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1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 – The coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints

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How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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It should be realized that chapter three of this epistle addresses Timothy’s visit to Thessalonica and his subsequent return, to rejoin Paul and Silas [possibly in Corinth]. There were a large number of Jews living in Thessalonica, which violently rejected the Gentile converts to Christianity, whom some Jews had accepted, themselves having also converted. Those who remained non-believers then persecuted their fellow Jews. Timothy had returned with a report on how well the Christian Thessalonians were maintaining their faith, against those external pressures. The first eight verses of this chapter [omitted from this reading] speak of Timothy’s report.

It is also important to grasp that Paul did not write epistles that were void of holy text. Everything that appears to be ‘news of the day’ is lasting in application, as long as true Christians walked the face of the earth. As such, Paul wrote letters of encouragement to those who were filled with God’s Holy Spirit, reborn as Jesus Christ. That was how a Gentile, with little-to-no knowledge of Jewish customs and history, could come to have faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah promised to the Jews. Paul’s letters were then to them yesterday and those today who struggle with maintaining that inner commitment to good, while the world constantly beats down on them with the challenges to resist sin and evil.

As with all of Paul’s letters [and the other Epistles of the Apostles], it is best read when broken down into segments, based on punctuation marks [real or imagined]. I have done this again here, while also incorporating the word “kai” as a symbolic word that lets the reader know to look at the words following its presence with an eye towards a pronounced statement. According to the possibilities of translation allowed by the Bible Hub Interlinear page for 1 Thessalonians 3, the following should be compared to the publicly read text above:

9. What for thanksgiving are we able together of God to give concerning you in return for all the joy that we rejoice because of you  ,
before the God of us  ,
10. night
kai day  ,
exceedingly imploring union companions to see your experiences face kai to supply the things lacking in the faith of you  ?
11. Himself now one God
kai Father of us  ,
kai one Lord of us Jesus  ,
may direct the way of us to you  .
12. you now  ,
the Lord may make to increase  ,
kai to abound circumstances in love toward one another  ,
kai toward all  ,
just as also we toward you  ,
13. toward people to establish yourselves one intensions  ,
blameless in holiness before the face one God kai father of us at this coming of the Lord of us Jesus  ,
after all those saints of him  .
amen  .

This reading begins with the capitalized Greek word “Tina,” which is a form of the root pronoun “tis,” meaning “who, which, what, why, how, or who.” Each often introduces a question, which is why verse ten ends in a question mark. The capitalization makes this more a restatement of the ending segment of verse eight.

There Paul wrote: “if you are standing firm in the Lord,” where the capitalized Greek word “Kyriō” is written to importantly refer to Jesus Christ. The Christ Spirit is the “Lord” of ourselves [“hymeis” as the plural “you, yourselves”], as high priest in individual kingdoms of God. This makes “Tina” be a reference to “Who,” and not a question intended in that word.

The Greek word “dynametha” is translated as “we are able.” This has simply been translated as “can we,” in the form of a question. The plural number [“we”] is then attached to the root word “dunamai,” which means, “I am powerful, I have (the) power,” and “I am able, I can.” While it is such a normal word in our English vocabulary, that ordinary use makes one overlook the significant difference that give one an abnormal “ability,” based on realizing “Who” brings that “power” to one. This “ability” is “Why” Apostles “give thanks” (from “eucharistian”). When one is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, reborn as His Son Jesus Christ [“standing firm in the Lord”], then all thanks be to God.

When God is within one’s soul, one is filled with the love of God. This is because one’s soul is “together with God” (from “tō Theō”) or “one with God,” bringing that gift of God’s love. This is then “concerning you in return,” where it was one’s love of God that accepted His proposal of marriage. This brings forth “for all the joy” of that marriage union. One stands “before God,” such that the Greek word “emprosthen” implies “before the face of,” by wearing the face of God, having sacrificed one’s self-ego in submission to God’s Will.

The “night” of mortal life means the sins one had before receiving the “joy” of the Holy Spirit. This then turns significantly to the light of “day,” when the Christ Mind becomes the light of Jesus Christ. Whereas the Greek word “deomenoi” can translate as “praying,” accurately so, the word also means, “wanting, needing, and begging,” “extremely in behalf of” (from “hyperekperissou”) Paul, Silas and Timothy, for the Thessalonian Christians to find the same union with God and wear His face before Him also. They prayed to God to supply those Apostles with everything they needed to secure their true faith.

In verse eleven, the capitalized Greek word “Autos” begins, which is an emphatic statement of “Self.” Following the end of verse ten stating “faith of you,” in the plural number (from “hymōn”), the importance is now placed on each individual’s responsibility (as “Himself”) to be “one with God,” just as Paul and his companions had. When that union is assured, then all become brothers in Jesus Christ, such that God is “the Father of ours” [or “us”]. They are brother because there is “one Lord” that is common “with us” – “Jesus.” All of them are then under the “direction” of the Christ Mind.

Due to the report of Timothy to Paul and Silas, Paul then began verse twelve by saying, “you now.” That said that each of the Apostles had been transformed and Jesus Christ had been reborn in them, becoming the new “you” that they “now” had within them. As Jesus Christ in new human flesh, “the Lord may make to increase,” where the future conditional form of “pleonazó” is written (as “pleonasai”). As a church of true Christians in Thessalonica, their numbers would be expected to be “increased,” as each would spread the true of Scripture through the Holy Spirit. They would certainly evangelize naturally, but the conditional would be found in the resistance of others to follow the same path of loving God and sacrificing self to join with God.

Because others must fall in love with God to begin the process of becoming Apostles and true Christians, Jesus Christ in each would cause love to “abound” within the gatherings [“circumstances” or “conditions” of ‘followers” – all possible of “tē”] of the church. Because a church was exclusive to true Christians, and not a club to join or a synagogue where Jews were born with rights to attend, that meant all members were brothers [including women] in the name of Jesus Christ.  Through that spiritual relationship, they would all show “love toward one another.” This love would be the example for others to desire to know, as “love” would be visible and felt as a vibration sent “toward all.”

Paul then said the love they would project to others in Thessalonica would be the same as the love he and Silas and Timothy had shown them. It was a deep love that went beyond blood relationships or lifelong friendships. It was a true love of God that was expressed by their being Jesus Christ reborn, projecting the love of truth outward.

Paul then wrote in verse thirteen that ministry is “toward people to establish yourselves” as “one,” where all share the same “intentions.” The Greek words that say this are: “eis to stērixai hymōn tas kardias.” The translation read aloud in church translates those words to say, “may he so strengthen your hearts.” It can also say, “toward union to strengthen yourselves the inner selves.” The point, no matter how one flips the meanings around and viewed them in a Spiritual context, was Paul said that the ministry of Apostles is all about spreading the love of God to others.

As Apostles, all have been cleansed of sins, so all go out “blameless in holiness,” each wearing the face of God “before” those they encounter. The “hearts” of Apostles are sent out to connect with the “hearts” of others, so they too can become “blameless in holiness,” from having been shown the way to go “before the face of” God wearing His face, and no lesser gods. Worshiping lesser gods [self included among many others] is what brings one blame. Wearing the face of God puts one’s soul “in holiness,” making the new self “blameless” as Jesus Christ.

Paul then stated that by pronouncing [from “kai”] “father of us at this coming of the Lord of us Jesus.” This is the second time Paul wrote that in this chapter, with this segment not including “kai” between “father” and “Lord.” The Greek word “patros” is also not capitalized, which is important to see the difference.

The lower-case “father” is what an Apostle is, as an Apostle has been reborn as Jesus of Nazareth, in possession of the Christ Mind. Just as Jesus referred to his disciples as “little children,” he acted as the “father” of those seeking redemption. Jesus spoke the Word from the Father above, such that “God” was a human “father” in Spiritual ministry.

This concept is why a priest is referred to as “father,” because a priest [regardless of human gender] is guiding disciples to become Apostles, just as Jesus “fathered” his little children to grow into Saints. Therefore, it is that act as a rabbi [“teacher”] that makes one a “father of us at this coming of the Lord of us Jesus.” As Jesus Christ reborn, having God the Father within one’s heart, an Apostle touches a disciple spiritually, so he becomes the “father” of a new Jesus [“the Lord of us”].

Once that transformation has taken place [“after”], then “all those” disciples will be “saints,” because they will have been reborn “of him” – “Jesus.” With that, Paul wrote “amēn” (enclosed in brackets), which means “truly” or “so let it be.” The brackets make this statement be supplemental, apart from the dialogue of the text. It acts like an emphasis marker and a prayer of faith that concludes this chapter with a seal of approval.

As the Epistle reading selection for the first Sunday of Advent, beginning the Episcopal lectionary Year C, we find the purpose of ministry is established. That purpose is the spread of love for God and leading by examples, as Apostles in the name of Jesus Christ. It shows the great importance of experience being the requirement to show the children of God how to grow into Saints that bear fruit.

In the scholarly approach to the epistles of Paul, this letter is believed to be one of the first written by the Apostle, some estimating it penned around 50 A.D. Those who use intellectual dissection of ancient documents, who are not led by Spiritual insight, say Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (this first letter in particular) stating different perspectives than expressed in his later letters. The Wikipedia article on the “First Epistle to the Thessalonians” states: “It is perceived to be theologically incompatible with Paul’s other epistles.” However, as the breakdown into segments shows now [here], that assessment is ridiculous.

Chapter three is given relatively little attention, as it is summarized as Paul reporting that Timothy had safely returned from having visited the Thessalonians. As the breakdown into segments shows now [here], Paul wrote ageless words that have little to do with Timothy’s safety and good report on Christianity in Thessalonica. None of the Epistles are limited to simple exchanges of gratuities or pleasantries. They are God’s Word of timeless meaning.

When this Epistle selection is linked to the Gospel reading selection from Luke, where Jesus told of the signs of the End Times, the last line in Paul’s letter can be seen as apocalyptic in warning. The translation read aloud in church says, “And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” That suggestion becomes a parallel to Jesus’ words of being prepared for Jesus coming in a cloud.

The reference to “he” is not written, but it is assumed that “Jesus” is the “Lord” of all Christians. The question Paul raises in those truly devoted to God should be: Where did “all his saints” come from, if they are coming with Jesus in a cloud, at the End Times?

The answer comes from realizing what the words of Paul truly states. True Christians ARE Saints! They have been made holy by the presence of God and Christ within. They do not come from clouds, like in a Greek tragedy, saving the wicked from that which is due their souls.

Paul wrote to Saints in Thessalonica, encouraging them to forever remain true Christians, leading others to their same saintly status.

So let it be.

1 Thessalonians, Language, Teaching

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 – A fresh take

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How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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This is the Epistle selection that will be read aloud on the first Sunday of Advent, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a reading from Jeremiah’s thirty-third chapter, where the prophet wrote: “This is the name by which [a day surely coming] will be called: “Yahweh is our righteousness.” A selection from Psalm 25 will follow, where David sang, “Show me your ways, Yahweh, and teach me your paths.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Luke, where Jesus told his disciples: “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

I wrote deeply about these selected verses the last time they came up for reading in the lectionary cycle (2018) and I posted those views on my website at that time. That commentary can be read by clicking on this link. Because I broke these verses down into segments of literally translated English from the Hebrew I will not repeat that exercise. Most people calling themselves “Christian” are too lazy to take the time to listen or read such depth of explanation; so, Christianity is suffering in the same ways as were the Jews of the days when Jesus told of what was to come and Paul wrote these words that point to the requirements for correcting such a failed course. For that reason, I will simply add some observation that even the lazy can understand.

Let me first repeat a truth that I have state many times in the past, which is Scripture is written in a divine language, which is a language far greater than those who are fluent in Hebrew or Greek can fathom, without divine assistance. By the time that divine language has been drug through the gutter that is translation into English paraphrases, the beauty of its divinity means it still comes out smelling like a rose. Still, the rose scent is screaming, “Look closer! Show you love Yahweh and want Him to feed you the whole truth!”

Because I have already dissected these five verses into English segments, I want to pare this down further now, where I will only focus on the capitalized words. There are twelve in these verses (none in verse 10). A word in Greek Scripture that is capitalized must be read as being a word that has divine elevation; and, because one must read that word as divinely elevated in meaning, that word speaks loudest from Yahweh (the true author of the words capitalized). Those twelve words, in English, have been placed in bold text in the reading above that will be recited in Episcopal churches; but the ten words capitalized in Greek are as follows:

[verse 9]

1. Tina [“Τίνα”] – “Whom”

2. Theō [“Θεῷ”] – “God”

3. Theou [“Θεοῦ”] – “of God”

[verse 11]

4. Autos [“Αὐτὸς”] – “Self (emphatic); Same”

5. Theos [“Θεὸς”] – “God”

6. Patēr [“Πατὴρ”] – “Father”

7. Kyrios [“Κύριος”] – “Lord, Master, Guardian, Ruler, Owner”

8. Iēsous [“Ἰησοῦς”]

[verse 12]

9. Kyrios [“Κύριος”] – “Lord, Master, Guardian, Ruler, Owner”

[verse 13]

10. Theou [“Θεοῦ”] – “of God”

11. Kyriou [“Κυρίου”] – “of Lord, of Master, of Guardian, of Ruler, of Owner”

12. Iēsou [“Ἰησοῦ”] – “of Jesus”

If all these divinely elevated words were to be taken and placed in the same order, producing a most divinely elevated statement, it could say, “Whom God of God Self God Father Ruler Jesus Lord of God of Master of Jesus.” When one places a mark to denote the different verses these words are in, that would look like this: “Whom God of God – Self God Father Ruler Jesus – Lord – of God of Master of Jesus.” If the fact that verse ten is absent of any capitalized words by extra dashes, this statement would then look like this: “Whom God of God – – – Self God Father Ruler Jesus – Lord – of God of Master of Jesus.” This becomes quite revealing.

The Greek word “tina” (lower-case) is “accusative masculine/feminine singular of τίς (tís),” meaning “who?” [in the masculine/feminine]. It is an “interrogative pronoun” that means “who?” [again, in the masculine/feminine]; but it is related to “tis” [“τις, τι”], the “indefinite pronoun” meaning “a certain one, someone, anyone,” implying “any one, some one, a certain one or thing.” Thus, as a word needing to be divinely elevated (capitalized), one has to see this word as divinely pointing to one rising from a basis as “someone” to “one who” is possessed Spiritually by the presence of Yahweh. A lazy Christian could then be referred to as “who?” but a Saint would be a divinely elevated status made, as “Whom.”

When verse nine’s capitalized words form a segment that states, “Whom God of God,” this becomes a hidden statement of a “Yahweh elohim.” The Hebrew word “elohim” is routinely translated by translators that turn that plural number word into “God” (singular and capitalized). The reality of “elohim” is as one (an “el”) of the many, who are eternal souls in bodies of human flesh that have found love for Yahweh as the path to marrying Him, becoming one with His Spirit. This makes each one become a Yahweh elohim, a combined term written eleven times in Genesis 2, when the seventh day began and Yahweh made His first priestly Saint – “Whom” Christians call Adam. This means an “elohim” is “Whom God” has extended His hand onto the earth, possessing a soul that has become His Wife as one “of God.” This is because “Theou” is in the genitive case, which means: “A case that expresses possession or relation, equivalent to the English “of.”’

When the lack of capitalized words in verse ten is seen as a signal to understand the three found in verse nine, the lack acts as a signal of importance to follow [like the word “kai”], so the five capitalized words in verse eleven are important to see making another statement of divine elevation. Those five string to say, “Self God Father Ruler Jesus.” In that, the word “Autos” needs to be read as an emphatic pronoun, rather than enclitic, where the importance of “Self” is the point to be understood. A “self” must be seen as a “soul.” This means, coming from three words that tell of one being “Whom God of God” is divine language (in Greek) for “Yahweh elohim” (in Hebrew), the element of “Self,” of “Soul,” must be now realized as that which makes one divinely elevated. It has little to do with the body of flesh saying it believes in religious things; and, has everything to do with a soul being married to Yahweh, out of love and devotion.

Connecting to “Self” is “God Father Ruler Jesus.” This series of capitalized words says the “Self” is the “Same” as “God,” by having married one’s “Soul” with “God,” becoming an extension of “God” through His Spirit. This relationship is then as a Son to the “Father,” through Yahweh possessing the “Soul” with the “Same” “Soul” as His Son “Jesus.” It is this possession of one’s “Soul” by “God” that makes the resurrection of His Son become the “Lord” or “Governor” of one’s body of flesh. It makes one become the “Same” as “Jesus,” through rebirth. The name “Jesus” means “Yah[weh] Will Save,” so being in the name of “Jesus” earns a “Soul” [“Self”] Salvation.

The one word capitalized in verse twelve then speaks as an important word to grasp alone. That word is again “Kyrios,” which typically translates as “Lord,” but the repetition , along with the word have several valid translation into English, means all of the meanings need to be seen as a divinely elevated statement of what was stated in verse eleven. This is a word in Greek that parallels the English translation of the Hebrew word “Yahweh,” as that always comes out as “the Lord.” That means the importance here is an association to Yahweh, where “Jesus” is His heavenly presence [a “Soul”] that is resurrected in all of Yahweh’s wives [His elohim], so “Jesus” is the possessing “Soul” that becomes the “Lord” over a soul married to Yahweh, so “Jesus” is the “Lord” of that flesh, no longer being controlled by its host “Soul.” A “soul” (in the lower-case) is the “lord” over its flesh, but it makes so many mistakes [sins] that some demon spirit often possesses a “soul,” making that “soul” be a slave to the flesh. This is why “Lord” [as capitalized in Greek] must be understood, as it is not Yahweh directly. It is His Son.

This then leads to the last three capitalized words, which are all written in the genitive case, which the NRSV has translated as “our Lord” and “our God,” as a reverse possession, as if one owns Yahweh. The reality is Yahweh allows sinners to be the lords over their own flesh and sin all they want. Payment will then be due at death, when judgment comes. However, the truth is a “Soul” married to Yahweh becomes His possession, thus “of God.” It is a one-way commitment, as a wife has no say or equality. The Covenant of marriage are ALL commandments to do the Will of Yahweh, on no deal. Nothing is forced. All His wives submit themselves [a self is a soul] fully to Him, willingly, out of love.

The three capitalized words then say, “of God of Owner of Jesus.” One needs to see that as a statement of the Trinity, where being “of God” makes one the Son via His Spirit possessing one’s soul. Being the possession “of God” makes Him the Husband-Father-“of Owner,” who penetrates the wife, bringing forth the Son. That Son then takes on the name “of Jesus,” such that every wife of Yahweh gives birth to the Same Soul, so they all become in that name.

If one can see this coming from twelve divinely inspired words in five verses, then one knows the message Paul was conveying to the Christians of Thessaly. The same message applies today to all true Christians. I recommend reading what I wrote in 2018 and then comparing what I wrote then (with this concept not anywhere close to my mind then) to now and seeing if the message is anything more than the same, with extra details.

As a reading that accompanies a reading from Jeremiah, where the prophet said a time would come when a “branch” of Yahweh’s “Beloved” [the meaning of the name “David”] would “spring up” and that would be called “Yahweh our righteousness,” then see how these twelve words fit that theme. It is the same “up shoot” that will always be: marriage of a soul to Yahweh, Him bringing in the soul of His Son to possess His wives [every one the same], so ministry is always about Jesus – a name of Yahweh that “Will Save.”

As a reading for the first Sunday of Advent, when lost souls should be sensing an emptiness within their souls that needs to be filled with Yahweh’s love, this becomes the first step towards making Jesus become the possessor of one’s flesh, along with one’s soul, so Jesus becomes one’s Lord. This is the only way to gain eternal life with Yahweh. One has to become Yahweh’s Son reborn and let Jesus continue the ministry he is always sent to do in bodies of flesh.