tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post1359990571505467373..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: NormalPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-51301882647861541672012-10-30T04:58:22.246-07:002012-10-30T04:58:22.246-07:00Historical stories in the bible may not always be ...Historical stories in the bible may not always be normative in and of themselves for all Christians everywhere, but they are always illustrative. They are of a piece, from which we compare to other scripture, and we then draw timeless principals that are normative for Christians. So yes, History is often normative, when viewed through the lens of all scriptureDavid A. Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00465387359523299616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-69703267498906483642012-10-30T04:57:28.563-07:002012-10-30T04:57:28.563-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dominique Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15513568450654868801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-62159217030580652282012-10-24T23:31:21.310-07:002012-10-24T23:31:21.310-07:00Interesting question, but is it the right question...Interesting question, but is it the right question for this text?<br /><br />The whole thrust of the first half of the book is that they've received something really good, and responded well to it. It is all leading up to a challenge.<br /><br />1:5 Our ministry; 1:6-8 your response;<br /><br />1:9 our ministry; 1:10 your response;<br /><br />2:1-12 our ministry; 2:13-14 your response;<br /><br />And so on. This is all "good stuff" reporting -- the "good stuff" you've received, and the "good stuff" you've done in response, and how it encourages the apostle even in the middle of trials.<br /><br />Paul isn't intending to describe the normal life of the church, he is describing how it came to be that they have this faith, how the Lord had worked, and the relationship that the Lord had given them with him.<br /><br />It's all leading up to the "hinge" of the book, in 4:1, that they would increase more and more in faithfulness to that which they have received. Paul prays for that at the end of chapter 3, and in 4:1 gives the first direct exhortation of the letter. <br /><br />Everything before 3:11 is history, what has happened, as motivation for the challenge to come. It's not intended to describe the normal life of the church, it is describing the work of the church planter (in his very short time in Thessalonica). <br /><br />It is reflective of normal church life in many ways, but not in all ways. For instance, it is fairly normal for a church planter to be a "tentmaker" but that is not necessarily normal church life. The heart of a pastor should be the same heart as the church planting apostle, but behaviour may differ.<br /><br />History is not necessarily normative, and this is history. The normative portion begins in 4:1.<br /><br />So while this passage gives a picture of the heart of Biblical leadership, that isn't really the main point of the passage, and I'm not sure "ordinary life of the church" is a good way to describe it.<br /><br />At least, that's the way I understand the passage in context.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-86927136083596652782012-10-24T07:22:28.081-07:002012-10-24T07:22:28.081-07:00The purpose if 1 Thess is to encourage the church ...The purpose if 1 Thess is to encourage the church and clear up some aspects of the truth that people in the church have become confused about. In this section, Paul is commending his church-planting team to them as trustworthy.<br /><br />If we take this as normative, then we should conclude that it is often wise to commend ourselves inasmuch as we have demonstrated God's calling in the manner in which we purport to minister so as to make use of the evidences that God has given us to recognize different members of Body of Christ.<br /><br />Since this is part of a larger passage doing this, we can observe the particular evidences that Paul uses: Gentleness, affection and desire toward those to whom we minister, hard work, blameless conduct, and exhortation and encouragement such as to incline people to God.<br /><br />We can argue that this applies to leaders in the church only, but I suggest that it should apply to all in the Body of Christ as we are all called to minister in one respect or another.Jim Pembertonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01446388434272680014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-66788077337837152492012-10-24T06:15:56.402-07:002012-10-24T06:15:56.402-07:00A church marked by faith, love and endurance (all ...A church marked by faith, love and endurance (all three, mind), and from which the message of the Lord rings out.James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641370124346172648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-69157984757308169262012-10-24T06:02:10.996-07:002012-10-24T06:02:10.996-07:00Normal church life =
Leaders patiently serving pe...Normal church life = <br />Leaders patiently serving people with a love that is undeniably obvious to all. While at the same time insisting upon the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel in all their lives.spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12205694878239256364noreply@blogger.com