Walking With Christ

Webers.Home · Nov 24, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:8 . . Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting
on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

There's likely any number of explanations for "the day" and probably all are
useful. However, we can narrow them all down to just saying that we who
belong to the day are alive to God as opposed to when we were dead to
God.

When someone is dead to you, then you're saying that they are someone
with whom you do not care to associate; and as far as you're concerned they
don't even exist.

"Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do
not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not
offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather
offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life;
and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."
(Rom 6:11-14)

According to Rom 8:23-25 the "hope" of salvation is the gain of another
body.

"We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in
this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes
for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we
wait for it patiently."

This hope isn't a wishing hope, nor is it a hope-for-the-best hope, nor a
cross-your-fingers hope. The Greek word is elpis (el-pece') which means to
anticipate with pleasure and confident expectation.

Anticipation is way different than wishful thinking. When a daddy loads up
the car with wife and kids for a day at Six Flags, his family is no longer
wishing he'd take them there. No, they're in the car and on the way. They
no longer wish, but are now looking forward to having a day of great fun,
food, and excitement. That's elpis hope; and when people have it, they have
peace of mind as regards their afterlife future.

When I was young and strong, the resurrection of the dead wasn't very
meaningful. But now that I am old and my body is deteriorating,
resurrection is very meaningful; along with being very comforting to know
that there is a day coming when I will be young again.
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Webers.Home · Nov 25, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:11 . . Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.

Building up is just the opposite of tearing down. Christians in Galatia were
busy doing just that.

"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not
consumed one of another!" (Gal 5:15)

Biting and devouring one another describes cannibals and carnivorous
beasts.
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Webers.Home · Nov 26, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:12-13a . . Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work
hard among you, who are over you in The Lord and who admonish you. Hold
them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

I would say that if the officers in your church are just too impossible for you
to respect then it's time to abandon ship. Don't mutiny though because
mutiny is just as much a sin as heresy. The rank and file aren't called to
reform church officers; but to cooperate with them. (Heb 13:17)

If they can't cooperate with them; then I sincerely believe the rank and file
should leave and find a church where they can because Christ isn't pleased
with grudging cooperation; rather, with whole-hearted cooperation. (cf. Mark
12:30)
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Webers.Home · Nov 27, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:13b . . Live in peace with each other.

In this instance, "each other" probably refers to the fraternity of believers,
i.e. Christ's body.

The category of peace Paul is talking about is social; viz: harmony in
personal relations. The Hippies and the peace-nics failed to achieve peace
primarily because they couldn't be civil among themselves unless they were
high on mood-altering drugs.

Peace can be defined as: calm, pacific, tranquil, at rest, quiet, and free of
trouble, friction, and strife.

A lack of peace is characterized by war, quarreling, debating, vendettas,
hostility, grudging, fault finding, nit picking, chafing, competition, rivalry,
cold shouldering, factions, taking sides, cliques, hostility, militancy, disorder,
antagonism, fighting, conflict, struggles, et al.
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Webers.Home · Nov 28, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:14a . . We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly

The "brothers" in this case likely addresses church managers.

The Greek word translated "unruly" is ataktos (at-ak'-toce) which means:
irregular; viz: out of order; disorderly.

Unruly people are like kindergartners. Little kids are disruptive, boisterous,
and impulsive. They go off-subject and say whatever they want right out of
the blue. They provoke and antagonize each other, they don't listen, they
talk out of turn, can't stay in their seats, and they meddle and can't mind
their own business: but that's to be expected from their age group:

When I hear of four supposedly adults on a television talk show throwing
hissy fits and walking off the set, and/or talking out of turn; and
spontaneously interrupting each other in mid sentence— sometimes all four
speaking at once —I have to wonder.

And so-called presidential debates where again two supposedly mature
adults, competing for the power to run the country, are hurling accusations
and recriminations, assassinating each other's character, and calling each
other names; I get disgusted. God forbid that Christ's followers act like that
either in church or out in the world.
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Webers.Home · Nov 29, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:14b . . Comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all expectation that a
situation will improve or change; viz: despairing.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the
people with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little
islands of humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and
then get up and leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling.
They don't attend Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet
people-- you associate with them; you get to know them, and they get to
know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday
school is the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement,
and for support. Unfortunately, not many Christians are comfortable with
negativity; and tend to distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in
1975 that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching.
Here's a few that we feel especially appropriate.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To
Mess Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words:
instead of simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men
tend to see people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair-- i.e.
damaged --and then of course they take the initiative to begin offering
unsolicited remedies. No; the idea is to console the discouraged rather than
talk them out of their low state of mind.

FYI: There're quite a few sites online offering helpful lists of Sympathy Do's and
Don'ts that are pretty easy to find with a search engine query.
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Webers.Home · Nov 30, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:14c . . Support the weak

That could probably be stretched to mean any number of things; but I
should think it includes care for your church's aged and/or infirm; viz;
people on crutches, people getting around in wheel chairs, people who can
no longer drive a car, people lacking enough health to even leave their
residences and go shopping on their own, people stuck in assisted living:
that sort of thing.
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Webers.Home · Dec 1, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word for patient is makrothumeo (mak-roth-oo-meh'-o) which
has little to do with getting fed up with people. In James 5:7-8 it speaks of
giving things space to happen in their own good time.

I would say that in this case, makrothumeo speaks of giving people a chance
to either catch on or catch up. For example: we all perfectly understand
what we're saying while those hearing may need to have us restate
ourselves in different words in order to clarify a misunderstanding.

And there are occassions when we need to give people time to get used to a
new idea or a new method, etc. which at first they might resist.
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Webers.Home · Dec 2, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:15a . . See that none render evil for evil unto any man;

Reciprocation is a normal response to abuse, injustice, and ill will but it isn't
an acceptable response; unless of course turning the other cheek is
somehow no longer in vogue for Christ's followers.

"but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."
(1Thess 5:15b)

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for
Sunday mornings like the rather odd patrons who wear costumes at Star
Trek conventions. No, Christian conduct is every-day wear: in the home, on
the job, at school, at the beach, at the mall, at the park, at the beach, in
restaurants, at the dentist, in amusement centers, at the zoo, at the circus,
on the internet, et al; in other words: ever-followed; not just at church on
Sunday morning; which makes ever-following that which is good somewhat
stressful at first; until it becomes second nature, i.e. a habit.
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Webers.Home · Dec 3, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:16 . . Rejoice evermore.

I think we'd better include the passage below with the one above.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish,
spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by
God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time.

. . . In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—
of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire
may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed. (1Pet 1:3-7)

In other words: regardless of the severity of our misery, we're supposed to
take heart in the fact that it's temporary, that it serves a divine purpose;
and that there's the reality of something much, much better in store for us
down at the end of the tunnel.

NOTE: For those of us whose safety from eternal suffering is in the bag, the
coming salvation spoken of in 1Pet 1:3-7 is most likely the resurrection that
Paul spoke of in Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:12-57, and 1Thess 4:13-18.
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Webers.Home · Dec 4, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:17 . . pray continually

The Greek word for "continually" is adialeiptos] (ad-ee-al-ipe'-toce) which
means: uninterruptedly; viz: without omission. Webster's defines omission
as: 1) something neglected or left undone, and 2) apathy toward, or neglect
of, duty.

Believers who pray seldom, or not at all, are like a young man in the military
who never writes home until his parents complain about his silence. I wrote
home so infrequently when I was in the US Army back in the 1960's that my
dad finally threatened to contact my company commander about it. (I
thought that rather out of character for my dad since he never really cared
anything about what I was doing all the years when I lived at home.)

You know, I have to admit, that even if I had a red phone installed in my
home with a direct connection to God's desk, it would gather cobwebs from
lack of use. I sometimes suspect that's one of the reasons trouble comes our
way. It's to provoke some of us to call home.

It's not that I don't like God; it's just that all my life I've been conditioned to
feel peripheral, and important to no one. My natural siblings are just the
opposite. They have always perceived themselves at the center of the
universe-- essential to its existence --while I have always perceived myself
as not even belonging in the universe; let alone being at its center and/or
having anything to do with its existence.

But feelings of unimportance are a handicap: not just in life, but in the
spiritual realm too. It is just about nigh unbearable for believers like myself
to comply with 1Thess 5:17 since we simply cannot believe ourselves missed
by anyone; especially Christ's Father who we believe in our hearts must
certainly prefer the company of people far more interesting than ourselves.
But that command applies to everybody whether we think God cares or not.
All must comply; no exceptions.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should
always pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1-2)
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Webers.Home · Dec 5, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:18 . . Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for
you in Christ Jesus.

The Greek word for "give thanks" is eucharisteo (yoo-khar-is-teh'-o) which
means to be grateful. This goes much deeper than just common courtesy.
Appreciation is an attitude; which Webster's defines as: to value or admire
highly.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Whether that's so or not matters
little as one should never let disagreeable circumstances make them bitter
and resentful towards the Bible's God; for example:

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the
ground and worshiped. And he said: Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of The Lord. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he
condemn God." (Job 1:20-22)

"Although the fig tree fails to blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flock shall
be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will
rejoice in The Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Hab 3:17-18)

Regardless of what the unbelieving world may say, think, or feel about the
Bible's God, the one thing He's done for me that I will always sincerely
appreciate is donate His one and only son towards rescuing my soul from a
terrible future.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him." (John 3:16-17)
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Webers.Home · Dec 6, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:19 . . Quench not the Spirit.

People were quenching the Spirit long before there was any such thing as a
Christian; even before the Flood.

"Then the Lord said: My Spirit will not contend with man forever" (Gen 6:2)

The Spirit's contention was accomplished by means of preachers, e.g. Abel
(Luke 11:50-51), Enoch (Jude 1:14) and Noah (2Pet 2:5)

Had the antediluvians listened to the preaching that the Spirit made
available to them, the Flood might have been averted.

Nowadays when Christians fail to listen to the preaching and/or teaching
that the Spirit makes available to them, they end up drifting away from God
instead of working with Him.

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth" (1John 1:6)
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Webers.Home · Dec 7, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:20 . . Do not despise prophecies.

The Greek word translated "prophecies" is propheteia (prof-ay-ti'-ah) which
basically refers to predicting the future; for example: Matt 25:31-46, 1Cor
15:51-52, 1Thess 4:13-17, 2Pet 3:10, Rev 16:18-20, Rev 20:11-15, and
Rev 21:1.

Webster's defines "despise" as (1) to look down on with contempt, loathing,
or aversion, (2) to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful, and (3) to
regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration.

Just the opposite of relegating prophecy to the status of a superfluous field
of study below one's dignity and/or likely not to hold one's interest; is a
morbid fascination with it to the extent of construing prophecy to mean all
sorts of things except what it actually says in writing.

I'm pretty sure that the prophecies Paul means for us to avoid despising are
bona fide scriptural prophecies rather than crazy stuff that's likely not to be
inspired but rather, the product of some crackpot's fertile imagination.
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Webers.Home · Dec 8, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:21-22 . . Evaluate everything carefully; hold fast to that which is
good; abstain from every form of evil.

In this instance: every form of evil pertains to the wild utterances of prophesy
mongers. They seem to show up most often whenever there's a major crisis;
e.g. insane government policies, economic collapses, massive earthquakes,
tsunamis, and diseases like the Black Plague, Spanish flu, and the Corona
Virus emergency.
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Webers.Home · Dec 9, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:25 . . Brethren, pray for us.

I can't help but wonder exactly who Paul addressed as "brethren" in that
verse. Was it the whole church in Thessalonica, congregation and all, or
limited to the hierarchy? I kind of suspect Paul was speaking to the hierarchy
because just up ahead he's going to request that the epistle be read to "all"
the brethren whereas he didn't request prayer from all the brethren.

Piety ia a bit strange sometimes. Take for example when Jesus came to
Zechariah's son John to be baptized, he protested, no doubt incredulous: I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me!?

Likewise; I can't see the value in an apostle requesting prayers be made for
himself by folk whose spiritual status was much inferior to his own. Interesting
thought.
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Webers.Home · Dec 10, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:26 . . Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

I honestly doubt that Paul actually meant that the hierarchy should
physically kiss the congregation, rather, in a manner of speaking, to say "hi"
for Paul, from him to them.

In America, it's common for friends to end a letter, or a cell text, or an
instagram with XOXOXO; which means hugs and kisses; which aren't literal,
rather, non physical expressions of affection; which are harmless enough,
and certainly far more sanitary.
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Webers.Home · Dec 11, 2021

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• 1Thess 5:27 . . I adjure you by The Lord to have this letter read to all the
brethren.

I think it safe to say that Paul wasn't talking about picking out a verse here
and there as a spring board to a sermon, no, he meant the whole epistle,
not just excerpts.

The word "adjure" has a variety of meanings; they all pretty much relate to
putting someone under a solemn obligation (e.g. Matt 26:63-64) viz: church
officers who neglect reading Paul's epistle(s) to their congregations are in
serious dereliction of duty.
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Webers.Home · Dec 12, 2021

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• 2Thess 2:1-4 . . Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon
shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter
as from us, that the day of Christ is at hand.

. . . Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God,
presenting himself that he is God.

The temple of God will be located in the city of Jerusalem in the country of
Israel. Seeing as how there is no temple there now, then we should beware
falling prey to fanatical claims that the current global chaos related to the
Covid virus is a sign that the end is near.
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Webers.Home · Dec 13, 2021

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• 2Thess 2:15 . . Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you
were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

The "traditions" to which Paul refers are in two categories: (1) word of
mouth, and (2) in writing. Seeing as how Paul and his contemporaries are no
longer available for personal appearances, then the only reliable traditions in
existence are the ones they left us in writing; viz: their letters; i.e. the
epistles written by Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude. If we include Acts
and the Gospels, then the traditions would consist of the entire New Testament.
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