1 Thessalonians 1
On October 11, we had a look at the “Pauline Triad” - what scholars call Paul’s habit of habitually putting together faith, hope and love. Today Paul brings up his triad again to the Thessalonians, in the wish-prayer of his letter (1:3).
What is most remarkable about the Thessalonians is how little time they got to spend with Paul. It might have been just a couple weeks. Yet here they are, acting like real Christians, because that’s what they had become, by the preaching of the gospel. The gospel really is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16), even in less than optimal situations.
And the gospel, like the most powerful seed, produced powerful fruit in the Thessalonians: a work of faith, a labor of love, and a steadfastness of hope. In each case, the “of” denotes cause - faith produced work, love produce labor and hope produced steadfastness.
First, the gospel produced the “work” of faith. This is the same word that James uses when he says that “faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). Thus Paul would agree - when authentic faith is present, active and growing, it always produces work. And thus we may describe authentic faith as a working faith. I believe it was Spurgeon who said that faith pulls us along like a man running holding to a rope behind a team of horse.
Secondly, the gospel produced a “labor” of love. The Thessalonians experienced both severe persecution (that’s why Paul was not there; they insisted that he leave to escape) and false teaching. All of which was very unsettling. Yet they labored through it, in the most remarkable and beautiful way: with love to each other (2 Thess. 1:3). This came from their first knowing God love to them (1 John 4:11). They fulfilled the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:38-40) in the most difficult of circumstances, even though none of them likely ever knew what a “Pauline Triad” was.
Then lastly, this working faith and laboring love produced steadfastness of hope. Their hope in the return of Christ produced steadfastness in the most difficult trials. Did they have a timeline-perfect end times theology? Of course not. But their steadfastness dazzled Paul.
Christian, if you want that same working, laboring, steadfastness, come what may, ground yourself in the faith, love and hope of the gospel.