1 Thessalonians 1-3 - GCN Message Board

It's interesting to me that Paul gives so much credit to the church of the Thessalonians... he seems more pleased with them than almost any of the other church's we've gone through in their various letters. (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians...) He says that they were "imitators of of us and of the Lord" who "became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia" (1:6-7). After receiving the gospel "not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" (1:5), the Thessalonians turned "from idols to serve the living and true God" (1:9). Paul refers to this church as the hope, the joy, the crown "in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes". He adds "Indeed, you are our glory and joy" (2:19-20).

There's no shortage of good things that Paul has to say about the Thessalonians, and yet, perhaps also more than any of the other churches that Paul has addressed, this church is enduring real persecution. Paul says that "in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message [of the gospel] with the joy given by the Holy Spirit" (1:5). Paul notes that "you suffered from your own countrymen" (2:14). He says, "In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know" (3:4). Through his letter, he explains his concerns and the efforts of his ministry so that "no one would be unsettled by these trials" (3:3). Paul even discusses the difficult of preaching the Gospel to the Thessalonians, saying that it was only "with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition" (2:2).

I think... taken together, this can give us some good clues about how Christianity works. Faith seems to thrive under pressure or persecution. I think when we're not facing those kinds of challenges in our faith, it's very easy to become stagnant. Spend some time researching how the church is growing in the US (or the West in general) and compare that to what's going on in China, where their freedoms are more restricted than they are here, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Comparing this to our journey as LGBT Christians, I think we can see a lot similarities. In my own walk, I've definitely grown a lot as a believer since coming to terms with my orientation and coming out of the closet. But I went through stages where I was denied the opportunity to really participate in the life of the church through ministry, where my character and faith were called into question, where it was insinuated that I'm not a Christian and that I don't even know what the word "Christian" means by a pastor who has known me since I was kid, the same man who baptized me! I think when we face those sorts of difficulties, we have to really fight for our faith... and in the end, maybe that's what keeps it alive.