• Moving from Biblical/Historical Truth to Application
• Declaring and defending the Word vs demonstrating the Word in your life.
• We must keep in mind that the pagan religions of Paul’s day said little or nothing about personal morality.
• A worshiper could bow before an idol, put his offering on the altar, and go back to live the same old life of sin.
• What a person believed had no direct relationship with how he behaved, and no one would condemn a person for his behavior.[1]
• What Paul wanted believers to connect with is understanding your connection with Jesus greatly impacts what you “do” in life.
• Paul turned his thoughts to a more positive aspect of Christian living in this section of Scripture.
• The foolish attempts at sanctification found in 2:20–23 often entrap Christian people.
• This is chasing agendas.
• The real issue is the outlook found in 3:1–4.
• Here Paul explained the nature of the Christian’s higher calling (3:1–2) and the reasons to seek this higher calling (3:3–4).
• Although this section focuses on the Christian’s new values, clearly these values are rooted in conversion.
• Conversion includes a radical change of mind which produces the desire for separation from the world.[2]

THE LIFE OF THE NEW MAN
COLOSSIANS 3
1 So if you have been raised with Christ,

• Our exalted position in Christ is not a hypothetical thing, or a goal for which we strive.
• It is an accomplished fact.[3]

seek the things above,

• 1) Set your heart on things above (moral)

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

• The right hand represents power and position of privilege.
• Hebrews 10:12-14 - But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God., 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.[4]

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

• 2) Set your mind on things above (mental)
• Jesus not only died for our sinful nature, but he died so that the power of sin could be conquered.

3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

• This is Romans 6-8
• Jesus is not peripheral to life; He is life.
• He imparts God’s life, and He is the center around which life should be oriented.[5]

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

• Eternal life wasn’t some separate gift I received.
• I received a life in Christ… which is eternal.
• What is your life? (baseball, Colts, sports, cars, work/business, kids, your spouse, your knowledge, clothing/shopping, food, travel)
• We can talk all day about these things… but just let me talk about Jesus… that is real life.
• I can go to a ballgame wearing the opponent’s jersey… in Chicago… the southside… and not one person ridicules me or condemn me for being the enemy.
• In fact, they actually talk to me and are friendly.
• The glory of Christ will captivate the minds of unbelievers as well as believers.

5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature body: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

• It is not your nature… but actions of your flesh.
• In the first list of vices, Paul identified five sins which relate to personal actions.
• Four of them consistently refer elsewhere to sexual sins, to which he added a fifth, covetousness.
• The individual who commits them thinks more of himself than he does of others.
• For Paul, sexual sin harmed the individual himself—it was a sin against one’s own body (1 Cor 6:18);
• it ruins relationships;
• it contributes to autonomy—the anti-God spirit;
• and it represents a lack of self-control.
• These all characterize the old self.[6]
• Paul states the obvious.
• Paul has already declared that we have been given the power.
• No matter how deep we are into our bad choices, we have the power to make excellent choices.

6 Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.

• Paul is referring to life without Christ but now, they are in Christ.
• A behavior was established (in the body/flesh) and patterns occurred.
• Now you have a new nature but former behavior patterns still exist.
• As you are learning about how you have already been sanctified, your behaviors are being sanctified.
• Your behaviors are changing and lining up more with who you are as a new creation.

8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another,

• A lie is any misrepresentation of the truth, even if the words are accurate.[7]
• Several scholars point out that moralists commonly used lists of fives to identify their moral concerns.[8]

since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self.

• “old self” – sinful nature
• “new self” – new nature/creation

You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.

• Man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26–27).
• This involves man’s personality (intellect, emotion, will) and man’s spirituality (he is more than a body).
• When man sinned, this image of God was marred and ruined.
• Adam’s children were born in the image of their father (Gen. 5:1, 3).[9]
• Maturing in what you know, from the image of Adam to the image of God.
• You have already been made in the image of God from the image of Adam.

11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, (a people group from Central Asia, north of the Black Sea.[10] Considered to be the lowest barbarians of all.) slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
 
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

• Admonishing has the element of strong encouragement. It is generally practical and moral, rather than abstract or theological.[11]

17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.[12]

• Sometimes you have to remind others about who they truly are
• In context of this letter to the beloved at Colosse, Paul is reminding the believers they have two choices: 1) walk by your flesh or 2) walk by your Spirit.
• Sometimes you have to verbally remind people of who they are in Christ and what it looks like to walk as a new creation.
• I believe it is the Spirit's responsibility to teach us and cause us to walk by the Spirit.
• But many times the Spirit will use the spiritually mature to vocalize the difference of flesh and Spirit.

Panera, lunch, togetherness… We don’t intentionally study the Word, but the Word naturally is discussed in our conversations.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 133). Victor Books.
[2] Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 279). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Heb 10:12–14). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Col 3:4). Lexham Press.
[6] Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, pp. 291–292). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 136). Victor Books.
[8] Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 288). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[9] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 136). Victor Books.
[10] Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[11] Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 304). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (Col 3:1–17). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

• We left off last week with Paul addressing the church at Thessalonica and their concerns for what is to come with the dead and themselves when Jesus returns.
• Now we get to the wrap up of his 1st letter to the Church at Thessalonica.

 
1 Thessalonians 5
EXHORTATIONS AND BLESSINGS

• A. L. Moore, in his 1969 commentary, says this: “There is no need to see behind each injunction a special situation supposedly requiring particular guidance; much of the advice and encouragement is of a general nature such as Paul would regard right and necessary for any church.”
• Howard Marshall, in his 1983 commentary said this: “The situation is the very natural one of a pastor who knows that a number of specific topics are usually important in exhortation and has a rough general pattern of teaching in his mind, but who presents it in such a way that he adapts it to the particular situation he has in mind.”[1]

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who 1) labor among you and 2) lead you in the Lord and 3) admonish you, 13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

• Paul “asks” – means that he has a good 2 way respectful relationship with the Church in Thessalonica.
• He is not commanding.
• 1) The first thing that congregational leaders do is they “work hard/labor.”
• What does that mean? Well, the rest of the text says that “They rule over and admonish parishioners.”
• 1 Timothy 5:17 says they preach and teach.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:11 says that they engage in individual discipleship training.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:13 [and] Acts 20:35 say that they support the poor.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14–15, coming up in our passage in just a little bit, says that they practice pastoral care, although they don’t do it alone but the whole church does it.
• These are at least some of the things that church leaders do [and] ways in which they work hard.
• 2) We live in a kind of politically correct age in which people are sensitive about people who have authority and how they exercise authority, I think that many commentators and many translations are a little too reluctant to recognize what is emphasized here in this passage.
• In this context Paul has in mind that authoritative function.
• 3) Admonition for the apostle never stems from a judgmental or vindictive spirit, but rather, it’s always done out of genuine love and concern for others.
• We can see that in Paul’s words to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:14). He says, “to admonish you as my dear children.”
• That was the perspective by which Paul admonished the Corinthians—from the perspective that they were his dear, or his beloved, children.
• There are certain members in the Thessalonian church who are not only idle but, even worse, they’re rejecting—they are rebellious because they’re rejecting the admonition of the church leaders about their need for self-sufficient work.[2]

 

• Leavener – Organic>Institutional
• We receive questions & judgment because we aren’t organized like “others”.
  • 5 recognized elders (board – IRS)
  • Many elders (including women)
  • Deacons
    • Serve the ministry
    • Serve individual people/families
  • Members – There are no members
  • No voting among members
  • No committees
  • Organic small groups

14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: 1) warn those who are idle (rebellious idlers), 2) comfort (encourage) the discouraged, 3) help the weak, 4) be patient with everyone (all).

• ‘brothers and sisters’ - stresses the fact that pastoral care is the responsibility not of just the church leaders but the whole congregation.
• And this is an important point because, in today’s church, there is a tendency to farm out this responsibility of pastoral care to paid staff people or to trained church leaders.
• Instead, we have to recognize that the whole church, the whole body, has a responsibility to its fellow members.
• And what’s more, this is perfectly in keeping with Paul’s commands elsewhere that church leaders are not to do the work alone but, rather, are [Ephesians 4:11–12] “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”
• 1) ‘the rebellious idlers’—those who are not merely lazy but who also compound their sin by rebelliously refusing to obey the command of both their congregational leaders and even Paul himself.”
• 2) ‘comfort/encourage the discouraged’ - in this context [of] “encourage/comfort,” remember, also occurs typically in the context of death.
• 3) ‘help the weak’ - The adjective here could refer to physical ailments, but because the moral character has been stressed in the previous two groups, it more likely suggests that here too Paul is referring to those who are spiritually weak.[3]
• 4) ‘be patient with everyone/all’ – Not just the first 3 mentioned but to ALL.

15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

• Paul knows that the natural reaction of humanity when someone does something wrong is to strike back in anger and in revenge.
• So here Paul is highlighting the principle of non-retaliation.
• The verb “pursue” is also a strong one. Some translations simply say something like “try to do what is good,” and that’s much too weak for what the verb conveys.
• In fact, this is a strong verb that is even used sometimes to describe persecution.
• So what Paul is saying is [that] we just don’t have to try to do what is good.
• Much more aggressively, we have to chase after—we have to pursue—what is good, and we have to do that toward all.[4]

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

• Congregational worship – What is that?
• Paul connects the Holy Spirit with each one of these three things, and so that’s what holds this paragraph together.
• So joy, for instance, is connected with the Holy Spirit in Paul’s writings in this letter, earlier in 1:6, [and] also in Rom 14:17 and Gal 5:22.
• Prayer is connected with the Holy Spirit in passages like Rom 8:26–27; 1 Cor 14:15; Eph 6:18; and Phil 1:19.
• Pagan prayer – was more transactional.
• If you do this, I will do this in return.
• Christian payer is more relational. Not necessarily what we learned in church either.
• Thanksgiving is connected with the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 14:16.[5]
• This doesn’t say ‘when you gather’.
• Worship is not just a Sunday AM thing.
• We worship always, constantly and in everything.
• Every breath we take is worship.
• How do you do these things ‘always’?
• Chaplain call on Friday – 46 year old husband and father of 3 died.
• “Why?” – How do you do this?
• ‘God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ – to walk by His Spirit.
• The Spirit of God is the only way you get through this fallen world.
• I can’t explain why – there is a bigger picture.

19 Don’t stifle (quench) the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

• ‘stifle/quench’ – to walk by your flesh – selfishness.
• What I want… what I feel… What am I going to get out of this?... Flesh vs Spirit.
• Filter what you hear… when it comes to listening to teachers.
• Throw penalty flags and know why.
• Know the difference between good and evil.
• Spirit vs flesh
• Michael Martin, says, “Paul did not wish the church to become so cynical that they treated with contempt those who came with a word of prophecy. Neither was the church to be so gullible that they accepted whatever a so-called prophet said without carefully weighing it and determining that it was indeed a true word of God.”[6]

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Peace… real peace only comes from God… the Spirit inside of us.
• ‘sanctify you completely’ – Set apart
• Explain how a believer’s soul and spirit has already been redeemed at the cross. Out of this comes acts of the Spirit.
• Our body has not been redeemed. Out of this comes acts of the flesh.
• Not only in your soul and spirit, but also your body.
• May you not only be perfected in your true identity but your behavior as well.

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. 25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us also. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.

• The “holy kiss” was not a sensual thing. Usually the men kissed the men, and the women kissed the women[7]
• This is a command that Paul gives in only three of his letters, and always to congregations where, earlier in the letter, he has addressed some form of internal conflict or division.
• So the fact that Paul includes the kiss greeting in his letter closing to the Thessalonians is a strong suggestion that he has a particular internal division in the church in mind.
• And the kiss itself in the ancient world was a lot more than just saying hi or goodbye.
• It was a sign in the ancient world of, well, almost forgiveness, of reconciliation, of unity and togetherness.[8]
• I am good with saying, “I forgive you” and “I love you.”

27 I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. [9]
‘Grace be with you’ – The ability of God in you to live your life for you.

[1] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 190). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Weima, J. A. D. (2020). NT350 Book Study: 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Th 5:12–28). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

How do you deal with people that hurt you?
-       I rarely give direct suggestions on what to do…

THE SPIRIT VERSUS THE FLESH
Galatians 5:16-26
16 I say then, walk (live) by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.
- Flesh vs Sinful Nature (* NIV 84 & New Living)
- NIV changed sinful nature to flesh in 2011 version
 - The Message - My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.[1]
- “the flesh” does not mean “the body”

• It is a far more encompassing term involving the mind, will, and emotions as well as the physical body.
• According to R. Jewett, the flesh was Paul’s term for everything aside from God in which one placed his final trust.
• Everything outside of faith
• Only the Spirit of God who has made us free from sin and given us new life (regeneration) can keep us truly free as we walk in him through the power of sanctification.
• Sanctification – Knowing that you are vs trying to attain it.
• Here in Gal 5 Paul used four distinct verbs to designate the Spirit-controlled life of the believer, all of which are roughly equivalent in meaning:

1. to walk in the Spirit (v. 16)
2. to be led by the Spirit (v. 18)
3. to live by the Spirit (v. 25a)
4. to keep in step with the Spirit (v. 25b).

Each of these verbs suggests a relationship of dynamic interaction, direction, and purpose.

• In Paul’s vocabulary, to walk in the Spirit or be led by the Spirit means to go where the Spirit is going, to listen to his voice, to discern his will, to follow his guidance.[2]
• It is not only the Spirit’s direction… but His empowerment!
• So if that is the case it becomes:
• The Spirit’s direction vs our Selfish direction
• The Spirit’s empowerment or our own selfish power. (self-help)
• This is where you have to be careful.
• Society does a wonder in making things of the flesh seem like the “right thing”.
• Think about the acceptance of things today as compared to 10 years ago… 50 years ago.
• You can have a new heart and still live out of your flesh.
• Learn to live out of your new heart. Know God.

17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
- The Spirit and the flesh are not in a stalemate.
 - The flesh does not frustrate the desires of the Spirit; rather, the Spirit frustrates the desires of the flesh.[3]
 - Here is the bad news/good news:
 - Bad news: So long as we remain in this present life, we never outgrow or transcend the spiritual conflict Paul was describing in this passage.
 - There is no spiritual technique or second blessing that can propel the believer onto a higher plane of Christian living where this battle must no longer be fought.[4]
- Good news: Knowing this is the case… allows you to walk on in victory.
- I will not become a judge of qualifying grace.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

• If you don’t completely grasp this battle, it is difficult to walk in victory… in fact, it could destroy you.
• Paul now states the obvious. Let me show you what it looks like as you walk on a daily basis.
• As we read through these lists, we not only filter our own sin issues, but we begin to attach names to the others.
• It is easy to become judgmental to others while at the same time justifying our own issues.
• I am sure Paul did not make a list (that is not exhaustive) for the purpose of analyzing each of your faults.
• This list indicates whether you are a believer or not.

 
19 Now the works (plural) of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before

• More than half of this list causes conflict with other people.
• Those putting selfish needs before others.

—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

• The Greek participle here, prassontes, is used in the present tense, referring to people who continually orient their lives toward deeds of the flesh[5]

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

• It is not about having each item in this list...
• It is about grasping that we have the Spirit who produces these items in us.
• I am not responsible for producing the fruit.
• I am responsible for choosing to walk with the Spirit.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- There is no stalemate in this battle between flesh and spirit.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.[6]
- We must encourage one another!

[1] Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Ga 5:16). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
[2] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 386). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 5:17). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, pp. 387–388). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[5] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 5:21). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ga 5:16–26). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.