Doing Life Together

In the authentic church believers share and experience life, IN Christ, together.  The Bible uses the word koinonia which refers to which refers to concepts such as fellowship, joint participation, partnership, the share which one has in anything, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution. 

J. R. R. Tolkien titled his famous book The Fellowship of the Ring.  Among MANY other items of symbolism, it described the joint participation, partnership, and contribution of those involved in the single purpose of accomplishing the mission of the fellowship.  

The church, like Tolkien's ring fellowship, acts in much the same way.  Some have large and dramatic parts to play, some are supporting actors, some may even serve as antagonists at

times but all are in it together each doing their part to play out the mission of the group.

As believers we have a common goal – find our own salvation and share salvation with others.  To this end we “do life together” IN Christ.

We look at 1 Thessalonians 5: 4-15.  On his second missionary journey Paul left Philippi and stayed briefly in Thessalonica.  The new church there had deep questions that they were wrestling with and Paul wrote this book within months of having established the church to answer these questions regarding the second coming of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-8

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief. 
5 For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. 
6 So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. 
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet 
of the hope of salvation.

Paul had taught the Thessalonians about Christ’s second coming, but, apparently, Paul’s stay was brief enough that they were getting confused regarding his meaning.  Paul had informed them about HOW they should live as they waited for Jesus’ return.  In verses 1-3 he reminded them that Christ’s return will occur suddenly and unexpectedly for most people, but since the Thessalonians had been forewarned they would not be surprised or fearful whey they “looked up and there was Jesus” standing with them.

Paul called his readers, which includes us, children of the light and children of the day and notes that we do not belong to the night or the darkness. Well, darkness is defined as the partial or total absence of light.  Light is defined as a form of electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength that can be seen by the human eye.  Factually, electromagnetic energy travels in waves and spans a broad spectrum from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays. The human eye can only detect only a small portion of this spectrum.  We call this visible light, but there is MUCH MORE outside of the spectrum of electromagnetic energy that our eyes can perceive.

So WE are children of energy and we are children of the the day – period of light energy where things are visible and where we may be more easily be productive (You CAN do more in the daytime than in the nighttime).  

We are NOT offspring of the night, the period of darkness when it is more difficult to be productive (generally).  Paul is basically telling us that we are to be productive people in our mission to spread the Gospel and not to just be asleep in the dark.

If light is productive energy then dark is the partial or total absence of this productive energy.  We are the offspring of this light energy and we have access to this broad spectrum of productive energy.  The offspring of the dark are limited to their access of this energy and are not as productive for the light.  In fact, currently in science there is a theory that not only is dark the absence of energy, but that dark energy is a form of energy that is a repulsive force that counteracts gravity and accelerates the repulsion of the material universe.  

Sleep is the natural, easily reversible, periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness and by the loss of consciousness of one's surroundings, … the occurrence of dreaming, and changes in brain activity and physiological functioning.  Many children of the dark are sleeping.  They are in an easily reversible (though they choose not to awaken) state where they have lost awareness of their surroundings and live in a dream world of unreality resulting in changes in brain activity and physiological function.  This sleep is living a life oblivious or indifferent to the reality that humanity is living in the last days of the evil age and facing the immanence of Jesus’ return.

Paul knew the Thessalonian believers were connected to Christ, and he also knew that Christians can still be tempted to “just take a little cat nap” now and then when they can be misled by sin, by the world, and by Satan resulting in repulsion of the material universe apart rather than attraction of the material universe together.

Believers understand the realities of living in a fallen world and of the second coming of Christ.  Paul urges us to remain sober (not intoxicated and UNconscious) and alert (not asleep and UNaware) and to live lives that follow God’s guidance.

Christians in the first century would have been familiar with the armor worn by Roman Soldiers whom they encountered.  Paul calls for Christians to make use of two particular parts of armor that he more fully develops in Ephesians 6:11-18.  He called for them to don the armor of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation.  The basic breastplate protecting the vital organs and the helmet protecting the head and consciousness.  

Faith is confidence, trust and dependence upon God.  Love is the meeting needs where, when, how, and in no matter whom you find the need.  The breastplate of faith and love protects our ability to trust, depend, and be confident in our love for God and God’s love for us, as well as our ability to extend God’s love to others.

The helmet described by Paul is the hope of salvation this is not a “gee I hope that this is real” kind of hope, this is a “because I am saved I have hope (a confident expectation) of reconciliation with God.

Many view the Old Testament God as a "wrathful God" and the New Testament God as a "God of Love" and some can't reconcile these differences.  The word wrath literally means strength and is derived from ancient words meaning narrow or restrictive.  But God does not wish to be a narrowly restrictive God to us.  God wants to be gentle, a word literally referring to give birth to.  

Let's see what Paul says about this.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

Paul tells us that God’s just judgment (the definition means punishment) for sin is not what God desires (“did not appoint”) for the people He created. Like a good father, he doesn’t live to constantly discipline and punish his children.  God prefers to be nurturing and supportive more so than strictly enforcing.  God doesn't want to be the "wrathful task master" any more that that is a role that a human father seeks to take on.  We certain CAN be a strict disciplinarian, but very few fathers desire to be that eternally.  In fact, the good news of the Gospel is that our faith in Jesus delivers us from God's strict and narrowly enforcing guidance.  Our desire to be like Christ means that WE get to be the "good child" rather than the "perpetually punished, problematic child" to use a cliché stereotype.

Rather than His narrowly applied strong discipline, God wants everyone to experience His salvation. (from Late Latin meaning "make safe, secure"; from ancient word *sol- meaning "whole, well-kept" [which just happens to be the name of our Sun]).  The Greek term for salvation can refer to the initiation OR to the entire process of salvation with all its various aspects (such as 

• conversion [repent from humanly ways, relying upon God‘s ways], 
• justification [living justly and uprightly], 
• reconciliation [living an every day life with God], 
• sanctification [learning to be godly], 
• glorification [learning to do godly] ).  

God’s free gift of salvation has nothing to do with our own actions. We “obtain” God’s salvation only by God's grace through faith alone through what Jesus did on our behalf.

Paul encourages us to continue to encourage and build one another up.  He tells us to pursue what is good and gives us some direction on how to do so.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, 
13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 
14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 
15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

Paul tells us to be respectful to those of the family who are working within the family.  To those who are leading by the Lord's direction, or who admonish you to warn, instruct, and correct you.  Don't just respect the human leader, respect the Holy Spirit who is guiding the human leader.

He tells us to be at peace among ourselves.   Peace refers to both a state of being and to a lifestyle. Paul knew that the Hebrew word for peace (shalom) means much more than an absence of conflict. When a Jew wished another Jew shalom, he was in effect offering a prayer for the total well-being of that person -- AT ONENESS-- true peace with God and others.  Such peace should be the normal process within the church.

Paul gives us a long list to research:

• Give respect to workers and leaders.
• Help to meet their needs (Love) them in their work.
• Be at peace, AND whole among yourselves.
• Warn the lazy.
• Comfort the discouraged.
• Help the weak (lacking strength)
• Be patient with all.
• Don't take revenge, instead pursue what is right and good for each other AND for all in the church.

Each of these is worth investigating, but I want to focus a minute on the word discouraged and look at the meaning of that word.  The Greek term for discouraged literally means "little spirited" which suggests a lack of spiritual drive, recognition, or will.  Paul urged believers to be sensitive to such an individual's unhealthy spiritual condition and to respond with helpful words and actions for those who have "lost heart" in what they are doing, or in God.  

The word spirit is from the word corage meaning heart (as the seat of emotions), innermost feelings; temper.  Paul urges believers to look out for, aid, and encourage those in their church who struggle in areas of their lives and assist them to grow in those areas, to do it consistently and to do it with patience...endurance. 

We are not to repay anyone with evil, a Greek term referring to what is worthless, corrupt, harmful, depraved, and/or destructive.  God desires constructive, helpful, needs-meeting actions and attitudes. We are to pursue – run swiftly after – what is good - that which is upright (just), honorable, virtuous and acceptable to God.  

In fact, in Old English the word good was originally written as god (with a long o, "g-OH’-d); thus godspeed is actually referring to good speed - speed originally referred to success, hence good success is its literal meaning from ancient words.)  So in my mind, good and god are similar in meaning. They BOTH refer to that which is "excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete; effective; righteous, pious; virtuous."  The origins of the word are lost to time, but may be associated with proto-Indo-European word *ghedh meaning to unite, be associated, suitable, fit, adequate, belonging together.  

That is what the family of God, the church, the bride of Christ is supposed to be: excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete; effective; righteous, pious; virtuous; associated, suitable, fit, adequate, and belonging together.  

In other words doing life together IN Christ.  That is what an authentic church is about: following Christ as our example, learning, following and practicing Christ's teachings, and throughout our lives growing into human representations of Christ – a spiritually mature being.  

We are to do this together Paul tells us, as e “do” life together.