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Extraordinary Growth (2 Thessalonians)

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INTRODUCTION

One of the more difficult things for us to learn concerning our sanctification is the difference between repairs and growth. Both are involved in sanctification, but they are not at all the same thing. Imagine a potted flower that you have sitting on the window sill, flourishing there in the sunlight. Let us say that the cat knocks it over, shattering the clay pot. Now of course you repot it, and you hover over it carefully for a few days, and the plant seems to be doing okay. But then some weeks later, you are thrilled to see extra blossoms and more leaves, not to mention a couple of extra inches. This is all wonderful, but the thing to remember is that replacing pots is not the same thing as growth. Unless you replaced the pot, there would be no growth, but they are not the same thing.

THE TEXT

“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:1–4)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This letter obviously has Paul as the main author, but the salutation also includes Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy (v. 1). It is addressed to the church of the Thessalonians, a church which is in our Father God and in our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1). The church is in the Father and the Son, and the apostle extends a blessing to them—grace and peace from the Father and Son (v. 2). Remember that all the New Testament epistles begin this way, with only two persons of the Trinity mentioned explicitly, and with grace and peace proceeding from them. My understanding is that this is because the “grace and peace” refer to the Spirit. Paul then says that he is obligated (bound) to thank God for the Thessalonians, and to do so constantly (v. 3). This is fitting because their faith was growing “exceedingly,” and their love for one another was something that was “abounding.” Their faith and their love were both overflowing the banks. Paul says that he glories in them “in the churches of God.” What he means here is that he sets the Thessalonians in front of the other churches as a pattern or example. They were setting this pattern in the midst of persecution and tribulations that they were enduring (v. 4), doing so in “patience and faith.” We will see next week that the fact that they are so patient under fire is a token from God that He will bring a fiery judgment on those who mistreat them (v. 5), but we touch on it now to help make sense of our passage.

SUPERLATIVES

In the third verse, Paul says that their faith “groweth exceedingly (v. 3).” In the Greek, this is just one verb, not a verb and adverb, and to get the effect in English, we would have to say that their faith was hyper-growing. He then goes on to say that their love for one another was abundant (v. 3). It was full, complete, increasing. Not only so, but they were doing this over a long haul—they were enduring their tribulations and persecutions (v. 4).

Put all this together, and you have a genuinely antifragile congregation. The more they went through, the more they flourished. Their faith was super-charged. Their love was running a ridiculous surplus. Not only so, but they just kept on going. No wonder Paul would point to them as a congregation worthy of imitation. We should make a point of imitating them as well, even though it is over a great distance, both in years and miles.

THE ROLE OF FAITH

But with your permission, I am going to mess with the metaphor just a little bit. This is because faith is both the plant that grows and also the fertilizer that causes the growth.

Affliction, or tribulation, or trouble, or trial, whatever you want to call it, like everything else in this fallen world, is not an automatic blessing. Remember what Jesus taught us about what can kill a plant dead.

“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:16–17).

This plant dies because of affliction and persecution, which is the same thing the Thessalonians were going through. But the Thessalonians were thriving, and these people were not. What is the difference. Jesus said that those that are offended and fall away are those who “have no root in themselves.” The Thessalonians, on the other hand, are in the Father and the Son, and they have the Holy Spirit of God, grace and peace, from the Father and the Son. They are rooted.

RETURN TO THE TOP

For too many Christians, getting their Christian life squared away always seems to consist of replacing the broken pot. It is necessary to confess our sins, true. It is necessary to put things right with your brother, that is also true. It is necessary to do such things as a precondition of growth. But we must never forget that God calls us, not only to growth, but with the example of the Thessalonians before us, to extraordinary growth.

Your sanctification is not simply a matter of less malice, but of more love. Your growth is not simply a matter of less unbelief, but of more faith. Not less impatience, but more patience. Not less complaining merely, but more endurance.

And there is only one place where it is possible for this to occur. We must be rooted in the Father and the Son, and we must be watered by the Spirit of grace and peace. When that happens, and when we as the people of God blossom, it fills the room with the aroma of Christ.

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Resurrection Authority (Easter 2021)

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INTRODUCTION

Because Jesus rose from the dead, in fulfillment of the words of the ancient prophets (Acts 3:24), and because He did so in fulfillment of His own confident pronouncements that He would rise (Matt. 20:18-19), the gospel message of the resurrected Christ has true authority. It is not the thing that must be proven, it is the ultimate and most glorious proof. Moreover, the preached message of the resurrection is not something to be placed under a microscope and examined in order to be proven. Rather, the declared message is also itself a proof. The resurrection proves, and also the preaching of the resurrection proves.

THE TEXT

“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand” (Acts 4:1–4).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

In the early chapters of Acts, the apostles and early disciples had received the power of the Spirit poured out upon them at Pentecost (Acts 2). Remember that this Holy Spirit who is poured out upon them is the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11). So all this activity is all part of the same “motion,” as it were. As a result, all of Jerusalem was in a churn. Thousands were coming into the church, three thousand on the first day alone (Acts 2:41).

On one of these early occasions, they were preaching Christ (Acts 3), and in the course of that message, Peter said something really profound, something that goes down to the bedrock of all reality. He preached to the crowd that they were the culprits, and that they were the ones who “killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). One might ask how the Prince of life could ever be killed, but apparently the question should be how the Prince of life could possibly remain dead.

As this was going on, the authorities stepped in with an attempt to regain control of the situation (Acts 4:1). They were deeply pained that the apostles were teaching the people, and were preaching “through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (v. 2). Apart from the Sadducees, the Jews were firmly convinced of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. And these followers of Christ were preaching that this doctrine had just been accomplished through Jesus. The end of the world had broken out in the middle of history. So the authorities laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, because it was getting late (v. 3). But even though the preachers were hauled off, many still believed. Believed what? They believed in the resurrection through Jesus. The number of men in the church by this point was about five thousand (v. 4). The church is exploding. And the next day, when Peter is explaining how the cripple was made whole, he does it by naming “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . .” (v. 10). He simply declares it as a fact.

PROVING THE PROOFS

Christ was truly kind to His disciples after the resurrection. In one place it says that they disbelieved on account of their joy (Luke 24:41). He condescends to invite Thomas to put his finger in the wound in His side (John. 20:27), which should be considered a proof. And we find this in the opening verses of Acts:

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

All this was Christ’s condescension and kindness. Remember what He said to Thomas:

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

So it is not the case that Thomas had the best of it. It is not the case that he had all the security he could wish for, but then we have to walk across the lake on the thin ice. No—we are under the blessing of Christ. We have not seen, and yet we have believed. But although we have not seen, what do we have? We have heard, which is best of all.

Hearing about the resurrection when it is preached is not the tail end of two thousand years of playing the telephone game. No. The Spirit inhabits the preaching of the resurrection, and when Christ risen is preached, the work of resurrection is ongoing and continuing.

DECLARED WITH POWER

How do we know that Jesus will judge the whole world? We know because God raised Him up. The resurrection here is the proof, it is the evidence.

“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Jesus is declared to be the Son of God, and what is it that cinches that declaration? It is the resurrection from the dead.

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4)

The Lord Jesus came back to life after He had been killed, but we have to note the context. He came to life again after having been killed in a world governed by death. That resurrection was like sticking a piece of paper into the fire, and setting the corner of the sheet of paper on fire. You watch it glow, and then catch, and then spread. As it spreads, please remember that it is the same fire.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

When the resurrection is preached, and people come to life under the hearing of it, it is the same life that brought Jesus out of the grave again. Not a different life, but the same life. The Christ has been raised, and we know that He has been raised because He is here with us, in us, under us, and above us. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

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An Easter Conscience

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THE TEXT

1 Cor. 15:1–19

PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES

Acts 22:30-23:10
When Paul appears before the Sanhedrin, he appeals to his belief in the resurrection. This was a point of theology that divided the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection and the Sadducees did not. Paul’s appeal effectively split the Sanhedrin’s opposition to Paul’s teaching.

THE RESURRECTED CHRIST IN THE CHRISTIAN’S IDENTITY

However, I would argue that the doctrine of the resurrection was more than just a conveniently divisive point for Paul at this moment. Paul argues that the risen Christ is the foundation for the Christian’s identity (Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:1). And fundamental to this resurrected identity is the forgiveness that we have in Christ.

AND FORGIVENESS IS CENTRAL TO THIS IDENTITY

In 1 Cor. 15, Paul argues that the fact that Christ rose from the dead means that we are forgiven. The resurrection of Jesus is the central miracle of the Bible. And that resurrection is a testimony that another incredible miracle has happened – you have been forgiven of your sins.

THE CONSCIENCE

And so, every accusation of guilt that is levelled against one of God’s saints must deal with the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. It is not surprising then that when the subject of his conscience comes up, Paul will constantly want to start talking about the resurrection of Jesus.

AN EASTER CONSCIENCE

The enemy’s primary power is that of accusation. Satan is an accuser. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has given us the greatest possible defence against these accusations. He has given us an Easter conscience. As one of God’s saints, you are called to use the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a weapon in your own sanctification.

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I Adjure You by the Living God (Good Friday 2021)

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The story of our Lord’s passion is a story that is saturated in ironies. One of those ironies is found in how the high priest got Jesus to speak at His trial, and what the Lord included in His answer. Just as Jesus made the good confession before Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13), so also He spoke the truth before Caiaphas—making the good confession there also.

And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? (Mt. 26:62–68).

This remarkable exchange will repay careful attention, and is almost a call and response. An adversarial call and response, to be sure, but still. Or perhaps it was more like parry and thrust.

“I call upon you in the name of the living God.”

“I will answer you from the throne of the living God.”

The high priest Caiaphas was a shrewd and hard-edged politician. When he speaks to Christ here, he uses the language of his people from ancient times and says, “I adjure you by the living God . . . are you the Christ? The Son of God?” And Christ’s response is in effect “you have said it.”

And He follows this up immediately by saying what amounts to “you yourself will see the living God.” You will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven—and this description is taken from the seventh chapter of Daniel. But it is not referring to the Final Coming of Christ to earth. Rather this is the moment when the one like a son of man is ushered into the presence of the Ancient of Days, where a universal kingdom is then bestowed on Him.

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:14).

But not to belabor the obvious, in order for a dominion to be an everlasting dominion, in order for the kingdom to be one that will not be destroyed, the king over that dominion must be a king who is alive. And He must be a king who is alive forevermore. And if He is alive, seated at the right hand of power, at the right hand of the Ancient of Days, this means that He is the Son of the living God. He is the living God. I hope you can begin to see why Caiaphas, given his premises, was compelled to tear his robe.

“I adjure you by the living God . . .”

“I am the living God . . .”

When Caiaphas adjured Christ by the living God, he was drawing on a long line of examples in the Old Testament. Every time the phrase living God is used there, the word for God is El, or Elah, or Elohim. This is the Creator God, this is God Almighty—this is the name for God that is used in the first sentence of the Bible. Further, this is the name that Christ used in His cry of dereliction from the cross—“Eloi, Eloi . . .”

The Sanhedrin had, in all their carnal wisdom, maneuvered themselves into the position where it turned out that they had God Almighty on their hands. They had Jehovah incarnate in custody. Confronted with such holiness, they were filled with hatred and bitterness and malice and spite, and could not help themselves. The trial was a sham and a pretense. They wanted it to look judicious and wise and dignified and legal, but they were conducting their illegal trial in the middle of the night. And after the verdict was rendered, they could not keep the bile from spilling out—they spit on Him, they buffeted Him, they slapped Him with their hands.

With the truth in front of them, they told their lies. With the resurrection and the life standing before them, they rendered the verdict of death. With Christ the Way laid out before them, they utterly refused to even consider that road. With everlasting life in front of them, they cried out, “death, death, death.”

So what is the spirit of Hell? Confronted with life everlasting, the only thing that Hell wants to do with such life is crucify it. This is the mystery of lawlessness.

How did the apostle Peter put it?

But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses (Acts 3:14–15).

The thing that made the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus necessary was our sin, but because of the depths of the wisdom of God, and the work of the Spirit here with us now, we are enabled to see the gospel ironies that deal efficaciously with us and our sins. When Jesus, the life of the world, was brought bound before the Sanhedrin, that life was the aroma of death to them. And when we come, bound prisoners to the judgment seat of the crucifixion, that death is our everlasting life. We look at that twisted body on the cross, something marvelous happens. He was hanging there because our representatives in the Sanhedrin had cried out, “death to Him—death, death, death.” And we look, and the only thing we can think to say is “life from Him—life, life, life.”

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen.

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