A Healthy Church

Although we cannot be certain as to the precise identity of these individuals, likely Paul has in mind the lazy busybodies who were meddling in everyone's business. The word irresponsible pictures a soldier who steps out of line and behaves in a disorderly manner. Based on the meaning of the word, perhaps Paul simply had in mind any church member whose ungodly behavior was threatening the unity and integrity of the church.

Today, the "irresponsible" take on many forms—from the gifted pew-sitter who never gets involved, to the opinionated busybody who criticizes everyone. These are the ones who threaten to withhold their tithe when they get upset, seek to undermine the authority of their 157leaders by stirring up dissension, refuse to use their spiritual gifts while critiquing those who do, and show up for business meetings but not for worship. Since the irresponsible have the potential to undermine God's work and to divide the fellowship, they must be warned. Considering the danger that these individuals posed to an infant Thessalonian church, we can see why Paul urgently exhorted the church to deal with these people.

Comfort the discouraged. Serving alongside the irresponsible were the "discouraged" (5:14b). This word most likely refers to one who is worried, fainthearted, or fearful. In this sense, the discouraged would be the antithesis of the irresponsible. The irresponsible would be those overly self-confident individuals who clamor for attention; whereas the discouraged would be those who lack self-confidence and choose to remain on the fringes. Perhaps these people were once busily serving the Lord but have since allowed life's pressures to steal their joy and stifle their passion. The Thessalonians were facing the pressures of persecution from the outside (3:2-4) and the pain of grief on the inside (4:13-14). Given these challenges, likely there were more than a few discouraged Christians in the fellowship.

Discouraged people need to be comforted (5:14). The Greek word translated "comfort" means "encourage." According to Paul, helping discouraged people is not that difficult. Often all they need is a simple word of encouragement. Concerning this, Swindoll offers a helpful suggestion about the gift of encouragement. He writes,

Regardless of how we choose to help those who are hurting and discouraged, we have the responsibility both to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15).

Let's consider for a moment how this might play itself out in your church. Suppose your church is pursuing a new church plant in a neighboring town or city. The majority of the congregation is on board and 158ready to go. However, there are a few members who express their doubts about the plan. You might hear them say something like, "We really don't have the money or resources to fund this project." Or, "We have tried this before and it failed." Most would respond by summarily dismissing both them and their comments and would choose to move forward with their own plans. We might even be tempted to rebuke them for being stubborn or divisive. While moving forward despite their opposition may be necessary, it would not be right for the church to ignore these people in the process. Perhaps these individuals are not being divisive at all. Instead they may be among the discouraged. Maybe they have been burned in the past by a similar decision in a previous church and fear that it could happen again. Or maybe there is some other issue holding them back. Whatever their reason, it could be that their opposition has less to do with the plan itself and more to do with their own personal hurts, struggles, and faithlessness.

Church work is sometimes messy because you must deal with people, and people bring baggage to church. All people are products of past hurts, present struggles, and future fears. Sometimes they are able to overcome these, but sometimes they get the best of them and they become discouraged. If the church is to be a place where everyone can be real, then you must remember that sometimes people need encouragement. Not every person who asks questions or expresses doubts is being divisive. We would do well to remember that sometimes people ask questions with a stated reason even though a different but genuine reason lies in the background. These stated public reasons are not always the same as the internal private ones. Sometimes the real reason behind a question is a person's internal struggle with doubts, hurts, or fears. Rather than running such a person over in an attempt to get the work done, we must be willing to roll up your sleeves, get our hands dirty, and spend some time "comforting the discouraged." Hence, as Hiebert notes, Paul challenged the Thessalonians to deal with their discouraged members accordingly:

159Help the weak. In comparison to those who are discouraged, the "weak" are those who lack strength. Although Paul may be referring to physical weakness (Phil 2:26), more likely he has in mind spiritual weakness (Rom 14:1-6). Paul instructs the church to "help" them ("lay hold of" or "hold firmly to"). The city of Thessalonica was no place for the spiritually faint of heart. So the spiritually strong were encouraged to stand alongside those who are spiritually weak. As Michael Martin so aptly puts it, "The church should support these 'weak' brothers as beloved fellow strugglers, not desert them as ignorant or unimportant stragglers" (Martin, 1, 2 Thessalonians, 178).

Be patient with everyone. If Christians are going to take seriously their responsibility to warn the irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, and help the weak, then they are going to need to be "patient" (5:14c). The word patient means to "have a long fuse." The patient person is someone who does not "blow up" easily when dealing with challenging circumstances or difficult people. Patience is one of those virtues that, though knowing its importance, you struggle to put into practice. We often demand patience in how others respond to our shortcomings and then lack patience in how we deal with theirs. As damaging as unruly, discouraged, and weak believers can be to a church, a spirit of impatience will only make matters worse. Patience is one of God's attributes. The prophet Joel describes this divine attribute: "[God] is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster" (Joel 2:13). These words do not mean that God will allow sin to go unpunished; nor do they suggest that God will fail to hold sinners accountable. They do mean, however, that God has a "long fuse" and is controlled or restrained in His response to sinners (Exod 34:6; Num 14:18; Ps 86:15; Jonah 4:2; Nah 1:3; Rom 2:4). Since we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and adopted into God's family, we ought to reflect our heavenly Father in everything, including our patience in dealing with one another.

Refuse to retaliate. Of all the admonitions in this section of Paul's letter, the one that we may find the toughest to obey is found in verse 15: "See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all." Interestingly, Paul directs this admonition to the entire congregation. Considering the context in which Paul makes this statement, it is not difficult to see why he had the entire church in mind. One of the most difficult aspects of church life is learning how to get along with one another. While we may 160rightly expect that all Christians will love one another, this is sadly not always the case. Unfortunately, people within the church are capable of inflicting great hurt on other Christians. Everyone faces the very real possibility of being hurt by a fellow church member. The irresponsible may enjoy their irresponsibility, the discouraged may find comfort in their discouragement, and the weak may have no desire to grow strong. Despite our best intentions to help, some simply do not want our help and may even resent us for getting into their business. Sometimes this resentment is expressed through anger, slander, gossip, or even false accusations.

How then are we to respond when we become the object of another person's resentment or anger? Here is where Paul's command enters the picture. We must pursue only what is good for everyone. Period. He says nothing about this pursuit being contingent on whether or not we think someone deserves your kindness. We must resist the urge to fight fire with fire by repaying evil with evil. We cannot control how others treat us, but we can control how we respond to them. We must do our part and then trust God to do His part. As Paul told the Romans,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Paul moves the discussion from the Thessalonians' interpersonal relationships with one another to their spiritual relationship with God. He gives a series of eight imperatives directed at each member's personal devotion to God. All these imperatives are stated in the present tense, calling for continuous action. Because they are in the imperative, they are clearly meant to be commands and not suggestions. Therefore, these are not habits that the Christian is to practice occasionally; these are identifying characteristics that mark a Christian's life. Paul underscores this fact when he asserts, "For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (5:18b).

161For many Christians the command to "rejoice always" is perplexing. Christians like to talk about such biblical truths but often struggle to put them into practice. Given life's hurts, pains, and sorrows, one may legitimately question how a person could possibly always rejoice. The answer is not as difficult as it may appear. Joy is not something that we work on; Joy is something that we live in. We are able to experience constant joy because of the presence of God's Spirit in you (Gal 5:22). Our joy is never generated from the outside in but always from the inside out.

The command to "pray constantly" has also been the source of misunderstanding and confusion. Does Paul mean that you should always be praying—like 24/7? Or is he suggesting that you memorize written prayers and recite them incessantly, as is the practice of some religious groups? What is at the heart of this imperative? We know that Paul does not have in mind that Christians should be praying at every single moment of the day. This, of course, would be impossible. We can also be sure that Paul is not advocating the "vain repetitions" of memorized prayers. The Bible condemns such a practice (Matt 6:7 KJV). When Paul commands that we pray, we are to keep on praying—earnestly, passionately, and expectantly. Jesus commands you to pray in this way:

Mark Batterson explains why God wants you to pray in this way:

If we truly expect that God will answer our prayers, then we had better learn to pray with such tenacity and persistence that we allow nothing to hinder us from bringing even our boldest requests to God.

162The fact that Paul commands us to pray in this manner reveals two significant truths about God. First, God wants to hear from you. Let that thought soak in for a moment. The God of this universe wants to hear from you. On the basis of your relationship with Jesus Christ, you have been granted an all-access ticket into His presence (Heb 10:19-22). Second, if God expects that you will ask Him for things, then it follows that He has the ability to give you what you ask. In fact, He has the ability to give you more than you ask (Eph 3:20). Think about your most pressing needs, your most formidable opponents, or even your most out-of-reach dreams. If God desires that you bring those matters before Him, then you can be sure that He has more than enough ability to do something about them. As Jeremiah so aptly puts it,nothingis too difficult for our God (Jer 32:17).

At first blush this appears to be a very unusual command. Given how tough life is, we might wonder how it could even be possible for a person to give thanks for everything. While we may concede the need to give thanks for some things, we would certainly question the legitimacy of giving thanks for all things. When we read the verse carefully, however, we might be surprised to learn that Paul says we are to "give thanks in everything" and not for everything. This imperative speaks more about our perspective toward life than it does about our attitude toward our circumstances. To obey this command we must keep the big picture in view, and to keep the big picture in view we must understand how God's providence works.

J. I. Packer defines providence as

163Only God could take the thousands of details of a person's life (some good and some bad) and weave them into the beautiful tapestry of His perfect plan. From the human perspective, many of life's occurrences—especially the painful ones—appear to have little intrinsic value. However, if we had God's perspective, we would be able to view each of these details in a different way. Providence affirms that no detail is irrelevant or insignificant. God is using everything for our ultimate good and His everlasting glory (Rom 8:28). Hence, to "give thanks in everything" is to affirm our resolute belief that God is overseeing every detail of our lives. Paul, by no accident, concludes this verse by reminding us that such an attitude is "God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (5:18b). What more could please the heavenly Father than for Him to know that we trust Him so much that we are willing to live each moment in a constant state of thankfulness?

With this imperative concerning how we respond to the Holy Spirit, Paul turns from commanding the Thessalonians what they should be doing in verses 16-18 to what they should avoid (or stop) doing (vv. 19-20). In the first three imperatives he places an emphasis on the manner in which the action is to be performed:alwaysrejoicing,constantlypraying, and in everything giving thanks. In these next two imperatives he places an emphasis on the subject being discussed: as for the Spirit, do not stifle Him; and as for prophecies, do not despise them.

Paul's command, "Do not stifle the Spirit," could be translated, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire." The Greek word translated "stifle" is used in several places in the New Testament to speak of putting out a fire (Mark 9:48; Heb 11:34). In a very simple but straightforward manner, Paul is commanding the church to avoid any activity that will thwart the Spirit's work. By using the present tense, Paul directs this injunction squarely at a specific issue in the Thessalonian church. What exactly Paul has in mind is the subject of much discussion. Some see Paul's command directed specifically toward members of the Thessalonian church who were frowning on their fellow church members for exercising certain gifts of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12-14). In this sense, Paul would be admonishing them not to stifle the Spirit's activity as He manifested His work through those gifts. Those who adopt this view also see a close connection between this verse and Paul's discussion about prophecy in the verse that follows. While such an argument is intriguing, no information 164in hand indicates that this was an issue in Thessalonica. We might surmise that if Paul had in mind the need to address a major issue relating to the gifts of the Spirit, he would have addressed it in such a way as to leave no question, just as he did with other issues that troubled the church (4:13-18). It makes sense then to see this imperative as a general admonition to live a Spirit-filled life. Perhaps this command relates directly to the first three imperatives in verses 16-18, as Marshall suggests:

Marshall is indeed correct. Incessant joy, persistent prayer, and genuine gratitude are all evidences of the Spirit's work.

Walter Kaiser notes that prophecy can mean either "foretelling" or "forth-telling." The former speaks to the specific function of the prophet who predicted the future activities of God. The latter speaks to ongoing activity of the prophet who spoke as "a preacher of righteousness to his generation and his culture" (Kaiser, The Christian and the Old Testament, 128). More than two thirds of all prophetic activity in the Bible is forth-telling rather than foretelling.

Paul's reference in this imperative is most likely a rejection of the preached word. To what extent they were "despising prophecies" cannot be determined with certainty. Paul may even be attempting to prevent this from happening rather than to correct something that was already happening. Perhaps some thought that those with the gift of preaching were receiving too much attention. Or maybe the presence of false teachers led them either to abandon preaching altogether or to minimize its importance. Whatever the issue, Paul did command them to place a high value on the proclaimed word. But for whatever reason, they were not valuing the preached word as they had been taught. This fact is evident by Paul's use of the word despise (5:20). This word has the sense of "treat with contempt" or "look down on." Paul never taught the church to treat prophesies with contempt, but he did challenge the church to "test" them (5:21). He knew that the health of the church 165would ultimately be determined both by its commitment to preach and by its desire to honor God's Word. Although written more than 30 years ago, Walter Kaiser's sobering words are as relevant today as when they were first written:

It is no secret that Christ's Church is not at all in good health in many places of the world. She has been languishing because she has been fed, as the current line has it, "junk food"; all kinds of artificial preservatives and all sorts of unnatural substitutes have been served up to her. As a result, theological and Biblical malnutrition has afflicted the very generation that has taken such giant steps to make sure its physical health is not damaged by using foods or products that are carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to their physical bodies. Simultaneously a worldwide spiritual famine resulting from the absence of any genuine publication of the Word of God (Amos 8:11) continues to run wild and almost unabated in most quarters of the Church. (Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology, 7-8)

The church will only be as strong as its commitment to preach, teach, and obey Scripture.

Paul brings this section to a fitting conclusion by highlighting the need for proper discernment. He commands the church to put everything to the test. The word translated "test" means "examine closely for the purpose of determining authenticity." Some of its many uses in the New Testament include testing to see what pleases the Lord (Eph 5:10), testing to evaluate the genuineness of faith (2 Cor 13:5; 1 Pet 1:7), and testing to determine the nature of God's will (Rom 12:2). Paul may very well be referring to testing the various "prophecies" that were circulating among the Thessalonians (2 Thess 2:1-2; see also 1 Cor 12:10). If this is the case, then he is commanding them not to dismiss such messages summarily but to evaluate their truthfulness carefully. Calvin agrees with this view when he writes,

166While there is much credence to this view, seeing Paul's statement as a command to put everything to the test seems best. For the believer, all of life must be viewed through the lens of Scripture. Before making any decision, accepting any teaching, choosing any course of action, or setting off in any direction, the first question that every Christian must ask is, What does the Bible say? Those things that prove to be "good" must be embraced. Those things that prove to be "evil" must be rejected (5:21-22). The word translated "stay away" has the sense of "abstain or hold oneself away from." Paul used the word when he instructed the Thessalonians to "abstain" from sexual immorality.

For the local church, the principles set forth in this passage are more than just practical—they are indispensable. Imagine what the church would look like if its people obeyed these commands to confront, comfort, encourage, and help one another. God has called His people to develop deep and meaningful relationships with one another. He desires for the church to be more than a superficial gathering of people; He desires for the church to be a family—a family devoted to one another and to Him. For a family to function properly each member must do his or her part. Paul taught that God's family includes both horizontal responsibilities (people to people) and vertical responsibilities (people to God). When those within the church embrace their responsibilities at least three things will happen: