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Chapter 1
This is a letter from Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the Christian community in
Tessatown. We’re writing on behalf of The Loving God and The Leader, Jesus,
God’s Chosen. It comes with our best wishes and concern for your happiness.
We never miss you out when we talk with God. We thank God for you, and
remember your way of life based on trust, your good works based on love, and
your loyalty based on the hope you have in Jesus. We have no doubt, dear
friends, that God loves you and has a special work for you to do. You not
only listened to the Good News, but you let God’s Spirit use the words to
change your personalities and give you complete confidence. When we visited
you, you took note of the sort of people we are, and you set yourselves to
copy us. You accepted the message with a light-hearted spirit, in spite of
all the trouble you knew it might get you into. You are an example to all
the Christians in Macedonia and Greece. You’ve not only broadcast the
Leader’s voice all over Macedonia and Greece, but your trust in God has
gained you a reputation far and wide. We don’t have to tell other people
about you. They already know about the good reception you gave us, and how
you changed your religion to become helpers of the God who is alive and
real. You’re looking forward to meeting God’s Likeness from beyond time and
space, the one God brought back from death to life, and who will bring us
though whatever may come, however dreadful.
Chapter 2
Friends, as you know, our visit to Tessatown was a rattling success, unlike
our experience in Philptown, on our way to you. We had a rough time there;
indeed our treatment was outrageous. But that experience didn’t put us off
from passing the Good News on to you, with God’s help, despite the odds
stacked against us. Our approach was straightforward; there were no tricks,
no hidden agenda. We are licensed by God to deliver the Good News, so we
stick close to God’s way of doing things. We’re not out to impress people,
but to please God, who sees deep inside us. You saw it all, and so did God.
We didn’t butter you up, or try to get money out of you; we were not out to
be popular with you or anybody else. We might have thrown out weight around
ad special representatives of God’s Chosen, but we chose the soft approach,
like a mother cuddling her children. We don’t only want to share the Good
News with you. We want to share our lives with you too. We love you so much!
Do you remember, dear friends, how we worked round the clock to meet our
expenses, so we could hand you the Good News without making any financial
demands? You and God can vouch for our conduct. We behaved with the highest
standards towards our converts. You got individual attention, like a father
spending time with his children one by one. We encouraged, and coaxed, and
challenged you to bring credit to God by the way you live. You belong to
God’s World and share God’s status.
We thank always thank God that, when we spoke to you, you recognized it as
God’s message rather than somebody’s opinion. Because you made that leap of
trust, you now speak God’s words yourselves. Friends, you remind me very
much of the Christian communities in and around Jerusalem. You’ve got into
trouble with your own people, just like them. It was members of their own
race who killed Jesus, our Leader. They killed God’s speakers in times past,
and now they’ve made things too hot for us! They frustrate God, and act in
everybody’s worst interests. They try to stop us talking to people of other
races. They don’t want others to have full life and health. They’re out to
make trouble all the time. They’ve not escaped God’s notice- you’ll see!
When, dear friends, we had to part company with you for a while, we still
felt one with you at heart, and couldn’t wait to see you again. For myself –
PAUL SPEAKING NOW- I made plans several times to come to you, but my health
prevented me from travelling. What will we count as our greatest
achievement, and what will we boast about when we meet with Jesus? Why, you,
of course! You are the feather in our cap!
Chapter 3
I couldn’t stand the suspense of not knowing what was happening to you.
Although it meant my being left on my own in Athens, I sent Timothy (my
friend and companion in God’s work of spreading the Good News about Jesus),
to give you support and confidence. I was anxious that the pressures you’ve
been under would prove too much for you, even though you’d been warned what
to expect. When we were with you, we foresaw a hard time ahead, and you’ve
seen our predictions come true. I was so worried, I just had to send
somebody to find out how you were coping. I was half afraid the test had
been too much for you, and our work undone.
But Timothy has just come back with good news of your loving trust. He says
you have fond memories of me, and are as keen to see me as I am to see you.
So, friends, although I too have been having a rough time, you’ve cheered me
up by remaining true. By being loyal to the Leader, you make life worth
living for me and my helpers. When we say ‘thankyou’ to God, we have
difficulty in expressing the extent of our joy. You’ve done so much for our
state of mind. We keep talking with God about you, at all times of the day
and night. We tell God we can’t wait to see you, to help with any doubts or
problems you may have.
Here and now, we ask The Loving God to make it possible for us to come to
you. And we ask the Leader to increase your love for one another and for
everybody. We are certainly brimming over with love for you! The Leader will
put new heart into you, and help you carry on being the good and special
people you are. You will be ready then to meet The Loving God, when Jesus
and all his friends gather together.
Chapter 4
Friends, you learned from us how to live in a way that pleases God, and
you’re doing alright so far! Keep going! The cause of Jesus, the Leader, is
at stake! I’m sure you remember the rules we gave you, based on his
teaching. If you want to be God’s special people, you must behave
responsibly in sexual matters. It’s important to have control over your
body. There are good ways and bad ways of having sex. If you’re just out to
satisfy yourself, you’re acting like people who don’t know God. Don’t take
advantage of a friend in that way. As we warned you, God will not allow such
behaviour to pass. The life God has in mind for us is not a life of
self-indulgence, but a life in which we conduct ourselves with special care.
Please don’t ignore what I’ve just said. If you do, you’ll be ignoring God,
and refusing God’s gift of the Spirit.
I don’t need to write anything about the love you should have for one
another as Christian brothers and sisters. God has been teaching you how to
do it. Your love extends to the whole Christian family throughout Macedonia.
But love can always be improved on. Lead a quiet life, mind your own
business, and work hard to earn a living, as we’ve told you before. Treat
those who are not to our way of thinking with respect, and don’t be a
nuisance to anybody.
(13) Friends, we want to make sure you know the truth about those who have
died. They are just having a rest. There is no need for you to be overcome
with grief, like those who have nothing to look forward to. We believe Jesus
died and came back to life. In the same way, God will take care of those who
die as friends of Jesus. This is the truth. It comes to us from the Leader.
Those who die before us will meet with Jesus before we do. This is my
picture of what it will be like at the end of time. The Leader will announce
that he is ready. Then, to the sound of stirring music, he will pass through
the barriers of time and space. The friends of Jesus who have died will join
him first, then those of us who are alive will meet them and the Leader,
midway between this world and the next. We shall be with the Leader forever.
Think about that together and cheer one another up.
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