The Gospel: Ringing Out! (Part 1)

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:8

Old Testament scholars will tell us that in Hebrew writing, the main message of a passage is not usually found at the beginning or the end of the passage but at its center. This literary device is called chiasm. We see chiasm at work especially in the Psalms. One of the most beautiful examples is in Psalm 23, where we read, in verse 4, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Because the Lord is our shepherd, there is no need for us to fear.

Today is the middle of September, and with the idea of chiasm in mind, let’s pay close attention to verse 8 of 1 Thessalonians 1. Our theme for this month is “Resonance,” and in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 we find that “the Lord’s message rang out . . .”—it resonated. It’s interesting that this is the only place in the Bible where the original Greek word for resonate is used. Tomorrow we will unpack its meaning, but, for now, let’s simply reflect on this beautiful verse to capture the central theme of our devotions for this month. We celebrate with the apostle Paul that the gospel of Jesus is ringing out with beauty and power.

May this verse also powerfully reflect our everyday lives and the ongoing service of the church of Jesus.

Dear Jesus, may your message ring out from our lives today—in our conversations and our interactions with everyone we meet. May the joy of our faith be clear and attractive to others, we pray. Amen.

Written by: Kevin DeRaaf