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Praying 1 Thessalonians 1:1 – Sharing Credit
TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 1:1 (CSB) Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.
DEVOTIONAL: If I were to ask, “Who wrote 1 Thessalonians?” most would name Paul; and such is correct…but incomplete. The salutation includes Paul’s companions as Paul often does. But have you noticed how these companions, Silas and Timothy, fill the letter far beyond just the salutation? When reading this short letter, Paul emphasizes “we” and other pluralities, far more than “I” and other singular identifications. For Paul, it is not about “me” but rather “we”. For this exercise, while Paul includes the Thessalonians and all the faithful in plural terms also, those times will be excluded in this overview. Here the emphasis is on Paul sharing credit with his co-workers:
- Plural –
- 1:2,3,5,6,8,9
- 2:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,16,17,18,19,20
- 3:1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12
- 4:1,2,6,7,10,11,13,15
- 5:12,14,25
- Singular –
- 2:18
- 3:5
- 4:9
- 5:27
Only 4 times does Paul separate himself from his companions. More than 4 times 10 Paul is sharing credit in example and authority. This is the relationship he had with these other men. You don’t find him referring to them as “associate minister,” but sharing his responsibility with them towards the Thessalonians. That is a beautiful and humbling lesson that surely, we can not only learn from, but benefit from. May we realize none of us – if not even an apostle – can take credit for much of any success in our individual growth or congregational work. Share the work, share the credit, and in doing so, we all share ourselves.
PRAYER: To my Communal God, Triune yet One, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May I imitate your relationship with one another, as seen in Paul and his partners. I need to rely more on relationship than authority, sharing success, giving credit, and being responsive to our responsibility. May I not give in to pride and independence. Amen.
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