First Thessalonians 1:8: Proclaiming the Word in Affliction

In our series on First Thessalonians, we are sort of in the middle of a mini-series. We are still in the midst of Paul’s thanksgiving section in his letter. He has spoken of God’s word and Spirit coming to them and bringing massive change to their lives. They have now become imitators of Paul, Silas, Timothy and the Lord Jesus. The initial explosion of grace has rippled out in various ways in waves of imitation. 

Yesterday, we saw the first wave of imitation roll up to the shore. We highlighted how the Thessalonians had received the word in much affliction. Coming to Christ brought suffering and it was a cause for rejoicing because God was at work in their lives. And something else remarkable happened as well. Though difficulty accompanied the preaching of the gospel, it did not stop them from becoming proclaimers of the gospel themselves. And so the second wave of imitation washes up on the beach:

They Became Proclaimers of the Gospel

⁸ For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

A couple of years before we moved from Dallas, we experienced some minor earthquakes and after shocks. It was strange to hear and feel it rumble through our house. It would wake us up in the middle of the night. Think of Thessalonica as the epicenter of an earthquake. The gospel has rumbled from Thessalonica as it “sounded forth” from these new believers and it was waking people up all throughout the region. They had taken the gospel to all sorts of places around them. Look at the map below. See Achaia, south of Macedonia? 

Paul is in Corinth, which is in Achaia. When he arrives, he finds that people there have heard the gospel from some Thessalonians. They beat him to Corinth! 

Remember how we said that Thessalonica would become a hub for Christian missions? Consider this: in just a few months, this new church was sending people to proclaim the gospel to other cities around them. Their ministry was so expansive that when Paul arrived at a new place, he found that they already knew about him, the gospel and what had happened in Thessalonica. Paul is not speaking in hyperbole. He is so excited to see how they, like him, have become proclaimers of the gospel.

No doubt there were some who had just passed through the city, heard the gospel, came to faith and took it to wherever they were going. But this also seems to have been part of the DNA of the church of the Thessalonians. Their new life in Christ was rippling out in proclamation of the gospel. And let’s not forget that they did this in the face of affliction.

I remember the first time I tried custard ice cream. I had never even heard of such a thing. But I can remember the first time it touched my lips, tongue and stomach. I was converted. I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Why has no one told me about this?” Everywhere I went from then on was, “Do you have custard ice cream?” Everyone I ran into, “Have you tried custard ice cream?” I might have been slightly obsessed.

The Thessalonians had tasted the goodness of Christ. They had experienced the grace of God that delivered them from the wrath to come, that had freed them from their old lives, that had given them a hope to look forward to, that brought them into a new family and that had given them true purpose and meaning in life. And now, like a custard ice cream fanatic, they are broadcasting the goodness of Christ everywhere they go. They knew that everyone needed to hear about him and taste him for themselves.

It seems that many Christians live with a sense of guilt with regard to their lack of sharing the gospel with those around them. It is interesting to perceive heads beginning to fall as a pastor or Bible study leader brings up the topic of evangelism. At times, we can be so aware of our lack of love for the lost that we would like to disappear in shame. Oh the guilt!

But if guilt was a good motivator, then this discussion would be irrelevant! And that is not where the Lord would want us to be. Our guilt has been dealt with on the cross. However, let us be convicted in a way that brings change to our hearts and actions.

There are probably a zillion reasons that our evangelistic efforts are meager, but one seems to rise to the top in many discussions: fear of affliction. We fear rejection, losing our comfort, friends, family, etc. And that is what might impress us so much about the Thessalonians. They did this in the midst of, and in spite of, the affliction they were experiencing!

What was it that overcame their fear of affliction that caused them to be such proclaimers of the gospel? That’s for tomorrow when we see the final wave of imitation.

Below is a song by a buddy of mine that I first heard in my freshman year of college. The song is a bit of a lament of our fickleness in evangelism, and it’s also a call to it. It’s written in the context of college life, but I’m sure we can find corresponding instances relating to our lives today. May it be an aide in spurring us on in our opportunities to share the gospel with everyone around us.