In Advent we jump all around the scriptures. The appointed readings are all tied together by common Advent themes, but sometimes it’s hard to work out how they all mesh together.
Today we have another account of John the Baptiser, this time from the gospel of John (hey are two different Johns). John’s gospel was written late in the first century or early in the second century – so 70-80 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. To put that in context, it helps to imagine the differences between, say, 2005 and 1935. In 1935, most houses in Perth didn’t have electricity. There was no TV in 1935. In 1935, ABC radio was three years old. The difference between 1935 and 2005 was the difference between when Jesus was crucified to when the Gospel of John was written down. The technological advancement wasn’t quite as fast, but the world had changed a heck of a lot.
But our other reading today is from 1 Thessalonians. The date of 1 Thessalonians is around 52CE. That’s maybe 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Things change in twenty years, of course. But the difference between, say, 2000 when we had the Sydney Olympics and today in 2020 is not so dramatic. The majority of people alive can remember twenty years ago. We can remember John Howard as Prime Minister and, even if you never played it, you can remember that the release of the Playstation 2 was a big deal.
So, when 1 Thessalonians was written down, the historical character of Jesus was still a living memory for people. A couple of decades had passed, sure, but Paul and James and Peter had been keeping the dream alive (while arguing with each other quite a bit). 1 Thessalonians is the earliest letter of Paul’s that we have. It doesn’t mean it is the earliest written – it’s just the earliest one that actually have a copy of. And it is almost uniformly accepted as an authentic letter of Paul – it’s where the new testament began.
Now, the thing about 1 Thessalonians, is that in it, Paul is absolutely convinced that the end of the world is very close. He explains what is going to happen: Jesus will descend from the sky, he will shout a command, the Archangel will call out and God’s trumpet shall sound and then, all those who have died in Christ will rise from their graves. Then the rest of us will fly up after them and meet them in the air.
Paul wants the Thessalonians to remember that the day of the Lord’s coming will be ‘like a thief in the night’. So they need to be ready. Constantly ready. They are to keep themselves pure and, for Paul, this means three things. Firstly, they are not to engage in porneia. We tend to translate this as ‘sexual immorality’, and I’ll come back to this. Secondly, the Thessalonians are to keep their bodies under control, not giving in to pleasure, and not be like Gentiles who do not know God. Thirdly, they are not to exploit people in their business affairs.
Why these three things in particular? The Thessalonian community are not Jews, they are gentile converts. And Paul knows the stereotypes of Greeks in a Roman city. They are sexually brazen, they are pleasure-seekers and they are corrupt. So Paul demands of the Christ-followers that they reject the old life, and the life of their peers in the city, and embrace a separate life. He wants them to demarcate.
Now, we shouldn’t underestimate the impact of this lifestyle. The Thessalonians would not be worshipping the statue of Augustus in the public square. Where everyone else in Thessalonika was celebrating ‘The Augustan Era’ (a public celebration), the Christ-followers were getting ready for the Christ-era. The Christians in Thessalonika were dangerous because they threatened the economic prosperity of the city – if Rome found out there was sedition, the fortunes of the city could change very quickly.
But Paul is insistent. The followers of Christ are to set themselves apart, in word and action, until Jesus returns in glory. That was how they were to get ready for the end of the world. No matter what the cost, they were not to go back to their old ways.
You’re probably thinking ‘hang on, this all sounds familiar’. There are groups of Christians like that today. People who make a big deal about being separate, about being pure, about turning your back on the old life and living completely in the new. Many of us, including me, get a bit nervous when people start talking like that because those kinds of communities can be incubators for manipulation and abuse. What starts out as a beautiful, communal, pure lifestyle, can rapidly degenerate into excessive control and compliance.
But in the Anglican tradition, we have veered almost entirely the other way. We tend to want to see ourselves as part of the community, a key contributor to society, and (hopefully) a positive influence on government. This is part of our history as the established Church of England. When young parents come and ask for their kid to be baptised, we don’t say ‘you must turn your back on the old life and forget everything you ever knew, and swear allegiance to the true King, Jesus’. Well, actually we do, but we do it in poetic liturgy words so it’s more palatable. We aim for permeable edges and easy points of access. We do some weird religious stuff, but we do it in highly visible buildings that are open to the public, and where you can also learn macrame or tai chi or bash a tambourine with a group of toddlers.
This sermon is the third in a series entitled ‘Getting Ready for the End of the World’ and I’ll be honest, it’s starting to do my head in. Because when I read this text, this indisputably early text, this raw, primal bit of writing from the dawn of Christianity, and I compare this radical community in Thessalonika with what the church is today, it’s hard to see how we’re part of the same movement. They legit believed that the end was coming and that they were the welcoming party for the new era, when Christ would come back in glory and judge the whole world. And they believed it because Paul convinced them it was true and helped them set up a nucleus of committed people, then wrote them letters to egg them on.
If Paul was around today, he would be closely watched by cops and religious leaders alike.
So, I’m not saying that we need to cordon ourselves off and establish fortresses. I’m not saying that we need to abandon our families and jobs and friendships in order to follow Christ. But I think, as we get ready for the end of the world, we should be distinguishable from the rest of the world, in the way we act, the way we speak, and the way we do business. Paul was particularly concerned about sex and pleasure, and that might be a problem for some of us too. Paul was also concerned about doing business ethically, and some of us might need to take that seriously as well. But the truth is that there are myriad ways that we are selfish or cruel or exploitative or nasty. There are so many ways in which we Christians are indistinguishable from our peers, and so many ways in which the church behaves exactly like every other institution.
Paul implores us – implores me! -to reject that empty, fruitless life and embrace a new way. He concludes his letter with the words we heard read today, and the words with which I will leave you. Words not of condemnation or accusation, but words of hope and encouragement:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and will do this.
The Lord Be With You