1 Thessalonians

Here's how Paul reacts to a good report from one of his henchmen. Timothy (the kid who was circumcised just for work as a church leader, according to Acts) gave Paul a good report of how things were progressing with the people in Thessalonica. Paul wrote this letter to show his approval. It had a pretty good selection of things to note!

1 Th 2:13 - We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers.
In other words, Paul claims that his words are directly from God, and that it should be obvious that what he says is not of human origin. Sadly enough, looking at the record we have of his words, they are not very striking for the most part. In fact most of what I have read looks very human.

1 Th 2:14-16 - For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God's wrath has overtaken them at last.
Paul goes into the mode of demonizing the outsiders, accusing the Jews of being murderers of Jesus, and saying that all enemies of the church are going to catch a load of grief from God. It's the same as we saw in Psalms - the enemies of the writer (who always had God as his hit man) were going to suffer revenge for harming God's little buddy!

1 Th 2:18 - For we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again-but Satan blocked our way.
Here's an interesting little tidbit! In Acts, we saw that Paul and his traveling companions were often blocked from going somewhere by the Holy Spirit! Now he claims that his way was blocked by Satan! Maybe if asked about this, he'd claim that he was actually a ping pong ball in a game between God and Satan!

1 Th 3:4 - In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know.
Any idiot could predict with perfect accuracy that spreading a message like Paul's, at such wide variance from the accepted norms of religious thought would result in not a few rather serious enemies popping up!

1 Th 4:3-5 - For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God...
Oddly enough, Paul engages in some quite ignorant prejudice with this statement. After all, Aristotle, over a century before this, had proclaimed that the best life could be lived with self-control and doing all things in moderation. It's called the Aristotelian Mean, and it's still taught today.

1 Th 4:8 - Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Paul writes as though he thinks it's taken for granted that he's writing things directly from God. Certainly, the fact that this letter was defined by the Christian church as being divinely inspired means that church leaders wanted it to be so. However, looking at the internal evidence, I don't think Paul had much of a case. I've heard that the Bible proves itself, but as you can see, it has no content that is beyond the ability of human writers. It has much that is far less impressive than other works. In practical terms, I think if God wanted to use some person to deliver a message, Paul really shouldn't have been even on the short list!

1 Th 5:4,5 - But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
Another reference to believers as "children of light," just as the Essenes called themselves. It may be that I'll have to research and write an article on this subject!

1 Th 5:12,13 - But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
Paul gives the priests of the early church a big boost and endorsement here. They are "taking care of Jesus' flock" while Jesus is away, waiting (for no adequatly explored reason) to come back. I would have thought that any church leader should be judged and esteemed based only on his merits in his position, and not just because Paul thought it should be done without question!