First Thessalonians 2:9-12 The Demeanor of Paul Recalled And Reviewed

Anyway, welcome today to this study. We're in lesson number seven of the first and second Thessalonians. Today it is a lesson... There we go. This one is the title of Paul's demeanor, recalled and reviewed, and it covers the verses 9 through 12 of chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians.

Chuck McCulley has a commentary in which he's divided the book of 1 Thessalonians into two parts. First, the Thessalonians are reminded in chapter 1 through 3.13 on how they have received the Word of God. And secondly, in chapter 4, verse 1 through the end of the book, it is how they must live the Word of God. The first three chapters, and that's where we are now, is an exposition of the words, how you turn to God from idols to serve a living and true God.

I encourage you to go to his site and get his commentary. It's well worth both not just reading, but listening to the audio that accompanies it. Paul's demeanor recalled and reviewed in verse 10 through 12, the focus today, but next we'll get to Andrew, I think, your teaching, right? on the Word of God welcomed and suffering endured in verses 13 through 16. This is where you can get his outline, this is where you can also listen to his teaching, www.WordofTruthAC.org, and we're using his outlines in our study.

The visions that he gave to the Paul's demeanor recalled in verse 9, Paul's demeanor reviewed in verses 10 through 12, verse 10 in relation to himself and in relation to the Thessalonians in verses 11 and 12. I'd like to take us through the scriptures. If you have your Bibles, would you open it there to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 9. I'm just curious. So without invading their privacy, how many of you have a Bible in front of you at this time? Raise your hand. I only see a few. Okay. I'm going to read out of the American Standard updated in 1985.

Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy to the Church and the Thessalonians and God the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you indeed. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and on it. I'm struck every time I read that, that Paul would address these folks while being within the presence of our God and Father, as well as them in his mindset. Knowing, brethren and beloved of God, His choice of you, notice that this thanksgiving to God is for all of them, not just some of them. And it's based on knowing their work out of faith, their labor out of love, their steadfastness out of hope, and also knowing the fact that God loves them and has chosen them.

Talk a lot in those liturgies. Verse 5, For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men will prove to be among you for your sake. And this is the key-off that we mentioned before, that that phrase refers to chapter 2, where we're going to take our lesson today. What kind of men we prove to be among you, the gate says.

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth to you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place you have faith, for God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report to us, or about us, what kind of a reception you have with you, and how you turn to God from identity. to serve a living and true God. And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. I'm struck by those words. You turn to God from idols to serve a living, true God. You did that in faith. You were serving God in love. And you were waiting for His discernment in confidence. Isn't that powerful?

Chapter 1 had so much to teach us. Moving into, looking at that last point there. There are six kinds in 1 Thessalonians. It is focused on Him, our Savior. And on His coming is mentioned. Verse 3 of chapter 1, steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 10 of chapter 1, you're waiting for His Son in confident hope. Verse 19 of chapter 2, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming. Verse 13 of chapter 3, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

And that would include us. Verse 16 of chapter 4, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be hung up together with them in a pub to meet the Lord in midair. And also verse 23 of chapter 5, At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he ends the book with faithfulness.

Who called you? He also did bring us to that. Well, let's get down to the virtue. You yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. That first one, it was received. But after he had already suffered and been mistreated and our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. Our exhortation does not come from error, nor impurity, or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed and God as witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, neither from you or from others, even though, at the cost of the price, we might have been asserting our authority.

But we prove to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, having so fondly elected for you We were more pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives. But you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, our working night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaim to you the gospel of God.

And that's the first verse for today. I'm going to go on and finish this today. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved towards you as believers, just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and employing each one of you as a father with his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who called you into his own kingdom and glory. I'd like to Take the time now to look at the actual text of these words.

For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship. Notice the call to remembrance. Keep in mind, recall, for this reason and the personalness of his address. Brothers, fellow Christians, fellow believers, the work, the toil of us and the exhaustion And I've underlined this phrase from Friberg that says, it's always combined with work as labor bringing to weariness or exhaustion. The focus that God used when he wrote these words to the Thessalonians, I would say, he asked him to remember, brothers, the work of us and the exhaustion that it brought.

Why? We're going to get to that. how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you. The Dankheer Exodus is a chronology period of sunset to sunrise. And it was for this reason, for this reason, night and day, that in this mindset that thinks the day actually begins in the evening at sunset and ends at sunrise the next day. Interesting thinking, isn't it? Working hard toward a goal of not being a burden to any one of you. That's the reason that they did this. Night and day working hard to not burden any one of you is a literal rendition.

We proclaimed to you the gospel of God, the last portion of verse nine there. We preached or proclaimed, and the emphasis here is on the proclamation or making public a message. It was personal, it was to them, and it was the good news, the individual message that came actually from our creator, the one and only God, In the midst of a city that had a multitude of idol worshipers, the message that was presented was the good news directly from the one true and living God. Verse 10, you were witnesses and so it is God how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you, believers. You are witnesses of anyone who attests or corroborates a message. And so is the God, emphasis specifically, the one true and living God, is witnessing. How, and notice that this advert is both devoutly or piously, how dedicated to God we were. and how uprightly, how just before God, righteous, ethical before God, and blameless or faultless without guilt before God. Towards you the believing, and notice the verb, we were made.

They didn't make themselves this way. They were made this way. How precious that is. That God makes his messengers to be in such a way dedicated to him just before him and without guilt before him. And that's how they became witnesses. And so did God witness that that's how they came Just as you know, and the words that I've underlined are hearst and conservative, each one of you, notice that it is an individual that is focused. You have come to know, each one of you, how, and this is a, what you call an adverb of extent, the way or the method, How? And it is addressed to each one of them, as well as all of them, as a group. What did they come to know?

That we were exhorting, encouraging, and imploring as a father with his own children. Notice it begins with, in our English version, what comes last. As a father, children of his own would do. And it is durative. We, by comforting, it is a durative method, over and over and over, present time. And encouraging. Notice, Director Friedberg says, come to someone's side in a friendly manner to encourage or strengthen. And imploring. Again, come to one side, making emphatic demands, insisting, urging. And notice that each one of these words begins with the preposition para, coming alongside, during this repetitively, in a personal way, in an encouraging way, in a commanding way, directively.

So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Now this preposition is one that indicates the purpose or with a view towards a goal. So that the manner of walk and the object of that view and the adverb modifying this infinitive, worthy. This is a worthy manner of law that is a goal of the God, both objectively and subjectively.

It is to him and by him. This manner of law has to focus and has as well a generator. He is not only who we look at, but he is also the one who gives us this manner of life. Even that deep, there's an awful lot there. The one who is calling you, it isn't enough that he says all these things that he's doing, and that we focus on. But he then tells us what he wants us to focus on. He's calling us in a direction into his own kingdom.

Notice that it is his own, his place, his people, all ruled by him. There is a rulership involved in the place and into the group of people that he rules, all of it. I've summarized this by looking at the next word, because I think it's an inclusive adjective word. It modifies kingdom.

It is the glory, the manifestation of His radiance, His light, that we share, that we enjoy, that we reveal, and that we honor the glorious essence of God. God has packed an awful lot into these verses. The translation that I've given to it is, so that you would walk in the worthy manner of the God, the one who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory. This is the original text, and this is my literal translation of it. I'll read it one more time, that the Holy Spirit may apply it to each You remember, brothers, the work of us and the exhaustion for night and day, working hard to not burden any one of you.

We preach to you the gospel of the God. You are witnesses, and so is the God. How devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly towards you we believe in. We were made. Just as you have come to know how each one of you, as a father of his own children, We, by comforting you and encouraging and imploring, so that you would walk in the worthy manner of a God, the One who is calling you into His own kingdom and glory. I've added the least expanded translation for consideration. For you remember, brethren, our fatiguing labor and hardship, night and day working at manual labor, so that we may not burden any one of you while we proclaim to you the good news of God.

As for you, you are those who bear testimony to what you have seen, and also God, who bears witness to what He has seen. How devoutly, in a manner pleasing to God, how uprightly, according to the standards set by God, How blamelessly we ordered our lives among you who are believers.

I would take exception then. He is the one who ordered their lives. Even as you know, how as a father exhorts and encourages his own children, exhorting, encouraging, and bearing witness to each one of you that you should be habitually ordering your behavior in a manner worthy of the God who summons you into his own kingdom and glory.

I have some observations here. I hope I have time to go over them, and I'd like to hear your comments. Notice, first of all, the word for, in verse nine, refers back to chapter one, verse 10, that they came to know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. I, for some reason, put verse 10 there, didn't I? Yeah, that should be a nine, right, Roy? Sorry about that. That's OK. The word recall here is, yes, God uses our memory to store what we learn from Him. And this letter says, God wants believers to continually focus on facts about Him and His ways with us.

They weren't so much recalling the actual work and exhaustion of the apostles, but they were recalling that God made them that way for their benefit, so they wouldn't have to pay their wages. That is addressed to Brethren. in God's family. We are birthed, we are born brothers and sisters by our Father God. Our labor and hardship, it's the way God used here to keep the focus on him and not his messengers, who were to be able to give this message without charge and with personal certainty in its power to save man.

It was with conviction, certainty, in God's power to save us. We proclaimed to you, and it's a virtual announcement, not a lifestyle message alone. Yes, their lifestyle was in sight. But they heard words, and God uses true words, about himself to save us. and the gospel of God was imbued. It's good news that originates from God and is about God and His ways with us. God's power is behind His message to save men and place men into His family when it is personally believed.

More observations, this in verse 10. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behave toward you, believers. We, you and Paul, identify the two who have given evidence of the conduct of these messages. In Macaulay's line, he says here the demeanor of Paul is reviewed in relation to himself. He was devout, he was upright, he was blameless in his behavior toward them. Notice that man sees their conduct, but God sees not just their conduct, he sees their motives as well.

This king's character was that of being faithful to God. The word devoutly shows an orientation towards God of being set apart for God's use exclusively. God, the Son as God, the Father, the Son, God, the Spirit, to live inside each church and each believer, that's each one of these messengers and each one of us, to reveal God's essence of glory to all men. You can see that in John 14, verses 16 through 26.

The conduct word uprightly, chose that the team lived by doing what's right from God's perspective. They were real, they were genuine, they were sons of God. This is reality. They acted in a manner that showed this real, genuine nature of God. It exists in their lives and it exists in our lives. We are genuinely sons of God.

And the conduct where, blamelessly, shows that the King lived without a valid human accusation against them. Now, it doesn't mean they were sinless, but they lived without scandal. Not only to themselves, but before God. The word behaved literally means we were made, it's passive in nature. God is the one who made us and it is with this new and kind nature that he shares the news to us of the things of God because we are intimately in his family.

2 Corinthians 5.17 says that. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

So Roy... So you could say that these three things, devoutly, uprightly, and blamelessly, are all characteristics of what God has done in the life of a believer, right? Absolutely. Yeah, so we're not striving to be devoutly, uprightly, and blamelessly. He's made us that way. That's the fruit of the Holy Spirit. That's great. Yeah, that's good. We were made to be this way. And we are made new in kind as well. I think that's where you're going with this, huh? Okay.

Looking at verse 11, just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and showing each one of you as a father with his own children, the just as you know is the sixth time, by the way, to hear that God has referred to things that they have come to know. Verse 5 is recalled in verse 9 of chapter 2, and also in chapter 2, verses 1, 2, and 5, we are told that you know these things. And this, by the way, the outline that we got from Mr. McCulley, is the review of Paul's demeanor in relation to the Thessalonians. They were comforted, first of all, in that word, exhorted. Comforted and corrected individually. Encouraging. They were encouraged to be strong in the faith. Imploring. They were commanded to be faithful to God.

These are durative, present-tense things. But the first is active and void, and the last two are middle and passive. The first is to help in belief of the facts, and then help in expression, or better, in revealing or being made to reveal the facts of God's glorious essence. It personally benefited them, that's middle, but it was passively done to them by God.

They were strong in the faith because God made them strong. They were faithful to God because God made them faithful. Each one of you, every believer is precious to God. To all who are new and kind creations of God, we are His own children. And by the way, This is new and kind because those who are not in his family yet, who have not believed the message he's given, are not new and kind. They cannot understand these things, nor do they really recognize what it really means to be walking in a manner worthy of God, a worthy manner. As a father says, every believer is cared for individually by God and the intimacy of his family. And it's like the earthly father, but much greater than an earthly father.

Our God protects, provides for, loves without limits, comforts, He corrects. And it's all to prepare us to enjoy, to reveal, to honor Him, both now and forever. Psalm 103, 13 says, just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. I get overwhelmed when I think of the intimacy we have with our Lord. In verse 12, we see the relationship to the Thessalonians of Paul also indicated. So that indicates the purpose of God's care of his own children.

You would walk, God reveals his glory, by his children's walk. He has made us, in a worthy manner, describing this walk, the goal of God's revealed and honored through each of us and all of us is only of God, of the God. He is both the source and the object of this walk. God's the source. He is the object of this walk as well. Who calls us, prayer is intense, it's durative. He is always calling us. into his own possession. It's this direction that he's called us, his position, his place and population. All are unique in the creative majesty of his essence. It's into this position that he has called us.

His kingdom and glory are his place and family that he's created to share to enjoy, to reveal, and to honor his infinite perfect nature. I believe that this is beyond the thousand-year millennium. I believe that this is beyond the thousand-generation kingdom, where there is a new heaven and earth. It is after he gives this one thousand-generation kingdom with the preceding 1,000-year millennium to the Father, when time is not, and God fills and is the fullness of all that is His. There's an awful lot in the next day, more than we can cover today, so I choose to leave it at that point. But maybe we'll cover some more of it in the future.

Here are 20 characteristics of Paul's ministry to the Thessalonians I thought were very good. He was bold in spite of opposition. He was accurate in his message. He was pure in his motives. He was honest in his methods. He was not a man pleaser, but a God pleaser. He was truthful, not greedy, not egotistical, not authoritarian.

He was gentle, not unselfish. or I'm sorry, unselfish, he was affectionate and transparent, hardworking and devoted to God, upright toward others and blameless in his own eyes, as well as God's, earnest in his instruction and he had a purpose in his objective. In each one of these things, Paul was a model for all who deliver the gospel That's the constable's notes on the Thessalonians, the 2020 edition.

Here is a scripture divinely focused on the worldly walk of us, his children. Notice in Romans 8, 29, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, so that he would be the firstborn among many believers. God our Father has shown us in the rightly divided Word that in His purpose for us to be conformed to the image of His Son, how glorious that is.

Romans 6, 6 says, knowing this, remember we use those words repeatedly in Thessalonians, knowing this, our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with. It's rendered offline. I think that's a real good point. The sin of nature hasn't been done away with, but it has been rendered offline so that we no longer should be slaves to sin.

In 2nd Corinthians 3.18, We all, with unveiled faiths, beholding as an emir the glory of our Lord, are being transformed into the same unity, from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

And in Galatians 5.16, when I say, walk in the Spirit, this is that worthy walk, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. The worthy walk or the how of our spiritual growth is not a struggle. I think, Roger, this is what you were referring to. It is a counting upon our crucifixion and ascension with Christ of beholding him in the word as our life and walking in dependence upon the Holy Spirit dependence at the focus on the Holy Spirit who looks or has us look at Christ and conforms and transforms us into that very image of Christ, enjoying, revealing, and honoring God and all of his glory.

I was going to stop here, but I just couldn't I have a few more scriptures calling us into this kingdom of glory. There was the majesty of God here in Thessalonians, and the very accusers that came, trailing against Paul and the other two, Timothy and Silvanus. What did they say? They said, these men say that there's another king, Jesus. Isn't that something? They told the truth. In 1 Thessalonians 2, 12, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. I took the reference here in 1 Corinthians 15, 24 through 28. that I have underlined, then comes the end. There is a period that is coming without time.

It is when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father. And that kingdom has been too large, a millennial and a thousand generations of perfection with a new heaven and earth. The text says, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power, that's the end of the millennium, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet, and the last enemy will be abolished is death, for he has put all things in subjection under his feet. When he says all things are put in subjection, it's evident he is expected to put all things and subject them to him. He's accepted. But when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjects all things to himself.

So that God may be all in all. A glorious future we have. In 1 Peter, we covered this not too long ago, chapter 5, verse 10-11. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you into his eternal glory, eternal glory, in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

To him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. In Acts 17, 7, it says, Jason welcomed them as they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, there is another king, Jesus, and in 1 Thessalonians 2, 12, worthy of the God who called you into his own kingdom and glory. 1 Corinthians 15, 24. Then comes the end. and 1 Peter 5, 10-11.

To him, the dominion forever and ever. There's much to learn of him and his coming, but it is sure that he will come first for us. We'll get that in chapter 4, verse 17. And then he will come again with us. Colossians 3, 4 says, when Christ who is our life is revealed. Then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Notice it's with him.

I want to point out something from Matthew 11, and I'll do this very quickly. Matthew 11, 25 to 30 ends with, come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I am gentle, humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, my burden is light.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4, 5-17, this phrase, God who said light shall shine out of darkness is the one who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. in the face of Christ. He ends his passage in 2 Corinthians focusing on this with, we have a building of God from God, a house not made with hands that is eternal in heaven. I think the focus that 1 Thessalonians is leading us into, we'll get into in detail is that God cares for us intimately, yes. And the Thessalonians receive this message as being from God himself, with a focus that will end upon where he is taking us, into a fellowship that will reveal his glory forever, with him and with each other, with a like nature to his. how precious these words are.

Isn't that something? Well, I think we better be closing up, Roy. That's great. Well, I'm looking forward to it. I hope you are too. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the Lord working in such a way to reveal you that we are intimately tied with you. with a goal that you're going to take us into the presence that you've prepared. You use the word house, but it's really a place full of people that you have made to be like yourself, to reveal your glory and also, Lord, to enjoy your glory. We sure look forward to that. In Christ's name.