As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
7so that you [pl.] became an
example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia, 8for the Word
of the Lord has been sounded out from you not only in Macedonia and in Achaia
but also in every place [where] your faith which [is] toward God has gone out,
so that we have no need to say anything.
Right away in verse 7 we see more of the fractal of life,
the repeating patterns which permeate the created universe and certainly living
things. The Thessalonians in v6 became imitators of the apostles and of the
Lord, and having done so, they became an example to all of Greece. The pattern
of Christlikeness was seen in the apostles, imitated in the Thessalonians, and
then became a living model for every believer. Even from this one simple verse,
I think it worthy of note that godliness is a pattern.
Why do I say that? I say that because we all naturally see
it as some kind of destination. We see Christlikeness as something like
education where we may start in preschool or kindergarten and then progress
year by year until at last we “graduate” from High School or College or
whatever, and finally “we have arrived.” The same is true of an apprentice. As
he begins, he is not a journeyman. He must learn, step by step, until one day
he is recognized for having completed his training and can say, “I am a
journeyman.” But what are we dealing with here in the Bible? The Thessalonians
are a very young church. It’s been a very short time since they were worshiping idols. How can they already be “an example” to “all the believers
in Macedonia and Achaia?” They can’t possibly have had enough time to have become
“mature” believers, can they?
Does anyone see that our question reflects our natural
inclination to see godliness just like education – a destination to be
attained. If we ponder this simple verse carefully, it exposes this error of
our thinking and leads us instead to the realization we’re dealing with
something very different. How can literal novices have already become models?
It is because we’re dealing with the repetition of a pattern. Christlikeness is not a goal to be attained but a
pattern to be imitated – and it is a perfect pattern. The pattern we imitate is
absolutely flawless, perfect in its most minute detail. And what this means is that,
to whatever extent that pattern is expressed in us, it is a perfect pattern. We
don’t reflect it perfectly (that is the business of maturity we work toward)
but to whatever extent we do reflect it, it is a perfect pattern.
This is precisely why the second someone becomes a true
believer, you see Christ in them. And it is a beautiful thing, is it not? They
may have a long way to grow, they may in reality have still many areas of their
life they’ll have to examine and change. But already the pattern is there, and
it is a perfect pattern. This is precisely why the newly converted Thessalonians
could already be a model for other believers. It is precisely why a new
believer can already be a great encouragement even to the most elderly saint. To
whatever extent you see Christ in someone else, you are seeing a perfect
pattern.
Why do I think this is a big deal? Because I don’t think we
understand Christian growth. And to whatever extent we don’t understand
something, we find ourselves stumbling along, bumping into walls, skinning our
knees and just generally floundering, when we ought to be hurled like a stone
from a sling. If we don’t know the way to Indianapolis, we’ll be much hindered
in our journey to get there. We need to understand that this is what we’re
dealing with – a perfect pattern and our problem is only that we express it imperfectly.
It is not an end to be attained, it is a reality we can enjoy in the present. I
see it in others; I need to see it in myself. To whatever extent I am reflecting
Christ today, I am reflecting a beautiful and perfect pattern. While I want to
discover all the areas of my life where I am not reflecting it well, yet in the
meantime I have no need to despair. Christ in me is a perfect pattern!
That is how we should see ourselves. That is how God sees
us. That is, in part, how He can stand us – because He sees Christ in us! All
our trials and troubles and everything He brings us through, everything He teaches
us is to what end? “That we should be conformed to the image of Christ.” He is
every day helping us discover those areas of our life where we are not
reflecting Christ and helps us change, helps us, in effect, to find those
places where the pattern is marred and needs repair. But all the while He is
working on someone in whom He sees the likeness of His Son.
As we would grow in Christ day by day, let us not despair of
all the flaws and faults we see in who we are. Let us take joy and be thankful
that what is “right” about us is in fact a perfect pattern – the face of Jesus!
I don’t reflect it perfectly but it is a perfect reflection!
I would suggest all of this is a very deep subject, worthy
of considerable pondering, but today I have to let it suffice to have observed
it, to note it in my mind, and then to proceed with life ready for the Lord to “show
me more.”
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