More from 1 Thess. 2:19-20

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/26/2014 8:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  More from 1 Thess. 2:19-20

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

            Message of the verses:  “19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 

            John MacArthur entitles this section in his commentary “Paul’s Anticipation of Christ’s Return.”  I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that the return of Christ is mentioned in every chapter of both first and second Thessalonians.  Now when Christ’s return is mentioned it does not necessarily talk always about the rapture that he explains in chapter four, but as we have learned in the first chapter when His return is mentioned that that referenced to His second return to earth as described in Revelations chapter nineteen.  My thought for verse 19 is that Paul is speaking about the rapture of the Church.

            When we began to look at verses 17-20 we learned that John MacArthur broke up these verses into different ways in which we learn of Paul’s relationship with the Thessalonian believers.  Today’s SD deals with the third of Paul’s relationship with the believers that are the anticipation of Christ’s return.  This is a great motivation for his ministering and it is also for us as believers today.  Just think how wonderful it will be when we get to heaven and see people there that we have had the privilege to lead to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Paul says that this was his glory and crown, and we spoke about crowns in yesterday’s SD.  If one thinks about Paul’s question here when he asks “who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation one may think that the answer to that question would be the Lord Jesus Christ, but that is not how Paul answers this rhetorical question.  Rhetorical questions are not usually answered in the Scriptures, but perhaps it is because one would think of a different answer that Paul gives here that is why he answered it. 

            Next I will write a quote from John MacArthur about something that I did not understand before reading this quote as he compares the believers hope with a parable that Jesus gave in Luke 16, the parable of the unjust steward.  “The believer’s hope of such reward is in part what Jesus in His parable of the unjust steward alluded to:  ‘Make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwelling’ (Luke 16:19).  Even as the unbelieving steward or manager used his master’s resources to purchase earthly friends, Christ said believers should use the resources their Master provides to bring people to salvation. Whether or not believers know those people now as friends they will know them in glory as friends forever and as sources of eternal joy.”  That parable has always been somewhat of a mystery to me.

            One more quote from MacArthur and we will be done with this section:  “Coming is the important New Testament word parousia, ‘presence,’ which in the majority of its occurrences has an eschatological meaning (1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28).  Sometimes it refers to the time after the Tribulation when Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, and 39).  However in 1 Thessalonians parousia refers more specifically to the Rapture because Paul was writing to believers whom he knew were already waiting for Jesus to return from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10).  In addition to the present verse, this epistle uses parousia three other times to denote the Rapture (3:13; 4:15, 5:23).”  Earlier in this SD I mentioned that in 1:10 that it was referring to the second coming of Christ, and I have to admit that was in error. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Again we see the importance of being a witness for our Lord in telling others how they can receive eternal life.  I did make an acquaintance with while playing golf and prayed that the Holy Spirit would give me an opportunity to talk to him about the Lord, however nothing happened and this was a great disappointment to me.  Perhaps today He will give me a divine appointment.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will give me more divine appointments, perhaps even today.

Memory verse for the week:  Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus.”  (Luke 18:16)

Today’s Bible question:  “Where did Israel suffer defeat because of Achan’s sin?”

Answer in our next SD.

4/26/2014 9:56 AM