gordon 2
Senior Member
In 1 Th. Paul indicates that he is worried that the people who make up the Thessalonian church have fallen away due to the persecutions that all Christians( gentiles and those in Judea) are experiencing at the time he is speaking about.
He says: "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain."
Paul has described the believers of this particular church to be spared of the coming wrath for their new faith which has replaced their worship of idols.
"...when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." Note Paul is talking about the words of his and his group's predication.
When Paul describes how the Thessalonians received the word of God not as the words of men, but in truth as the word of God it seems to me that he is describing a lot of Christians today who derived their faith similarly.
If Paul believed that the saints of the Thessalonian church could loose their faith then if he ( Paul) was ministering in person today could he still form the same conclusion of some or all?
Paul states he sent Timothy to this church to "to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith".
Do people of faith today need establishing and encouragement concerning their faith? Can they loose their faith? If so, who is doing this establishing and encouragement and how is it being done?
And finally when faith, if faith found sure, can faith be perfected as Paul indicates? Since Paul is not with us in body who would do this today similar as he did then? Paul sent Timothy.
He says: "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain."
Paul has described the believers of this particular church to be spared of the coming wrath for their new faith which has replaced their worship of idols.
"...when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." Note Paul is talking about the words of his and his group's predication.
When Paul describes how the Thessalonians received the word of God not as the words of men, but in truth as the word of God it seems to me that he is describing a lot of Christians today who derived their faith similarly.
If Paul believed that the saints of the Thessalonian church could loose their faith then if he ( Paul) was ministering in person today could he still form the same conclusion of some or all?
Paul states he sent Timothy to this church to "to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith".
Do people of faith today need establishing and encouragement concerning their faith? Can they loose their faith? If so, who is doing this establishing and encouragement and how is it being done?
And finally when faith, if faith found sure, can faith be perfected as Paul indicates? Since Paul is not with us in body who would do this today similar as he did then? Paul sent Timothy.
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