Thursday
Thursday
Evangelism through the Local Church
Our gospel came to you…. You welcomed the message…. The Lord’s message rang out from you.
1 Thessalonians 1:5–6, 8
Paul began his First Letter to the Thessalonians by reminding them of his visit. He described it in three stages. Firstly, “our gospel came to you” (v. 5). It came with words (because it has a specific content). But not with words only, for words spoken in human weakness need to be confirmed with divine power. The gospel also came to them with deep conviction. If power describes the objective impact of the preaching, conviction describes the subjective state of the preachers. Moreover, the truth of the Word, the conviction with which it was spoken, and the power of its impact all stemmed from the Holy Spirit. Truth, conviction, and power are still three essential characteristics of authentic Christian preaching.
Secondly, “you welcomed the message” (v. 6). There had been severe suffering, for the true gospel always arouses hostility, but there is also joy when the gospel is received. The same Holy Spirit who gave power to those who preached the gospel gave joy to those who received it. He was working at both ends of the communication process. The converts also became imitators of Christ and his apostles and a model to believers because they had been transformed.
Thirdly, “the Lord’s message rang out from you” (v. 8). The Greek verb can mean to sound, ring, peel, or boom. Chrysostom thought that Paul was likening the preaching of the gospel to the sound of a loud trumpet. At all events, the gospel proclaimed by the Thessalonians made a loud noise that seemed to reverberate through the hills and valleys of Greece.
Two points stand out in this first chapter of 1 Thessalonians. Firstly, the church that receives the gospel must pass it on. Nothing is more impressive than the sequence “our gospel came to you”—“you welcomed the message”—“the Lord’s message rang out from you.” This seems to be God’s simplest plan for the spread of the Good News throughout the world. Secondly, the church that passes on the gospel must embody it. The news of the transformation of the Thessalonians was spreading automatically, and the missionaries even felt redundant.
For further reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10