Paul the
apostle and his traveling companions “lived” if the Thessalonians
stood “fast in the Lord”. His joy over their relationship
with Jesus Christ is mentioned in the third chapter and ninth verse
of his letter to the Thessalonians where he asks them “what
thanks can we render to God for” them. We read:
For what
thanks can we render to God again for you,
for all
the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
The verse begins, “For
what thanks can we render to God again for you,...” The
verse begins, “For what thanks”
or “indeed or even what gratitude or grateful language” “can
we” which
refers to Paul and his companions
“render to God”
which is the Greek phrase “antapodidōmi
theos antapodidōmi” and
means
“repay and requite unto the Godhead and trinity comprised of God
the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “for
you” which
refers to the Thessalonian church members. Paul rhetorically attempts
to find ways to express gratitude for the Thessalonians as though it
was difficult to discover the appropriate words of appreciation for
them.
The
verse goes on to say, “...for all the joy wherewith we
joy for your sakes before our God;” Paul
continued, “for all the joy”
or “each, every, any, all, the whole and everything which
was a cause or occasion of gladness” “wherewith we joy”
which means “Paul and his companions rejoice exceedingly, are
glad, thrive and are well” “for your sakes” which refers
to the Thessalonians “before our God” which means “in
front of, before, in the presence of and in the sight of
the Godhead and trinity comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son
and the Holy Spirit”. Paul and the men with him rejoiced before God
over the Thessalonians as they committed themselves to the Lord Jesus
Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
As
we think through these words of Paul, we discover once again how
deeply he and his men cared for the Thessalonians. Their rejoicing
before God was initiated because the Thessalonians were doing well.
In fact, it was almost as though Paul could not find adequate words
to express how joyful he was over their committed relationship with
the Lord. Do we have people in our lives whom we “joy”
over in this manner? Do we know others who have such a deep
relationship with the Lord Jesus that it makes us rejoice before God
over them? Perhaps we will be inspired by Paul's appreciation for the
Thessalonians, and may the Lord add to our lives people for whom we
will have “joy wherewith we joy” “before our God”.
Next
time Paul tells the Thessalonians how
he and his companions pray day and night for them, 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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