Saturday 8th February
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (NIVUK)
The Thessalonian church is the only church Paul extolled as a model of what faith looks like. A model not simply to the heathen who do not follow Jesus, but to the churches in Greece also. This is remarkably high praise indeed. When you consider the churches for which we have surviving correspondence, this church is the only church whose reputation precedes it into the whole world – and continues to do so today. It is surprising then that this is one of the least preached letters of Paul. There must be much we can learn about what faith looks like – the actions that are praiseworthy, the attitudes the lead to life. Much of that good report comes down to hospitality and love. The church welcomes and loves those with whom it comes in contact – great and small alike. Let us too not become weary of welcoming and well-doing.
