Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 1:1-10
For the most part, Christians understand and interpret the Bible in a natural way. This may be the case in reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians. We have pointed out that these Epistles were written by Paul in an elementary way to new believers, to those who had been in the Lord probably for less than a year. When I was very young, I was told that the books to the Thessalonians are very precious, and I began to pay close attention to them. However, my understanding of these Epistles was natural. As I look back on the past, I realize that I interpreted these books in a very natural way. We all need to see the difference between understanding the Word in a natural way and understanding it in a spiritual way.
Although 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written to new believers, in these books a number of profound terms are used. Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians begin in almost exactly the same way: “Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Of the many Epistles written by Paul, only these two have this expression, the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of taking this expression for granted, we should seek to find out what it means. If we check in this way, we shall learn that it is a very profound matter to say that the church is in God. This thought cannot be found in the Old Testament. God never told His people, the children of Israel, that they were in God. But in the New Testament there are two Epistles that tell us that the church is in God. We need to learn the real significance of the church being in God. What a great matter that the church is in God!
In 1 Corinthians Paul says that the church is in Corinth. He also speaks of the churches in Macedonia. Both in 1 and 2 Thessalonians the location of the church is not a city — it is God. Furthermore, the church is in the Triune God. This is indicated by the fact that Paul says “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The object of the preposition “in” is both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father and the Son are two and yet are one. For the church to be in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ means that the church is in the Triune God.
The God revealed in the New Testament is not merely God the Creator; He is God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. He has passed through the process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. The name Jesus indicates incarnation, and the title Christ, resurrection. If God had not become incarnate, how could He be Jesus? If He did not enter into resurrection, how could He be Christ? The God who has passed through incarnation and resurrection is now in our spirit to be our life. The church is an entity in such a God, even the Triune God.
Although the church in Thessalonica was a new church, the Thessalonians nevertheless had to realize that the church is in God. Those in this young church needed to see that the church is in the Triune God, in the very God who is our Father and our Lord. The books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written not to individuals, but to the church in the Triune God. This is the reason we speak of a holy life for the church life. These two Epistles are addressed to the church, and the church is in the processed Triune God.
In 1:3 Paul says, “Remembering unceasingly your work of faith, and labor of love, and endurance of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.” The work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope are all great and profound terms. However, we may take for granted that we understand what the work of faith is. Actually, we may not be able to give an adequate definition of faith. What is faith, and what is the work of faith? Some would say, “The Thessalonians believed in God, and because of their faith they did a work for God. This is the work of faith.” However, this is a natural understanding of the work of faith. The actual meaning of this expression is different from what is in our natural way of understanding.
During the training on 1 Timothy we sang a chorus based on 1 Timothy 3:15 and 16:
The church is the house of the living God, The church is the pillar and base of the truth; And great is the mystery of godliness — That God was manifested in the flesh.
Even a child can sing these words strongly and clearly. However, a child would not be able to tell you what it means to say that the church is the house of the living God or the pillar and base of the truth. Neither could a child say what is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. A child may sing of such profound things without having any understanding of them. In principle, we may be exactly the same in our reading of the Bible. We may say the words “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” without having any understanding of what they mean. Likewise, we may have only a natural understanding of the structure of the holy life for the church life, a structure consisting of the three elements of the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. We may know these matters in a natural way, not according to the way Paul used them.
In 1:9 and 10 Paul says, “For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from the heavens, Whom He raised from among the dead — Jesus, Who delivers us from the wrath which is coming.” We may think that we know what it means to turn from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from the heavens. Actually, we may not know the proper meaning of these things.
In 4:7 Paul says that God has called us in sanctification. We also may assume that we understand the term sanctification. Actually, we do not have very much understanding of what sanctification is. Here Paul does not say that God has called us in holiness; he says that He has called us in sanctification. There is an important difference between holiness and sanctification.
First Thessalonians 5:23 says, “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We may read this verse without knowing the true significance of the words “sanctify you wholly.” In like manner, we may not know what it means for our spirit and soul and body to be preserved complete. We may read this verse again and again thinking that we understand it, when actually we may not understand it at all.
First Thessalonians emphasizes sanctification. God calls us unto sanctification, and the God of peace sanctifies us wholly. This Epistle emphasizes a sanctified life for the church life. This is the reason we adopt the expression “a holy life for the church life.”
Second Thessalonians also contains some profound terms. In 2:13 Paul says, “But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” To say that God has chosen us unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit is to utter something great and profound. Salvation is in sanctification of the Spirit. Such an expression is used only once in the entire New Testament.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:14 Paul goes on to say, “To which also He called you through our gospel unto the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The expression “the obtaining of the glory” is also unique, used in the New Testament only here. Through the gospel God called us unto the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:16 we read another profound expression: “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, Who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope in grace.” Here Paul speaks of eternal encouragement and good hope in grace. These terms are also used only once in the New Testament.
Recently in a meeting a sister gave a testimony concerning the living God. She explained that she was in a strange place late at night and that a teenage girl, who had been riding on a bus with her, was very helpful to her. The sister went on to say that this proves that God is living, for He had prepared someone to help her in that situation. In 1:9 Paul speaks of turning to God from idols to serve a living and true God. Do you think that Paul’s concept of the living God here is the same as that of the sister who gave this testimony? What does Paul mean by serving a living God? When Paul speaks of the living God, does he mean that God will send someone to help you when you are in trouble? If this is your concept, this indicates that you have a natural understanding of this matter. In many instances the living God did not keep Paul away from trouble and hardship. This would seem to indicate that in the sense of the testimony given by that sister, God was not very living to Paul in his experience. I mention this testimony in order to point out that we need to learn what Paul means when he speaks of serving a living and true God. We should not understand the Bible in a natural way. Rather, we must understand it according to God’s revelation.
If we read only 1 Thessalonians, it may be difficult to find out what is Paul’s understanding of the living God. But if we read the other books written by Paul, we shall see that for him the living God is the God who is now living in us. We are not serving a God who is merely in the heavens. The God we serve is the One who lives in us. Therefore, to serve a living God means to serve the God who is living in you right now. In the Old Testament the children of Israel served a God who was in the heavens. Solomon prayed to God in heaven. Even in what is called the Lord’s prayer, the Lord Jesus says, “Our Father Who is in the heavens” (Matt. 6:9). But now, after the cross and the resurrection, the God whom we serve is no longer merely in the heavens, for He is now living in us. This is revealed clearly in Paul’s Epistles (Rom. 8:10; Col. 1:27). We even have a song which says that our God is living and that He is living within us. When Paul says that we serve a living God, he means the God who is living within us and who is one with us.
How do we know that our God is the living God? We know it by the fact that He is living in us. Suppose a brother is about to quarrel with his wife. However, the living God in him does not want to quarrel. Therefore, the brother does not proceed to argue with his wife. In this way he serves a God who is living, a God who not only lives in him, but who also lives with him. By this illustration we see that the living God is living not only objectively but also subjectively.
I am bothered by testimonies which refer to the living God only in an objective way and not in a subjective way. Even those who have been in the Lord for years still testify only that the God they serve is objectively living. It seems that He is not the subjectively living One to these saints. We should be able to testify that the God we are serving today is living within us. What we need is not a testimony about how God sent someone to help us in trouble. We need subjective testimonies concerning the living God in our daily life. For instance, a sister may testify of how she was tempted to look at her husband in a very unpleasant way. But because the living God in her did not agree, she did not show such an unpleasant expression toward her husband. This proves that her God is living and that He is living within her. An idol does not interfere with anyone who is about to lose his temper. But the God whom we serve is living, and He inwardly adjusts us and corrects us.
Let us now go on to consider what faith is and also what the work of faith is. In 3:2 Paul says, “And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow-worker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and encourage you for the sake of your faith.” In 3:5 Paul goes on to say, “Because of this, when I also could bear it no longer, I sent to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.” In both of these verses Paul refers to “your faith.” Paul was deeply concerned about the Thessalonians’ faith. In these verses faith is not only subjective, referring to the saints’ believing, but also objective, referring to what they believe in. Objective faith also refers to what we may call our belief. Belief denotes what we believe in. In 1 and 2 Thessalonians it is difficult to tell whether faith is objective or subjective. For the most part, as used in these two Epistles, faith is both objective and subjective.
Faith is related both to a view and to sight. First there is a view, a scene, before us, and then we have the sight to see this view. Spontaneously, we have faith. This means that when we have the view and the sight, we automatically have faith.
Suppose you are preaching the gospel to a group of unbelievers. What you speak to them is not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. You tell them the story of the gospel, relating how God loves them and how He sent His Son to be a man and to die on the cross for them. As you are speaking, you are not merely telling a story — you are presenting a view, a scene. Those to whom you are speaking begin to see this view. They realize something about being a sinner and see that there is a God, Jesus Christ, and the cross. This view portrayed in the preaching of the gospel is God’s revelation. As soon as unbelievers see this revelation, spontaneously faith is produced in them, and they believe. They believe in what they see. This is faith. However, not many Christians understand faith in this way.
In order to have more faith, stronger, broader, and greater faith, we need more view. A broader faith depends on a broader view. An increased view gives us increased sight, and increased sight results in increased faith. Thus, the extent of our faith depends on our sight, and the scope of our sight depends on the measure of our view. This is why we need to know more of the Holy Word and hear more messages. Both the Word and messages help to give us a broader view. Then we shall have greater sight, which produces a greater faith.
This kind of faith on the one hand brings God into us, and on the other hand it brings us into God. In other words, such faith always produces an organic union.
We may use photography as an illustration of how, through faith, God is brought into us, and we are brought into the organic union with Him. When you take a photograph with a camera, you press the shutter. Then light brings a particular scene into the camera to reach the film. In this way the scene, the view, is impressed onto the film. In the same principle, faith brings God into our spirit, which can be compared to the film. Before faith is produced in us, our spirit is blank. But after faith is produced, God is brought into our spirit. Now our spirit is no longer blank. Instead, something of God Himself has been impressed into our spirit. God is brought into our spirit, and we are brought into God. Spontaneously, there is an organic union between us and God.
To be sure, a certain kind of work will issue out of such faith. Genuine faith is never in vain. It is living. It brings God into us, it brings us into God, and it makes God and us one. This living faith works in a particular way. This is what Paul means by the work of faith.
This word concerning the living God and the work of faith may help you to see the difference between the natural way and the spiritual way of understanding the
Word of God. In reading 1 Thessalonians, a precious book written to new believers, we must be on the alert not to understand any part of this Epistle in a natural way. If we have a natural understanding of this book, we shall be hindered in our reading of it. Therefore, we need to pray, “Lord, I don’t want to understand anything in the Bible, especially any terms in 1 Thessalonians, in a natural way. Lord, keep me always in the spirit, and show me the real significance of the profound terms in this book.”
It would be helpful if you keep in mind certain important terms used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians. In particular, remember that the church is in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Also remember the work of faith, the labor of love, the endurance of hope, and the turning to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for His Son from the heavens. If you keep these terms in mind, eventually light will come and, gradually, you will have the proper spiritual understanding. Otherwise, you may understand the entire first chapter of 1 Thessalonians in a natural way, in a way that is absolutely not according to the divine revelation. Only when we have the proper spiritual understanding can we receive the divine revelation. The divine revelation in 1 Thessalonians 1 goes along with the spiritual understanding of Paul’s writing.
