How are you known around your neighborhood? If someone were to come to town and ask around the neighborhood about you, what would they say? What kind of reputation do you have? Are you the woman with the ear and tongue for gossip, or the cranky old man who chases the neighborhood children away? Would they even know whether you are a Christian? How about your church? Does it have the reputation for solidly preaching the Word of God, or is it more like the neighborhood country club? The church in Thessalonica had a reputation in the area. Let’s look at Paul’s letter to the believers there, and see what these believers were like.
Prior to coming to town, the Apostle Paul had been in Philippi preaching the Gospel, where he was promptly whipped and beaten, and then thrown in prison. After finding out that Paul was a Roman citizen (it was illegal to beat or imprison a Roman citizen prior to having a trial), the city ran him out of town. Paul then traveled further west and came to the city of Thessalonica where he proceeded to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus there. Paul was only in the city a few weeks when word got to his enemies, those who opposed the spreading of the Gospel, and they came to town to cause trouble and bring further persecution. Again, Paul needed to flee for his life (Acts 16:35 - 17:10).
Thessalonica was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia. It was a thriving seaport, and being on a busy highway, made it one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade centers in the empire. With the thousands of people coming and going every day in the city, the church Paul started in Thessalonica had the ear of the world. Travelers could hear the Gospel, and then take it back and share it with their own community. In order for others to hear, though, the believers needed to preach the message of Jesus, which they did (vs. 8).
When Paul and his companions were run out of the city, fleeing for their lives, the enemies of the Gospel turned their attention on the brand new converts, and they, too, began to experience persecution. However, despite the harsh opposition, the Thessalonian believers remained faithful to the Lord, and they enthusiastically shared their faith with others.
Paul wrote this epistle not that long after he left the city, and it was quite possibly the first epistle that he wrote. He was sure that their faith was genuine, as they stood true to the Lord despite the harsh persecution. They faced opposition from former friends and relatives. But the more that Satan afflicted, the more the Holy Spirit poured in His joy (vs. 6). By remaining firm in their faith, they became a powerful witness to others.
People throughout the city could look at their new Christian neighbors, and they saw changed lives. A quarrelsome, disagreeable, and cursing neighbor was now a peaceful one, filled with the joy and love of the Holy Spirit. The one who went out carousing till all hours, coming home drunk and fighting with their family, no longer lived like that. They were living examples of what the Gospel of Jesus could do in a person’s life. Nothing advertises the Gospel like changed lives.
What about us? What kind of message are we sending out to our neighborhoods? Are we “good advertising” for Jesus? Despite all the persecution they faced, the Thessalonians were. There are some parts of the world where persecution and attacks against Christians are openly done, and even approved of by the government. In other places, those who believe in the Bible and are faithful Christians are mocked by the news and on social media, including in many parts of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, even making things difficult for them at work and in school.
Will we trust in God and remain true, or will we hide our faith under a bushel so that no one will know we are Christians? Will we stand out for Jesus, or try to blend in with the heathen? Let us be like the Thessalonians, where our changed lives will be noticeable. Let us tell others, and despite what may happen, just like those in our Scripture today, let the Gospel sound forth, and word of our faith will go out to others.
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