Light ~ Acts 17:16-18:3; 1 Thessalonians 1-5:11
HighLights ~ Paul shares the Gospel in Athens; he visits Corinth and decides to stay awhile; while in Corinth, he sends Timothy to Thessalonica and writes a letter to the believers there.
InSights ~ When the Lake Grove youth mission team returned from Japan, some of them spoke of the idol worship they saw in that different culture. If not “culture shock”, it was at least a significant cross-cultural experience.
The Apostle Paul copes with religious cross-cultural issues when he gets to Athens. Far away from the idol-governing influence of Israel, the prevalence of polytheistic devotion “deeply troubles” him. He is in the cradle of western civilization, the center for intellectual thought, and yet these intelligent people still worship imaginary gods and even objects, and to a degree that is disturbing to him.
Once again he seeks out the Jewish community, but it is his engagement in the “public square” and with Greek intellectuals that Luke wants us to see. He is bright and articulate enough that the local philosophers are intrigued by his message.
They invite him to a local forum for discussing ideas. It meets regularly below the Acropolis on a huge rock hill called the Areopagus (literally, “Ares Rock”, named for the Greek god of war who was supposedly tried for murder on this site; often known by Ares’ Roman name, Mars, so: Mars Hill). Here Paul tries to address the Athenian thinkers by starting with their own point of view: affirming their religiosity but curious that they are so unsure of what they are worshiping (16:22-23).
As I read the passage this time, I can’t help thinking of the attitudes toward religion in our own region, the Pacific Northwest of the USA: “Well, I’m quite spiritual, but also agnostic.” Paul’s message to the Athenians might well resonate within our own cultural context. He might use a similar approach if he were speaking at a gathering of intelligent non-believers here in the Portland, OR, area.
While it would be fascinating to know more about Paul’s time in Athens, Luke’s account moves us along to Corinth, a trade and shipping center a few miles to the west. We will read more about his long stay in Corinth, but for now we merely note that he met two Italians who would become important friends and colleagues for him, leatherworkers like himself — and believers — named Aquila and Priscilla.
The rest of today’s reading pertains to the believers from Thessalonica, where Paul had not been welcome by the larger community. Remember, the believers had snuck him out of that harbor city and “hidden” him in the hill village of Berea, but his Thessalonian opponents had even found him there. So Berean supporters had hurried him away to Athens… and here we are now in Corinth, where Paul stays long enough to write this letter.
Clearly Paul has a soft place in his heart for the church in Thessalonica. He is easily able to distinguish between the community of believers there and the opponents who have made him unwelcome. His affirmation of the faith and the service of the Thessalonian Christians gushes out of the letter: “We always thank God for you and we pray for you constantly” (1:2)… “the word of God is ringing out from you to people everywhere” (1:8).
He is also mindful of the events surrounding his safe escape from that city. Those who supported him did not escape persecution: “you received the message with joy… in spite of the severe suffering it brought you” (1:6)… “you suffered persecution from your own countrymen” (2:14). Surely he has in mind Jason and others, who were dragged from their homes as the authorities looked for Paul (Acts 17:5-7).
Frustrated by the fact that “Satan prevented us” from revisiting Thessalonica, Paul asked Timothy to go check up on them, and by the time he dictates this epistle, Paul has just heard from Timothy, who returned with positive news about how things were going with the Thessalonian church (3:6).
Paul stresses the family-like character of the Church, calling the Thessalonians “brothers and sisters”, but also, in rapid succession, referring to himself as a child, a mother, and a father in their midst, caring for them and being cared for (2:7-11). And much of the letter celebrates his joy in their relationships: Paul’s relationship with them, and their relationship with Christ.
There is some typical exhortation (“live in a way that pleases God”, 4:1), and he specifically mentions sexual morality. Then he launches into some teaching on the resurrection and the “rapture”, seeking to build both hope and assurance in these young believers while also encouraging them to always be alert and ready for Christ’s return… for it could be at any time (4:13-5:8).
And today’s portion closes with Paul urging the Thessalonians to do for each other what he is trying to do in the letter: ongoing encouragement and “upbuilding” (5:11).
Tomorrow we will complete 1 Thessalonians and also the much shorter 2 Thessalonians.
ReSight ~ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. (1 Thessalonians 5:10 NLT)
PrayerWrite ~ Lord, bless us with the assurance that we will be with you when you come again, and with the perseverance to be faithful until that time.
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