Today's passage covers Paul's continuing ministry in Thessalonia and other cities in Asia Minor. We see both the Apostle's great joy of witnessing the growth and spread of the Gospel, plus the important discipline required to marshall the new believers' faith into full-grown maturity.
I would like to highlight two possible controversies addressed in today's passages:
1. The Second Coming. In both letters to the Thessalonians, Paul discusses the Second Coming in each of the seven chapters. Apparently, the Thessalonians struggled with the dichotomy of living in light of the Lord's imminent return but not fully withdrawing from the world's economy. Their confusion is quite understandable in light of their assumption that the Lord was to return any day.
Instead, Paul explains: "Don't let ayone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." The Second Coming will have clear signs, which involve primarily the emergence of the Evil One in a leadership role. Furthermore, as Jesus noted in Matthew 24:14, "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Still, what type of response should we offer? A right attitude includes both engagement with the world and readiness for the Lord's imminent return. The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) gives us a picture: vigilance, engagement, and stewardship. We may view our lives as a currency; how will we choose to spend this time? What priorities will we choose?
2. The burning of the scrolls in Ephesus (Acts 19:17-20). In this vignette, the new believers abandoned their sorcery scrolls as an act of repentance. Seeing the beauty and glory of God, the Christ-followers destroyed those elements that had drawn them and others away from the Lord. What might you abandon that has drawn you or others away from worshiping Christ?
Many observers have seen this passage as an encouragement to disconnect from the world. For example, during the First Great Awakening, James Davenport established the Shepherd's Tent, a seminary to rival Yale, which, he believed, had turned away from the Gospel. As part of this effort, Davenport and his disciples burned many worldly books in response to this passage.
Repentance is a clear sign of faith and an important prompt for growth. Yet, in light of the Second Coming, we are to employ our talents, including worldly knowledge and our intellects in the pursuit of the glory of God. Burning books will not draw people to Christ; changed lives and longsuffering love will.
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