God’s Word at Work in Believers — 1 Thess 2:13-20 | Daily Word

God Speaks Through People.

This is why those who believe receive the word testified by people as the word of God, while those who do not believe hear it as merely human words. In this sense, Paul gives thanks for the fact that the Thessalonians received the message he proclaimed as the word of God, not as a human word. [And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.]

The church in Thessalonica became a model for the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. (14) In particular, most of the churches suffered persecution from the Jews, because Jews who were called to hold a monotheistic faith came to believe in the Triune God. For this reason, God’s churches everywhere suffered at the hands of their own countrymen, the Jews. (Acts 17:5-9) The church in Thessalonica was no exception to this. (Gal 1:23; 6:12)

Paul therefore exposes the sins of the Jews and the judgment that awaits them. In the past, they killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, drove us out, displeased God, and were hostile to all people. (15) The Jews despised everyone outside their own ethnic group, and they went even further in hindering Paul from preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Thus in verse 16, Paul makes this declaration against them: “[by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!]” ¹This refers, retrospectively and prophetically, to events such as the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, the expulsion from Rome, the massacre of A.D. 49 (Josephus, Jewish War 2.224–227), and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Paul then addresses his readers as “brothers” and introduces a new topic. He describes the pain of being separated from the Thessalonian church due to Jewish persecution — like a child torn away from its parents and left as an orphan — and says, ‘we were torn away from you in person, not in heart’ (17), affirming that his heart was always with them.

The reason Paul cannot return to Thessalonica is Jewish persecution. Paul describes this as Satan having ‘hindered us.’ (18) He also spoke of his own physical ailment as ‘a thorn, a messenger of Satan.’ (2 Cor 12:7)

In (Isa 14:12), we see that Lucifer, who had been an archangel, was cast out after coveting God’s throne and became Satan. Satan has become the ruler of this world, continually accusing the saints (Rev 12:10),
tempting them, and working to drive a wedge between them and God, opposing God at every turn. Yet Paul clearly distinguishes between God’s will and Satan’s will. We too need the ability to discern the difference between God’s will and Satan’s will. Only when we can discern what God’s will is can we stand boldly before the Lord when He returns, [For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?] as our hope, joy, and crown of boasting.

The foundational principle of the Christian life is to be set apart from the world and to pursue holiness together with God. Let us remember that while we cannot be holy on our own, the perfection of Christ can be made complete in us — and may we be encouraged, in the name of the Lord, to live today as children of light.