giving them full assurance of their eternal salvation and deliverance from death.

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pe. 1:8).

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (Jn. 1:12).

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Ro. 8:16–17).

One other fact is important: the believers became followers of Paul and Christ. The word follow (mimetai) means to imitate. Is it right for people to imitate and follow preachers and other outstanding Christian leaders? A.T. Robertson gives an excellent answer to the question:

It is a daring thing to expect people to “imitate” the preacher, but Paul adds “and of the Lord,” for he only expected or desired “imitation” as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus, as he expressly says in 1 Co. 11:1. The peril of it all is that people so easily and so readily imitate the preacher when he does not imitate the Lord.1

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Co. 11:1).

Thought 1. There are two striking lessons in this point.

1) Nothing, absolutely nothing, should keep a person from receiving the Word of the gospel—not even opposition and persecution.

2) Believers—preachers and laymen alike—must guard their lives ever so closely and make sure they are living for Christ and living ever so diligently for Him. Why? Because others are watching and following us—some child, some adult, some neighbor, some friend. There are people who look up to us and follow after us. Whether or not we like the fact, they are. Therefore, it behooves us to follow Christ as perfectly as we can.

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Co. 11:1).

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (Ep. 5:1).

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6).

“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (He. 6:12).

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 Jn. 1:6).

3 (1:7–8) Witnessing—Testimony: the model church became examples to other believers. This is a striking point: this young church was so committed to the Lord that their testimony spread all over the world. Note this: when Rome had conquered Greece, it had divided the country into two provinces, the northern province being Macedonia and the southern province being Achaia. Paul clearly says that the testimony of the church had spread all over Greece, both northern Greece and southern Greece. Then he adds that their faith had spread out beyond the borders of Greece. This must mean all over the world, for Thessalonica was a major commercial center where salesmen, tradesmen, and businessmen visited from all over the world. Just imagine the witnessing the church and its believers must have been doing day by day. Their excitement and enthusiasm for Christ and the opposition and persecution against them must have been the talk of the city and world.

Thought 1. What a glorious testimony and dynamic example of witnessing! What a lesson for us today! How desperately we need to get to the task of living for Christ and being a testimony for Him.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Ac. 1:8).

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Ac. 4:20).

“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Co. 4:13).

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Ti. 1:8).

“In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity” (Tit. 2:7).

“These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee” (Tit. 2:15).

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience” (Js. 5:10).

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pe. 3:15).

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul” (Ps. 66:16).

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Is. 43:10).

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence” (Is. 62:6).

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Mal. 3:16).

4 (1:9–10) Conversion—Repentance—Idolatry: the model church turned to God from idols. Remember that Paul had been forced to flee from Thessalonica for his life. The only way he knew how the young church and its believers were holding up was from others who had been to Thessalonica to visit or conduct business. What he had heard thrilled his heart: the believers were standing fast in the gospel he had preached. There were three things in particular that struck him about their testimony.

1. The believers had turned to God from idols. John Walvoord makes an important point: they turned to God from idols, not from idols to God.2

⇒ They did not seek to clean up their own lives by themselves. They did not try to reform themselves by turning away from idols and then turning to God.

⇒ They turned to God first, then with God’s help and strength, they repented and turned away from idols.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Ac. 2:38).

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Ac. 3:19).

“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Ac. 8:22).

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Ac. 17:30).

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7).

“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze. 18:21).

What is an idol? It is crucial to understand exactly what an idol is. Very simply, every man has an idea of what God is like and what God allows and does not allow. Some men take their ideas and make images of them by carving wood or melting and molding metal or porcelain. Other men just hold the images in their mind and picture God as being like this or like that. Either image is as much an idol as the other. An idol is merely an image of some god created by the mind of man—an image other than the God revealed by the Scripture (see Ro. 1:21).

Note the sharp contrast made between these images of man’s mind and God: God is the living and true God; the images are only the lifeless and false notions of men.

“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (Ac. 17:29).

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things” (Ro. 1:21–23).

“And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Co. 6:14–18).

“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Co. 10:21).

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 Jn. 5:21).

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Ge. 6:5).

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known” (De. 11:26–28).

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Is. 42:8).

2. The believers had turned to God because of the promise of Christ’s return. It was God’s Son who was returning to earth, the Person who had died for them so that they might be acceptable to God and live with Him forever. They believed with all their hearts that they were to live with God forever. This was the reason they were waiting for the return of Christ. The word “wait” is in the present tense. This means that their hope for the return of Christ was alive. They expected Christ to return at any moment and eagerly looked for Him to rent the skies. Their expectation was a daily expectation.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Mt. 24:44).

“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mt. 26:64).

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come” (Lu. 19:13).

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Lu. 21:27).

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28–29).

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:2–3).

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Ac. 1:11).

“So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Co. 1:7).

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Co. 4:5).

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18).

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Th. 5:23).

“That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our

Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Ti. 6:14).

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:12–13).

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (He. 9:28).

“And now, little children abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 Jn. 2:28).

Note one other significant fact. How do we know that Christ is going to return to earth and take believers to live with God forever? Because God raised up Christ from the dead. By resurrecting Christ, God …

• proved that He is the God of all power

• proved that He has the power to raise the dead

• proved that He is going to do just as Christ taught: raise all men, some to eternal life and some to eternal death, that is, to be eternally separated from God

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Ro. 1:4).

“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (1 Co. 15:16–18).

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ep. 1:19–20).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pe. 1:3).

3. The believers had turned to God to escape the wrath of God. Note this: a day of wrath is coming; it has to come, for man and his universe are corruptible and imperfect and are in rebellion against God. The world is already condemned; the day of wrath is already set. But this is the glorious news of the gospel: we can be delivered from the wrath to come. The word delivered (ruomenon) means to rescue; to deliver us right out of the wrath. The picture is that of God rescuing and lifting us up out of the wrath.

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn. 3:18).

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (Jn. 3:36).

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Ro. 1:18).

“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ep. 5:3–6).

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience” (Col. 3:5–6).

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Re. 11:18).