Submitted by Sharon Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley

2 Thessalonians 3

7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.

These verses helped me to imagine Apostle Paul, Silas, Timothy and others working night and day, laboring & toiling with one goal in mind.  With the desire to see the Thessalonians growing in their newly found faith, these amazing church planters worked hard with their hands.  They thought about the future when the Thessalonians will be on their own trying to live out the gospel and these leaders wanted to model for them that as Christians we should be hard working people who can be financially independent instead of being idle & fleshly where they become a burden for others.  Maybe there were some people who were idle in the society or within the church Apostle Paul was concerned about and he gave this warning to the Thessalonians.  These leaders had the “rights” to not work and receive financial support as they sacrificed so much and came all the way, working hard to share the gospel with the church and teaching God’s Word.   But instead of thinking about their “rights,” their mind was on how to leave them with a model to follow that will help their spiritual growth.   Not just in this text, but no matter what part of life we look at on Apostle Paul’s life, one thing that comes out shining is his “love” for all the churches.  His heart is filled with concerns and desires for the churches, his life is filled with prayers for the churches.

In contrast, the thoughts of my “rights” surface in my heart so readily and so often occupy my heart.  This is especially true at the end of the day when I’m tired or when I’m focused on my needs or when I am focused on the things that I have to do.   I’ve noticed that when I am focused on people and their needs and am concerned over them, my mind is not thinking about my rights.  Surely, “loving people” is the only way to free ourselves from our excessive greed that focuses on our “rights.”  I realize that I also can be idle even though I am working hard and fully independent.  Being idle can be a state of mind where we are allowing our minds to wander wherever they want to go and this would surely be something that Apostle Paul wants to warn the church about as well.  Apostle Paul worked hard night and day, laboring & toiling and his heart was not idle.  Instead his heart was filled with people, thinking about their need for a model to follow, thinking about how they can grow in their faith and finish the race that they have begun.   In the same way, I want to commit my thought life to be not idle but to be thinking about people and their needs. Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 3 Devotion Sharing →

vv.1-5 “Paul left the eschatological teachings of chapter 2 and moved on to instructions for daily living. He began by asking the Thessalonians to pray for us. This request for himself, Timothy, and Silas shows the human side of these three great men. Like everyone else, they depended on the prayers of others to carry on their work and remain steadfast in their lives.

“Paul’s request reminds us that we never reach a place in our Christian maturity or service where we progress beyond the need of prayer. Prayer remains essential to the life and work of all believers, not as a ritual, but as an honest interaction of longing and trust with our Lord. Prayer that agrees with Christ’s will always result in divine empowerment. We are foolish if we assume that the work of God can be carried forward without prayer.”^[1] Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 3 Commentary →

Submitted by Lauren Kwon, Gracepoint Berkeley

Satan is often depicted as the great deceiver, and particularly in the last days, he will be actively at work in steering people away from the truth of the Gospel through all sorts of counterfeit means.  What examples of counterfeit expectations are prevalent in today’s society that steer people away from the truth (e.g. basis of happiness, promise of satisfaction, etc.)?

-Pursue my happiness because I deserve to be happy. Be true to myself. I should love myself. Trust myself, depend on myself.

-No one should impose their beliefs on me. No one should tell me what to do. I alone determine my life.

-Materialism and consumerism. Buy things that make me happy.

-Find happiness in romantic relationships through casual dating. Satisfy our lust, need for security and self-worth by engaging in relationships with people of the opposite gender. Forget marriage and commitment, which seem too archaic and boring for our modern society.

-Take care of myself and my family. Secure my children’s future and make sure they are on the fastrack to acceptance from a top-notch university.

-Life is unpredictable so I need to protect myself and my family financially. I need to make more money, be savvy with my investments, and build walls of protection around myself.

-Build my self-esteem, self-image. Change my image depending on who I need to impress and what I want to obtain.

-Satisfy my ambition by pursuing the highest achievement possible in academics and career. Then I will receive the respect I deserve.

-Life is unpredictable, resources are limited. I have enough problems of my own to worry about. I don’t have any room for anyone else’s problems.

Why is the truth found in the Gospel forfeited so readily today?

The truth found in the gospel is to acknowledge God and live a life of love, sacrifice, and self-denial, taking up my cross daily to follow Jesus. This truth is so readily forfeited today because Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 2 Devotion Sharing →

vv.1-12 A subject that Paul felt no need to write about in the first letter — when the Day of the Lord would occur (1 Thess. 5:1) — he does write about in the second letter. He does so because at least some members of the Thessalonians congregation had become persuaded that the Day had already arrived. In response, Paul basically says that is impossible because certain events that must first occur have not yet occurred, and thus the Day cannot have already arrived.

So far, so good. But at this point we begin to encounter difficulties, not so much because of what Paul said, but because of what he did not say. That is, in communicating with the Thessalonians, Paul took for granted information that both he and they already knew, and consequently he did not spell it out in his letter. No doubt his meaning was clear to his readers. But because he did not spell out certain critical details, his meaning is not clear to his later readers. The passage, therefore, presents a major obstacle: How does one bridge between the original meaning and contemporary significance when the original meaning at some points cannot be determined? [1] Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 2 Commentary →