Deeper Reflection
IN OUR DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY, WE ARE TO EXPECT THE inevitable and inescapable ideological or circumstantial “rain…floods… wind…that beat against” us to come, where our foundation in life is tested: Is it built on rock or on sand (Matt 7:24-27)? It all has to do with the Word of God: Are we living by the Word or not?In the crucible of affliction and the combat against deception, the Thessalonians are exhorted by Paul to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught” (v.15). The “traditions” were the apostolic traditions – the apostles’ original teachings, which consist of the truth they received from the Lord through revelation. “Tradition” (paradosis) means “truth which, having been received, must be faithfully handed down”¹⁷. The apostolic traditions are “the foundation of Christian faith and life”¹⁸ (cf. Eph 2:20), taught in the early church by “spoken word or letter”, which are now preserved in the New Testament.To “stand firm” is to be steadfast and continue in a certain state.¹⁹ We need to “stand firm” when we are being greatly shaken, be it physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. To “hold fast” is “to retain in the hand”²⁰ and “keep a strong grip on the teaching” (NLT). To “hold fast” is to not let ourselves be pulled away forcefully or subtly. Facing storms that may rage for a long time, we are to keep standing our ground, planting our feet firmly on it, and keep clinging on “to something solid and secure, clutching hold of it for dear life”²¹. That “something solid and secure” is “the traditions” – the Word of God.

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¹⁷ John R. W. Stott, 178 ¹⁸ John R. W. Stott, 178 ¹⁹ Johannes P. Louw & Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, Second Edition, Volume 1 (UBS, 1988, 1989), 13.30 ²⁰ Johannes P. Louw & Eugene A. Nida, 18.6 ²¹ John R. W. Stott, 178