Hope of Salvation
Notes
Transcript
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Christianity was not born into a world like 21st century America. Religion was predominant and everywhere. You could not separate your religious life from your business life. It defined who you were.
When I was young my family would often jokingly call someone a pagan. The implication was that this person was not religious at all but rather atheistic. But a pagan of the first century was very religious, they often worshiped many Gods or different elements of nature. What made them pagans was the denial of the Gospel of Christ.
A third century B.C. letter helps us understand “Toubias to Apollonios, greeting. If you are well and if all our affairs and everything else is proceeding according to your will, many thanks to the gods.”
Unlike many of the letters you would see during Paul’s period of life many would thank the gods for health and financial gain. But in the majority of Paul’s letters we do not see an emphasis upon health or finances.
How does Paul go about His prayer time requests.
A Work of Faith
A Work of Faith
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
A Labor of Love
A Labor of Love
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
A Steadfast Hope
A Steadfast Hope
endurance inspired by hope.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Paul’s ultimate Reason for Giving Thanks
Their election of God.
That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.