As
Paul the apostle continued to give instructions to the Thessalonians
concerning “sanctification”,
abstaining from “fornication”,
how to “possess” “their vessels in
sanctification and honor”, not being in
“the lust of concupiscence”
nor “defrauding”
their “brother in any matter”,
he included the warning that “the Lord is
the avenger of all such” and
how they are “not called us unto
uncleanness, but unto holiness”.
In chapter four and verse eight of his letter, Paul added the idea
that if a person “despises”
others, they also “despise God”
where we read:
He
therefore that despises, despises not man, but God,
who has
also given unto us his holy Spirit.
The
verse begins, “He therefore that despises, despises not
man, but God,...” Paul began
with the phrase, “He therefore”
which is a conclusion expression meaning “wherefore then,
for which reason and consequently” “that despises” which
means “to do away with, set aside, disregard, thwart the efficacy
of, nullify, make void and frustrate” “despises not man”
or “does not do away with, set aside, disregard, thwart the
efficacy of, nullify, make void and frustrate human beings whether
male or female” “but” which is a disassociation
conjunction meaning what is about to be written takes precedence over
what was just said, “God” which refers to “the Godhead
bodily or the trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ
the Son and the Holy Spirit”. In other words, when a person
“disregards, nullifies, and makes void” the value of another
person, he or she not only does so unto other people, but also to
“God” Himself.
The verse goes on to
say, “...who
has also given unto us his holy Spirit.” Paul
went on to add, “who has also given”
which in Greek is “didōmi kai
didōmi” which
means “to bestow or give a gift, to grant, let have, supply,
furnish and deliver”
“unto us”
which refers to “Paul, his companions and the Thessalonian
believers in Jesus Christ” “his
holy Spirit”
which means “sacred, pure, morally blameless and set apart third
person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with
the Father and the Son”. Not only did Paul charge the Thessalonians
with not despising their brother, but he also refers to the gift of
the “Holy Spirit”
whom “God”
has given to us to be able to keep his command.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we understand the gravity of
what he wrote. When we “despise”
others, we in effect “despise”
God. God Almighty was and is the creator of every person, and when we
“disregard, thwart, nullify, make void and frustrate” other
people, we do the same unto God Himself. Fortunately we are blessed
to have His “Holy Spirit”
to enable us to keep this command. Jesus said, “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is
like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” We
must seek to obey the Lord's commandments and love others as He does,
and when we fall short of doing so, let us be warned that the result
of “despising”
people is also “despising God”.
Next
time Paul tells the Thessalonians how God has “taught”
them to “love one another”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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