Jeremiah 12:1-14:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:9, Psalms 79:1-13, Proverbs 24:30-34
Today is the 9th day of October. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s always a pleasure to meet you here each and every day. So, I’m glad that we have this time. I’m glad that you showed up today. I’m glad that you show up ever d ay because this would be awfully lonely all by myself. Even though I’m an introvert, this wouldn’t be any fun without you. So, I’m glad that we can be here today and take the next step forward as we continue to move through the Scriptures. We’ll be picking up where we left off in Jeremiah, but when we get to the New Testament, we’ll be beginning a new book, another one of Paul’s letters known as 1 Thessalonians. So, we’ll talk about that when we get there, but we’re reading from the Amplified Bible this week. Jeremiah 12:1-14:10.
Introduction to 1 Thessalonians:
Okay. I mentioned at the beginning that we would be entering into a new letter from the Apostle Paul today. And at this point as we have made our way through the New Testament, we should be well aware of who the Apostle Paul was. And that it was his missionary journeys that established many churches throughout the Roman empire. And preserved for us in the New Testament are many of the letters that he wrote to the different churches that had been established. So, in just a couple minutes, we’ll begin Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica. And the story of the establishment of the church in Thessalonica can be found in the book of Acts. Paul had previously been in Philippi, but then the persecution had become severe and he travelled to Thessalonica, where in a very short and intense time, a church was planted. But then a mob was stirred up against it, and as with many early communities, persecution again broke out in Thessalonica as it had in Philippi. And Paul and his traveling companions had to flee away in the night to escape it. And this happened on Paul’s second missionary journey. And a few cities later, Paul found himself in Corinth where he stayed for a year and a half. And Corinth was probably where Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. And this is probably in AD 51, maybe late in the year or early in the year of AD 52. So, Paul didn’t get to spend a lot of time in Thessalonica and he wanted to go back to encourage and bolster the faith of the community, but he wasn’t able. So, he sent Timothy. And when Timothy came back from Thessalonica and reported the good news that everyone was staying true, Paul was exhilarated. His relief and joy are noticeable in the words of the letter we’re about to read, making it a very encouraging and personal letter from the apostle to the Thessalonian believers. And through them, of course, encouraging us on our own journey. It was the persecution that made it impossible for Paul to spend much time among the Thessalonians and the forming community was under such duress that some of the believers had begun to question what Paul had taught them. It all happened in a very short period of time, so they especially questioned what he had taught them about the afterlife of a believer. So, this is one of the things that Paul addressed in this letter, giving a more solid theological foundation from which to grow. And just like Paul’s other letters, 1 Thessalonians is a fascinating glimpse into the early church because these letters are some of the earliest existing Christian documents. So, we’ll get going into this letter and we’ll find that we’re encouraged to live with one another well and to remain passionate for God even when we face the pressures of life and even the pressures of persecution. So, with all that being said, we begin. 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12 today.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for the many facets of it and the way that it speaks to all of the issues of our lives. We thank You for the letters of the Apostle Paul that we’re working our way through that give us a clear vision and example of Your kingdom and our place in it. And we fully embrace all that You are speaking to us as we walk with You today. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.