1 Thessalonians 2:13-The Thessalonians Accepted By Faith a Message Originating From God Lesson # 30
Bill Wenstrom
First Thessalonians Chapter Two • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:12:09
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1 Thessalonians 2:13 And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe. (NET)
1 Thessalonians 2:13 marks a transition from a discussion regarding the conduct of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, which appears in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 to a discussion regarding the Thessalonian Christian community’s positive response to the gospel and resultant godly conduct.
This verse is composed of a declarative statement as well as a causal clause which is followed by a strong adversative clause.
The declarative statement asserts that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy always made it their habit of giving thanks to the one and only God, which is a reference to the Father.
The causal clause presents the reason why they did so asserting that when each member of the Thessalonian Christian community received a message which they obediently heard from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, each of them for their own benefit never received it as a message originating from human beings.
The strong adversative clause presents an emphatic contrast with this assertion and states that for their own benefit, the Thessalonians accepted this message which was communicated to them by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, as truly being a message originating from God.
Verse 13 ends with the assertion that for God’s own benefit, His message to the Thessalonians was also working in their lives who are described as believers.
“Because of this” is translating the prepositional phrase dia touto (διὰ τοῦτο) and is pointing forward to the following clause, “that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.” (NET)
Therefore, this prepositional phrase is indicating that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy constantly gave thanks to the Father for the Thessalonians because they received their gospel message as originating from God rather than from human beings.
Now, the first assertion in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 which reveals that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy always made it their habit of giving thanks to the Father is resumptive which means that it resumes the thought contained in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4.
This is indicated by the fact that both 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 speak of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy giving thanks to the Father for the Thessalonians and present the reasons for doing so.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 asserts that they did so because the work of the Thessalonians was produced by their faith, their labor was motivated by their divine-love and also their perseverance was produced by your confident expectation of blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 asserts that they did so because they responded to their gospel message.
The Thessalonians’ work, which was produced by their faith, as well as their labor, which was motivated by their divine-love and also their perseverance which was produced by your confident expectation of blessing from the Lord Jesus Christ was the direct result of accepting the gospel message.
Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14 makes explicit what is implied in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 and 1 Thessalonians 2:13 mention one of the characteristics of a productive prayer life, namely thanksgiving (Matt 15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 22:17-19; John 6:11; 23; 11:41; Acts 27:35; 28:15; Rom. 1:8; 7:25; 1 Cor. 1:4; 11:24; Eph. 5:20; Col. 1:12; 3:17; Phlp. 1:3-4; 4:6; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13).
1 Thessalonians 2:13 emphatically asserts that the message Paul, Silvanus and Timothy communicated to the Thessalonians and which the Thessalonians received by faith originated from God and not from human beings.
So, their message was divine in origin.
In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were of the conviction that their proclamation of the gospel to the Thessalonians was by no means manifested by the act of speaking only but on the contrary, by means of the Holy Spirit’s power as well as with deep conviction.
Also, in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, the expression “when you received God’s message that you heard from us” refers to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy communicating the good news to the Thessalonians when they were non-believers that Christ died and rose from the dead for them and that through faith in Him they could receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.
Secondly, it also refers to the communication of the good news to the Thessalonians after their justification or conversion that they are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection and by appropriating this identification with Christ they can experience victory over sin and Satan.
Lastly, it also refers to the good news that the Thessalonians after their justification that they will receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for faithful service (cf. Col. 1:5, 23).
Now, when 1 Thessalonians 2:13 speaks of the Thessalonians “receiving” the gospel message from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, it refers to the Thessalonians receiving or accepting by faith with the aid of the Holy Spirit the gospel message communicated.
Specifically, it refers to the Thessalonians accepting by faith the gospel through the help of the Holy Spirit when they were non-believers.
They accepted by faith the message that Christ died and rose from the dead for them and that through faith in Him they could receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.
This faith resulted in their justification.
Secondly, the Thessalonians as children of God, after their justification, accepted by faith the message that they were identified with Christ in His death and resurrection and by appropriating this identification with Christ they can experience victory over sin and Satan.
Lastly, they accepted by faith the message that after their justification they would receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for faithful service (cf. Col. 1:5, 23).
The relative pronoun clause “which is at work among you who believe” refers to the omnipotence of the gospel originating from God being engaged in conforming the Thessalonians into the image of Jesus Christ.
“Omnipotence” is one of the characteristics of the divine essence (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13).
All three members of the Trinity are omnipotent since they are co-equal, co-infinite and co-eternal: (1) God the Father is omnipotent (Eph. 1:17; 2 Pet. 1:2-3). (2) Holy Spirit is omnipotent (Acts 1:8; Rm. 15:13, 19; Eph. 3:16; 1 Th. 1:5). (3) Word of God is omnipotent (Ro. 1:16; 1 Co. 1:18, 24; Heb. 4:12).
God has limitless and infinite ability to do something (Gen. 18:14a; Ps. 147:5a; Isa. 40:26; Lk. 1:37).
There is power in the Word of God (Ps. 33:6a; Heb. 1:3a; 4:12a; 11:3a; 2 Co. 6:7; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:5).
The cross of Christ is the power of God, which delivers the believer from the sin nature, the cosmic system of Satan and Satan himself (1 Corinthians 1:18).
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16).
1 Thessalonians 1:3 refers to the omnipotence of the gospel message working in the lives of the individual members of the Thessalonian Christian community.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 also reveals that the Word of God was working in the lives of the Thessalonians as demonstrated by providing other Christian communities in the Roman Empire an example of godly behavior while experiencing persecution from the culture.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 also reveals that the Word of God was working in the lives of the Thessalonians as demonstrated by the fact that they turned to worshipping God and forsook the worship of idols.