THE SHORT COURSE SERIES
THE PRAYERS OF ST. PAUL
GENERAL PREFACE
The title of the present series is a sufficient indication of its purpose.
Few preachers, or congregations, will face the long courses of expository
lectures which characterised the preaching of the past, but there is a
growing conviction on the part of some that an occasional short course, of
six or eight connected studies on one definite theme, is a necessity of
their mental and ministerial life. It is at this point the projected
series would strike in. It would suggest to those who are mapping out a
scheme of work for the future a variety of subjects which might possibly
be utilised in this way.
The appeal, however, will not be restricted to ministers or preachers. The
various volumes will meet the needs of laymen and Sabbath-school teachers
who are interested in a scholarly but also practical exposition of Bible
history and doctrine. In the hands of office-bearers and mission-workers
the "Short Course Series" may easily become one of the most convenient and
valuable of Bible helps.
It need scarcely be added that while an effort has been made to secure, as
far as possible, a general uniformity in the scope and character of the
series, the final responsibility for the special interpretations and
opinions introduced into the separate volumes, rests entirely with the
individual contributors.
A detailed list of the authors and their subjects will be found at the
close of each volume.
_Volumes Already Published_
A Cry for Justice: A Study in Amos.
By Prof. JOHN E. MCFADYEN, D.D.
The Beatitudes.
By Rev. ROBERT H. FISHER, D.D.
The Lenten Psalms.
By the EDITOR.
The Psalm of Psalms.
By Prof. JAMES STALKER, D.D.
The Song and the Soil.
By Prof. W. G. JORDAN, D.D.
The Higher Powers of the Soul.
By Rev. GEORGE M'HARDY, D.D.
Jehovah-Jesus.
By Rev. THOMAS WHITELAW, D.D.
The Sevenfold _I Am_
By Rev. THOMAS MARJORIBANKS, B.D.
The Man Among the Myrtles.
By the EDITOR.
The Story of Joseph.
By Rev. ADAM C. WELCH, B.D., Th.D.
The Divine Drama of Job.
By Rev. CHARLES F. AKED, D.D.
A Mirror of the Soul: Studies in the Psalter.
By Rev. CANON VAUGHAN, M.A.
In the Upper Room.
By Rev. D. J. BURRILL, D.D., LL.D.
The Son of Man.
By ANDREW C. ZENOS, D.D., LL.D.
The Joy of Finding.
By Rev. ALFRED E. GARVIE.
The Prayers of St. Paul.
By Rev. W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS, D.D.
PRICE 60 CENTS NET PER VOLUME
_The Short Course Series_
EDITED BY
REV. JOHN ADAMS, B.D.
THE
PRAYERS OF ST. PAUL
BY THE
REV. W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS, D.D.
PROFESSOR OF OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND EXEGESIS
WYCLIFFE COLLEGE, TORONTO
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1914
TO
W. G. J.
CONTENTS
PAGE
I. GRACE AND HOLINESS 1
1 Thessalonians iii. 11-13
II. CONSECRATION AND PRESERVATION 15
1 Thessalonians v. 23, 24
III. APPROBATION AND BLESSING 27
2 Thessalonians i. 11, 12
IV. LOVE AND PEACE 39
2 Thessalonians iii. 5, R.V.; 2 Thessalonians iii. 16
V. KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE 55
Colossians i. 9-12
VI. CONFLICT AND COMFORT 73
Colossians ii. 1, 2
VII. WISDOM AND REVELATION 89
Ephesians i. 15-19
VIII. STRENGTH AND INDWELLING 109
Ephesians iii. 14-19
IX. LOVE AND DISCERNMENT 125
Philippians i. 9-11
APPENDIX 139
INDEX 143
One of the most valuable elements in the Epistles of St. Paul is their
revelation of the writer's spiritual life. While they are necessarily
doctrinal and theological, dealing with the fundamental realities of the
Christian religion, they are also intensely personal, and express very
much of the Apostle's own experience. They depict in a marked degree the
sources and characteristics of the spiritual life. This is especially seen
when the various prayers, thanksgivings, doxologies, and personal
testimonies are considered.
I.
GRACE AND HOLINESS.
I.
GRACE AND HOLINESS.
"Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our
way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the
end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God,
even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His
saints."--1 THESS. iii. 11-13.
There are few more precious subjects for meditation and imitation than the
prayers and intercessions of the great Apostle. He was a man of action
because he was first and foremost a man of prayer. To him both aspects of
the well-known motto were true: "To pray is to labour," and "To labour is
to pray."
There is no argument for or justification of prayer; nor even an
explanation. It is assumed to be the natural and inevitable expression of
spiritual life. Most of the Apostle's prayers of which we have a record
are concerned with other people rather than with himself, and they thus
reveal to us indirectly but very really what St. Paul felt to be the
predominant needs of the spiritual life.
In this series of studies we propose to look at some of these prayers, and
to consider their direct bearing upon our own lives. Taking the Epistles
in what is generally regarded to be their chronological order, we
naturally commence with the prayer found in 1 Thess. iii. 11-13. In this
passage we have what is not often found, a prayer for himself associated
with prayer for others.
1. HIS PRAYER FOR HIMSELF (ver. 11).
Let us notice _Who it is to Whom he prays_--"God Himself and our Father,
and our Lord Jesus Christ." The association of Christ with God as One to
Whom prayer is addressed is of course very familiar to us, but it ought
never to be forgotten that when the Apostle penned these words the
association was both striking and significant. For consider: these words
were written within twenty-five years of our Lord's earthly life and
ascension, and yet here is this quiet but clear association of Him with
the Father, thus testifying in a very remarkable and convincing way to His
Godhead as the Hearer of prayer. And this fact is still more noticeable in
the original, for St. Paul in this verse breaks one of the familiar rules
of grammar, whether of Greek or English. It is well known that whenever
there are two nouns to a verb the verb must be in the plural; and yet here
the Greek word "direct" is in the singular, notwithstanding the fact that
there are two subjects, the Father and Christ. The same feature is to be
found in 2 Thess. ii. 17. It is evident from this what St. Paul thought of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is in such simple, indirect testimonies that
we find the strongest and most convincing proofs that the early Church
believed in the Deity of our Lord.
Let us consider _what it is for which he prays_--"Direct our way." He asks
for guidance. There had been certain difficulties in the way of his
return to Thessalonica. He had been hindered, and now asks that God would
open the way for him to go back to his beloved friends. Nothing was
outside the Apostle's relationship to God, and nothing was too small about
which to pray to God. As it has been well said: "Nothing is so small that
we do not honour God by asking His guidance of it, or insult Him by taking
it out of His hands." The need of guidance is a very real one in every
Christian life, and the certainty of guidance is just as real. "The steps
of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps. xxxvii. 23); and this is as
true now as ever. "I will guide thee with Mine eye" (Ps. xxxii. 8) is a
promise for all time, and we may confidently seek guidance in prayer
whenever it is needed. The answer to our prayer will come in a threefold
way. God guides us by His Spirit, reigning supreme within our hearts. He
also guides us by the counsels and principles of His Word. These two agree
in one, for the Holy Spirit never guides contrary to the Word. And then,
in the third place, He guides us by His Providence, so that when the
Word, the Spirit, and Providence in daily circumstances agree we may be
sure that the guidance has been given.
2. HIS PRAYER FOR OTHERS (vers. 12, 13).
Consider the _immediate request_ he makes--"The Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men." He asks for
_love_ on their behalf, that God would grant them this greatest of all
gifts--"the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever
liveth is counted dead before Him." Love in the New Testament is no mere
sentiment, for it involves self-sacrifice. It is not limited to emotion;
it expresses itself in energy. It does not evaporate in feeling; it
expresses itself in fact. "Love is of God," for "God is love"; and the
Apostle in praying this prayer asks for the supreme gift of their lives.
The measure of the gift is noticeable--"Increase and abound in love." The
"increase" has to do with their inner life, their hearts being more and
more enlarged in capacity to possess this love; the "abounding" has to do
with their outward life, and points to the overflow of that love towards
others.
Consider, too, the _objects_ of this love--"Toward one another, and toward
all men." There was, first of all, the special love to be shown toward
Christians, according to the "new commandment" (John xiii. 34). In the New
Testament the emphasis is laid again and again upon brother-love, or love
of the brethren, and the brotherhood. This was something entirely new in
the world's history--a new tie or bond, the union of hearts in Christ
Jesus. To see how these Christians loved one another was a proof of this
new affection based upon the new commandment. But, further, their love was
to extend beyond their fellow-Christians--even to "all men," just as we
have in St. Peter's Epistle, in that long chain of graces, first, love of
the brethren, and then, love towards all (2 Pet. i. 7).
And yet it may perhaps be asked, How is it possible for us to love
everybody? What about those who are not lovely and lovable--how can we
love these? It may help us to remember that there is a clear distinction
between _loving_ and _liking_. While it is impossible to _like_ everybody,
it is assuredly possible to love everybody. A mother loves her wayward
son, but she cannot like him, for there is practically nothing "alike"
between them. In the same way we may love with the love of compassion if
we cannot love with the love of complacency, and thus fulfil our Lord's
command and realise the answer to the Apostle's prayers. This, we may be
perfectly certain, is the supreme thing, and our Christianity will count
for nothing in the eyes of men if it is not permeated and energised
through and through with active, whole-hearted, Christ-like love.
Consider the _ultimate purpose_ he expresses--"To the end He may stablish
your hearts unblameable in holiness." The love for which he prays is to be
expressed in holiness. The meaning of holiness throughout the Old and New
Testaments is "separateness." The idea is that of a life separated unto
God, dedicated, consecrated to His service. Wherever the words "holiness,"
"sanctification," and their associated and cognate expressions are found,
the root idea is always that of separation rather than of purification. It
involves the whole-hearted and entire dedication of the life to God. The
cognate word "saint" does not strictly mean "one who is pure," but "one
who belongs to God."
The sphere of this holiness is to be in "your hearts." It is always to be
noticed that in Scripture the "heart" includes the intellect, the
emotions, and the will. In a word, it is the centre of our moral and
spiritual being; and when this is understood we can see at once the point
and importance of the heart being holy, for it is only another way of
saying that our entire being is to be separated from all else in order to
be possessed by, and consecrated to, God.
The standard of holiness is also brought before us in this
prayer--"Stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness." The Apostle prays
that they may be steadfast, not weak and vacillating. The great need was
for solidity and steadfastness, as it is in the present day, for it is
only when the heart is established by grace and in holiness that it can in
any true sense serve God. This emphasis on a fixed or stablished heart is
brought before us several times in Holy Scripture (cf. Ps. lvii. 7, cviii.
1, cxii. 7; Heb. xiii. 9).
And steadfast hearts will be "unblameable" hearts, hearts that are not
blameworthy. A clear distinction is to be drawn between unblameable hearts
and unblemished hearts. A little child may perform a task which in the
result is full of blemishes, though the child, having done his best, is
entirely without blame. In like manner, though the believer is not free
from blemish, it is nevertheless possible for him to live free from blame.
This is the meaning of the Apostle, and the reason of his prayer.
In all this we can see the close connection between love and holiness.
When our hearts are filled to overflowing with the love of God to us, and
of our love to Him, the inevitable result is holiness, a heart separated
unto God, "strengthened with all might," and "ready unto every good work."
Consider the _great incentive_ he urges--"Before God, even our Father, at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." The Apostle puts
before his readers the great future to which they were to look, and he
urges upon them this love and this holiness in the light of the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and all that it will mean to the people of God. St.
Paul draws a wonderful picture of that day in a very few words. He speaks
first of all of God's presence there: "Before God, even our Father." Then
he reminds us of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And last of all he
tells us that "the saints" will be there also. Thus, surrounded by our
fellow-Christians, and in the presence of our God and Saviour, we shall
see as we are seen, and know as we are known, with hearts "unblameable in
holiness."
This, then, is what the Apostle prays for his beloved friends in
Thessalonica--abounding love and perfect holiness. This is Christianity
and the normal Christian life. How simple it all is, summed up in the
words Love and Holiness. And yet how searching it is! The simplest things
are often the most difficult, and while it is possible for the believer to
do great things and to shine in great crises, it is not always so easy to
go on loving day by day, and to continue growing in grace and holiness,
until the heart becomes so stablished in grace that our Christianity
becomes the permanent character of our life. Yet this is God's purpose for
each one of us. And the fact that the Apostle prayed for this is a clear
proof that an answer was expected, and that the purpose can be realised.
II.
CONSECRATION AND PRESERVATION.
II.
CONSECRATION AND PRESERVATION.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also
will do it."--1 THESS. v. 23, 24.
As we consider these prayers of the Apostle, we become increasingly aware
of what he felt to be the most important elements in the Christian life.
The prayers all have reference to Christian living, and whether we think
of the character of the life portrayed, or the standard held up in them,
we can readily see their intense practical value for daily living. We may
be pretty sure that those things for which he prayed on behalf of his
converts were the things he regarded as most essential in Christian
character and conduct.
The prayer that now calls for consideration is that found in 1 Thess. v.
23, 24.
1. THE PETITION.
He prays for their _sanctification_--"Sanctify you wholly." As already
noted, the root idea of sanctification, and of its cognate expressions,
"holiness," "holy," and the like, is _separation_. We see this very
clearly in connection with buildings or things which are said to be "holy"
or "sanctified." It is obvious that no thought of purification is
applicable to buildings and inanimate objects. We must, therefore,
understand sanctification in this case as equivalent to consecration. This
is also the root-meaning of the word "sanctify" in relation to persons,
and it may be questioned whether the word, as used in the original, ever
really includes in it the idea of purification; the latter thought has
another set of words altogether. The Apostle therefore prays that they may
be consecrated, set apart from all else, for the possession and service
of God. This meaning may be aptly illustrated from our Lord's words about
Himself: "For their sakes I _consecrate_ Myself, that they also may be
_consecrated_ through the truth" (John xvii. 19).
The _extent_ of this consecration is very noteworthy--"Sanctify you
wholly." The word rendered "wholly" is used in connection with the Old
Testament sacrifices in the Septuagint, and implies the entire and
complete separation of the offering for the purpose intended. The
Christian life must be wholly, entirely, and unreservedly consecrated to
God, no part being reserved or held back, but everything handed over and
regarded as permanently and completely belonging to Him.
He prays for their _preservation_--"Preserved blameless." The consecration
is to be maintained in continual preservation, in and for God. The
consecration as an act is to be deepened into an attitude, so that, day by
day, and hour by hour, the separated life may be maintained, and preserved
in readiness for every call that God may make.
The _extent_ of this preservation is also observable--"Your whole spirit
and soul and body." The spirit is that inmost part of our life which is
related to God. The soul is the inner life regarded in itself, as the seat
and sphere of intellect, heart, and will. The body is the outward vehicle
and expression of the soul and spirit through which we are enabled to
serve God. The order of these three should be observed. It is not, as we
often say, and sing in certain hymns, "body, soul, and spirit," but the
very reverse--"spirit, soul, and body." The Apostle starts from within and
works outward, thereby reminding us that if the spirit or deepest part of
our nature is wholly surrendered to God, this fact will express itself in
every part of our nature, and we shall be consecrated wholly. What a
searching requirement this is, and what a solemnity and responsibility it
gives to life! Whether in relation to God, or in relation to man, whether
for worship or work, character or conduct, prayer or practice, we are to
be wholly consecrated, and continually kept for the Master's use--
"That all my powers with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite."
2. THE PRE-REQUISITE.
"The God of Peace Himself." The Divine title associated with this prayer
as its definite presupposition and pre-requisite is very significant, as,
indeed, is every title of God. There is always some special point of
direct connection between the way in which God is addressed and the prayer
that follows. In the present instance the prayer for consecration and
preservation is addressed to "The God of Peace Himself."
The Apostle lays special stress upon the fact that it is God "Himself" Who
consecrates and keeps us. As with salvation, so with consecration--it is
and must be Divine. The work is entirely beyond any mere human power, and
while there is a truth in our frequent reference to consecration as
something that we ourselves have to effect, it is far more scriptural,
and, therefore, much more helpful, to endeavour to limit the idea of
consecration to the Divine side, and to think of it as an act of God, to
which the corresponding human act and attitude is that of _dedication_. It
is God Himself Who separates us, marks us off as His own, and designates
us for His use and service. It is God Himself, and no one else, for we are
here brought into personal and blessed association with the Divine power
and grace.
Further, God is described as "The God of Peace," and we naturally ask what
it means, and why peace is thus associated with consecration and
preservation. This title, "The God of Peace," is found very frequently in
the writings of St. Paul, and it deserves careful consideration in each
passage. There is a twofold peace in Scripture, sometimes described as
"peace with God" (Rom. v. 1), at others as "the peace of God" (Phil. iv.
7); and they both have their source in the "God of Peace" (Phil. iv. 9).
Peace is the result of reconciliation with God. Our Lord made peace by the
Blood of His Cross (Col. i. 20), and the acceptance of His atoning
sacrifice through faith brings peace to the soul. This consciousness of
reconciliation in turn causes a blessed sense of restfulness and peace to
spring up in the heart, and thus we have the peace of God within us.
The connection between peace and holiness is close and essential. It is
impossible for anyone to understand consecration until they have
experienced reconciliation. Holiness must be based on righteousness, and
righteousness is only possible to those who have accepted the Lord Jesus
as God's righteousness through faith. So long as there is any enmity in
the heart, or even any uncertainty as to our acceptance in Christ Jesus,
holiness is an impossibility. May not the forgetfulness of this fact be
the cause of surprise and disappointment at Christian Conventions from
time to time? May it not be that many go to such gatherings longing to be
made holy who have not settled this question of their standing before God
and their peace as the result of acceptance of Christ's atonement? To
understand and experience what holiness means before enjoying peace with
God is like trying to take a second step before attempting the first. Only
through peace can holiness come, and only as we have blessed personal
experience of God as the God of peace can a prayer like this be answered.
3. THE PROSPECT.
"Unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Once again the Apostle prays
with special reference to that glorious day to which he was always looking
and pointing his readers. As he looks forward to that day he uses again a
favourite word, "blameless," and suggests to us the great and wonderful
possibility of being so consecrated and preserved that we may lead a
blameless life day by day until the coming of our Lord. Holiness is thus
associated once again with the great future. The Apostle finds in the
coming of the Lord one of the most potent reasons why Christians should be
consecrated and preserved. This close and intimate connection between
holiness, and what we term the Second Advent, needs much stronger
emphasis in daily living and in church teaching than it often has in the
present day. There is, in its way, nothing more powerful as a reason for
holiness than the thought of the certainty and imminence of the Lord's
coming.
4. THE PROMISE.
"Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it." Lest we should be
tempted to think that so wonderful a prayer could not be fulfilled in
daily experience, the Apostle adds this blessed assurance that God, Who
puts this ideal before us, will enable us to realise it. The promise is
undoubted--"Who also will do it." What He has promised He is also able to
perform. If only our hearts are right with Him, and are willing to say,
"Yea, let Him take all," God will, indeed, consecrate and preserve us
blameless unto the end. The guarantee of this lies in His Divine
faithfulness. "Faithful is He that calleth you." We are touching the
bed-rock of Divine revelation when we contemplate the faithfulness of God.
This phrase is often found in the New Testament: "God is faithful." "The
Lord is faithful." "Faithful is He." "This is a faithful saying." If our
hearts will only rest upon this we shall find in it, not only the most
exquisite joy and assured peace, but also the ground of our perfect
confidence that He will accomplish His purposes in us, and glorify Himself
in our lives.
It is well and necessary from time to time to look at holiness from the
human point of view, and to see our duty and responsibility; but it is
equally essential and important that we should also dwell upon holiness,
as in the passage before us, from the Divine standpoint, and keep well in
view the glorious realities of God's faithfulness, God's power, God's
grace. To be occupied unduly with self in the matter of holiness is to
become self-centred, morbid, fearful, and weak; to be occupied with God is
to be restful, quiet, strong, confident, and ever growing in grace.
III.
APPROBATION AND BLESSING.
III.
APPROBATION AND BLESSING.
"Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you
worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His
goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."--2 THESS. i. ii, 12.
Two words sum up the Christian life--Grace and Glory; and both are
associated with the two Comings of the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace
particularly with the first Coming, and Glory especially with the second.
This twofold aspect of Christianity comes before us in the prayer of the
Apostle which we now have to consider.
1. THE REASON OF THE PRAYER.
This thought is brought before us very clearly in the Revised Version:
"_To which end we also pray_." In the Authorised Version it is:
"_Wherefore also we pray_." Following the original, the R.V. refers
definitely to what has preceded. The whole context is a reason for the
prayer which now follows.
The _Triumphant Future_ is part of the reason of his prayer. "When He
shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marvelled at in all
them that believe in that day." The Apostle looks forward to "the crowning
day" that is coming, and bases upon this glorious hope the prayer that
follows.
The _Testing Present_ is another part of the reason for this prayer. The
Church of Thessalonica was suffering persecutions and afflictions, and was
passing through the fire of testing (vers. 4-7); and it was this
fact--their then-existing severe experiences--that prompted the Apostle to
pray for them, as well as to express the hope concerning their deliverance
from the furnace of affliction.
Thus present and future are blended in his thought, and form the ground or
reason of his intercession.
2. THE NATURE OF THE PRAYER.
Two elements sum up this beautiful prayer.
He asks for the _Divine Approval_ on their life: "That God may count you
worthy of your calling." God's "calling" is His summons into His kingdom.
The kingdom may be regarded both as present and future. In the Gospels it
would seem as though the "calling" were limited to His invitation or
appeal, while in the Epistles it appears to include the believer's
response to the call. For this reason it is sometimes spoken of as God's
"calling," and at others, as in this case, as "your calling." The thought
of a Divine calling responded to by the believer is prominent in the
teaching of St. Paul, and should be carefully studied. Even in these
Epistles to the Thessalonians, the idea is frequently found (1 Thess. ii.
12, iv. 7, v. 24; 2 Thess. ii. 14).
"Count you worthy" is a notable phrase repeated from verse 5: "Counted
worthy of the kingdom of God." Seven times this verb is used by St. Paul.
As we ponder it we catch something of the wondrous glory of our life as
contemplated by the King of Kings. Surely, it may be said, the believer
can never be "worthy"; and this is true if he is considered in himself.
But just as it is with justification, which means "accounted just," so
with sanctification--by the unspeakable grace of God we are actually
"counted worthy." Hooker's well-known words about justification may be
quoted in this connection as illustrating the thought of worthiness in
sanctification. "God doth justify the believing man, yet not for the
worthiness of his belief, but for His worthiness Who is believed." So we
may say, God doth count the believing man worthy, yet not for any personal
worthiness, but for the worthiness which is wrought by grace. We must,
however, not fail to notice that the believer is responsible for his use
of grace, and that the very thought of God counting us worthy has included
in it the thought of scrutiny with a view to decision.
He seeks the _Divine Blessing_ on their life: "And fulfil every desire of
goodness and every work of faith with power." This, which is the rendering
of the R.V., seems, on the whole, the more intelligible and appropriate.
It means, "all that goodness can desire, and all that faith can effect."
It blends together the two ideas of _aspiration_ and _activity_--the
aspiration of goodness and the activity of trust--and it prays that God
would fulfil _with power_, or powerfully, every aspiration that comes from
goodness, and every activity that springs from faith. Just as in the
familiar words of the Collect for Easter Day, God first puts into "our
minds good desires," and then by His "continual help" we are enabled to
"bring the same to good effect." By "His holy inspiration we think those
things that are good, and by His merciful guiding we perform the same."
3. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRAYER.
Notice the twofold consequence here stated.
He expects that _God will be glorified in us_. Glory in the New Testament,
and, indeed, in the whole Bible, is the outshining of splendour, and the
Apostle seeks in answer to prayer that Christ may reveal in our lives the
glory of His grace. This includes both our present and future lives.
Christ is to be manifested by and glorified in us here, and He will be
manifested by and glorified in us hereafter (ver. 10). What an unspeakable
privilege and what a profound responsibility lie in this simple fact that
Christ is to shine forth from our lives, and that men around us are to see
something of Christ as they associate with us. One of the most beautiful
testimonies ever given to a Christian was that of a poor dying outcast
girl to a lady who had befriended her: "I have not found it hard to think
about God since I knew you."
He also expects that _we shall be glorified in Christ_. This is, in a way,
more wonderful still. There is to be a reciprocal glory; and, actually,
marvellous though it seems, we are to have our share of glory in Christ.
This, again, has its application to the present, as well as to the future,
for every life that is loyal to Christ is glorified in union and
communion with Him. And in the great future it will be seen and known on
every hand who have been faithful to their Lord and Master. "Then shall
the righteous shine forth as stars in the kingdom of their Father."
4. THE GUARANTEE OF THE PRAYER.
The Apostle scarcely ever prayed without reminding himself and his readers
of the secret whereby prayer is answered. Accordingly he closes this
prayer with a reminder that the guarantee of its fulfilment is the grace
of God--"According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
God is the _Source_ of all grace. How lovingly the Apostle speaks of "our
God" and "our Lord Jesus" in this verse! Elsewhere in his Epistles we also
find this appropriating phrase, "Our God" (1 Thess. ii. 2, iii. 9; 1 Cor.
vi. 11). As in the still more personal phrase, "My God," which we find
about seven times in his writings, St. Paul expresses his consciousness of
personal possession and the blessed reality of fellowship with God. "This
God is _our_ God," as the Psalmist says.
Christ is the _Channel_ of grace. The Lord Jesus Christ being associated
with God in this connection is a reminder that it is "the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ" as much as the grace of our God. He mediates grace to
us, and through faith in Christ we are linked to God as the "God of all
grace."
What a cheer and inspiration it is to have the assurance and guarantee
that even a prayer like this, with its high standard and far-reaching
possibilities, can and will be answered. Christianity provides not only an
appeal, but a dynamic. He Who bids, enables; He Who calls, provides. The
Gospel of Jesus Christ is at once a precept, a promise, a provision, and a
power. The religions of the world often tell us to "Be good," but it is
left for Christianity to proclaim that "He died _to make us good_." As a
result, the Christian can say with Augustine: "Give what Thou commandest
and then command what Thou wilt." That is: "Only give me the spiritual
power, and then I can do anything that Thou requirest of me." As the
Psalmist cried: "I will run in the path of Thy commandments, when Thou
hast set my heart at liberty."
Thus the Christian life is at once a life of Grace and a life of Glory.
"First Grace, then Glory." "No Grace, no Glory." "More Grace, more Glory."
"If Grace, then Glory."
"Grace, 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear."
IV.
LOVE AND PEACE.
IV.
LOVE AND PEACE.
"The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the
patience of Christ."--2 THESS. iii. 5, R.V.
"The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means."--2
THESS. iii. 16.
It is striking to note the number of prayers in these two short Epistles
to Thessalonica. They are probably the earliest of the Apostle's writings,
and the frequency of his prayers is a significant testimony to his thought
for his converts and their needs.
Hardly less striking is the variety of the prayers, of which we have
already had several proofs. There are still two prayers to be considered
in the second Epistle, very terse petitions, yet full of suggestiveness
and importance. It will be convenient to consider these two together, not
only because of their brevity, but also because of the spiritual
connection between them.
1. THE GOAL.
The context of the prayer is noteworthy. The Apostle had been asking for
their prayers, more particularly for deliverance from evil men. Then comes
the strong assurance that God in His faithfulness would keep them from
evil, together with the expression of his own personal confidence
concerning them that they would be faithful to his counsels and commands.
And then follows the prayer of our text in which he asks that their hearts
may be directed to that Divine goal which is, and ever must be, the true
home of the soul.
"_Your hearts._" Once again does the Apostle lay stress on this central
reality of their spiritual and moral being. The heart is the citadel of
the life, and the usage of the term in the Word of God must ever be kept
clearly before us. It includes, as we have already seen, intellectual,
emotional, and volitional elements. There is no such contrast in the New
Testament between "the head" and "the heart" as we are now often
accustomed to make, for intellect, feelings, and will are all comprised in
the Biblical meaning. If, therefore, the heart is right, all else will be
right. It was for this reason that Solomon gave the counsel to keep the
heart "above all keeping," since "out of it are the issues of life."
"_Into the love of God._" The phrase seems to suggest the direction of the
heart towards a goal--"_Into_ the love." This must mean first and foremost
the love of God to us, for this is the true goal and home of the soul.
Home is at once a protection, a fellowship, and a joy. "There's no place
like home;" and there is no place like the love of God as a home for the
soul. In that love we find constant protection, for all the refuge and
safety of a true home are experienced there. In that love we find the
fullest, truest fellowship, for "truly our fellowship is with the Father,
and with His Son Jesus Christ"; and we know also "the fellowship of the
Holy Ghost." Not least of all, in this home of the soul, is perfect and
permanent satisfaction. Just as when the door closes upon us and we know
that we are within the privacy, comfort, cheer, and fellowship of home, we
find blessed restfulness and satisfaction, so when the soul enters the
home of God's love it soon realises the fulness of satisfaction, for it is
"satisfied with favour, full with the blessing of the Lord." Love that is
deep, unfathomable, constant, pure, unchanging, Divine, is our everlasting
home. It is recorded that Spurgeon once saw a weathercock with the words
on it, "God is love." On remarking to the owner that it was very
inappropriate, since God's love did not change like a weathercock, he
received the reply that the real meaning was, "God is love whichever way
the wind blows." This is the experience of the believer. Whatever comes,
wherever he is, he knows that "God is love."
It is possible, perhaps probable, that this phrase, "the love of God," may
also include our love to God. At any rate, in several passages it is
almost impossible to make a rigid distinction between the two ideas (cf.
Rom. v. 5). The one is the source of the other, and "we love Him because
He first loved us." Love from God begets love to God, and when once the
soul has entered into God's love as its goal and home, love at once begins
to be the spring, the strength, the sustenance, and the satisfaction of
its life.
"_Into the patience of Christ._" The Authorised Version has somewhat
misread this verse by translating it "into the patient waiting for
Christ," which would need another expression in the Greek. It really
refers to active, persistent, steady endurance rather than to patient
waiting. It refers to present patience, not to a future prospect. The
patience of Christ must mean the active endurance which is like His, the
endurance of which He is the pattern. How marvellously He "endured the
contradiction of sinners against Himself"! How striking is the statement
that "He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem"! Whether in
suffering or in service, our Lord "endured as seeing Him who is
invisible"; and having endured to the end, He became our Saviour.
But "the patience of Christ" is also the endurance which comes from Him.
He is not only our pattern, but also our power, since He enables us to
endure with a like endurance to His own. As the Apostle says elsewhere: "I
have power for all things in Him who is empowering me." To have a pattern
without the power to realise it, to have our Lord's example without His
efficacy and energy, would be of little practical use except to discourage
and to mock us; but He who sets the standard supplies the strength, and
our hearts are thus enabled to enter into and abide in the endurance of
Christ.
The need of patient endurance is obvious. Those early Christians of
Thessalonica were soon put to the test. A few days and their new-born
experiences were severely proved. Persecution, ostracism, suffering, and,
it may be, death put a real strain upon their Christian profession; yet
they endured, and the Apostle's prayer was answered; for we know with
what joy he received tidings of their endurance and continuance (ch. i.
4). The same endurance is needed to-day, though the circumstances are very
different. Sin is still powerful, and trials, suffering, sorrow and death
are found on every hand. Many things would tempt us from our allegiance
and continuance. Like the Psalmist, we see the wicked prospering, and we
are ready to burst out with the faithless cry: "I have cleansed my heart
in vain, and washed my hands in innocency." Or we have been toiling in the
vineyard for long without seeing any fruit, and like the prophet, we are
tempted to cry: "I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for
nought." Then we hear the voice of the Apostle reminding us of "the love
of God" and "the patience of Christ."
The secret of patience is love. If only we live in the love of God we
shall thereby find the grace of patience. The union of love and patience
was exemplified in our Lord's earthly life. He kept His Father's
commandments and abode in His love, and if only we will continue in His
love we shall thereby be enabled to keep His commandments, and endure as
He endured.
2. THE GUIDE.
"_The Lord direct your hearts._" We need direction. Sin has blinded us,
and kept us from knowing the way home into the love of God, and into the
endurance of Christ. Still more, sin has biassed our hearts, and kept us
from going along the way. Thus we need nothing short of a Divine
direction. If the Lord does not make straight our way home we never shall
arrive there.
How does our Lord direct our hearts? First, by constant and
ever-increasing experience of His love. "God is love," and as it is of the
essence of love to communicate itself, God is ever revealing to our hearts
and bestowing upon them His own Divine love. Along the straight pathway He
guides the soul into deeper and fuller experience of His unchanging,
unerring, and unending love.
He also guides by bestowing upon us an ever-fuller experience of the power
of Christ. Patient endurance is not learned all at once, and the Lord
leads us as we are able to bear His disclosures and His discipline. Every
lesson of testing brings with it a fresh experience of grace, and every
call to endure carries with it the assurance of sufficient strength and
power.
The means used for our direction, as we have already seen, are three in
number, but the truth is so important that it needs renewed emphasis. The
Lord directs us _by His Word_. Its examples, its counsels, its promises,
its warnings, it anticipations, its incentives all come with force and
blessing upon the heart, impelling it to go the right way home. He also
directs us _by His Holy Spirit_ dwelling within us. The Divine Spirit
possesses and purifies our thoughts, cleanses and clarifies our motives,
freshens and fertilises our soul, sanctifies and sensitises our
conscience, guides and guards our will; and thus "every virtue we possess,
and every victory won, and every thought of holiness" are the work of the
Holy Spirit of God in guiding and directing our hearts into the love of
God and into the patience of Christ.
The Lord also guides _by His Providence_. He uses the circumstances of our
daily life to indicate His will. The discipline, the thousand and one
little events and episodes, the ordinary experience of daily duty, the
shadows and the sunshine, are all part of His providential guidance as He
leads us along the pathway home into the love of God. All things are
continually working together for good to them that love God.
Now we pass to consider the second and complementary prayer.
3. THE GIFT.
In this concluding prayer of the Epistle the Apostle sums up by speaking
of that which is in some respects the greatest gift of God in Christ, the
gift of perfect and perpetual peace.
Our first need is _peace of conscience_. The burden of sin weighs heavily
upon the awakened soul, and the condemnation of the law consciously weighs
upon it. As we look back over the past, and realise what it has been, we
long for rest in the removal of condemnation and the bestowal of
forgiveness. Our hearts cry out for peace with God.
Our second need is _peace of heart_. The soul set free from the burden of
condemnation and guilt soon finds the need of a new strength, new
interests, new hopes. The past has been obliterated by mercy, but the
present looms large with difficulty. Temptations to fear and
discouragement arise, and the soul longs for peace. Peace with God by
reconciliation must therefore be followed by the peace of God through
restfulness of heart day by day.
Our third need is _peace of fellowship_. The true Christian life is never
solitary, but is lived in association with others. Our relationship to
Christ necessarily carries with it a relationship to those who are in
Christ with us, and as a consequence the peace which is ours in Christ is
expressed in peace and fellowship with our fellow-believers. The context
of this prayer shows that the Apostle had this aspect of peace in mind,
and no true peace can be enjoyed with God that is not shared with our
fellow-Christians. Our Lord has broken down the wall of partition between
us; He has made us all one in Himself, for He is our peace.
4. THE GIVER.
The source of this threefold peace is "_The Lord of peace Himself_." By
His death He brings us peace of conscience, by His Resurrection life peace
of heart, by His Holy Spirit peace of fellowship. "Peace I leave with you"
is the legacy of His Death. "My peace I give unto you" is the gift of His
Spirit. On the Resurrection evening He came with this twofold peace.
First, He said, "Peace be unto you," and "showed them His hands and His
side," thus assuring them of peace of conscience through His Death. Then
He said unto them _again_, "Peace be unto you," and bestowed upon them His
Holy Spirit, thus guaranteeing to them peace of heart. His own peace,
which had been so marked a feature of His own life and ministry, was now
to be theirs. He, the possessor of peace, was now to be the provider of
peace to them.
The title, "The Lord of peace," in this passage is very noteworthy. It is
only found here, though the title "God of peace" occurs several times.
What are we to understand by it? Surely it is a hint to us that only in
His Lordship, acknowledged and experienced by us, can we find peace. In
very significant words we read in the prophet of "His government and
peace." First government and then peace, since peace is only possible as a
result of government. In like manner we read in the psalm of
"righteousness and peace," for it is only as He is "the Lord our
righteousness" that He becomes the Lord our peace. When the government is
upon His shoulder, and He is the Lord of our life, the inevitable and
blessed result is "peace, perfect peace."
The continuity of this peace is very noteworthy--"Give you peace
_always_." It is a constant peace. It is independent of circumstances, and
does not change with changing experiences, since it is independent of our
variableness, and depends entirely upon the Lord of peace and His Divine
gift. Peace is associated with our permanent relationship to God in
Christ, and a relationship of this kind is unalterable by any experiences
or circumstances. The Lord gives peace always.
The channels of this peace are also significant--"Peace always _by all
means_." "In every manner," by all conceivable channels and methods this
peace comes. No circumstance or condition of life can be ours which does
not give some opportunity for the bestowal, experience, and enjoyment of
peace. Not only does peace come "always," but "all ways."
Love, Patience, Peace--how beautiful and suggestive the combination and
association! Patience is the fruit of love, and peace is the fruit of
patience. When the soul is dwelling in the love of God patience and peace
flow naturally into the life, and are as naturally exemplified in it. And
so the heart rejoices in the love, reproduces the patience, and reposes in
the peace of the Lord of peace, because it is ever at rest in the presence
and grace of "the God of love and peace."
V.
KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE.
V.
KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE.
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with
all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and
long-suffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father."--COL.
i. 9-12.
The Epistles of the (first) captivity of the Apostle (Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon) represent his maturest experiences. As a
consequence the prayers found in them are particularly noteworthy,
revealing some of the deepest things of the writer's spiritual life. In
this respect they are at once tests and models for us; and it is perhaps
not too much to say that careful and prolonged prayerful meditation on
the prayers found in these Epistles will prove one of the most valuable
and helpful methods of deepening the spiritual life. The first of these we
now consider.
1. THE REASON OF THE PRAYER.