1 Thessalonians (Program #3) – The Triune God Embodied in the Word to Produce a Holy Life for the Church Life (1)

The word of God is so marvelous, the more you discover its’ infinite riches and hidden treasures the more you realize that there is far more to see than we can ever possibly exhaust. Its’ structure, its’ order even the subtle ways in which several passages begin are full of meaning and significance.

For example consider a passage that you may have read hundreds of times and never really stop to consider. Paul begins his letter to the Church in Thessalonica not in a general way, but in way that it is unique from the way he open any of his letters to the other Churches.

“Paul and Silvanus,” he writes, I Thessolonians 1:1, “and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”  Even in a simple greeting we just read we will see there is a lot of meaning here.

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Proverbs (Program #3) – The Detailed Precepts for Man To Live a Proper Human Life (1)

Whenever we come to God’s word, whether to a deeply spiritual book such as Ephesians or to a book with easy to understand, ethical and moral precepts such as Proverbs, the kind of person that we are will have much to do with what we take away from our reading of the Bible. In fact, the Bible itself tells us that the words of Scripture can be spirit and life to us as we see in John 6, “The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life”. But the same New Testament also provides a strong word of caution in 2 Corinthians 3, “Who has made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life”. Spirit and life or dead letter, the Bible can be either. And the determining factor as to which we will experience has everything to do with us and how we approach this word of God.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #2) – Characteristics of a Holy Life for the Church Life

The more you read the book of 1 Thessalonians, the more you can realize that this letter was written to very new believers. The apostle Paul passing through Macedonia close to one year before spent three weeks preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in, to use his word, power, in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance to the people of this dark and sinful city.

In God’s mercy a good number of these worldly people got saved in a marvelous way. And from that short time of labor the Church in Thessalonica was born. Their testimony became an encouragement to the entire region. And now several months later the apostle writes the first of his two epistles to them with the goal not just of encouraging them but of strengthening them in three important characteristics of the Christian life.

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Proverbs (Program #2) – The Principles for Man to Live a Proper Human Life

Many people love the book of Proverbs because the truth conveyed in these short, easy to understand, poetic utterances matches their ethical approach to the Bible and the Christian life itself.  Fearing God is a good example. There are numerous passages in Proverbs that extol the benefit of fearing God. The question is not then, “Should we fear God?” Of course we should and even we must. But we fear God not simply out of duty or instruction but because our reverence to Him issues in a deeper and more genuine experience and love for Him. The difference may seem subtle but in actuality, the difference is profound and life-changing.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #1) – Introduction to a Holy Life for the Church Life

The apostle Paul’s two letters to the Church in Thessalonica may be considered his earliest writings. They are also significant in that they represent his fellowship to new believers, for the church in Thessalonica was made up almost exclusively of young people whom Paul personally preached the gospel to less than a year before he wrote this letter.

Acts chapter 16 gives us the account of how the Church in Thessalonica came into being.  In chapter 16 of Acts beginning in verse 9.  “And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: A certain man, a Macedonian, was standing and entreating him and saying, come over into Macedonia and help us.  And when he had seen the vision, we immediately endeavored to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to announce the gospel to them.”

And now jumping to chapter 17, “And they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  And according to his custom Paul went in to them, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, opening and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, this is the Christ, the Jesus whom I announce to you. And some of them were persuaded and were joined to Paul and Silas, as well as a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and of the chief women not a few.”  So, a Church was born.

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Proverbs (Program #1) – An Introductory Word

It’s probably safe to say that the book of Proverbs would be a favorite of a large percentage of Bible readers in all cultures. Written primarily by the legendary King Solomon, the possessor of great wisdom, it’s a book that’s easy to read and to study and to admire the marvelous examples of human wisdom and godly principles that are the main contents of this book. But while it is a book that may help us to live a better life to improve our character, and even to learn the valuable principles that reflect various aspects and attributes of God, there is also a profound danger with such a book. And that danger is that it can be a book that we can apply by our own strength and our own individual pursuit of human perfection. Why is that a danger, you ask? The answer to that can only be found by studying not only the Old Testament books such as Proverbs and Job but studying the entire Bible itself and being brought into the divine revelation. And that divine revelation shows us in that in God’s ultimate economy, wisdom like everything else, becomes the very Person of Christ Himself.

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