Thessalonica. Founded in 316 bce and named for a sister of Alexander the Great, Thessalonica after 146 was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia.

Acts 17

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.


I understand from this text that Paul was only in Thessalonica for three, maybe four weeks, but found an audience willing to listen to his teaching about Jesus. He and his crew found persecution there, intense enough that it followed them to Berea, a suburb of Thessalonica.

According to a history writing I stumbled across, Paul writes a letter twice to the Thessalonians from Corinth, where he went next; these letters we have recorded as I and II Thessalonians.

 

I Thessalonians 4

1Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 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;

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

13 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.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.


It is interesting to me that Paul, amidst his encouragement and admonitions in this first letter to the Thessalonians, chooses to give them sound teaching concerning the resurrection. From what I gather from the scriptures, each one that taught about the resurrection from the dead faced challenges explaining what it was and how it would work. Jesus ran into this, and we have recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 where Jesus tried to explain what the resurrection was and wasn’t. It seems that our natural minds just have a hard time grasping and understanding the spiritual truths of the resurrection. In several places, Paul’s audience were agreeing with him until he mentioned the resurrection from the dead. So what is the truth?

The simple truth of the resurrection is that there is ONE RESURRECTION, and that the resurrection is not so much an event, or a time, or a place, but the resurrection is a person. It is Jesus Christ, who Himself said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (St John 11:25) So then we should not ask “why” or “where” or “how” or “when” is the resurrection, but we should ask “Who is the resurrection.”

This scripture in I Thessalonians is simply saying that those who were dead (“are asleep”) before Jesus came are not left out in some way, but at the time of Jesus’s resurrection they were raised up into either life or into damnation (ref John 5:29). What about us that are alive after the time of Christ? We are able to participate in Jesus’s resurrection by the sanctifiying power of the Holy Ghost - when the Holy Ghost comes in to our hearts, we are “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,” that is, we are spiritually lifted up by the power of the resurrection. Similiar language is used in Ephesians 2:4-6 ; “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

So we see that this scripture is not saying our bodies will float in the air, but rather that our sanctified souls are participating in the power of the resurrection.

Moving in to the 5th chapter, Paul begins to teach about death will come, and then gives a list of quick, godly instructions for how we ought to live and conduct ourselves.

I think it is important for us to realize that sound doctrine and holy lifestyle go hand in hand. It is nearly impossible to have one without the other. Sound doctrine helps us to understand that it is the work of Jesus that accomplishes our salvation, not our works of strictness or discipline. Godly biblical teaching of holy lifestyle gives us a pattern of living that helps us stay connected to Jesus, and to not be distracted and confused by the constant siren song of the world.




I Thessalonians 5

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

25 Brethren, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.

27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.






Is My Lord Satisfied With Me?


One glor'ous day Jesus came and made me whole,
He so completely then satisfied my soul;
Now as I face life's dark troubled stormy sea,
I wonder if He is satisfied with me.

CHORUS:
I want my Lord to be satisfied with me.
I want my life to be what He'd have it be.
Then when I come to that great eternity,
His smile will say He is satisfied with me.

I'm satisfied with God's great redemption plan,
I'm satisfied it's sufficient for all man;
I'm satisfied with His work on Calvary,
But is my Lord fully satisfied with me?

Lord, give me strength, give me courage, make me bold
That I might lead some lost sheep into Thy fold;
That I might stand unafraid unmoved for Thee,
That you might be fully satisfied with me.





I Will Serve Thee

(last verse written by Bro. Levi Collier)


I
will serve Thee because I love Thee
You have given life to me;
I was nothing before You found me,
You have given life to me.

CHORUS:
Heartaches, broken pieces, ruined lives
Are why You died on Calvary;
Your touch was what I longed for,
You have given life to me.

I will meet Thee in the sweet Haven
You have dearly bought for me;
My soul You purchased ; Oh, how I love Thee,
Life and love You gave to me.

I will heed thee and follow closely
You have gently guided me;
I was straying, but God you found me,
You left the fold for me.



Waves in Culture affecting the Church



Romanticism focuses on the sublime, using high contrast and intense emotion to convey its subjects.

Realism focuses on detailed, sometimes gritty depictions of reality. Both movements were important in America and Europe.

Stretching from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, Modernism reached its peak in the 1960s; Post-modernism describes the period that followed during the 1960s and 1970s

Merriam Webster: modernism

1: a practice, usage, or expression peculiar to modern times

2 often capitalized : a tendency in theology to accommodate traditional religious teaching to contemporary thought and especially to devalue supernatural elements


History Channel:

Modernism in the arts refers to the rejection of the Victorian era’s traditions and the exploration of industrial-age, real-life issues, and combines a rejection of the past with experimentation, sometimes for political purposes.

Post-modernism is a dismissal of the rigidity of Modernism in favor of an “anything goes” approach to the subject matter, processes and material.


And then Deconstructionism:

Defined literally as deconstructing established ideas and cultural institutions down to their basest parts.

Deconstructionism appeared in the early 1980s, but only truly started to grow in the 1990s. This post-modern architectural movement's name stems from “Deconstruction”, a form of literary analysis led by the philosopher Jacques Derrida.