1 Thessalonians 2:13

Have you read any good books lately?

This seems like a dinner table question, doesn't it? We might ask something like this when we are fishing for something to say in a conversation. But in this case, I am really asking if you have read any good books lately? Of course, I hope the Bible is part of your regular reading and study for the week. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about a book you have read to learn something new, to challenge yourself, or just to enjoy for its own sake.

Over the years, I have read my fair share of classic literature, mostly novels and other works of fiction. Believe it or not, I would consider myself a fan of Shakespeare. Yes, I know his plays are difficult to get through, but the stories themselves and the themes they portray have shaped our Western culture for centuries. It is hard to dismiss a playwright who has had that much influence. I also enjoy a good Charles Dickens novel. His depictions of Victorian England and the vast array of characters he developed demonstrate his creative mind and complex thinking. Recently, I have slowly been making my way through Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Misérables. This nearly 1,000-page tome seems like the perfect novel for quarantine, but even so, it has not been easy to find the time to read. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed getting to page through it when I can.

When I think of these books and others I have read, I cannot help but think about the questions I would ask these authors if they were alive today. Maybe you have never wondered about this, but I have. If Shakespeare were alive, and I had the privilege of interviewing him, I would ask him, "When you wrote your plays, did you have any idea how they would impact and shape our culture?" If Dickens were alive, among other questions, I would ask him, "How did you keep every plot thread, every character, and every setting straight in your mind as you wrote your novels?" If Mr. Hugo were alive, I would first have to learn French to talk to him. Aside from asking what he thinks of the Broadway play based on his book, I would want to ask him, "Why did you include dozens of chapters in your book that seemingly have little to do with the main story?"

Any one of these questions I could ask a scholar in literature or a professor of English, and I am sure they would give me an interesting take. But I think we can all agree that if we had the chance to hear an author's take on the composition of his work or the impact that it had, we would prefer their opinion over anyone else's. Nothing compares to hearing the truth "straight from the horse's mouth," because no one provides a better perspective on a work of literature than the author himself.

The Bible is indeed a work of literature. It contains some of the most well-known passages in the English language, even to our modern culture. Almost every major literary genre is represented in the Bible - poetry, prose, narrative, legal literature, and history. It represents the handiwork of almost 40 different men over a span of 1,500 years who recorded history, first-hand accounts, and prophecy. The Bible is an amazing work of literature, but it is so much more than that. It is the very Word of God. It represents everything God wanted to tell mankind about himself so that every human being could enjoy a personal relationship with him.

This is where the Bible really distinguishes itself from other written works. God specifically crafted the words of Scripture so we could grow in our knowledge and love for him. He did this by inspiring the words so that whatever the biblical authors recorded was exactly what he wanted them to say. He did this without interfering with their personalities, experiences, or writing styles. Each writer, from Moses to Paul, added their own unique touch to the Bible, yet they still communicated everything God wanted them to say.

If we want to be good followers of Jesus, then we must be good students of his Word. Since God has inspired the words of Scripture, and since those words tell us about himself, then we must commit ourselves to learning them and studying them. How do we do that? What is the right approach as we interact with God's Word in our daily lives? Well, let's ask the Author. First Thessalonians 2:13 is a passage that describes how one church engaged with Scripture as God's authoritative message for them. As we apply this text to our lives, let’s focus on this key thought: When you engage with the Bible, engage with its author.

How God's Word got to the Thessalonians

Whenever we listen to the Bible being preached, or study it on our own, we begin with this premise: these words came from God himself, and I will interact with them accordingly. This is how the Thessalonian church approached the message Paul presented to them.

Background on the Thessalonian church

On his second missionary journey, Paul was travelling through Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. He was revisiting the churches from his first journey. He and his missions team came to an impasse where they could go no further because the Holy Spirit prohibited them from entering certain regions. It was at this point that God gave a vision to Paul at night, instructing him to go to Macedonia and spread the gospel there. This would be the first time that the gospel would enter Europe. Paul obeyed, and his team first ministered in Philippi. The next city they preached in was Thessalonica. Without Paul's obedience to God's leading, the word of God would not have gotten to these people in the first place. In his sovereignty, God arranged for a surrendered man like Paul to come to Thessalonica and preach the gospel to people who were ready to receive it.

What is “the word of God”?

The second part of 1 Thessalonians 2:13 reads this way: "when you received the word of God which you heard from us." What does Paul mean by "the word of God"? Is he talking about a physical Bible? This is unlikely for a couple reasons. He could be talking about the Old Testament, but that does not seem to be the case based on the context. He probably is not talking about the New Testament books either. Not all of them would have been written by this time, and even those that were written had not circulated to all the churches around the Mediterranean region.

What is Paul referencing here? He points out in the passage that the church received the word of God by hearing it. Presumably, the first time many of these people would have heard God's Word was when they heard the gospel. As Paul and his missionary team went around the city declaring the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, many individuals heard their preaching, received it as truth, and believed on Jesus as a result. So, in context, Paul is talking about how the people were receptive to the gospel message. By extension, we can take their response to the gospel and apply it to our lives as we respond to God's Word as a whole. We have the privilege of hearing, reading, and studying the Bible in our own language, so that gives us the impetus to respond the same way the Thessalonian believers did.

How Paul presented God’s Word

It is fascinating to note Paul’s method for ministry to this city. It seems to be the pattern he followed in every city he ministered to. He describes it in chapter 2 by comparing a right approach with a wrong approach. In verses 3-6, he clarifies that his preaching did not have any of the following characteristics: error, uncleanness, deceit, pleasing men, flattering words, covetousness, seeking glory from men, and making demands out of privilege. He made a conscious effort to avoid these things at all costs for his ministry. For him, these kinds of attitudes and mindsets were antithetical to the gospel message.

In contrast to this, Paul describes his preferred method for ministry in verses 7-11. He characterizes it this way: gentle as a nurse, affectionate, imparting our own lives, labor and toil, not a burden, devout, just, blameless, exhorting, comforting, and charging the believers like a father. This is a very different way of approaching people with the gospel message. Paul exhibited love, gentleness, diligence, and integrity to the Thessalonian people. That is why they were so apt to receive his words, because they were grounded in the good reputation of Paul and his team members.

How the Thessalonians engaged with God's Word

We have seen how the word of God, or the gospel, came to the Thessalonians. It was a message presented by people of compassion and integrity. Now let's turn our attention to the response of these believers to the message they heard. How did they engage with God's Word once they heard it? In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul applauds the believers for their correct response. This provides an example for us today of how we should engage with Scripture as individuals and as a church.

Different ways of interaction

Read this portion of the verse and see if you can catch three ways the believers interacted with God’s Word: "because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it." Did you catch the three ways? They received the word, heard the word, and welcomed the word. We know what it means to hear God's Word; Paul is probably referencing how these Christians first heard the gospel message from him. Let's focus on receiving and welcoming.

The Greek word here used for "received" is paramagnon. In this verse, and other similar contexts, it refers to accepting a message as coming from an authoritative source. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the gospel message which he received in 1 Corinthians 15, he used this same word. The idea is that the believers can trust the message Paul is presenting because there's good authority behind that message. Who is that authority? Was Paul speaking for himself? No, he wasn't! Our verse tells us that God authorized the things that Paul spoke. When the Thessalonians received the word of God, they did so acknowledging that the word came from a reputable source: not Paul, but God.

This church also “welcomed” the word of God in their lives. This word in Greek is dechomai, and the idea is to "take with the hand, to show hospitality." It can also be translated as "received or accepted." The word has a connotation of warmly welcoming someone into your home. Now, implant that same expression onto our relationship with God's Word. We should welcome it, receive it, and accept it as a vital part of our lives. That is what the Thessalonians did. God's Word was not foreign to them; it was right at home. Paul expressed a similar idea in Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Let God's Word be at home in your heart; give it a suitable dwelling place.

This is how one of the most influential churches in the first century responded to the word of God - they heard it, received it, and welcomed it into their lives. For this, Paul was unceasingly grateful. We read that he thanked God "without ceasing." He entered this city with every intention of sharing the gospel message in an appropriate and compassionate way. We can understand the joy and gratitude of his heart when he saw that his efforts produced fruit in the hearts of people responding to his message.

The right way to engage with God’s Word

As you read the beginning of the verse, you might think that the people’s response was due to Paul’s persuasive or charismatic presentation of his message. But Paul kicks this idea to the curb. The rest of the verse removes any doubt that the believers responded the way they did because they interacted with the gospel as God's Word, not man's word. We see that the Bible has power to change our lives when we engage with it as coming directly from God.

The middle of verse 13 says "you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God." Paul makes a crucial statement here. He commends the believers, not only for receiving his message, but for doing so in a way that they acknowledged its divine authority. The phrase "as it is in truth" could also be read "as it truly is." Paul thanked God for these believers because they saw the gospel message for what it truly was, a divine message that came from God himself.

There was a legitimate danger that the people who first heard Paul preach would have taken his word on its own authority. They might have listened to him because they trusted what he had to say. This happened in Acts 13 when Paul and Barnabas preached in the city of Lystra. The inhabitants of this city hailed these men as gods because they healed a lame man. Paul assured them he and Barnabas were not gods, but they spoke on behalf of the one true God. He wanted to avoid this problem in Thessalonica, and he was successful. The people accepted his message as true and authoritative only to the degree that he declared God's word. When he preached the gospel as God's message with God's authority, the people could take his message seriously.

Dangers to avoid

Do believers today struggle to receive the Bible as God's Word, not man's word? I think some believers do, specifically in two ways. The first is that we may accept the words of a preacher or teacher above the Word of God. This can happen when Christians listen to, or read books by, certain Bible teachers in isolation. It is not wrong to read a book or hear a message by someone you disagree with. It is unwise to do so without thought for how this person's teaching lines up with Scripture. Christians put themselves in a dangerous position when they are influenced by one voice or one opinion without thinking critically about it. We should never put one man's ideas, or even the ideas of a group, above the Word of God. We want to engage with God's ideas and God's truth because they are far above all other ideas.

The second way believers can struggle with this passage is that we do not genuinely accept biblical truth as coming from God. If you asked most Christians, they would say they believe the Bible is God's Word. But the question is do they treat it that way in their daily lives? When they come across biblical commands or principles, do they see them as optional or mandatory? This is not to suggest we approach Scripture with strict legalism. It does suggest we need to evaluate how we receive God's Word. Whether you hear it in a message or study it on your own, do you take his words seriously? Are you making appropriate choices based on what God says, or based on what you think is right? If you want to engage with the author of Scripture, then you need to do what God says.

Benefits of engaging with God’s Word

The choices we make in accordance with God's Word will change our lives dramatically. Paul points this out at the end of the verse - "the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." God uses his word to accomplish real transformation in the lives of his people. The Thessalonian church responded to God's Word appropriately, so God responded with his divine power. That is the idea of "effectively works." God was actively at work in this church, first by bringing them to salvation, and then by guiding these believers in holy living. How did he accomplish this? Through Paul's accurate biblical teaching.

We should take note of a few challenges facing this church. It seems clear from this letter that the Thessalonian church experienced serious persecution. Life was uncomfortable for anyone who professed the name of Christ. Not only that, but they had to continue the ministry without their founders, Paul and his missionary team. We face similar situations today in the age of COVID-19. No, we are not being persecuted as Christians, but life is certainly uncomfortable and unusual for all of us. We do not have the same degree of personal, intimate support from our pastors or our family in Christ. Yet in spite of all this, we can continue to engage with God's Word in an appropriate way. Whether viewing weekly church livestreams, or studying on your own, you can receive the message of Scripture as God's Word with his authority.

I trust the simplicity of this verse will stick with you: when you engage with the Bible, engage with its author. Do not simply hear a message or read a chapter of the Bible and go on with your life. If you believe these words come from God, bear his authority, and have the power to change your life, then you will take his word more seriously than that. Respond to his word by making right choices every day that build your relationship with God. Think critically about what your favorite Bible teacher says, even your own pastor. No preacher is the standard of truth. God's Word is our standard, and to the degree that a preacher declares his message accurately, that is the degree we should heed it.