1 & 2 Thessalonians: Exile in the Context of Christ-Followers
Published Jun 8, 2022
By Courtney Corrente
Choosing to dedicate one’s life to Christ has never produced an easy path. To be a Christian means to believe in a story surrounded by miracles and inconceivable events; recorded in a book that has offended vast amounts of people for thousands of years; and to pray to and worship an invisible, omnipotent, and omnipresent God. Simply put, it is a seemingly ridiculous belief system to follow. So much so that following Christ has separated people from culture since the beginning of the faith. This trend can be seen throughout the epistles of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, as well as observed in modern day contexts. This is due to Christian beliefs being rooted in values that are counter to the sinful nature that prominently dominates cultural standards throughout history. Moreover, following Christ can bring about suffering and exile for the Believer, but, ultimately, makes them more like Christ, making it a worthwhile pursuit.
In Paul’s letters to the Church of Thessalonica, readers can see one of the earliest illustrations of Christ-followers being exiled from culture. The Thessalonians were Greeks who lived in a society submerged in polytheistic beliefs and regular sexually immoral practices, amongst other sinful habits. This meant that when Paul and his co-worker, Silas, came to Thessalonica to share the gospel, those who accepted and applied it were living in a noticeably different manner than that of the rest of the people. Specifically, living a purer, more loving life immediately left the Christian Thessalonians ostracized and subject to persecution. Paul acknowledges this in his first letter to the Church of Thessalonica, saying, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Though these early Christians suffered greatly for their beliefs, Paul goes on to recognize the shear strength of their faith as they all came to know Jesus or grew in it, while being in the midst of suffering: “for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessolians 1:6, emphasis added). The Thessalonian Church became a paramount example of living a Christian life. Though the instructions given by Paul were ones that would lead to a holy, healthier, and fulfilling life, the consequences of executing them would be less than favorable for such counter-cultural habits.
Though the events recorded in 1 and 2 Thessalonians occurred about two-thousand years ago, the Church today is no more immune from suffering than the earliest Christ-followers. The struggles may be illustrated differently, but are still present nonetheless. Looking specifically within western culture, society has succumbed to an individualistic, liberty-driven way of life that appears to naturally reject Christianity. Though this particular region of the world does not typically involve intense or violent persecution of Christians, it does drive members of Christianity into exile from living with two separate worldviews. This is introduced in the Gospel of Matthew, as Jesus calls His followers “salt” and “light” and explains: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). Jesus is describing how Christians have a light within them, causing the world to want to drive them away, for “people [love] the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). The light reveals what the darkness attempts to hide, and this can be disturbing and disruptive to those who do not contain the light. Notably, in a culture that encourages putting the self first, scripture urges that one prioritizes the good of others over themselves (1 Corinthians 10:24); or in a culture that promotes revenge, the Bible instructs people to return evil with good (Romans 12:17). Moreover, though living a Kingdom-focused life is counter to many cultural patterns, it is in alignment with the life of Christ, which is what Christians, ultimately, hope to emulate.
Imitating Christ is one of the most important goals to a Believer, but it is, also, one of the most difficult goals to work towards. Simply put, “you become an imitator by suffering” (C. Buchanan, 2021, Salt + Light Lecture). Though Jesus lived a perfect life and showed love to – as well as received it from – thousands, He was not spared from the pains of life. He knew this as He instructed His disciples to deny themselves and “take up [theirl cross and follow” Him in order to truly live a fulfilled, purposeful life (Matthew 16:24-25). So, if the central hope is to become more like Christ, His followers must be willing to reflect the good parts of His life as well as the sufferable parts in order to successfully further the Kingdom.
Ultimately, living with the light of the Spirit means that darkness of the world will do what it can to force it away, sending Christians across generations to live in a state of exile. Though a Christian does not have to seek out suffering, since it is part of a Christian walk to imitate Christ, Believers will inevitably suffer in some capacity as their Savior did. Yet, Christians can experience the joy of the Holy Spirit – not rooted solely on circumstance – in their sufferings, as they take comfort in knowing it mirrors the life of Christ and contributes to the Kingdom.
