True Apostasy
Paul has spent the first 13 verses encouraging the believer to stand in the faith, to remember who they serve, and to walk in a manner worthy of God. As Paul begins his conclusion of this second chapter, we see that his writing takes on more of a tone of warning.
14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. 17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
1 Thessalonians 2:14-20
In this passage of scripture, we see that Paul is recognizing that the members of the church of the Thessalonians are acting in the way that he called them to do in the previous section of scripture. They are walking in a way that reflects Jesus Christ, just as the churches in Judea reflected Jesus in their persecution. Verses 15 and 16, however, touch on a concept that is still prevalent today. In the NKJV, we see that verse 15 states that there are men who “do not please God and are contrary to all men”. Another word that should be used here is the Hebrew word “luz” (Strong’s H3868), which means “apostates”. This means to turn away or reject. So in these two verses, Paul is identifying that an “apostate” is anyone who is so anti-Gospel that they are willing to kill those who preach to convert others. Ken Johnson, in his book Paul’s Ancient Hebrew Thessalonian Epistles, describes it this way: “It starts with one denomination refusing to fellowship with another, then progresses into trying to hurt or even kill the other “in the name of God.”
This is something that was being seen when Paul wrote this letter, and it is something that is still going on today. There are countries that have made sharing the Gospel a crime worthy of jail. There are countries that have forced the church underground. There are countries that have made it where preaching the truth found in scripture goes against what the world wants, and anyone who teaches the truth is called “intolerable”. Satan doesn’t create; he only uses the same tricks that he always has, and by causing believers to worry about what will happen if they share the Gospel, Satan is trying to impede the spreading of God’s word.
This is why Paul ends this chapter with a reminder that the reader is their glory and joy. Not because of anything that the church has or is doing, but because they are holding themselves upright in the name of God. They are following God’s word despite the very real threats that they are facing. Paul and his companions are proud and rejoicing that the believers in Thessalonica are so strong in their faith that they are continuing to preach God’s word. This is how we, as believers today, should be. The threats are still there to share the Gospel, we may be mocked, imprisoned, threatened, cast aside by family and friends, but this does not mean that we give up. We need to continue to walk in such a manner that we are worthy of God.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex