{"id":4682,"date":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/reading-plan\/september-23\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T06:57:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T11:57:38","slug":"september-23","status":"publish","type":"reading-plan","link":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/om\/reading-plan\/september-23\/","title":{"rendered":"September 23"},"content":{"rendered":"

Insight from 1 Thessalonians 3<\/span><\/p>\n

We still\u2014even after two chapters\u2014have not reached the didactic (teaching) portion of this letter (that is not to say that we can\u2019t learn from every part of these letters). However, before he instructs the church on important matters, Paul needs to complete his apology. Remember, at the conclusion of chapter two, Paul explained why he hadn\u2019t returned to Thessalonica yet (he had been hindered by Satan).<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God\u2019s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.<\/span><\/i> 1 Thessalonians<\/span> 3:1-3<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s words here paint a vivid picture of the unseen side of apostolic ministry. The book of Acts records the external beatings endured by the apostle and his companions. It does not, however, focus on the \u201cinternal beatings\u201d they endured (i.e., the constant anxiety Paul experienced because of his concern for the church). It seems, based on Paul\u2019s words in 2 Corinthians 11, that these internal beatings were considered by Paul to be at least as difficult to endure as the external beatings. After providing a long list of physical tortures and troubles he endured, Paul describes the internal troubles he endured.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?<\/span><\/i> 2 Corinthians 11:28-29<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul, Silas, and Timothy knew the afflictions that the church in Thessalonica were facing. The saints were, as Paul indicated in chapter two, suffering intense persecution \u201cfrom [their] own countrymen\u201d (1 Thessalonians 2:14). The afflictions themselves were no surprise to the apostles. Indeed, Paul indicates that \u201cwe are destined for this.\u201d However, Paul and his team knew that the afflictions could, if the believers in Thessalonica were unprepared, be disastrous. This is why the team sent Timothy to \u201cestablish and exhort\u201d the Thessalonians in their faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

In these verses we find the remarkable statement that Timothy is \u201cGod\u2019s coworker in the gospel of Christ.\u201d Just think, Paul indicates that Timothy was working not only for God but also with him for the advance of his kingdom! \u201cGod\u2019s coworker\u201d is the loftiest of titles \u2026 and one no person (apart from Christ) could claim as his own. But this is what our God does. He takes us from the muck and mire of our sin and he brings us to a place where we can even be called his coworkers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Timothy was God\u2019s coworker \u201cin the gospel of Christ.\u201d The words \u201cof Christ\u201d are extremely significant for they define the nature of the gospel. The gospel is described as being \u201cthe gospel of Christ\u201d because its entire content is based on Christ\u2019s life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Quite simply, there is no gospel apart from Christ.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As \u201cGod\u2019s coworker in the gospel of Christ,\u201d Timothy\u2019s role was to \u201cestablish and exhort [the Thessalonians] in [their] faith.\u201d The Thessalonians were Christians, but they were baby Christians. Timothy\u2019s job was to help them grow up.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_crdt_document":""},"class_list":["post-4682","reading-plan","type-reading-plan","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/om\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan\/4682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/om\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/om\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reading-plan"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/om\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}