Friday 21 April 2017
- Bible Book:
- 1 Thessalonians
“For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.” (vv. 9-10)
Psalm:
Background
The first letter to the Thessalonianswas one of Paul's earliest letters. It was written round aboutAD51. Thessalonica (now called Salonica) was in Greece. The cityhad been named after a half-sister of Alexander the Great. It was afree city, in that it was never occupied by Roman troops, and hadits own assembly and magistrates. Thessalonica had a large harbour,and its main street was part of the road linking Rome with theEast. Thus East and West converged in the city. Therefore thecoming of Christianity to Thessalonica was crucial because therewas a good chance that it could spread towards Rome and Asia.
Paul had made a great impression onthe people in Thessalonica. But he subsequently received news thatsome preaching on the Second Coming of Jesus had resulted in somepeople stopping work and waiting in anticipation. Paul had toaddress these issues, together with the potential divisions amongthe people.
In the verses preceding today'spassage Paul talks about the need to encourage one another. Inchapter 5 he deals with the question of the Second Coming(Parousia) which the people of that time expected to happen soon.Paul says that people need to carry on with their lives as usualbecause no-one knows when Christ will come again. The reference tothe "day of the Lord" (v. 2) means the day when Christ will breakinto time: when things that are wrong will be put to rights; whengrief will turn into joy. Paul is offering a message of hope andcomfort, not of fear. Paul encourages the people to be alert andawake: to embrace comfort and hope rather than sin and death. Itwas for this reason that Jesus died and rose again. The referencesto the thief (verses 2, 4) are not to scare, but to say that thingscan happen unexpectedly. Ultimately, Paul says that those whofollow Christ are people of the light and the day, not of the nightand the darkness.
To Ponder
- How does this passage contribute to your understanding ofJesus' resurrection?
- How important is the message of life and hope in today's world?Why?