2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
St. Paul planted dozens of congregations during his missionary journeys. Even though he wasn’t able to stay with any one of them as a long-term Pastor, he stayed in touch with all of them with letters and visits. These letters were vitally important to the early Church because they provided a consistent message about the Gospel of Jesus before the four Gospel accounts that we now have were even written.
Since then, it has been the responsibility of the Church in every generation to proclaim the Gospel in its purity and safeguard the teachings of Jesus from those who would misuse or misrepresent them. It’s not an easy job because it’s often difficult to determine which of the many voices proclaiming the Gospel are being faithful to Jesus’ intent. In truth, none of us get it right all the time.
So, how do we “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that [we] were taught”? Even though our instinct is to preserve everything exactly as it is, that’s not the answer. Instead, we must diligently and faithfully look at everything through the lens of the Gospel. Is what we’re saying and doing consistent with the teachings and character of Jesus? Can you imagine these words coming out of Jesus’ mouth? Are we loving our neighbors as Jesus loves us?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are lots of voices wanting to put words in your mouth. Sometimes the voice is mine. Call me back when I wander off and help me use Your Gospel of Love to measure everything I see and hear. AMEN