3 basic things in our hope 21st week Tuesday 2014

The second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians is believed to be the second earliest new testament writing, the first to be written being the First Letter to the Thessalonians.  One proof that this is a very early writing is the belief that Christ’s return is imminent.  People in the second half of the first century, and that includes St. Paul, believed that Christ will return very soon and some have even sold already all their properties and refused to take up useful labor .  That is why in this same Second Letter to the Thessalonians Paul told them that those who would not work should not eat. People were so preoccupied with the return of the Lord that they forgot their day today obligations and responsibilities.  Daw pareho man bala sang una nga may rumor nga ma-end of the world na kag nagbinakal kita sang perdon nga kandila kag nagpabendita sang pospro.  Didto pa ako na-assign sa cathedral sadto kag nalipay gid kami kay naubos ang baligya namon nga kandila.  Thus St. Paul instructed the Thessalonians not to be shaken, nor lose their senses or be alarmed especially by people who mean to deceive them, but to remain calm.  Paul is telling the Thessalonians that a Christian after all should always live his life in joyful expectation and anticipation of the coming of the Lord, either when he comes to us in our own death kon kita mapatay or in his second coming on the last day.

Why should we live joyfully expecting the Lord?  Because of three things St. Paul said.   

First, he said, we live in the knowledge that each one of us is loved by God.  This is basic to our faith.  We are loved by God. It would be very hard to live life without this basic faith kon wala ka may ginabalikan sa imo kaugalingon nga ginahigugma ka sang Dios.   

Second we have with us eternal consolation, we live believing in the promises of God.  

 And third because of this we live in hope, we are always hopeful, not fearful or hopeless and desperate, but always hopeful.   

Three things said St. Paul, we are loved by God, we believe in his promises and we live in hope.  If that is in your center nothing will ever disturb you, not even the fear of the end of the world.

Another point which Paul also mentioned in passing is the fact that the teachings of the Lord and the apostles come to us either through oral statement or through letters.  Paul is therefore acknowledging that not all teachings were written down, not all teachings come to us in written form.  Stated plainly, to say that the bible alone is the source of faith, to say that the bible alone is the source of belief is wrong according to St. Paul.  The Catholic Church has always taught that the teachings of Jesus came to us through traditions and the bible.  St. John Chrysostom who lived in the 4^th century in his commentary on this passage says: “From this it is clear that the Apostles did not give everything through Epistles, but many things also not in writings; and these also worthy of faith. Wherefore, we also regard the tradition of the Church as worthy of faith.”