1 Thessalonians 3:4 KJV
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Jesus told the apostles before and here Paul told the Thessalonians before that suffering was a part of this faith. The warning was meant to prepare the believers. And it obviously worked since the faith has held true these two thousand years. But it is also obvious that there were those who did not hold true since Paul was concerned that, by some means, the tempter had tempted them.
Many today appear to believe that the sign of God's hand in a ministry is that it is large and growing and has lots of money and plenty of peace. In fact there is every chance that that in itself is the temptation Paul was concerned over. His warning was that we should suffer. When we compromise so we do not suffer we have given over to the tempter.
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Jesus told the apostles before and here Paul told the Thessalonians before that suffering was a part of this faith. The warning was meant to prepare the believers. And it obviously worked since the faith has held true these two thousand years. But it is also obvious that there were those who did not hold true since Paul was concerned that, by some means, the tempter had tempted them.
Many today appear to believe that the sign of God's hand in a ministry is that it is large and growing and has lots of money and plenty of peace. In fact there is every chance that that in itself is the temptation Paul was concerned over. His warning was that we should suffer. When we compromise so we do not suffer we have given over to the tempter.
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