Right at the beginning of this letter Paul exhorts the church saying, "wherever we go we find people telling us about our faith in God." (1:8) He mentions that they turned away from idols and warmly welcomed him. They were strong in their faith and living "in a way that pleases God…"(3:1), but a weakness was sexual sin. In 4:3 Paul says, "...so stay away from sexual sin." It also seems as though they were getting into each others business. Paul's time in Thessalonica is talked about in Acts 17:1-8. Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia which was a Roman colony. There was a large Jewish population and Paul and Silas visited the synagogues. Their presence ended up causing a riotous mob and they were forced to flee.
Paul stresses the main idea of this epistle in 4:1 saying, "…we urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God…" He calls them "children of the light" and encourages them to live holy and blameless lives. Holiness is a key word and the day of the Lord takes up a prominent place in his letter. Obviously suggesting that the Thessalonians had some questions about it. Paul supports the main idea by saying, "Stay alert and be clearheaded…protected by the armour of faith and love." (5:6,8)
God has no favourites, He is all inclusive. "For He called you to share in His kingdom and glory." (2:12) God is all knowing and the ultimate and holy Judge. "He alone examines the motives of our hearts." (2:4)
2 Thessalonians
Since the first letter the Thessalonians were continuing to flourish in their faith and their "love for one another was growing," despite the persecution. (1:3) Paul exhorts them quite a bit but in the middle of the letter he brings up the day of the Lord again, this time correcting an error. It seems that people were causing them to doubt Paul's teaching and they were being fooled by false teachers in "thinking the final day of the Lord had already begun." (N404) Another weakness connected to the belief that they last days were upon them, was laziness in the church. People were "living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business." (3:11) Paul tells them to imitate him and to work for their food, for the working believers to stay away from those who don't obey Paul's commands. (Like 1 Thessalonians this church is mentioned in Acts 17:1-8)
The main idea of this epistle is encouragement amidst persecution. "Stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching…He will strengthen you and guard you" (2:15,3:3) The words "comfort", "grace" and "strengthen" pepper this letter. Paul is recognizing the suffering the church is going through and writes the Thessalonians a beautiful encouragement letter with pretty minimal correction.
Our suffering doesn't go unnoticed by God. "May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ." (3:5) He gives us everything we need in every season, whether it is suffering or joy. "God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of His kingdom." (1:5) He is a justice-filled God. He doesn't overlook or under deliver on His word. He deeply cares for His church and "will provide rest." (1:7)
Galatians
The church of Galatia is briefly mentioned in Acts 16:6 and 18:23. It was not doing well. They were "turning away" and "being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ." (1:6&7)They were not following the truth (2:14), they were giving in to their sinful nature (5:16), they thought they could be made right by keeping the law and being circumcised (3:11,5:2-6), and because of all these things they had lost their joy and gratefulness (4:15).
Freedom is the main idea of this book, "…I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles, free from the law."(4:12) Paul was stressing freedom and drilling it into their heads. "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." (5:1) There is a big difference between heir and slave. (4:7,28) Part of receiving that freedom and that heirdom is by believing. (3:2,6)
Ephesians
Ephesus is talked about in Acts 18:19, 19:1-20:1. Paul stayed in Ephesus for about two and a half years total, "so that people throughout the province of Asia…heard the word of the Lord." (Acts 19:10) Later when Paul was in Miletus he sent for the leaders of the Ephesian church to meet him and gave them one last encouragement and said goodbye. (Acts 20:17-38) The church had weaknesses to be sure. They were telling lies (4:25), "letting anger control them" (4:26), involved in drunkenness (5:18), and evil behaviour in general (4:31) Paul urges them to "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do." (5:1)
They lived in an intensely pagan city famous for sexual immorality and other horrendous practices. Paul stresses their new identity in Christ and that they are "made full and complete by Christ." (1:23) Unity in Christ is a major repeated idea. (1:3,11, 2:13-14,16,21, 4:3,13) The armour of God is in chapter six and the famous verse 12, "For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…against evil spirits in the heavenly places." It was/is a serious battle for the souls of the believers in the church. Paul expressed in so many amazing pictures that is crucial to stay united in Christ and united together wielding the weapons Christ gives us.
"God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you cant take credit for this, it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (2:8-9) God is our Saviour! This is one of my favourite verses; one I have put to memory. It is such a perfect sum up of what God did for us and that it not a reward but a gift. It is not something that can be earned but because of His amazing grace. "The Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit." (3:15) God is Creator! He is the One who holds the world and beyond.
Philippians
Paul visited Philippi during his second missionary journey seen in Acts 16:12-40 and 20:6. A wealthy woman, a demon possessed girl and a jailer were saved and joined the church. The church had sent Paul gifts (4:18) and Paul affirms their "faithful service." (2:17) Though they suffered from selfishness (2:3,4) because being Roman citizens meant that they grew up feeling and being entitled. There were also two women disagreeing in the church, Euodia and Syntyche, and Paul asks that they "settle their disagreement." (4:2)
"Above all, you must live as citizens of Heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ." (1:27) I love that phrase "citizens of heaven" (3:20) and it would have meant so much for the Philippians because they took so much pride in their Roman citizenship. Paul tells them that that is not what matters. It's belonging to God that counts. "Joy" and "rejoice" fill this book. "Yes, you should rejoice and I will share your joy." (2:17&18) (Also in 1:4&25, 3:1 & 4:1&4) Paul is leading by example and expressing to them the joy that is found in the Lord.
"For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, know that I am in chains for Christ." (1:13) God works through and in all things. He is Sovereign and He knew that by putting Paul in prison His name would go forth and infiltrate the palace. He sees the big picture. At the same time God is so personal. "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." (2:13) He gives us strength to do His will, working in our hearts, our lives to see His glory on earth.
Personal Application:
Philippians is a book full of joy and commands to be joyful and rejoice! "I have learned the secret of living in every situation…" (4:13) is what Paul says about his life in Christ. There is so much cause for joy no matter the circumstance. That is a big challenge to me. He says, "Always be full of joy in the Lord…" (4:4) Always! You can't worry when you are being joyful in the Lord. You can't fear when you are full of joy. That is part of the fruit of the Spirit; joy! I can say that I am not always full of joy in the Lord and circumstance often dictates how much joy I have. Paul's challenge is a fantastic one. Walking in joy from the Spirt is a beautiful part of the inheritance God has given us and I am going to take Him up on it!
Point of Passion:
A psalm of praise is found in 2:5-11! I absolutely love the end when Paul says "that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Ah! Throughout the Bible I haven't often found any sort of worship service described. Did they worship with song in the synagogues? House churches? Was it more of a personal thing? Did they even sing to God in the days of Paul, etc? I know Jesus and His disciples did which I loved reading, but it's not emphasized a lot so I was excited to find a psalm written by Paul. He looks to the past sacrifice of Christ and the future glory of Christ. He looks to the future mass "worship service" that will take place. Finally God will get all the glory from every tongue and every knee. But until that day the worship of only the believers will be heard.
Colossians
"Epaphras, a disciple of Paul, had founded the church at Colosse." (SV) Though Paul had never met them, he had heard of their "faith in Christ" and their "love for all of God's people." (1:4) He was writing to them also "so no one will deceive them with well-crafted arguments." (2:4) They seemed to be following the "rules of the world" that were useless and harmful (2:20), so he was warning them and instructing them in how to live. They were surrounded by pagan people so they were in danger of falling into other religions and practices such as "pious self denial and the worship of angels." (2:18) Not to mention being at war with their sinful nature.
The main theme of this letter is in 2:9-10, it says, "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God…So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." And 3:12 says it too and more to the point, "…Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us." There is nothing else you need once you have Christ in your life. Nothing needs to be added. There is so much freedom in Christ.
God's nature is all powerful. He "disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over the them on the cross." (2:15) He has power over everything. As humans on earth it is easy at times to be scared of the spiritual rulers and to think that they are so strong but in reality God is a bajillion times stronger than them and He has the last word. "He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness…" (1:13) Jesus is a solid foundation, a trustworthy hope. "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him." (2:7)
1 Corinthians
Corinth shows up in Acts 18:1-18, during Paul's second missionary journey. This is were Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, and he stayed for some time "teaching the word of God." The church in Corinth was a mess! My goodness, there were problems galore. 1 Corinthians 1:5&6 shed a small and short positive light on the church, but then the rest of the letter goes on to rebuke and instruct them on living righteously.
One man is singled out for "living in sin with his father's wife."(5:1) Paul deals harshly with him, as he should. There was division
Paul emphasized love in this book. "Let love be your highest goal!" (14:1) "And do everything with love." (16:14) I think it was because of all of the problems they were having. Love eradicates sinful desires, it restores and redeems all things. God is love. "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them." (12:9) Paul says in 1:10, "…live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church…be of one mind, united in thought and purpose." Love knits together brokenness. That is the overlying theme of this book. No matter what is going on, if you put others first, place God in the centre, and give up your desires, love is the result.
"For God bought you with a high price…" (6:20) God is our Redeemer! He bought us with His son! He had/has the power to defeat sin and Jesus, the perfect lamb, was the only way. He can break any chain, tear down any wall…He loved us so He saved us. God's faithfulness rings out in 10:13. "And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure." God does not leave us stranded or abandon us to our temptations. He is ever by our side. He is always ready to swoop in and save and help and restore. This is the God I serve! Yes!
Personal Application:
I now read this book in a whole different light. The "love chapter" is so different to me now, which I like, because it's supposed to be understood in context with background; it's a rebuke. I read it this time as a challenge, not as a lovey dovey definition of love. I read it slower with more pause at each characteristic. It is not jealous or irritable, but patient and it never gives up. Those, among the rest of them, are seriously easy things to do/not do. Love is far more than enjoying someones company, keeping in touch or giving someone a gift on their birthday. Love gets dirty, in a sense, and is humble but is strong and produces rejoicing. Love is colour-blind, it overlooks selfishness and doesn't judge. Oh boy…when I say I love someone that is what I am saying. That is intense! Now, I really wish we had five different words for love! This challenges me to take that words all the more seriously and to stand behind it when I say it. To exemplify those things when I love.
Point of Passion:
Chapter 14 speaks a lot about strengthening the church when it comes to using their spiritual gifts.(v3,4,5,12,19,26) I didn't grow up in a church who emphasized spiritual gifts at all. There has never been any speaking in tongues or prophesying done publicly or in smaller groups. My first encounter with these gifts was in YWAM in 2011. It was an awakening and I was a bit angry that I had never experienced God in that way before. But so grateful that God brought me to those times and gave me the gift of speaking in tongues. Paul talks about singing as well in the Spirit but also in words the church can understand. (14:15) There is so much value in doing things corporately that strengthen the church and not focusing only on yourself in that environment. Spiritual gifts are meant to be used but used properly. As a worship leader I love learning more and more about the various gifts especially those used in worship times, so that I can be more sensitive to the Spirit. So I can strengthen the church.
2 Corinthians
Like 1 Corinthians Paul goes to Corinth as read in Acts 18:1-18. His previous letter had worked in the area of sexual sin - they repented. "Now I am glad I sent it…the pain caused you to repent and change your ways." (7:9) But now they were being lead astray by "super apostles", who were telling the church that Paul wasn't right. They began to question Paul's leadership so Paul defends himself. But he does say that he is not just defending himself but making sure they know the truth. (12:19)
"Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." Paul wants them to get it and to stay on the right path. Paul, to me, is so passionate in this letter. He has to defend himself and in doing so prove to them that he speaks the truth. He was so unlike the teachers of the day. He emphasized God's power over mans eloquence of speech. "Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone." (7:2) I
would get pretty passionate too if there were false teachers leading my church astray!
Personal Application:
Point of Passion:
I love how much love and joy Paul has for the church. "…Surely you know that my joy comes from your being joyful." (2:3) As a worship leader it is so important to have God's heart for the people you are leading. To be listening to the Spirit and to not project false emotions or wrong ideas of where the congregation is at. I pray that wherever I go, whoever I lead, that God will give me His heart for them and His messages for them. That I would be sensitive to the Spirit and bring people into the beautiful place of lifting His name high. To bring Heaven to earth.
Romans
Paul didn't start the church in Rome, nor had he been there when he wrote them this letter. Romans 15:28 shows us that Paul intended to visit them on his way to Spain. They were a church full of faith (1:8) and obedience (16:19). But there was a big problem. The last chapter (16) reveals that the church was separated into several different congregations. That was because of "racial disunity" between the Jew and Gentiles. The Jews had been kicked out of Rome by Claudius and after five years, Nero let them back in. But during those years the Gentiles had taken over the church and having different views on food and the Sabbath, the Jews came back very upset and they couldn't agree. Not good. "Some think one day is more holy than another…you should each be convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable." (14:5)
"So why do you condemn another believer?" (14:10) The Jews get hardcore rebuked in this letter as do the Gentiles but it doesn't seem as harsh. The disunity was huge and Paul was writing to straighten the gospel out and bring unity to the church. "It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes, the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished…by faith." (1:16b&17) It is about the righteousness of God. There is no person more holy than the next because God came for all people. Everyone qualifies!!
God's "undeserved kindness" (2:4,3:24) is so prevalent in this book. We are so undeserving of His kindness, yet He gives it freely to us. The Ephesians came from a culture of so much wickedness, yet God reached out and sent His Son to die for the sins He knew they would commit. God is truth. He is the One who gives us truth and the only One capable of being truthful at all times. "Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true." (3:4)
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