The LINK: 1/22
Dear Church Family,
Near the middle of the first century AD, Paul wrote a pair of letters to a recently established congregation of Christians in the town of Thessalonica. The people to whom he addressed the two letters we now call 1 and 2 Thessalonians were for the most part new converts to Christianity who had grown up in a Greek cultural environment. One of Paul’s major challenges was that of helping these believers to learn, understand, and live by the very different social and ethical teachings of Jesus.
The parallels between Paul’s first-century situation and contemporary times are hard to miss. The secular, self-centered, and often pleasure-seeking mindset of our American culture mirrors much of ancient Greece, and presents a major challenge to Christians who seek to think and live on the basis of a genuinely Christian view of reality.
There was also in the Thessalonian church a high degree of apprehension, misunderstanding, and speculation about the return of Jesus. The Thessalonians knew that Jesus was to return, but they were not sure when it might take place or what it meant for them. Not knowing what to think, they had become upset rather than hopeful, unsettled rather than strengthened, by the prospect of Jesus’ return.
In our day, the COVID pandemic, political and social unrest, and increasing hostility toward Christianity has served to heighten an already-intense interest in and speculation about the return of Jesus; at times it seems as though there is no end to a rising flood of books, television shows, and Web pages devoted to the subject.
How can Paul’s letters, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, help us to live a more authentic Christian lifestyle, and what can they teach us about the coming return of Christ? These are two of the questions we will address in our next sermon series which begins on Sunday, January 9. Through our daily Bible Reading Plan and Devotions, we will have the opportunity to individually read and consider the message of the two letters. Then, on Sunday mornings, Pastor McLane and I will choose a passage from the previous week’s reading for further exploration.
As we follow Paul’s writings, may our minds be informed by his words, and may our hearts be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in order to more faithfully follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Yours in Christ,