Year 5, Day 287: 1 Thessalonians 1-2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Imitation

• Imitation: This is the second over-arching step of the discipleship process.  First we gain information, then we imitate our spiritual mentor.  Imitation leads to innovation of spirituality in our own life.

I love the sense of imitation that comes through these first two chapters of 1 Thessalonians.  What is really neat is that I’ve never thought about these chapters as a lifting up of praise in the Thesalonians’ ability to imitate.  So often we hear the letters to Thessalonica in a theological argument.  But these opening chapters are truly a praise to the Thessalonians in their spiritual walk!

Look at chapter 1.  Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are influencing the people around them.  The people in the towns around them are witnessing their faith!  This is exactly what people of faith are supposed to be about!  We are supposed to present ourselves as people through whom God is giving the world something to imitate.

Then in Chapter 2, Paul takes us a little farther back in history.  He reminds them that he and his followers came to Thessalonica and gave them an excellent example.  The Thessalonians are able to be imitated because they were willing to imitate.  Here we see the key core to the discipleship process.  In order to make disciples, one must be a disciple.

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