“you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13, NKJV)
There are many inspirational books. Books like that seem to pass the test of time and find themselves perennially on required reading lists of both high schools and colleges. But while there are many inspirational books that speak to cultures in the moment and even beyond, there is only one inspired book and that is the Bible.
Paul has been describing the fruitfulness of his ministry among the Thessalonians. He’s noted that the gospel came in power and produced remarkable fruit in their lives. Clearly, God was at work.
One reason for the effectiveness of Paul’s ministry was that the people received it not merely as the word of Paul. They received it as the word of God Himself. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).
Notice that though the Thessalonians received Paul’s teaching as the word of God, Paul gives thanks to God that they did. In other words, the Spirit gave the people ears to hear. The Scottish theologian John Murray called this general faith. General faith is a gift of God that perceives and receives the Bible as the word of God, while special faith is a gift to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed within.
Peter understood Paul’s letters to belong to the corpus of God’s special revelation and part of the canon of holy Scripture. “[A]nd consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Pet. 3:15–16).
The word of God is identified as the agent by which the Spirit works faith. In his first letter, Peter declares: “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:23).
Paul reminds us here of the power of God’s word. By it God spoke creation into being and by it He speaks to make the dead in sin live. “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).
We do not need to be ashamed of speaking the word of God to others. We should not set it aside, as our enemy the devil would have us, in favor of something more modern. The word of God is always cutting edge. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
Paul was thrilled when he saw the effectiveness of his ministry because he realized that God was at work for His purposes. That’s what he calls the Thessalonians attention to. He does not tout his own eloquence, persuasiveness, or explanation. He credits God and lifts their eyes to God so that they, too, can join in thanks and praise.
Why should we not shy away from bringing Scripture to bear?
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
