AS MADE KNOWN TO THE ASSEMBLY AT THESSALONICA.
In the midst of all the confusion of human opinions of the last days, what a privilege it is to turn to the inspired letters before us, written at the very beginning. It is most probable that these are the very first epistles written. And also in these letters we see how much on this subject, the coming of the Lord—and on other subjects, also—had been taught these babes in Christ, when they had been converted but a short time.
The light of the true gospel had broken in upon their midnight darkness. They had heard an entirely new truth, as new to Jew as to Gentile. For 1500 years the Jews had been taught by law what they ought to do, and they had never clone it. The poor heathen had worshipped demons, as though they had been gods; and with all their philosophy, culture, and poetry, they were sunk in the lowest depths of sin.
But now the gospel had thrown a new light on man’s condition. He was so lost, so guilty before God, that another, a substitute, must needs suffer for him, and must rise again; and that Jesus, the Savior, whom Paul preached to them, was the Christ. (Acts 17:1-101Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening 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. 4And 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. 5But 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. 6And 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; 7Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. 10And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. (Acts 17:1‑10).) Now mark, this was the entire setting aside of the former principle of man’s responsibility, and testing by law; and the proclamation of the second Man, the Lord from heaven taking man’s place. Man was too bad to save or improve himself. Everything of the first man was put out, or has gone out, and everything of Christ is now brought in. That light was Jesus, what He was, and what He had done. Forgiveness preached to every sinner through Him, and all that believed were justified in Him—forgiven and brought into complete justification in Christ: the old man being set aside forever; and every believer a new creation in Christ—the new man.
No doubt then, as now, it was hard for the religious Jew to accept this entirely new truth. How hard it is for a religious man to give up all in which he trusts, and believe the gospel of God! But “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.” Yes, this was the true gospel, and how marvelous its effects! Has this gospel come to you with the power of the Holy Ghost? Has this been your start on the journey? Has this stripped you of all your religiousness, or of all your wickedness? What a fact that Jesus must needs suffer for us! You must see this, that if you are wrong at the start you will be wrong all the way, and, awful to think, forever wrong at the end. Is it not real love to your soul to tell you the plain truth? You cannot be saved by any efforts to improve yourself: that is only what scripture calls self-righteousness.
By the preaching of the gospel to these Thessalonians, self and all of self was forever set aside. Jesus must suffer—He has suffered; He must rise again—God has raised Him from the dead: He is the Christ. And what of all who believed this gospel, which is so much denounced in our day as so dangerous? Yes, constantly we meet people who tell us that to tell people the work is done—was done, all done, on the cross—and that God has raised Jesus from the dead to give everlasting certainty of salvation to all who believe, is most dangerous doctrine.
A letter was written from Athens to all these young converts, after at most a few months, by the inspired apostle, he having to flee from them for his life, Let us read that letter, and learn the effect of what men call this dangerous doctrine. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church [or assembly] of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Thus, all the believers who had heard and believed this gospel, formed the one assembly in God the Father—an expression nowhere else found in scripture—and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not the nation of the Thessalonians, or the city; but the assembly taken out of the nation, or city. These young babes, just born again, were all in this wondrous relationship to God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. True, there were no national churches, no sects or denominations; all was of God, and therefore there were none of these which be of men.
Everything of the first man was set aside; the assembly was in Christ—an entirely new creation wholly of God the Father. Such was the church of God in the beginning. Has man improved on this? Can any of the churches of men say they are in God the Father, and In the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, reader, do you understand these first words to these babes in Christ? How much of man you might have to give up to return to this divine simplicity!
Verse 2. These babes were in such a state that Paul says, “We give thanks to God always for you ALL, making mention of you in our prayers.” Think of that—a multitude of believers, all babes in Christ, in such freshness of soul and holiness of walk that he could give thanks always for them all. And all this was the effect of that gospel so despised in this day of mere form. Three things he could remember without ceasing: their “work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father.” Concerning such there could be no question as to their election of God. The gospel had come in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Of all this multitude not one but knew with much assurance his salvation. They became ensamples. The gospel sounded out from them for sixty or seventy miles around in a few months. Yes, a few months before they were sunk in demon worship, or vainly seeking righteousness by the law. Now they are “turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
Now contrast this with any nation, city, or town, at this day; where would you find a town in which every believer formed one assembly in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ—all of one mind and one heart, serving the living and true God: and all waiting for His Son from heaven? Oh, what a contrast! Take the millions of the baptized in London. Where will you find the same gospel that Paul preached, and where the effects? There was but the one assembly in Thessalonica, how many sects are there in London? Do we take these things to heart? Mark, these babes were all delivered from the wrath to come: Jesus for whom they waited had delivered them. To doubt this would be to doubt the efficacy of His death, and the proof of His resurrection. They believed God, and were justified in Christ risen from the dead. All question of sins was settled forever, never to be raised again against them. Happy babes in Christ! They were free and bold to sound forth the gospel all around.
Has there ever been anything equal to this? A few poor strangers came into a city of idolatry. Paul preached this gospel for a short time, and see the result! They were not turned to God from idolatry to look for wrath, or the day of tribulation, or the man of sin; but to wait for the Son of God from heaven. They were converted from Jewish religiousness or heathenism; but not to look for death and going to heaven. No, it was for God’s Son from heaven.
We shall find very instructive order in this letter, as to the coming of the Lord. At the end of chapter 1 it is the Person of the Son: He is the Object of hope, the one Person to wait for. They went out of Judaism and heathenism, like the virgins, to meet Jesus the Bridegroom. Paul shows in chapter ii. 19 that he had no other hope—no hope of the conversion of the world, neither was death his hope. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”
A missionary may go to distant lands and increase his church or sect, on earth. This is often the impression on the native mind, if not the object of the missionary. The Copts said lately, These people tell us that unless we leave our Coptic church, and become Presbyterians, we shall be lost. There is no doubt this is a great hindrance to the real work of God. With Paul it was the very reverse of this. No hope had he but to see all who were turned to God, truly converted, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Which will more stir the whole soul to gospel effort, having our hope fixed on the awful state of Christendom, or on the presentation of the saints at the coming of Christ? Surely there can he but one answer to such a question.
Not only is this blessed hope a powerful motive for preaching the gospel, it has also an equal place in affecting our love one to another, and leading to a walk of holiness. “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (Chap. 3:12, 13.) Yes, they had left all to go out, like Rebecca, to meet the heavenly Isaac. They were like companions hasting across the wilderness, suffering at the hands of their enemies, but ever waiting, ever looking for the returning Jesus from heaven. There was but one object before them: the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This very hope had a sanctifying effect on them all as they waited only for their Lord.
Another truth is stated, a very remarkable truth: “At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” We shall see how this is explained to them in the further details of the next chapter. It might at first sight seem like a contradiction, that all the saints will come with our Lord Jesus Christ. It is, however, the plain statement of scripture. “At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” “Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (Chap. 4:14.) “The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,” &c. (Jude 14, 1514And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 14‑15).) And, in perfect keeping with these scriptures and others, we read: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).) And not only so, “But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2).) This is very wonderful. Oh, what grace, what blessedness, and we know it to be true.
But perhaps you say, This would upset everything I ever heard or believed. I thought when Christ came it would be the last judgment, and we should all be raised together to judgment, but how can that be, if when the Lord Jesus appears we are with Him, and like Him, and that we all come with Him? Nothing could be more contrary to what I have been taught. It seems far too good to be true.
But, my friend, I am just simply bringing the precious word of God before you. As we go on in this epistle, we shall find a full, clear explanation of all this, just the explanation the Lord Jesus gave to His servant for these dear young babes in Christ. Let us go on to chapter iv.