FRIDAY 15th
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
NIV (v1) – ‘As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you.’
ESV (v1) – ‘Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured, as happened among you . . .’
A while back I mentioned that I liked what the NIV says in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 ‘The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.’ It was the phrase ‘The Lord’s message RANG out from you . . .’ Here in today’s text, Paul is asking the Thessalonian believers to pray for him and his companions ‘that the word of the Lord may speed ahead’ (ESV) or ‘spread rapidly’. (NIV) When I look back over the book of Acts, and then through the epistles and see how fast and far the gospel had spread I would come to the conclusion they had already done a pretty good job, yet Paul knew the urgency of the message, the message that brought good news and hope for the individual and he wanted that it would spread even further and more rapidly than it already had, so that others may come to the personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Whether the phrase ‘rang out’ is used or ‘spread rapidly’ or ‘speed ahead’ we the Church in the 21st Century need also to see the urgency of the hour, while we are heading towards eternity in God’s presence, many around us are hurtling towards an eternity in hell, separated forever from the love of God. There is an urgency for the proclamation of the gospel, the sharing of the good news so that family, friends, neighbours, local community and further afield will hear the good news and have opportunity to respond.
Back in Acts chapter 1, Jesus had told the disciples that they needed to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the promise of the Father, this was the baptism in the Holy Spirit which would endue them with power, once received they would become witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and in all Samaria and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:4,8) They did wait, and we know what happened! May we also be found in the place where we will wait, receive, and go, for we would fail in our own strength, we too need the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us to ring out the message that it may speed ahead and have the joy of seeing souls saved.