Paul was in Thessalonica for a relatively short time before the persecutions drove him out (Acts 17:1-10). Scholars guess maybe a month or two. But in that time he established a church. When he fled, he ended up in Athens, worrying about that young church experiencing poverty and intense persecution. Would they hold up? Did they have enough to stand? Concerned, he sent Timothy back to check on them (1 Thess 3:1-5). As it turns out, they did stand (1 Thess 3:6-13).
In the letter to the Thessalonians, Paul referred to Timothy as 1) his brother (which was unusual only in that he had also referred to him elsewhere as his "son" or his "child") and 2) a "fellow worker" (1 Thess 3:2). What's really interesting is that Paul did not refer to him as his fellow worker as he did of others at other times. No, he called Timothy "God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ." Now, that's something. Paul recognized in Timothy that he was working with and for God. He says there that the task specifically was "in the gospel of Christ," which would make sense for an evangelist like Timothy, but Timothy wasn't going to Thessalonica to be an evangelist. He was going "to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith" (1 Thess 3:2). So what about the gospel is intended to strengthen and encourage existing faith?
We think of the gospel as "saved by grace through faith," as "Jesus died for my sins and now I'm forgiven." Generally, in our minds, it's "one and done." I've received the gospel. I'm saved. Thank you very much. But Timothy was working with and for God in the gospel to strengthen and encourage the faith of some who were young believers in the midst of affliction. How does the gospel do that? I think our typical understanding of the gospel is too limited. In Romans 8 we find one of the most amazing statements in Scripture. It's a rhetorical question. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). You see the outcome: He will freely give us all things. And that is wonderful, astounding, marvelous! But do you see how we can know that? The gospel. The fact that He did not spare His own Son. The fact that He delivered Him over for us all. In that gospel of salvation, then, we also find the good news of life. "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Rom 8:31). We are promised -- nay, destined for -- persecution (1 Thess 3:3; Rom 8:35-36), "but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Rom 8:37). In "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword" (Rom 8:35), we overwhelmingly conquer because God loved us by sending His Son to die for us. The gospel is salvation, to be sure, but it is also victory over trials, victory in life and beyond.
Here in America, of course, we're not facing that much. Oh, sure, the mainstream media is pushing harder and harder to marginalize genuine Christians. (Look how hard they're working to tear apart the new Speaker of the House because he's a Christian.) Some have faced prosecution for their faith. And there are certainly noises of more and worse to come, but so far, so good, as they say. But we need not worry. We are not more than conquerors by avoiding the promised afflictions; we are more than conquerors in them because of Christ. That is, indeed, very good news. And the gospel is much bigger than we sometimes think. And we should be God's fellow workers in the gospel of Christ by strengthening and encouraging the faith of others facing difficult times. In fact, it sounds a lot like "making disciples." Now, let me think ... who was it that talked about "Go and make disciples ..."?
5 comments:
The Gospel has to be a continuing work because we continue to sin. If I thought it was one and done, I'd be lost not long after because I'd have no hope, as Hebrews says, Christ can't be crucified again.
Yes, but part of the gospel -- the good news -- is this ongoing certainty (hope, Paul calls it in 1 Thess 1:3-5) that because of Christ's work we can be confident that God will not withhold any good thing from us and, even in the worst of times, we are more than conquerors. More than the ongoing forgiveness we need; victory.
As I mentioned in my comment to your Oct. 26 post, the most important disciples I could ever hope to make are my two children; it was certainly a joy to be “God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ” when raising them. However, I realize that just as important is my own discipleship. Since being born again is not a “get out of hell free card” but the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ, I need to follow the advice I have heard many times to “preach the gospel to yourself,” in order to receive that encouragement and strengthening for the trials and tribulations of life. I appreciate this reminder that “He will freely give all things” when those hard times come.
Yes, wouldn't it be nice if all believing parents started with discipling their kids. I like to think they do, but I'm not sure they do it consciously so much. I'll have to ask my kids. :)
Just to clarify, by discipling my children, I was thinking of this: attending worship service and Sunday School as a family, taking them to youth group meetings, pursuing Christian fellowship and service activities, engaging in personal and family Bible study at home, modeling a biblical faith before them, encouraging a profession of faith on their part, etc. I am assuming (hoping!) most believing parents do/did some or all of these things while raising their children. It’s all in the hope of Proverbs 22:6 (“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”), of course. For many years I focused on my “ministry of motherhood”--praying for and encouraging my children’s spiritual growth, since to me it was the absolute top priority in their development. (Sadly, neither is walking with the Lord right now, so I am still praying.)
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