This morning I was reading 1 Kings 13-15 and 1 Thessalonians. In 1 Thess. 5:14-15, Paul said, “And we urge you, brothers (and sisters), admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone” (ESV). This is Paul’s pastoral advice to the Thessalonians. Pastoral work requires patience. In the church, we deal with different kinds of people. Some are strong; some, weak; some, consumers. Paul said, “Be patient with them all.”
In v. 15, it said, “See that”. In 和合本, it’s translated as “要謹慎”. It’s more than just seeing. It involves carefulness and awareness. This is what should be aware of: “No one repays anyone evil for evil.” After Jesus finished the six anti-thesis (anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and love enemies) in Matt. 5:21-47, he concludes with 5:48—“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In Greek, it’s telos, which also indicates goal, completion, and end. We are incomplete. We miss the goal. We are far from the end.
Paul said to the Thessalonians and us to pay close attention to "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" mentality. Otherwise, we are moving further away from the telos. In the process of sanctification, it’s easy for us to de-create what Christ has re-created in us through the work of the Spirit. The conjunction but points us to the way of living in new creation: “always seek to do good.”
Today, I am reminded by the Scripture that don’t de-create the process, but…
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