1 Thessalonians Study: Crown of Boasting
“For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy! ”
In my first blog post I wrote about how Paul had suddenly had to flee from the Thessalonians where he had formed a little community of believers in Jesus, and the anxiety that induced in Paul and in them. During Bible study the past couple of weeks we have talked about the way Paul has tapped into his affection for the Thessalonians and their affection for him, and even their mutual affections for one another as a way of pastoring them through the anxiety of the situation and giving them encouragement on what to do next as their faith life unfolds.
I was talking with a couple of you on separate occasions over the past few days about the language in this letter—Paul using the language of a nurse caring for her own children (2:7)—or in another place the language of father, who dealt with “each one of you (2:10)” (that little word “each” is important to notice—I can imagine when this letter was read in Jason’s small house church that the hearers had a moment of individual recognition—Yes, Paul was like that with me; and me too; yeah, and me, etc…).
I’m revisiting this because even though we have moved on in our study, I think this theme of affection is what rises again and again in the letter—Paul’s love for the fellowship is almost tangible—he calls them his “crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming” in the passage I quoted at the top of this blog, which we looked at on Tuesday 12/8 but did not discuss in great depth. I want to take a moment to gaze on this image. It’s really a very beautiful one.
In another letter that Paul will write a few years later, to the Christians at Philippi he says, “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.…[M]y brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.” (Phil 3:17;4.1). The Christian community flourishing in its Christian walk—spiritual growth happening, love, care, joy springing up—when Christians are loving Christ and loving one another, caring for one another, teaching and learning from one another—this is that Crown of Victory in Paul’s spiritual vision of himself. When the community is healthy, this is a crown. And he asks these communities to imitate him.
Can we then imagine for ourselves that the spiritual well-being and flourishing—the care of, the joy, the hopefulness—of our brethren in the Christian community are our crown? That in tending to each other we are building up our own spiritual joy and health?
In this season of Advent, I also think of images of the Last Things. Paul talks about the crown of boasting at the day of Christ’s coming—and we can think too of the saints in the Book of Revelation who cast their crowns before the throne and sing praise to God (Rev. 4:10-11).
That we tend to each other spiritually and that we help one another flourish in Christ is our spiritual offering back to God at the day of his coming. Beloved, we are one another’s crown and joy cast before God in praise.