Summary
He says, we always give thanks to God for all of you, and mention you in our prayers constantly, remembering before our God and Father, your work of faith, and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. That reference to work and labor and steadfastness with regard to those new Christians in Thessalonica, interestingly, those are the exact three same words that Jesus uses to compliment the church and Ephesus recorded in Revelation the second chapter. He then says in verse 5, because our message of the gospel came to you, not in word only, but also in power. Paul saying, we came with a word that it wasn't just a word that word is used by God that word that word does something to you. When Paul and Timothy and Silas evangelized these people in Thessalonica, it wasn't just a word of the gospel that they came with. And the word that gospel, message of what's been accomplished in Jesus Christ, that gospel message, that's what birthed there being an example.
Video citations
- "Imitate" 5-11-25 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to first thisologians the first chapter. If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament, page 179. First,…