Commend One Another
2 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 20 viewsBelievers should commend one another, thanking God for growth in faith and love, that builds up the church.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians followed closely on the heels of his first and was likely written around AD 50 to 51. In the third chapter (3:11) we’re told that Paul had received news concerning some of the issues to be found in the Thessalonian church. Apparently, these issues, or at least some combination of them, were a source contention of worry among the members of the Thessalonian congregation. The truth of the matter is that not much has changed since Paul penned his letter because believers still experience the problems and issues discussed by the Apostle. Things like persecution from outside the church, false claims concerning Jesus’ return, and also idleness among church members, can be all too common today. But even in all of that we’re commanded, and expected as followers of Christ, to grow in our faith and understanding. Now, as strange as that sounds, and as difficult a goal as it might seem to be to reach, these are things every Christian should strive for, and when we reach these goals, we should be thankful. In the first four verses of Second Thessalonians chapter one, Paul told the Thessalonians that he was thankful for them, and he commended them for three very important reasons, first, because their faith, second, because of their love, and third, because of their patience. Folks, we should follow Paul’s example when it comes to each other, commending one another and thanking God for growth in faith and love, that builds up the body of Christ, the church. That’s what we’re going to take a look at in these first four verses of Second Thessalonians chapter one. Let’s read the text.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
Prayer
Prayer
A Commendation for Spiritual Growth
A Commendation for Spiritual Growth
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
(vv.1-2) In the first two verses of 2 Thessalonians, Paul introduces himself and his companions to the Thessalonians in his normal way. One thing, however, about Paul’s introduction I’d like to point out to you is the fact that the word “in” (v.1b), and “from” (v.2) are functioning as singular prepositions, each of which have double objects. The objects of “in” in v.1 are “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”, and in v.2 the objects of “from” are “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. What Paul is up to here in these verses is that he is in a subtle way connecting Jesus and God, pointing out to the reader that Jesus is, in fact, God.
(v.3a) After his introduction in vv.1 and 2, Paul, in v.3 informs his audience that he and his companions [that would be Silas and Timothy] “… are bound/ought to thank God always for them”, and he says that it’s only “fitting” that they do so. Why? It’s because Paul knows and understands that the “faith” of those he’s writing to has grown and is continuing to grow “exceedingly”. What Paul is doing here, church, is commending his listeners for their spiritual growth. That brings up a really important question, how had these people grown spiritually, and how do we do so today? First of all, I think it’s of the utmost importance for us to realize that spiritual growth is something we’re commanded to do. Peter tells us in his second epistle that we are to “… grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ …” That word grow is an active imperative (command) in the Greek! Concerning how and where we’re to grow; God’s Word is slap full of instruction. In 2 Corinthians 9:10 Paul points to our growth in fruitfulness; Ephesians 4:15 says we’re to grow into Christ, Paul puts it like this “… speak the truth in love that we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, that is Christ …” In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 believers are told to increase and overflow toward one another, which means growing in love. We’re also told that we need to grow in perfection (Heb. 6:1), which is directly connected to our growth through the Word (1 Pet. 2:2). Now, with all of that said, it’s important to note that the growth in these areas is said to, by necessity, be gradual (2 Pet. 1:5), so that eventually we’ll fulfill that command given in 2 Pet. 3:18 to grow in both grace as well as knowledge. (Pause) When you think about all of those areas I’ve mentioned, it sure sounds like a pretty tall order doesn’t it, but God is always faithful and he’ll see us through to the end!
(Appeal) The question here that I think you and I have got to ask ourselves is if we’re keeping up our end of the bargain. You see, God has promised that he’ll always be faithful, but are we? Paul commended the Thessalonians for their spiritual growth, can we be commended for ours? If that’s not you, and spiritual growth is an area where you’ve been struggling, maybe it’s time to humble yourself and ask God for some help. I promise you; he’ll be more than happy to do so.
A Commendation for Growth in Love
A Commendation for Growth in Love
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
In the second portion of v.3 Paul commends the Thessalonians when he says, “the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other”. It’s interesting that when Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit on Galatians 5, he places love at the top of the list. In the Greek text, the fruit of the Spirit that’s listed first is love, which means it’s really important! It’s also pretty radical when Jesus sums up the Law in two commands, both of which deal directly with “love”. Jesus said, 37 … ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Mt. 22:37–39). What do you think; don’t you think it’s pretty important that you and I grow in our love toward God and each other?
Illustration: In 1949 the Southern Baptist Convention met in Oklahoma City. The president at that time was the late Dr. R. G. Lee. A major event happened that year at the convention meeting when, for the first time in the Convention’s history, a black man from outside the fellowship was invited to preach. His name was Dr. E. W. Perry, and for over a half century he’d been the pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, of Oklahoma City. When President Lee presented him, he put his arm around Dr. Perry and said, “Brethren, you are looking at a portrait of black and white painted in red” (see Eph. 2:13). The messengers stood and cheered.[1]
Paul’s point in his commending the Thessalonians for their growing love was something that I think we often tend to miss in our fast-paced modern society. We often think about “love” as something that’s either on or off; as if it’s something static or stationary, but the biblical description of love is something that’s alive and moving because it seeks to draw others to itself. Think, for instance, of how Paul describes “love” in that great passage in 1 Corinthians 13. “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away” (1 Cor. 13:4–8).
When you stop and think about it all of those words Paul uses to describe “love”, in some manner points to you and I to our being active in the process of it’s growth.
(Appeal) So, here’s where the rubber meets the road, are you growing in love, particularly in your love for God and also for those who are your brothers and sisters in Christ? If you are, then you’re to be commended just like the Thessalonians were some many years ago. If you’re not, then you need to ask yourself why(?). Maybe you’ve had something that’s been eating at you for some time now; maybe you’ve got something against a brother or sister in Christ. Friends, I wonder, can you truly show love in the right way until you make these wrongs, right? Certainly, I don’t think you can be truly commended for your growth in love until you do so. Let’s finish up by taking a look at v.4.
[1] Herschel H. Hobbs, My Favorite Illustrations (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1990), 27.
A Commendation for Patience
A Commendation for Patience
4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
Paul begins v.4 with a conjunction. The Greek word is ὥστε (hōste). The NKJV and KJV render it “So that”, other translations use the word “Therefore”. The point that Paul brings out by using it is that it’s a marker of result. In other words, based on what he’s just told you in v.3, here’s what happens, here’s the result. Paul says that because these believers have grown both spiritually and in love, he and his companions “boast of them among the churches of God …” Now that’s quite a statement! That word “boast” is used nearly 40 times in the NT and it means to show off verbally. It’s also, in a few instances, translated as glory. What’s interesting about Paul’s use of this word is that boasting seems to have been viewed as a bad thing, especially in Judaism because it was related to a person’s seeking self-glorification. That doesn’t sound much different than today does it, and if you simply take it at face value without considering any of the background information, along with the context of the passage, you might think Paul is being self-centered here. But there’s a catch, you’ve got to remember that Paul had already written one letter to the Thessalonians, and in the opening of it he said this, “remembering your work of faith, labor of love, [here it comes] and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ …” (1 Thess. 1:3). The order of the wording in 1 Thess. 1:3 (faith, love, and patience) and 2 Thess. 1:4 (faith, love, and patience) both fall right in line with one another. The point being that in his first letter Paul qualified the patience he’s talking about here with the hope that’s only found in Jesus Christ, and he expected them, and he expects us to know and understand that. You see, Paul commended these believers because of their “patience and faith” in all of the “persecutions and tribulations” they had endured because he understood that the hope they was found in their faith in Jesus Christ, and that’s something anyone who’s a believer can boast in!
(Appeal) My question for you and for me, in conclusion, is this, can we or could we be commended for our faith, that leads to love, which grounds itself in the hope that’s found in Christ alone? If that’s us then it should heralded from the roof tops as to what God has done and is doing in our lives through our faith in Christ. On the other hand, if that’s not you then I would encourage you to place your faith in Christ alone and rest in the hope that found in him, in order that we all might, like Paul “proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness …” (NLT).
Invitation
Invitation
Prayer
Prayer
