1 Thessalonians 4 - sex and respect.

Paul's first letter ever! Well, that is what many scholars have said and it has provided good discussion at 'connecT'. We have looked at leadership in a collaborative setting and Paul's ability to communicate in such a way that he connected with people. And this week, 1 Thess. 4 - wait for it - we looked at sexual purity. A somewhat old fashioned subject I admit, but one that is not irrelevant.

What was suggested though is that sexual purity has less to do with Puritanism than respect. Sex is a good thing when used well; A good servant, but a poor master. Respect for others, ourselves, God were some of the suggestions that came up. Yet, that was not the end of it.

The second half of 1 thess. 4 has to do with respect between Christians. Perhaps, a greater challenge. Many Christians, myself included, take a dim view of those with whom we differ. The challenge from Paul hits home; simple really, respect.

Back to the Bible.

At connecT, over the last few weeks, we have been thinking about the Bible. A couple of us reflected on the place of the Bible in our lives and the various ways we read it and reflect on its authority. 'Layers of meaning' seems to me to be an important way to consider the teaching of the Bible. This is not to say that the original authors, and pre-ceeding them the original orators, did not have a specific thought in mind, but to acknowledge that the Biblical text also has a life of its own. It is important to acknowledge what the original author had in mind, but we also need to allow for fresh illumination as we read the text. Also, the Biblical authors used individual stories differently to address their specific contexts. For example, John has the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of his gospel; the synoptics at the end. The same story used differently and for different effect.

The Bible is a great book that is new every morning allowing God's word to speak afresh in every context. At connecT we are looking at Paul's Thessalonian correspondence. Expect new insights!

Chris