1 Thessalonians 2:13

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And because of this we also give thanks to God without ceasing.  Because after receiving a word of God of hearing from us, you all received not a word of mankind but rather as it is truly a word of God which is also at work in you all who believe.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they received the good news from God for what it truly was.  I think that this is a point that is easy to hear and even easier to overlook.  It is so easy to hear the Word of God and just assume that it is right without actually letting it transform our lives!  How many sermons have I heard and knew that it was good word but I wasn’t open to actually letting it transform my life?  I am embarrassed to confess how many times I’ve heard people speak about God’s Word and simply received it as another man’s thoughts and not God’s attempt to speak truth into my life.  But that is not what happened in Thessalonica.  The Thessalonians heard and believed and their lives were changed.

Have you felt God’s Word change your life?  What does that feel like?  Have you ever been guilty of hearing truth but not receiving as God speaking to you in order to change your life?

Second Thought:

This naturally sets up what Paul says in the last part of this verse.  The Word of God is at work in those who believe.  Those who receive God’s Word as God’s Word will have their lives changed because of it.  When we receive God’s Word and are open to it, we will know the difference in our life.

Are you changed by the Word of God?  In what way?  Where might God be able to change you more?

Third Thought:

What is the ultimate fruit of this relationship between Paul’s ministry goals and the Thessalonian’s reception?  The fruit is unceasing thanks to God.  That’s an incredible truth about the true fruit of ministry.  God’s name should be praised by all people involved.  When God’s ministry is done in a manner that is submissive to God’s ways, we know that God will be praised.

Is it your experience that God is praised in your ministry?  Why does it make sense to say that the praise of God’s name is a great litmus test for genuine ministry?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

For you all remember, brothers and sisters, our hard work and exertion.  Night and day – while working in order to not be your burden – we proclaimed the good news of God into you all.  You all and God are witnesses as we became holy and blameless and righteous for you that believe – just as you all have known – as we became to each one of you all like a father is to his children.  While exhorting you all and consoling and emphatically insisting in order that you all behave worthy of the God who calls you all into His kingdom and glory.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul makes sure that the Thessalonians remember one key part of the Christian life: work.  If something has worth, then it is worth working for it.  If we really want something that is truly worth having, then we should devote ourselves to attaining it.  This is especially true when it comes to things that God wants for us!  Paul wanted people to come to God without questioning his motives.  Therefore, he worked for his own wage rather than asking those of the faith to support him.  There would be no question that Paul came to them so that they could know God rather than coming to them so that he could take their resources.  Paul wants it to be clear that his ministry was centered on God, not his accumulation of wealth.

Have you ever questioned whether a spiritual leader is there because of a genuine calling or because of their need to gain material resources?  How can this put a shadow on ministry?

Second Thought:

Then Paul uses another really neat analogy.  Paul reminds them that he and his associates became like a father to them.  This reinforces the point I made a moment ago.  Do fathers ask their children to support them?  No!  Usually it is the parents who actually support the children while the children are learning to grow and become productive.  Paul supported himself.  Paul also supported the Thessalonians as they grew and developed in the spirit.  Paul was not interested in what he could get out of them; Paul was very interested in how they could be brought into relationship with God.

How does this point help shed light on the earlier point?  How can the goal of ministry help shed light on the motivation for ministry?  How does this help us understand the importance for truly discerning the goal of a ministry?

Third Thought:

So what was Paul’s goal in Thessalonica?  His goal there was the same as his goal everywhere.  Paul exhorted people to live in a manner worthy of God.  His goal was to remind people about God’s calling for their lives.  His goal was to teach people about the kingdom of God and His glory.  Paul’s goal – and his motivation – was very clear.

What do you think about Paul’s goal in ministry?  How do they compare to your goals?  How do they compare to the goals of ministries in which you are participating?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:13

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

But rather we became infants in your midst, as a nursing mother should cherish her children.  In this same way, while having a yearning love for you all we were pleased to enjoy with you not only the good news of God but also our own very own souls because you all became beloved to us.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I think that I am going to take this passage in reverse order.  If we look at the end of this passage, we hear about the fact that the Thessalonians became beloved to Paul and his associates.  I believe it is important to understand this point.  Everything that Paul says is rooted in his love.  Paul often gets blamed for being too academic, too uncompassionate, or too rigid.  But that is not what Paul himself really believes.  Paul is rooted in love.  Paul does what he does because he cares about them and their relationship with God.  Paul understands the value of true spiritual love.

Do you love?  How do you put this love on display?  Has your love for others ever been misconstrued for something less?

Second Thought:

Having rediscovered love, we turn to the middle of the passage.  Because of love, Paul and his associates were pleased to share themselves and the good news of Jesus Christ with the Thessalonians.  They were willing to pour themselves out for the sake of the people.  They gave all of themselves, not just information.  Paul and his associates didn’t just educate the Thessalonians in the Gospel, they gave a model to the Thessalonians to imitate.  They lived among them.  They ate with them.  They were no doubt worn down with their questions.  They gave all that they had for the sake of the spiritual growth of these Thessalonians.

When have you given your all for another person?  What was the reason that you gave your all?

Third Thought:

Finally, we come back to where Paul begins.  He was gentle among the Thessalonians.  Yes, he was superior to them.  Yes, he could have demanded much from them.  He certainly could have belittled them and made them feel small.  But he was gentle among them.  He nurtured them rather than beat them into submission.  In this we truly see why it was important to start in the first thought in the concept of love.

Can you be gentle if you do not love?  Why does love have such a great impact upon our ability to act the way that God would have us act in the world around us?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

1 Thessalonians 2:5-6

1 Thessalonians 2:5-6

For we neither became in words of flattery – as you all have known – nor in a pretext of greed.  God is a witness.  Neither while seeking glory out of mankind – whether from you all or from others – while being powerful enough to insist on our own worth as apostles of Christ.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In these verses Paul gives us three cases for which we should be on the lookout.  The first one is pretty simple.  Be on the lookout for flatterers.  We should watch out for people who simply want to praise us to gain our favor.  There is nothing wrong with honestly won praise.  But we should be leery of praise that we truly did not earn.  We should be wary of people who flatter us for no reason other than to gain a favorable impression in their eyes.

Have you ever fallen prey to a person who flattered you for the wrong reasons?  When are you susceptible to this?  What are your defenses against this?

Second Thought:

Second, we should be on the lookout for people who seek praise from us.  This is the flipside of the first thought.  Instead of being wary of people who praise us, we should be wary of people who do what they do only to get praise from us!  Again, there is nothing wrong with us legitimately praising good work.  But praise should be earned for good work, not given because someone did what we wanted them to do.  Paul is clear that he did not seek the praise.  He may have gotten it, but it wasn’t what he sought.

Are you ever guilty of seeking praise?  Are you ever guilty of giving praise to people not because they deserve it but because they desire it?

Third Thought:

Finally, Paul warns us about people who throw their weight around.  Paul was an apostle.  Paul was called out on the road to Damascus.  Jesus Christ Himself intervened upon Paul, knocked him from his horse, and broke Paul.  If there is anyone outside of the original Twelve who could have been arrogant it would be Paul!  If there was anyone who could have made demands upon the church for provision it would have been Paul!  But Paul does not do this.  Paul does not seek to use his position or status for special treatment.  We are to likewise watch out for those who use this approach in life.

Are you ever impressed by another person’s position in life?  Why is it easy to allow yourself to be impressed?  What is your defense against this?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

For our appeal is neither out of an error nor out of uncleanliness nor in deception.  But rather, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel thus we speak.  Not as while being pleasing to men but to the God who approves our hearts.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that his appeal comes from God.  Paul wasn’t appointed by human beings to go out and perform this ministry.  Paul wasn’t commissioned by others to do this work.  Paul was anointed by God to go and do what he is doing.  This is crucial to any ministry.  If we are doing it by any other authority except by God, are we really doing ministry for the right reason?

For whom do you do ministry?  By whose authority do you do ministry?

Second Thought:

If we are in God’s authority, then we will not be in error or uncleanliness or deception.  The way to stay clear of ritual impurity is to be in God.  The way to be speaking into people’s lives in the honesty of God and not the selfishness of self-serving advice is to be in God.  When we are seeking our own glory and our own benefit, we will be in error.  But if our focus is in God’s authority, we can be safe.

When have you been guilty of being in error when people trusted you?  How can you avoid being in error and instead be in the purity of God?

Third Thought:

Having come this far, Paul leaves us with a very concrete point.  It isn’t just a matter of authority.  We don’t just act out of God’s authority.  We also seek God’s approval.  Or at least we should.  I know I sometimes am guilty of making decisions based on getting the approval of the people around me.  But that isn’t where I should be in perspective.  It is about acting under God’s authority so as to be likewise under God’s approval.

Whose approval are you seeking?  Do you find it easy or difficult to be content in God’s approval?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

For you yourselves have known, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you all has not become in vain but rather after already suffering and after being treated with insolence in Philippi – just as you all have known – we became emboldened in our God to speak the good news of God to you all in great opposition.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Suffering.  Insolence.  These are the words that Paul uses to describe the context of his ministry.  The reality is that Paul and his associates were arrested in Philippi.  They were eventually allowed to go free, but they had to leave the town.  The church in Philippi was a tremendous success, but it was shrouded in great persecution.  In Paul we get a great lesson in context.  Paul is aware of the suffering and persecution.  It happened so often, how couldn’t he be made aware?  But it never got him down for long.  For Paul, there is always someone wanting to hear the Gospel.  There is always the next visit and the next encounter.  Paul is always on the lookout for the next person who will be willing to listen to him.  That’s what Paul is all about when it comes to ministry.  Paul can always look back and see suffering and insolence.  But Paul can always look forward and see potential ministry ahead.

Do you have a forward perspective of ministry?  How is that developed?

Second Thought:

Verse 2 ends with a word that we should recognize: agon (ἀγών).  This word means struggle or opposition.  It is connected to our English word agony.  What is striking about this word is that Paul is using it to set the context for the proclamation of the good news in Thessalonica.  How often do we think that ministry is fun and exciting and filled with great joy?  Yes, on a spiritual level it is all those things and more.  But on a physical level ministry is often filled with misunderstanding, agony, pain, suffering, and persecution.  The spiritual person would readily trade the physical agony for spiritual joy, of course.  But that does not mean that we don’t still see and feel the physical rejection of the world.  Ministry is hard.  Paul himself calls it opposition.  He calls it agony.  Being called to the Lord is a great thing, but being called to the Lord is a hard thing, too.

Have you ever know agony in ministry?  Have you ever known rejection and opposition?  How can you experience agony and rejection yet continue on in following the Lord?

Third Thought:

For me, one of the key words in this section is when Paul talks about becoming emboldened in God.  This is how we overcome the world.  The world throws its worst at us and we are emboldened in God.  He causes us to rise above it.  He causes us to rise up.  He is the strength beneath our wings.  He is the hope upon which we look.  It is easy to be frustrated and get down when we experience persecution and failure.  But God gives us the boldness in message to push through it.

How does your strength come from God?  Where are you bold in Christ?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

For the Word of the Lord sounded forth from you all not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faithfulness to God has gone out so much so that we do not have any need to say anything.  For they themselves report about the welcome we had from you all and how you all turned to God from the idols to serve the God who lives and who is true and to wait for His Son out of heaven whom He raised out of the dead: Jesus, who rescued us out of wrath that is coming.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

How do you know that life is lived as a witness?  Your life is a witness when people can tell you your story without you telling it to them.  Your life is a witness when people can tell you your opinion without you having to say it.  One of my favorite places in the discipleship process is when someone comes to me with a question and they answer their own question with things that they’ve heard me say before.  It isn’t a favorite place for me because it is all about me.  It is a favorite place for me because it shows that the disciple has successfully learned and imitated.  They have assimilated whatever godly aspect to which they were drawn.  What that happens, that means that the disciple is approaching maturity in that area and capable of going out and making disciples of their own in that area.  That is the place of great fruit in the Lord.  That is exactly what Paul is telling the Thessalonians here.  Their life has become a true witness.  They are not just disciples of Paul who are learning about Jesus.  They are full blown mature disciples reflecting Jesus all on their own.

Where is your faith mature and reflecting into the lives of others?  What aspects of mature faith are you transmitting into the lives of others that they can repeat without you saying anything to them?

Second Thought:

In the midst of praising the witness of the Thessalonians, we get an opportunity to hear Paul talk about God.  I always find it interesting to study what other people say about God.  In this passage we hear that God is living and He is capable of raising people out of the dead.  This is profound because it speaks to the circumstance of Paul.  Everywhere that Paul goes he is persecuted, arrested, tried, threatened, and beaten.  What would a person in those circumstances focus upon?  Of course they would focus upon a God who lives eternally and who can conquer death!  What we say about God speaks volumes about where we are in our own life.

What do you say about God the most often?  How does that reflect where you are in your life and your ministry?

Third Thought:

Paul also reminds us that Jesus is able to save us from the coming wrath.  In other words, God will get the last say.  God will have the last word.  God will bring the world into judgment.  But Jesus has rescued us from that fate.  That is a past tense verb.  The rescuing is done and complete.  We are rescued.  In Christ we do not have to fear judgment.  We will certainly be held accountable, but we need not fear judgment.  We are pardoned in spite of our guilt.

When do you need to be reminded of your pardon from sin?  Why should this evoke both feelings of guilt and gratitude?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

And you all became imitators of us and of the Lord, after receiving the Word in great persecution with the joy of the Holy Spirit in order that you all became an example to all the ones who believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We have a really neat progression that Paul teaches us today.  They received the Word.  They received information.  They heard about God.  They heard about God’s love.  They heard about His grace and mercy.  They soaked it all up and took that information within them.  The life of faith begins with hearing.  It begins with becoming aware of something new that we can learn that is outside of ourselves.

If you think about when you started to grow in the faith, how did that process really begin with you?  How often does growth begin with you hearing something new?

Second Thought:

Then Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they became imitators of Paul and his associates.  The information turns into imitation.  As the Thessalonians learn more information, they seek to put that information to practice in their life.  The best way to do this is to see it at work in another person and imitate it.  This is why we hear Paul writing to people about imitating him so often.  It isn’t about becoming carbon copies of Paul.  It is about putting new faith into practice easily by imitating the people that we see around us who are doing it successfully.

Who do you imitate?  Why do you imitate the things that you do?

Third Thought:

Then Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they became an example to others.  The imitation of the Thessalonians turned into genuine application of faith.  They turned information into imitation into innovation.  Their faith became so real into their own life that other people began to notice it and imitate them.  That’s what faith is all about.  That is the heart of the discipleship process.

How has the faith that you’ve seen in others become your own faith?  How have other people seen your faith in practice and imitated what they see in you?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Having known your choosing – brothers who are loved by God – that our good news did not become into you all in word alone but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much certainty, just as you all have known what sort of thing we became in you all for your sake.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In verse 5 we have a really neat trio of concepts.  I don’t know that these are so great that we need to make them into some kind of mantra or something that has to happen.  But these are neat to look at with respect to how they come together and work.  The first thing that we hear is that the good news that Paul and his associates brought were in word.  The message was good.  The message was open and honest.  The message was truthful.  The message proclaimed Christ.  It starts with the word.  God’s Word of grace, love, and mercy spreads through our verbal proclamation.

What is your proclamation?  How is God’s good news present in your words?

Second Thought:

However, it doesn’t stop with our words.  Our words are infused with the Holy Spirit.  The message of good news is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, being a part of the message, brings about change and new life.  The message can bring about metamorphosis because of the infusion of the power of the Holy Spirit.  We do not bring about change through our own power.  It is the power of God working through us that brings about change.

Is God’s power in your words?  Why is it important to remember that the power comes from God, not ourselves?

Third Thought:

Finally, it brings about certainty.  This is not a cautious message.  This is not a message that might work.  We have a message and a power that is effective.  We can know that it is effective because of the witness of those who come before us.  We see what it has done in the life of others.  We see what changes God can make in others.  So we can know God changes us.  And when the certainty of God’s power is alive in us, we can then become the witness to others about the certainty of God’s good news and its impact in our life.

Where does the witness in life come to you?  Where does your witness in your life come to others?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy.  To the assembly of the Thessalonians.  In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace and peace to you all.  We give thanks to God at all times regarding you all while unceasingly making remembrances upon our prayers, while remembering your work of faithfulness and toil of love and patient endurance in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and our Father. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul wrote to the assembly of people in Thessalonica.  After greeting them, Paul lifts up three very neat attributes for which he and his associates remember the Thessalonians in their prayers.  First of all, they are faithful in their work.  They are trustworthy.  They make promises and keep them.  They do their job well.  But we can assume that this faithfulness is more than just a sense of obligation.  This is a faithfulness rooted in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.  As Christ was faithful, so are these Thessalonians.  Paul and his associates see Jesus in the faithfulness of these people.

Are you faithful?  How does your faithfulness help bring Christ into the lives of others?

Second Thought:

The second attribute is the fact that they work in love.  We’ve already talked about the fact that they work hard.  But there is more to work than just diligence.  What good is hard work if we are not loving what we are doing?  Again we see Christ.  Ministering to human beings is difficult.  Yet Christ did it because He loved us.  In fact, Christ even died for us because He loved us.  That’s what makes His death so personally inspirational.  He died because He loved.  His love makes it personal and intimate.  When Paul and his associates remember the Thessalonians, they see God through the Thessalonians in their love.

Do you love?  How do people around you see love?

Third Thought:

Finally, Paul reminds them of their hope in Christ.  When Paul thinks about the Thessalonians, he remembers their ability to look to the future.  Paul remembers their desire to put things in an eternal perspective.  Paul sees Christ in that because Christ also lived that way.  Christ was able to go to the cross and die for our sake because He saw the eternal.  The Thessalonians are putting the same perspective on hope as Christ hoped for the resurrection and eternal salvation of the people of God.

What is your perspective?  Are you hoping for the life to come?  How can people see your hope in you?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Colossians 4:15-18

Colossians 4:15-18

Greet the brothers in Laodicea and Nympha and the church according to his house.  And whenever the letter should be read among you all, do also in order that it should be read in the church of Laodicea.  And the one out of Laodicea in order that you all should also read it.  Also say to Archippus: watch the ministry that you received in the Lord in order that it should be completed.  The greeting by my own hand is of Paul.  Remember my chains.  The grace is with you all.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Now Paul turns to his audience.  We hear about the church that meets in the home of Nympha.  Just to be clear, Nympha is a masculine name, so Nympha would be a man.  There was a church meeting in his house.  This would be really typical of those days.  There were no church buildings.  There were no street corners upon which people could “show up” for church on Sundays.  People had to be invited into the community.  People needed to be told about the fellowship of believers.  Ministry, worship, and fellowship was done in the homes of people.  Being a part of the faith was an intimate experience where people knew one another, depended upon one another, and trusted one another.

How do you think church would feel different if you met in someone’s home?  How would that change things like duties, responsibilities, and even evangelism?  What would be some of the drawbacks of this type of situation?

Second Thought:

Paul tells the people of Colossae to give this letter to the people in Laodicea so that they can read it.  He also reminds them to take the letter from Laodicea so that they can read that one as well.  Unfortunately, we do not have the letter to Laodicea in our record.  But what we can say about this part of Paul’s letter is that we should share with one another.  Christianity is not a faith in which we keep secrets.  Rather, we invite people into what we know.  Of course, we don’t necessarily just blithely share with anyone and everyone, either.  We share with those with whom we have relationship to speak truth.  In them, we share freely.  {Note: there are some scholars who think that the letter to Philemon is the letter Paul mentions.  Other people think that the letter to the Laodiceans is actually the letter we call Ephesians in our Bible.  I don’t know that either of these scenarios contains enough evidence to assert either of them as correct.}

With whom do you share faith and understanding of God at work in the world?  With whom do you look forward sharing?  From whom do you look forward to learning?

Third Thought:

Finally we meet Archippus.  Paul sends Archippus a special message.  Some even call this a warning.  Whatever the case, Paul wants Archippus to remember his commitment.  Paul wants Archippus to fulfill what he was drawn to by the Lord.  Paul wants him to stay the course, not give up.  Warning or not, this is certainly also meant as encouragement.

Do you keep your commitments to God?  To what have you been drawn by God?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

Colossians 4:12-14

Colossians 4:12-14

Epaphras, a slave of Jesus Christ out of you all, greets you while struggling at all times for your sake in the prayers in order that you all should stand mature and having been made certain in every will of God.  For I testify for him that he has labored greatly for your sake and the sake of the ones in Laodicea and the sake of the ones in Hierapolis.   Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you all.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We now meet Epaphras.  Epaphras is a name that we are fairly familiar with in the New Testament story of Paul.  We met Epaphras in Colossians 1, where it appears that he might have been one of the ones who first shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Colossian people in general.  We also hear Paul call Epaphras a “fellow slave” in Philemon 23.  In this passage, we hear that Epaphras is a fellow slave of Jesus Christ.  He prays regularly for the Colossians with respect to their maturity and their continued fellowship with God.  Here is a man who genuinely cares about the faith of the people around him.

Do you have anyone in your life like Epaphras?  Who are the people in your life who remember you in their prayers and who are concerned about your spiritual maturity?

Second Thought:

 More than this, Epaphras is a hard worker.  He toils hard for them.  He is a good role model with respect to working hard for the right reasons rather than for a reward by the people around you.  He is working hard so that the people in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hieropolis can see his example and be inspired by it.

What in Epaphras can you see that is worth imitating?  Who are the hard workers for the kingdom that you see in your life?

Third Thought:

We also hear about Luke the beloved physician and Demas.  Demas is an interesting case.  He is briefly mentioned in Philemon 24, but at no more depth than he is mentioned here.  In 2 Timothy 4:10 we hear that Demas has abandoned the world because of his love for the world.  If we read the lack of positive things Paul has to say, Demas appears to be a man who followed out of curiosity but didn’t have the desire to stay engaged in the faith.  On the other hand, we have the beloved physician Luke.  Here is a man who followed Paul to research Jesus.  In the process, he also becomes the historian tasked with recording the growth of the early church.  He follows Paul with absolute loyalty – even traveling with him to Rome when Paul was a prisoner.  Whereas in Demas we see a man fading away from faith, in Luke we see a man growing in faith and responsibility.  He is loved because of it.

When are you more like Demas?  When are you more like Luke?  How can you continue to grow in faith and loyalty as Luke does?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:15-18

Colossians 4:10-11

Colossians 4:10-11

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you all as well as Mark, the cousin of Barnabas – regarding whom you all received a command.  If he should come to you all, receive him.  Also Jesus greets you, the one who is being called Justus.  The ones who are out of circumcision, these ones only are fellow workers in the kingdom of God who became a comfort to me.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The next man among Paul’s company that we meet is Aristarchus.  We know that he was from Greece and he went with Paul to Jerusalem where Paul was arrested.  Aristarchus was present in the riot in Ephesus and was himself arrested in Paul’s stead.  He voluntarily came on the journey to take Paul to Rome.  Some even suggest that in order to make the journey with Paul that he voluntarily endured into becoming Paul’s personal slave so that he could accompany Paul.  {There is no Biblical justification for such a position.}  Here is what we know about Aristarchus.  Whenever Paul is in trouble and needs a friend, Aristarchus is the man who is there for him.  Aristarchus is a true friend.

What does a true friend look like to you?  Have you ever had a friend like Aristarchus in your life?

Second Thought:

Next on the list of things to be mentioned is Mark.  This is, of course, the same John Mark who abandoned the ministry of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.  This is the same man who caused an argument between Paul and Barnabas and caused them to separate.  What is really neat about this verse is that passage illustrates forgiveness.  Paul had every right to neither trust Mark nor forgive him nor even make provision for him.  But Paul has done all of these things with Mark.  This is a great lesson for us to realize that we should not force mistakes to become everlasting grudges.

What grudges are you carrying that could become burdens to the forgiveness process?  How do you go about forgiving big mistakes that leave lasting emotional scars? 

Third Thought:

Finally, we have Justus.  We actually don’t know anything about Justus except that his name is mentioned.  But that is not important.  What we know is that he was among the men who travelled with Paul who became a comfort to Him.  In fact, he was a former Jew, because he was of the circumcision.  What’s really neat her in this passage is that Justus changed his name from Jesus.  Could it be that Justus didn’t feel that it was right to share a name with the Son of God?  Perhaps.  But I think it is far more likely that Justus has changed his name from a Jewish name to a Latin name.  It could be that this would help Justus be trusted in the Christian community because there was so much persecution and rejection from the Jews.  Or it could be so that he would be more readily accepted by the regular citizens of the Roman Empire.  In any case, the only thing that we really know about this man is that he is a man who considered his name – His identity – less significant than the ministry that he was called to perform.

Have you ever been considered untrustworthy because of your background or the culture out of which you come?  How do you overcome people’s initial perceptions of you when they are false?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:12-14

Colossians 4:7-9

Colossians 4:7-9

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make know to you all the things according to me.  I sent him to you all into this same reason: in order that you all should know the things regarding us and that he should encourage your hearts.  I sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother who is out of you all.  They will make known to you all everything happening here.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul gives both Tychicus and Onesimus some very high praise.  He calls them both beloved, faithful, and brothers.  Here is what those words convey.  First, Paul is telling the Colossians that they take their faith seriously and are actively engaged in being obedient to God.  Second, it tells the people of Colossae just how much they mean to Paul.  These are people that Paul loves.  Therefore, if the Colossians love Paul then they should love both Tychicus and Onesimus in the same manner.  In this way, Paul is both praising them and hoping to provide for them as well.

How does this passage show us the compassionate side of Paul?  Do you think it is good or bad for Paul to use his influence in this manner?

Second Thought:

There is a very hidden comment that we can pull out of this letter.  You’ll notice that when Paul is talking about Tychicus, Paul calls him a “fellow-slave” in the Lord.  Yet, when Paul talks about Onesimus, that vocabulary is strangely absent.  There is something really cool going on here.  Remember that Onesimus is a runaway slave.  He is the slave of Philemon, for whom the book of the New Testament is named.  The book of Philemon is a letter persuading Philemon to accept Onesimus back in spite of the fact that he has run away.  But Paul is arguing that Philemon accept Onesimus back as a brother rather than as a slave.  It is likely that Tychicus carried both letters – the books that we call Colossians and the Philemon – with him as he came to Colossae.  Because of this dynamic, Paul would not want to use the word slave in reference to Onesimus, even if he intends it to be on a spiritual level.

How does this show Paul’s depth of thought and ability to use his speech in very deliberate manners?  How does this show Paul’s compassionate side even better than the first thought?

Third Thought:

In spite of all of this, Paul makes something really clear through repeated emphasis as well as through word order emphasis in the Greek.  This section is actually more about disclosing what has happened to Paul.  It is important for the people of Asia Minor – Colossae in particular – to know what Paul is going through.  This isn’t so that Paul’s name is praised.  As he has said all throughout this letter, Paul wants them to know the persecution he has endured.  This will serve two purposes.  First, it will remind them that persecution will come.  Second, when it does come, it will hopefully help the Colossians realize that they can endure.  Our lives should be an example to the people around us.

Is your life an example?  How do you speak through your example into the lives of the faithful people around you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:10-11

Colossians 4:5-6

Colossians 4:5-6

Go about your life in wisdom towards the ones outside while taking full advantage of your time.  Let your word be in grace at all times – having been seasoned with salt to have known how it is necessary for you to answer each person.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul gives some great advice in the opening words here.  Live in wisdom.  This is easily said and far more difficult to do.  I think Paul extends this thought with more great advice as to why this is so difficult to do.  Paul reminds us that our wisdom should be towards those who are outside.  When we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our own desires we tend to act unwisely.  But when we take the time to stop and think about the people around us and the effects that our actions and words will have upon them, then we tend to live in wisdom.  I believe that this is the hardest part of wisdom: considering other people before ourselves.  In a selfish world that is so easily turned inwards to our own desires we are simply out of practice of being truly wise.

Do you typically see that wisdom is connected to your ability to consider the people around you?  How good are you at being wise?

Second Thought:

Then Paul talks about grace.  Our words should be full of grace.  Again, though, I think that this has to do with our perspective.  When we consider how our words will affect other people, our words will most likely be gracious.  However, when we only speak what we feel like speaking in the moment, our words are often harsh and critical.

From whom do you hear words full of grace the most often?  How good are you at speaking grace to the people around you?

Third Thought:

Of course, Paul knows the truth.  We are the testimony of Jesus.  Our lives are a testimony of faith to the world.  When we are wise and gracious, we invite the world in.  They will ask questions.  They will wrestle with the choice to follow Christ and imitate Him so that they can know a life of wisdom and grace.  We need to know what to say and how to say it.

What witness does your life have?  How confident that you know what to say to the people around you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:7-9

Colossians 4:2-4

Colossians 4:2-4

Persist in prayer.  Keep alert in it in thanksgiving.  At the same time, pray also for us in order that God should open doors for the Word for us to speak the mystery of Christ – because of this I have been bound in order that I should reveal it as it is necessary for me to speak.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Persist in prayer.  What great advice!  How easy is it to give up praying for God’s people?  We often pray when there is need.  But do we remember to pray before there is need?  Do we remember to pray when life is normal?  We should!  I know I often don’t, and I could stand to remember to pray more often and for more people.  Persist in prayer indeed!

Do you persist in prayer?  For whom are you led to pray?

Second Thought:

Notice for what Paul asks regarding the prayer.  He doesn’t pray for fame or success or wealth.  He asks that opportunities to proclaim the mystery of Christ.  This shows us Paul’s focus.  He is truly focused on proclaiming the Word of God to the people that God is putting into His life.  What a great model.

Are you focused on proclaiming Christ?  Do you have people praying for you that doors would be open to proclaim Christ?

Third Thought:

Paul reminds us that it is necessary to speak Christ to the world.  He should be doing that.  As a follower of Christ, that should be His goal.  Of course, it should be my goal, too.  It is necessary for me to speak about Christ.  It isn’t really an option.  It isn’t a voluntary task.  It isn’t something I do when I feel like it.  It is something I do even when life has bound me and made my life miserable – much like the world made Paul’s life miserable.

Do you live like it is necessary to proclaim God’s Word?  How?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:5-6

Colossians 3:22-4:1

Colossians 3:22-4:1

Slaves, be obedient according to all the things in accordance with the fleshly lords – not in an eye-catching manner as those who please others, but rather in a purity of motive of the heart while fearing the Lord.  Whatever you all should do, work out of the soul as to the Lord and not as to men having known that from the Lord you all will receive the reward of the inheritance.  Serve to the Lord Christ!  For the one who does wrong will receive back that which he did wrong.  And there is not partiality.  Lords, grant justice and equality to slaves having known that you all have a Lord in heaven.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul talks to us about humbleness.  We aren’t supposed to be catching the eyes of the people around us.  We aren’t supposed to be seeking attention for ourselves.  Rather, we are supposed to act because the Lord desires of it.  We are supposed to be acting so as to catch His eye!  That’s the remarkable thing about this passage.  How hard is it to keep His eye as our desire?  How hard it is to desire to catch the eye of a God that we cannot touch and see when we have a world around us telling us that we are only successful if we happen to catch its eye!

Whose eye do you attempt to catch?  Why?  How do you do this?

Second Thought:

Paul reminds us that we are to do as if we are doing it for Christ.  This is a deep message.  If the man who is offering you the only meaningful ticket to eternal life asks you to do something, would you do it halfway?  Of course not!  But then Paul talks about reward.  The point that he is making is that everything we do in this world we do as if we are doing it for the Lord will find reward from the Lord in the life to come.  In other words, when I go and do my best on that math test – if I am doing my best for the Lord’s sake because He desires it of me and because I desire to give Him the glory for it then why wouldn’t He reward me in the life to come?  If I am going grocery shopping and I do it because God asks me to do my best and I’m going to give Him the glory when it is done, why wouldn’t He reward me in the life to come?  We’re not just talking about matters of evangelism and discipleship here.  We are talking about every task of life – even the mundane tasks or the tasks that seem unrelated to our faith.  There is always a time and a place to do our best for God so that we can give Him praise after it is over.

How often do you do your best – even in the mundane – because of God?  How often is the motivation for your actions in order to accomplish what you are doing because God would ask you to do your best?

Third Thought:

Paul turns the tables on the masters of the house in the final verse.  It is possible to translate these words in two ways.  In today’s context, it could be said that Paul was arguing for the abolishment of slavery.  While I think that in today’s context that message has validity, I think that it is asking too much of Paul and Paul’s day.  Slavery in those days was not what it evolved into over time.  What Paul is arguing for in this passage is that masters of the house elevate the slaves in the house to places of equality.  He isn’t saying that they should be booted out of the community network in which they are a part.  He is simply saying that they should be considered an actual part of the household – not a slave to the household.  For me, that is a very potent message.

What is Paul actually arguing for with respect to the family?  Why does this logic make sense in the light of how God has allowed us who are undeserving to become a part of His family?

Passage for Tomorrow: Colossians 4:2-4