Deeper Reflection
AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS LETTER, PAUL ASKS THE Thessalonians to “pray for us” (v.25). He makes no specific prayer requests as in his other letters (2 Thess 3:1-2; Eph 6:19; Col 4:3-4). It could be that the Thessalonians were to pray for him as the Holy Spirit leads. In calling them to greet “all the brothers” with a holy kiss (v.26), Paul is calling them to “avoid discrimination and favouritism”⁵², which will cause disunity.Of great significance is Paul’s solemn charge to the Thessalonians “to have this letter read to all the brothers” (v.27). The words “I put you under oath” (enokrizō) are weighty. Enokrizō means “to demand that a person take an oath as to the truth of what is said or as to the certainty that one will carry out the request or command”⁵³. Here is “as to the certainty that one will carry out the request or command”. The charge is made “before the Lord”, making it all the more weighty. Failing to read the letter is tantamount to disobedience to God.Paul instructs the Thessalonians to test the words of prophecy given in their public worship, so as to sift the good from the evil (1 Thess 5:19-22). But not so for his letter. Paul expects them, not just to read, but to believe and obey all that is written in it. This reflects Paul’s apostolic authority, given as divine authority, even as some of his letters are classified as “Scriptures” (2 Pet 3:15-16).Do we see ourselves under such a solemn charge to read the Scriptures?

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⁵² John R. W. Stott, 134 ⁵³ Johannes P. Louw & Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, Second Edition, Volume 1 (UBS, 1988, 1989), 33.467