Christ's Law

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

In this instance, "each other" likely refers to the fraternity of believers to whom
Paul penned the letter, i.e. Christ's body rather than the world at large.

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, words that hurt instead of heal, etc.
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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" basically 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.
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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: they're in despair.

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 are quite a few sites online offering helpful lists of Sympathy Do's and
Don'ts that are pretty easy to find via search engine query.
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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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● 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word translated "patient" speaks of giving things space to happen in
their own good time. (cf. Jas 5:7-8)

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

And there are occasions when we need to give people time to get used to a new
idea or a new method, etc. which at first they robustly resist.
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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 people unified with Christ.

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

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for Sunday
mornings like the patrons attending costume conventions, e.g. Star Trek, Anime,
Super Heroes, Games, Comic Books, etc.

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, in the hospital, 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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● 1Thess 5:16 . . Rejoice evermore.

I think we'd better include the passage below with the verse 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 light
at the end of the tunnel.

NOTE: The salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is most likely the
resurrection that Paul spoke of in Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:12-57, and 1Thess 4:13
18. In other words; had not Jesus' crucified dead body been restored to life, his
followers would've had no hope of bouncing back from death, i.e. his made theirs
possible.
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● 1Thess 5:17 . . pray continually

The Greek word for "continually" basically 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.)

You know, I have to admit, that even if I had a red phone installed in my home with
a secure line direct to God's desk, it would gather dust and 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, i.e. marginalized; 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)

* Ironically those of us who matter least are sometimes the very ones who matter
most. (cf. Luke 18:10-Luke 19:1-10
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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" basically 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 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)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written: For
Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to
be slaughtered.

. . But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:35-39)
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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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● 1Thess 5:20 . . Do not despise prophecies.

The Greek word translated "prophecies" 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
fides scriptural prophecies rather than crazy stuff that's likely not to be inspired but
rather, the product of some kooky crackpot's fertile imagination.
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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 context: 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, etc.
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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 "hello" 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 xoxo; which means hugs and kisses; which aren't literal, rather, non
physical expressions of affection; which are harmless enough-- and certainly far
more sanitary --but if your congregation does go in for kisses, be very sure your
contact is holy rather than sensual.

"All the brethren" would include those on the spectrum. Some of them don't even
like to be hugged, let alone bussed; and if you should perchance try to make
physical contact with an autistic Christian, you're liable to cause them a panic
attack; so go easy on the touchy-feely stuff.
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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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● 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 is a sign that the end is underway.

When the actual event begins to unpack, it will be so obviously the day of Christ
that debating its presence will be about as useful as debating whether your fingers
have knuckles when you can see for your own self that they do.
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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 reasonably reliable traditions in existence
are the ones they left us in writing, i.e. the new testament epistles.
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● 2Thess 3:6-10 . . In the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we command you,
brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according
to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to
follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat
anyone's food without paying for it.

. . On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would
not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to
such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when
we were with you, we gave you this rule: If a man will not work, he shall not eat.

People unemployed due to circumstances beyond their control are exempt from that
directive. It specifically targets what we here in the USA call a bum: which
Webster's defines as someone who sponges off others not because they can't find
work; but because they have an aversion to work; viz: they avoid work as if it were
an inconvenient imposition on their leisure time.
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● 2Thess 3:11-13 . .We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy;
they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to
settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of
doing what is right.

I'm pretty sure that the "brothers" in that passage are church officers seeing as
how it speaks of "some among you" which would indicate the congregation.

Some might not think that holding down a job qualifies as good Christianity but it
certainly does, especially when working for a living is categorized as "doing what is
right".

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is
righteous, just as he is righteous." (1John 3:7)
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● 2Thess 3:14 . . If anyone does not obey our commands in this letter, take special
note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.

Back then when churches were small cells meeting in private homes rather than
auditoriums seating hundreds of people, it was easy for church officers to hold their
congregation's feet to the fire. Nowadays church sizes are such that officers haven't
a clue what's going on in the lives of their membership roles. As a result, modern
churches are permeated with conduct unbecoming.

"Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (2Thess 3:15)

Mandatory consequences were usually for the purpose of discipline; viz: child
development. So when officers ostracize a congregational member unified with
Christ, they should keep in mind that the errant member is one of their own: a
sibling in the Father's family circle same as themselves. So wayward followers
shouldn't be permanently culled from the herd as if they're the devil in disguise.
They aren't devils; no, they're just naughty kids that deserve grounding, so to
speak. (cf. 2Cor 2:6-11)
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● 1Tim 1:3-5 . . As I urged you when I went into Macedonia-- remain in Ephesus
that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to
fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification
which is in faith.

Compare 2Thess 2:15 where it says:

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught,
whether by word of mouth or by letter from us."

NOTE: The epistles of Timothy and Titus are sometimes called pastoral epistles
because Paul's instructions address mainly church managers rather than
congregations.
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