THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS ed the. Word to the way in which the Thessalonians on their part had received it. In vs. 2 and 3 of chapter 1 Paul is thanking God for their “ work of faith,” “ labor of love” and “ patience of hope,” he now says, “ we thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message (liter ally, word of hearing), even'the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men hut as it is in truth, the word of God.” Note • how naturally Paul’s he'art goes up in thanksgiving to God for evefy good thing: though it be manifested in man, God gets all the praise (cf. Jas. 1:17). And this thanks giving was “ without ceasing.” They had “ heard the word of hearing” from Paul, but it was not Paul’s word hut God’s that they had heard. It is some times said in these days that “ the Bible no where claims to be the Word of God” and that “ Paul never claimed that his teaching was the Word of God.” But Paul certainly claims it most unmistakably here, in terms the mean ing of which one cannot avoid, that what he taught was not the word of men but the very word of God (cf. Gal. 1:11, 12; 1 Cor. 2:13, R. V.). Paul’s teaching is either the inerrant Word of God, or else Paul was a most daring imposter, or else a deluded enthusiast. The Way in which God set His seal to Paul’s teaching and claims, and the way in which God is setting His seal to Paul’s teaching and claims even today, makes it easy to decide whether Paul’s teaching is, as he claimed, the iner rant word of God, or whether it is the word of a daring imposter or deluded enthusiast. It is indeed a just occas ion to thank God when men accept “ the word of God” as what it really is, “ as the word of God.” This verse sug gests one of the most important points as to the profitable study of the Bible, it should be studied “ as the Word of God.” The Word thus studied by the church in Thessalonica brought forth fruit, “ which also worketh in you that believe.” The Word of God always works in those who believe. TUESDAY, Dec. 31. 1 Thess. 2:14. Verse 14 tells us how the Word of God worked in those in Thessalonica who believed, they “ became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ JesuS.” The early churches of Judea were pattern churches "(See Acts 2:41-47; 4:32-37).
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| | .When the Word of. God is really received today as the Word of" pod it produces churches like; those' ’describee} in the second and fourth chapters of Acts. Notice the name- by which Paui designates the early societies of Chris-: tians, “ churches of God,” i. e. called out assemblies of God, societies of brethren called out by: God from fel lowship with the world into fellow ship with Himself. These churches were “ in Christ Jesus,” that is, they were in living union with Him, in Him they lived and moved and had their being. Locally they were .“ in Judea” ; spiritually and really they were “ in Christ Jesus.” There was one respect in particular in which the church of Thessalonica was like.the churches of Judea, they “ also suffered the same things” by their “ own countrymen, even as they did of (by) the Jews” (cf. Acts 17 :5-9). When God’s word works, in men it inevitably leads to persecu-’ tion by a Christ-rejecting and God- hating world (cf. 2 Tim. 3:12). There were four points of similarity'between the sufferings of the church of Judea and of that in Thessalonica: (1) From whom they suffered, their “ own coun trymen.” (2) The cause for which they suffered, loyalty to Christ. (3) The evils which they suffered, reproach, soc ial ostracism, arrest and physical pun ishment. (4) The way in which they bore it, “ steadfastness, joy in the Holy Ghost.” (cL .1:6, cf. Acts 5:41). The history of all churches, especially mis sionary churches, is much the same in this respéct; and what is happening at the present time along these same lines is a mighty testimony to the accurate truthfulness of these ancient narratives. COMPLAINING Impatient people water their miseries and hoe up their comforts. Sorrows are visitors that come without invitation, but complaining minds send a wagon to bring their trouble home in. Many people are born crying, live complaining, and die disappointed; they chew the bitter pill which they would not even know to be bitter if they had the sense to swallow it whole in a cup of patience and water. —8el. '
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