Category: Bible (Page 278 of 419)

Ever been in a book discussion group with someone who didn’t read the book, but felt free to chatter anyway? Major pet peeve. If I’m leading the group, I remind them that they can listen but not comment—you have to read the book (like all the rest of us did) to get to talk. If I’m participating but not leading, I plot my way out of this “reading group” that allowed a non-reader in the room.

The church in Thessalonica experienced a similar problem. They drew a crowd of people who hung around for free food and eventually stopped working altogether. It’s not clear how this started, except that the church folks, in applying a love-your-neighbor ethic, provided so generously a number of loungers took advantage.

Paul heard of the problem down in Corinth. Frustrated, he addressed it in a letter to the church: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.

If you’re not willing to do an honest day’s work—no soup for you.

Notice Paul does not say unable to work. Certain people cannot work due to physical or mental disabilities or age or illness or station of life (think widows). Those the church cared for and served.

But these busybodies hung around all day spreading gossip and getting under everyone’s skin. Much better for them to work hard and come home tired, too worn out to create issues. Plus, with their income they could now contribute to the outreach efforts of the church.

I don’t know what happened to the slackers of Thessalonica. I imagine they slunk away, looking for a handout somewhere else.

Paul’s principle remains sound. I benefited from good mentors in my life who helped me learn to work hard, like my parents and grandparents and my first boss (thank you, Tony). We build strength into the lives of others when we insist they do the work else before reaping the benefits.

And if you join a book club, read the book before you talk about the book.

2 Thessalonians 3 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Zhang Kenny

I know a man in Missouri who works with wood. He builds mantels for fireplaces, pieces of furniture, and puts finishes touches in nice houses. If you want him to do a job for you, you need to get on his list and wait because he’s in high demand. His work is fantastic—that of a true craftsman.

When I can afford it, I want the best people I can get for a job. That’s how Solomon did business. He worked with his ally Hiram, King of Tyre, to access materials for his temple project and to line up craftsmen for the work.

The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.

Workers from Byblos grew famous for working with timber. The cedars of Lebanon, prized for construction throughout the ancient, shipped from Byblos. Shipwrights there also constructed vessels used by Phoenician sailers. If you needed work done with wood, the best people for the job hailed from Byblos.

So Solomon went and got him some. Solomon’s temple, one of the wonders of the ancient world, rose from the work of such skilled builders.

It’s worth honing my skills in life, striving to get better at what I do. Because I don’t know how the Lord might use my growing expertise to benefit those around me.

I Kings 5 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo

Have you ever read Dante’s Inferno? I picked it up a couple of years ago, always hearing it referenced yet never taking the time to read it. Written in the 14th century, it describes Dante’s journey through the nine layers of hell. If you thought that tedious, nit-picking zoom meeting felt like hell, you should pick up Dante.

In writing to the Thessalonians Paul spoke of a hellish afterlife: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his might.

Dante didn’t just make up all this stuff about hell. Although we ignore distasteful theological notions today, like a drunk uncle at the holidays this idea of rejecting the Lord and reaping eternal destruction raises its voice all through scripture.

Paul’s description feels especially chilling—shut out from the presence of the Lord. To me this smacks of suspended animation, floating in never-ending, pitch-black nothingness. No taste or smell or sound or touch. Nothing solid and no companions. Totally alone.

The reward of rejecting God and choosing yourself? An eternity with only yourself.

Even those who hate the Lord experience his goodness in some form every day. The sun shines, relationships present themselves, they dip their hand and bring food to their mouths. They live in the glory of creation. Imagine every whisper of that gone, forever. I cannot imagine that, which is why it appears so terrible.

Paul felt that the presence of the Lord was so amazing that to be forever out of his presence was hell itself. And it very will may be.

Better to turn to the Lord as Paul implores and for eternity marvel among those who believe.

2 Thessalonians 1 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Illustration of the Fifth Circle of Hell (representing wrath), by Stradanus from 1587