Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Give Us This Day

Home
Evangelical
Tuesday of 5th Sunday after Epiphany – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

Tuesday of 5th Sunday after Epiphany – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

Last updated on: February 10, 2014 at 9:54 pm by Fr. Charles Erlandson

Tuesday of 5th Sunday after Epiphany – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13 2014-02-10T21:54:40-05:00 Fr. Charles Erlandson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

St. Paul’s ministry is both so fruitful and so apostolic that we might be tempted to think that such fruit is only for apostles, or bishops or pastors.

Not so!

While none of us will ever have the same apostolic ministry Paul had and very, very few will ever have the scope of his ministry (maybe if you’re a pope or a patriarch you might), we can all minister in the same way that St. Paul ministered.

One of the keys to Paul’s amazing ministry to the church at Thessalonica and other churches is found in verse 8 of 1 Thessalonians 2: “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

This is the secret to any successful ministry, that the ministry is not just a sharing of the gospel of God, the message of salvation, but also a sharing of our lives. In the 1960s Marshall McLuhan popularized the idea that “the medium is the message.” In Christian ministry, the medium is definitely the message, and in the Christian ministry the medium is Jesus Christ incarnated in the flesh and now incarnated in us. You are the medium through which the gospel of Jesus Christ is propagated. You are both the medium and the message – you, and not just the words of the Bible that you might repeat.

Paul might have sent his weighty letters to churches such as the one in Thessalonica, but if he had not also ministered there with his life, his words would have carried little weight. It was because Paul was willing to spend himself (2 Corinthians 12:15) on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ, and the local churches to which God had called him, that Paul’s ministry was so fruitful in making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Paul is able to spend himself utterly on behalf of God’s people because he loves them as Jesus Christ Himself loved them. This tough and fiery St. Paul, who can come to the churches with the refining fire of God Almighty, is at heart a gentle mother who lovingly nurses her baby (verse 7.) If you have ever seen the adoring looks a mother gives her closely held baby, the care which she takes to make sure he is well, and the fierceness with which she protects her baby, then you will understand the way that Paul treats the Christians at Thessalonica.

He is not only mother but father. Like any good father, sometimes he exhorts, sometimes he comforts, and sometimes he charges (verse 11.) Whatever is best for his children in Christ, Father Paul will do.

Paul understands that the Church, including the local church, is the family of God, and Paul treats the family of God as his own children over which he is the spiritual father. He lavishes his love upon them, even when this love comes in the form of “tough love.” But love it is – he does not seek what is theirs but seeks the Thessalonian Christians themselves (2 Corinthians 12:14), and he does all things for their edification (2 Corinthians 12:19.) This love is an affectionate love: he cherishes them like a nursing mother (verse 7); he affectionately longs for them (verse 8); they have become dear to him (verse 8); he serves them as a father (verse 11); he endeavors eagerly to see their face with great desire (verse 17); and they are his glory and joy (verse 20.)

If Christians today had this kind of all-consuming love for each other, then they would say of the church in the 21st century in Tyler, TX and in all places, as they said of the early church: “See how these Christians love!” And souls would be added daily to the Church.

What Paul communicated to the church at Thessalonica (and his other churches) was a continuation of the beautiful life of love of the early church that is described in Acts 2:42-47, a church which devoted itself to the apostles doctrine, to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers; to selling their possessions so that no brother or sister in Christ was in need; to worshiping daily together in the Temple; to the breaking of bread from house to house as they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart; and to the praise of God.

If we became imitators of the love of St. Paul and the churches to which he ministered, as the Thessalonians became imitators of the churches in Judea (verse 14), then we too might have favor with all and find that God adds daily to our churches (Acts 2:47.) But to do this, we must offer ourselves on behalf of others in love.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your affectionate love to me and all Your children. Thank You for the example of St. Paul and other loving ministers in Your Church. Grant me such an abundance of Your love in my life, that I seek those in my local Church with the love with which You have sought me.

Points for Meditation:

1. What would it mean for me to act like a father or mother in my church?

2. Meditate on your local church as being your family, and then meditate on how you may be more affectionately and intimately loving with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Resolution: I resolve to find one practical way that I can show affectionate love to the people in my local church.

Book of Common Prayer

early Church

edification

Fr. Charles Erlandson

Give Us This Day daily devotional

Previous Post

February 9, 2014

Monday of Epiphany 5 - 1 Thessalonians 1

Next Post

February 11, 2014 Wednesday of Epiphany 5 - 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Featured Give Us This Day Give Us This Day Devotional love me love my wife Love My Wife Reformed Catholicism Blog Spirit-Reality Take This Cup Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2022 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 September 2018 July 2018 March 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus say before raising Lazarus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

"Rise and walk!" "Go in peace!" "Lazarus, come out!" "Be healed!"