I Thessalonians 5:1-11 concerns times and seasons. It seems like we find it easy to think in an apocalyptic way about the future. John F. Kennedy in 1961 urged Americans to reflect upon the possibility of nuclear war. One response was to build nuclear fallout shelters equipped with food, water, first-aid kits, and other essentials to survive such a war. We might think of it as emergency preparedness. People are still preparing for the apocalypse. Some have become survivalists. Some have formed survival communities.
In challenging times, Paul certainly wants us to be safe, but he does not suggest that we seek the protection of a walled compound patrolled by armed security personnel. Instead, he is going to recommend a suit made of faith, hope and love. These qualities are gifts of God that will endure until the very end of time, until we see God face to face.
Paul is raising the question of what Christian theology later would call eschatology. This teaching of the church refers to Christian hope, understanding it as both the object hoped for and also the hope inspired by it. Christianity is eschatology. Christianity is hope as it looks forward and moves forward in a way that transforms the present. Theologians and pastors often think of it as the last chapter of a systematic presentation of Christian teaching. Rather, eschatology is the medium of Christian faith. Every part of Christian teaching is in the “key” of eschatology. We will see in this passage that Christian faith lives from the raising of the crucified Christ and strains forward toward the promise of the universal future of Christ.[1] Paul is going to remind us that the hope of Christians for eternity with their Lord should focus attention upon doing the will of God on this troubled earth as heavenly beings are already doing it in heaven.[2] Such hope is not the same as the optimistic belief in progress. Hope involves believing that the world belongs to God and that God has continuing plans for it. Hope says that what God did for Jesus, God is at work in the present, by the Spirit, preparing the world for the great remaking and unveiling the future will bring. When the promised future arrives, it will be fulfillment of the present world. The beauty, goodness, and life of this world will emerge out of the present darkness into the light of God. It will reach a new level. The point Paul will make is that such a destiny will be an incentive in the present to anticipate the new world in our lives and world. Thus, Christian eschatology is not about escaping this troubled world to the bliss of heaven. Rather, it is about envisioning the doing of the will of God on this troubled world in such a way that will bring guidance, liberation, and healing.[3]
1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates, showing awareness of their (and our) concern for such matters. On this matter, it was so much part of Christian teaching that we do not need to write to you. The point is that the return of Christ is both unknown and imminent. When the disciples want to know the time, the response is that the Father will set it (Acts 1:6-7). They are to keep awake because they do not know the time, which will be unexpected (Matthew 24:42-44). He wants to encourage them on this matter. II Thessalonians 2:1-3 shows these people have many such concerns. Paul refers to common Christian teaching: 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Thus, first, Paul reminds us that followers of Jesus Christ have the gift of a grand perspective. We have the light of our victory tomorrow shining upon us, adding context, perspective and clarity to today. We see the same thief image in II Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, 16:15, and Luke 12:39-40. The point is that the day will come unexpectedly. Paul adds the image of “night,” suggesting both what it conceals from people and also how people use it to conceal their actions. As the saying goes, nothing good happens after midnight. The day will be so unexpected that 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly. The city of Thessalonica had a temple to emperor Augustus with a statue of him in heroic pose with right hand raised as a sign of benefaction, with the slogan pax et securitas. The readers would have known immediately the irony of the reference. The image shifts: as labor pains on a pregnant woman, Mark 13 uses the image as well. Even with the labor pains of the present time, we cannot predict the exact time of birth. Further, and they will not escape, indicating the day is near and certain, whether one is prepared or not. Paul continues his encouragement: 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. Rather, 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. We find here a form of realized eschatology in that they are awake and watching, living in anticipation of that day. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, for this type of sleepiness leads to a crash of character and crumbling under crisis, but let us be awake and sober, in the sense of leading an ethical life, assuming that the light and darkness contrast refers to lives of righteousness and unrighteousness. Those who live in the light have no need to conceal their actions from others. Those asleep are unaware of things transpiring around them. The night conceals wrongful deeds from the view of others.ˆ. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. He also refers to “reveling and drunkenness” (Romans 13:13). As followers of Jesus, in the sense of leading an ethical life, if the light and darkness contrast refers to lives of righteousness and unrighteousness, those who live in the light have no need to conceal their actions from others while those asleep are unaware of things transpiring around them. The night conceals wrongful deeds from the view of others. Therefore, 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober.
Second, not only do followers of Christ have the gift of living in the light, of a grand perspective, but when the realities of this broken world come crashing in on us we have the confidence of knowing we are armed and equipped for any battle. If we dig deep enough, we will often discover that its origin is fear -- fear that people will neglect, abuse and consider us unworthy. In contrast, they are sober as they are putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Paul referred in 3:6 to faith and love but omitted hope. In 4:13, he has a concern that his readers are losing their hope. In reading Paul generally, note the regularity with which these three words occur in his letters. Paul also uses the imagery of armor and weaponry in Romans 13:12 (armor of light) and II Corinthians 6:7 (weapons of righteousness). Ephesians 6:10-17 offers a detailed exposition of armaments with virtue. In a sense, he is using actual military armaments to point to the spiritual armaments we need for a very different battle. Instead of destruction, the “weapons” are faith, hope, and love.
Paul encourages them further with a statement of belief that may have a pre-Pauline source. 9 For God did not appoint us as followers of Jesus to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a future reference to salvation is the dominant use of the word in Paul.[4] This occurs because 10 He died for us in a way that involves us in the exchange, so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Thus, third and last, Paul tells us that we not only have the light of truth to grant us a greater perspective and an effective armor protecting us from lasting harm, but followers of Jesus have the unshakable truth that salvation is our destiny, shaping our perception of every moment. This, according to Paul, should be an incredible source of encouragement. "Remember your destiny," he tells the Thessalonians. When the rest of the world is going crazy -- remember your destiny. When everyone else has a short temper -- remember your destiny. When everything from missing minor details to the occurrence of major tragedies, remember your destiny. In the end -- which is all that matters -- you will "live with Him." In other words, one who possesses blessing in the final hour need not allow the present moment to get one too worked up. Remember your destiny. Here is the strongest statement of the purpose of the death of Christ in this letter. The faithful, whether awake or asleep will have a share in final salvation. Paul reverts to sleep as a metaphor for death. Whether they are alive or dead at the return of Christ, they will live in union with their returning Lord. They can find hope and encouragement in resurrection. This passage hints that resurrection is an event that takes place for individuals already at the moment of death. Those who die move on at once from time to eternity, to the presence of the last day, to the return of Christ, to the resurrection and the judgment. If individuals are a psychosomatic unity, as much of modern theology assumes, this view makes much sense. When we combine it with Philippians 1:23, II Corinthians 5:8, and Colossians 3:1-4, the possibility is strong. The fact that Jesus died and immediately experienced the transformation of resurrection to life with his Father has the implication for us that upon our death we will unite with Christ and the Body of Christ. Personally, I lean this direction. Yet, I admit that such a view hardly does justice to the whole New Testament, which looks forward to a future salvation of humanity and of creation. As appealing as such a view is, then, it would also suggest an individualized view of salvation not consistent with the New Testament notion that individual and universal destiny connect in the expectation of resurrection.[5] Such matters are difficult to sort through the biblical material in any case, Paul finds encouragement in this teaching as well. It may well be that both are true. While Christian hope includes an individualized vision of a movement from time into eternity immediately upon death, it also balances this vision with a an anticipated general redemption of humanity that includes the redemption of creation. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (παρακαλειτε αλληλους)
Many songs seek to invite us to reflect upon the Christian hope for the world. One hymn from 1912 written by Mrs. C. M. Harris, asks, “What if it were today?” What if he came in power and love to reign today? At that point, the dominion of Satan will be over, O that it were today! “Sorrow and sighing shall be no more.” The dead in Christ shall arise to meet Christ in the skies. “When shall these glories meet our eyes? What if it were today?” It concludes by reminding us that the coming day will find us faithful and true, watching in gladness rather than fear. We are to watch, for the day is drawing near.
The final verse of “It is well with my soul” asks the Lord to haste the day when my faith shall be sight, that the Lord will roll back the clouds like a scroll, the trumpet resound, and the Lord shall descend. Even then, it is well with my soul.
I invite you to reflect upon a beautiful song that I want sung at my funeral.
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I'll worship your holy name
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I'll worship your holy name
You're rich in love and you're slow to anger
Your name is great and your heart is kind
For all your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I'll worship your holy name
Bless the Lord, oh my soul
Oh my soul, Worship his holy name
Sing like never before, oh my soul
I'll worship your holy name
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I worship Your holy name
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
Paul is also reminding us that our destiny ought to determine how we live today with faith, hope, and love. In his book Strength to Love, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." When we live by our values, we shine light into dark places and put love in the place of hate. Here is how George Washington Carver put it:
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.
A popular song put it this way:
If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he's sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way.
You got to try a little kindness,
Yes show a little kindness,
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness,
Then you'll overlook the blindness,
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.
Don't walk around the down and out,
Lend a helping hand, instead of doubt.
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way.[6]
[1] --Jürgen Moltmann, from Theology of Hope, in Jürgen Moltmann: Collected Readings (Augsburg Fortress, 2014), 8.
[2] (Brian McLaren, Everything Must Change, 4).
[3] --N.T. Wright, "Apocalypse now?" NTWrightpage.com, originally published in The Millennium Myth (Westminster, 1999). Retrieved May 31, 2017.
[4] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 2, p. 400)
[5] Pannenberg, (Systematic Theology, Volume Three, p. 577-578)
[6] --From "Try a Little Kindness," Glen Campbell,
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