Joel M Bradshaw

1Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker^a in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.–1 Thessalonians 3

The church at Thessalonica was enduring persecution and Paul was not able to be there to shepherd them. Thus, he was concerned about their faith and especially their faithfulness moving forward. Essentially, he pondered the 3rd and 4th soils in Jesus’ parable about the 4 soils.

 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty… 

…“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:7-8. 18-21)

So were they the the soil that had thorns of persecution come or were they the good soil? We hear Paul’s anxiety here for them in our chapter today. He was like a parent wanting to know about his kids. And so he sent Timothy to check in. And they were indeed enduing in faith, even during hardship. This was the best possible news. How about your faith?

In chapter 1, Paul spoke about them being chosen by God. When God chooses, things stay chosen. So I don’t see this as a matter of them losing their faith, but rather their faithfulness being limited by their reaction to trouble. The thorns of persecution either reveal glorious fruit that grows through discipline or the lack of fruit. You might be going through a lot right now. Which describes you?–JMB