Sermon Tone Analysis

*1 Thessalonians 4:1-8*Willow Creek Baptist Church – November 22, 2009

*4 *Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

*2* For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

*3* For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; *4* that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, *5* not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; *6* that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

*7* For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

*8* Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.[1]

 

*Background*

The church in Thessalonica is young.

Paul spent some time there but almost surely more time than a suggested three week period in Acts 17:1-10.

The mission in Thess.

had started through the preaching done over the course of three Sabbaths in the synagogue.

Paul reasoned from the scripture (Acts 17:2).

Paul explained and proved Christ had to suffer from the scriptures (Acts 17:3 a).

Paul explained and proved that Christ had to rise from the dead (Acts 17:3 b).

Some believed and joined Paul and Silas and it seems a large number of God-fearing Greeks and “leading” women (Acts 17:4).

This was a productive start and hints to the heterogeneous makeup of this church.

It seems the majority group is Gentile and~/or female.

(Act 17:4).

The Jews became jealous in the course of time of Paul’s success.

Perhaps they preached three Sabbaths before they were disallowed into the synagogue.

The Jews began a riot at some point in order to squelch the growing Christian community (Acts 17:5 a).

The Jews attacked Jason’s house which suggests that the early believers were no longer meeting in the synagogue but rather in Jason’s home.

The Jews charge Jason and the hidden Paul and Silas with disruption of city order (Acts 17:6).

Disorder seems to be the charge against the Christian community, especially against Paul, used most often to get the Christian community in trouble with the authorities.

Paul is escorted away to Berea and then to Athens.

Finally Paul ends up in Corinth (Acts 18:1) where he likely pens the letter to the Thessalonians.

Apparently the Jews gathered a following of rabble-rousers who stirred up trouble for him in the city of Berea (Acts 17:10) so Paul alone moves on to Athens leaving Timothy and Silas behind in Berea (Acts 17:15).

*Sexual Immorality in Thessalonica:*

Paul focuses in 1 Th.

4:1-8 on sexual immorality.

The pagan culture of Rome held a wide range of ethics regarding sexual matters but for the most part prostitution, cult prostitution, sexual abuse of slaves, mistresses and various other deviations were strongly opposed among the Jewish and Christian fellowships.

Paul particularly opposes the sexual practices of the pagan society and demands that the churches not even have a trace of such practice.

*Paul’s Agency and Authority in Thessalonica:*

Paul writes a particularly affectionate letter to the Thessalonians.

He did not demand payment or support during his time among the new believers.

He says that they returned his affections such that he was willing to share not only the gospel “but also our own selves” 1 Thess 2:8.

In 1 Th.

4:1 he claims his authority as an agent of God.

He also reinforces who is disregarded if the Thessalonians ignore his exhortation to abstain from sexual immorality.

God himself is disregarded.

Paul’s claim of agency is a prophetic weight which fits well with his coming claims about the end and the coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11).

Thus Paul’s force is that of a prophet speaking God’s words.

\\  

*4 *Λοιπὸν οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ,

Finally, then, Brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus

            

[ ἵνα καθὼς παρελάβετε παρʼ ἡμῶν]

              Just as you received from us

 

(τὸ πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καὶ ἀρέσκειν θεῷ,)

/ /how you ought to walk (indirect discourse infinitive) and to please God

 

       [ καθὼς καὶ περιπατεῖτε,]

        just as you are walking

 

      ἵνα περισσεύητε μᾶλλον.

So that you do so all the more

* *

*2* οἴδατε *γὰρ* τίνας παραγγελίας ἐδώκαμεν ὑμῖν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.

For you all know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus

* *

*3* Τοῦτο *γάρ* ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ,

For this is the will of God

 

                                     ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν,

                                     namely your sanctification

 

\\ ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας,

to abstain from sexual immorality

* *

*4* εἰδέναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ,

To know each one of you how to control this, his body in holiness and honor

*5* μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν θεόν,

not in the passion of lust just like the gentiles who do not know God.

* *

*6* τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ,

to not transgress and /to not /wrong in this manner his brother

 

\\ διότι ἔκδικος κύριος περὶ πάντων τούτων,

because the Lord /is/ an avenger concerning all these things

 

καθὼς καὶ προείπαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ διεμαρτυράμεθα.

as also we beforehand told you and solemnly warned you

* *

*7* οὐ *γὰρ* ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ

For God has not called us for impurity

 

ἀλλʼ (ἐκάλεσεν – elliptical verb) ἐν ἁγιασμῷ.

But /God has called us/ in holiness

* *

*8* τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ

Therefore, whoever disregards /this/, disregards not man

 

ἀλλὰ ( ἀθετεῖ - ellipsis) τὸν θεὸν τὸν [καὶ] διδόντα τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον εἰς ὑμᾶς.[2]

But /he disregards /God who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Preaching Notes:

Verse 4:1 Paul Asks and Urges the congregation in the authority of Christ:

Erwtaw and parakalew have the sense with the following ivna not of the content of the request but of the agency in asking.

Paul is asking and urging the following on Christ’s behalf.

This is a charge to the Thessalonians that comes with expected obedience.

It is spoken by Paul in the name of Christ Jesus and thus carries God’s approval.

The Authority of the command to walk and please God is always in view of the agency authority of Paul as he speaks for God.  1 Thess 1:8 reinforces the fact that it is God who is being disregarded.  1 Th. 4:9 teaches that God himself taught them the love they now know 

Paul reminds them of his teaching among them:

Paul’s original message had the same agency as his current exhortation.

Paul is not speaking something new but is charging them to continue as they have known from his message among them.

This is the message borne out of the love and affection Paul, Silas and Timothy had among the Thessalonians during their stay.

This message is of God and therefore demands obedience.

Paul has taught them how they are to walk in the manner of God and how to please God:

περιπατεῖν refers to a standard of behavior in which life is conducted.

Repeatedly live in the way you were taught.

Likewise, ἀρέσκειν means to please one’s master and in this instance even carries a military connotation: To please one’s officer in the army.

So, please the one giving the command by doing the command.

And the command is given for the book in 1 Thess 1:3 when Paul clearly references Faith, Love and Hope.

This is a reference (almost certainly) to the instruction he had given them

Paul exhorts them to live according to the manner of behavior they have been taught and to obey for the sake of God’s pleasure and in increasing measure.

They are to grow in their sanctification and obedience.

Verse 4:2.

You know “οἴδατε” of the instructions given.

Paul is not commanding them to act in a way of which they are unaware.

In fact, the person of Christ expresses these truths.

This verse is the concluding summary of verse 4:1.

Verse 4:3.

God’s will is sanctification particularly in reference to sexual immorality.

Whether or not there was a problem in the Thessalonian church with sexual immorality is unclear.

What is clear is that the Gentiles, much in the way modern society behaves, were immoral in regards to sexual morality.

Roman society had a social code of conduct which prescribed certain moral ideas but few followed this code.

Paul amplifies his command to sanctification by calling it the will of God.

Be sanctified through abstaining from sexual immorality

4:4 Be sanctified by knowing how to control one’s body in holiness and honor

4:5 Not like the Gentiles around the church who follow their passionate lust because they do not know God.

Note the usage of οἴδατε in 4:2 “/you know”/ and then εἰδέναι “/to know – substantival infinitive of //qelhma//” /followed by a substantival participle eἰδότα /“the ones who know”/.

The comparison is to the knowledge of the Thessalonians in 4:2 followed by the lack of knowledge of the Gentiles who act out of ignorance following the desires of the body into destruction.

Paul highlights the fact that sexual immorality on the part of the Thessalonians is willful opposition to God’s command as unruly soldiers