Deeper Reflection
THERE WAS AN INTERESTING IRONY BETWEEN PAUL AND the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians could not even get a message out to Paul, who was desperate to get some news about them, and so had to send Timothy to them (1 Thess 3:1-2). Yet they somehow managed to circulate the Gospel around Greece, to such an extent that Paul “did not have to start from scratch in his evangelistic efforts in those areas”⁵¹ (vv.8-9). This reflects the power of God at work. For the most part, Paul had no need to push his churches to do evangelism, for he was confident that they would continue his missionary activity, as God’s power at work in his preaching of the Gospel continued to be active in those who had believed in Christ.⁵² Many of the newly converted Thessalonians were idolatrous pagans. There were “so many gods and goddesses in Thessalonica that to list them would have taken up the bulk of the letter!”⁵³ So, for the Thessalonians to have “turned to God from idols” was of great significance. Idols are God-substitutes. Idols in modern secular society are sophisticated, subtle, pervasive and powerful. There is always, without exception, something that we seek first and most in life. If what we seek first and most is not God and the things of God, but something else, that thing is an idol. Falling short of “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33) will inevitably lead to worshipping an idol. And mostly, we are not conscious of this idolatrous worship.

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⁵¹ G. K. Beale, 60 ⁵² Gary S. Shogren, 71 ⁵³ Gary S. Shogren, 71