The foundations for Christian hope: (5:9-11):
Thessalonians were afraid of Parousia (judgement). Now Paul explains that “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). For God is not going to condemn us as our sins deserve but to receive salvation and free forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He died for our sins so that we might live. So He died our death so that we might live His life. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.
Whether we are dead or alive, Paul says that Christians are assured of life together with Him. At the Parousia, the Christian who are living will have no advantage over the Christian who are dead and vice versa. Both groups will equally receive the fullness of salvation and life. That’s why our ‘hope of salvation’ and our future life on Christ’s death is well founded. Further Paul concludes that believers must encourage and build one another in their meetings and in private conversations. Believers do not need to be hearing something new all the time, but they often need to remind themselves of what they already know so that they do not forget it. This includes opportunity for mutual edification among the believers. In the same way mutual encouragement and edification are still needed in every local church and encouragement and edification with reference to their hope in Christ’s return is especially needed.
Ex: As the athlete comes near the end of a long race, his legs would start aching and the whole body cries out to stop. That is the time encouragement by the people would push him through to the finish line. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between finishing and collapsing along the way. Let’s be sensitive and supportive to others needs.
The Christian Community: (5:12-28):
A Christian church or community must have high ideals excelling in the Christian graces of faith, love and hope because this community is brought together by the gospel and shaped by the gospel. The previous writings (5:1-11) pictures that we belong to the day. But from (5:12-28) speaks that we belong to the family of God. Our mutual relationships profoundly affects our mutual behaviour. Paul has already said: Love one another, comfort one another, encourage one another and build one another. Now he develops further his vision for the church family. He makes three points:
- Paul addresses to the leadership or pastorate and tells us how pastors and the people, clergy and laity should regard and relate to each other.
- Paul writes about the fellowship of the local church and about the responsibilities of church members.
- Paul speaks of Church’s worship and how the Word of God evokes the worship of God.
The Pastorate (5:12-13):
We need to show respect and hold highest regard to our pastors and church leaders. We must thank them for their ministry in our life and they need and deserve our support and love. The church of Thessalonica had responsible leaders Aristarchus and Secundus (Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2), Paul must have felt that they were disrespectful towards their leaders. For it is God’s will that every local church should enjoy pastoral oversight, but not his will that pastors should dominate and organize everything. They are not meant to monopolize ministries, but rather to multiply them.
Here Paul gives some qualities of Christian pastors or leaders:
- Christian leaders are those who work hard: It could be the study and preparation of sermons, or visiting the sick and counselling the disturbed or instructing people for baptism or marriage or being diligent in intercession.
- Christian leaders are those who are over you in the Lord: Pastoral care is a parental care. They must also show humility, gentleness and servant leadership.
- Christian leaders are those who admonish you: they must warn against bad behaviour, reprove, even discipline those who have done wrong.
The fellowship: (5:14-15):
Apostle Paul urges brothers to warn those who are idle, encourage timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. It seems that some Thessalonians were so sure that the Second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was close that they had given up their jobs in order to prepare for it, but Paul says they should work. The timid and weak should helped and encourage but not to be rejected. It is as if Paul wrote to stronger Christians: Hold on to them, cling to them, even put your arm round them. Further he says: be very patient with them all. One might say that idle, timid and weak are the problems of children-like members in the church, but Paul asks to deal with them with faith and good conduct. Every church has members of this kind and we have no excuse to become impatient with them on the ground that they are difficult, demanding, disappointing, argumentative or rude. On the contrary we are to be patient with all of them often translated as ‘long suffering’ which is an attribute of God. Since God has been infinitely patient with us, as he was with Saul of Tarsus, we too must be patient with others. Here the Apostle Paul is laying responsibility on the whole congregation to care for each other as sisters and brothers, to give appropriate support, encouragement or admonition to the church’s problem children and to ensure that all its members follow the teaching of Jesus, cultivating patience, renouncing retaliation and pursuing kindness. This should be the vision of each believers church.