Paul the
apostle desired for the Thessalonian church members to be blessed by
the “Lord Jesus Christ, and God”
whom he called “our Father”
who “has loved us, and has given us
everlasting consolation and good hope through grace”.
In chapter two and verse seventeen of his second letter to the
Thessalonians, Paul continues his request as he adds “comfort”
and “established”
as blessings to them. We read:
Comfort
your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.
The
verse begins, “Comfort your hearts,...” Paul began with
the word, “Comfort” which means “call to one's side,
call for, summon, address, admonish, exhort, entreat and beseech”
“your hearts” or “the Thessalonian church members'
souls, minds, and seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites,
affections, purposes and endeavors”. Because the Thessalonians were
“unsettled” in their thoughts and emotions concerning the coming
of the Lord and the propagation of false teaching, Paul felt it
necessary to pray they be “comforted” in their souls.
The
verse continues, “...and
establish you in every good word and work.” Paul
added, “and establish”
which is the Greek word “stērizō”
and
means “make
stable, place firmly, set fast, strengthen, fix, render constant and
confirm” “you”
which refers to the Thessalonian church members “in
every good word” or
“speech, utterance or decree” “and
work”
which means “business, employment, enterprise, undertaking, deed,
act, thing done and that with which any one is occupied”. The idea
was for the Thessalonians to be stable and strengthened in every word
they heard and every act of work they practiced in their lives.
Because
there was opposition to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul
knew it was necessary for the Thessalonians not only to be
“comforted” in
their “hearts”,
but also “established” in
their “words” and
“works”. Unstable
and fearful Christians do not present a good witness of the “gospel”,
and when the church members were firmly set in their doctrine and
works, they would not only be stable within themselves,but also
exhibit their assurance to others. We should examine our lives and
discover whether we are “comforted”
and “established”
in the word of God, and may the Lord Jesus bring “comfort”
to those who are weary in soul, and may He make stable all who waver
in their “words”
and “works” before
Him.
Next
time we begin a new chapter and see Paul tell the Thessalonians to
“pray” for he and
his companions so “the word of the Lord may have free
course, and be glorified”, 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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