Comfort each other

Therefore comfort one another with these words… Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.  – 1 Thessalonians 4.18; 5.11

If there is any area – no let me restate that – among the many areas of theology where I am weak, I think my greatest weakness is eschatology. There are so many notions and ideas and theories, and there have been since the John penned those words – ‘even so, come Lord Jesus.’ When I was much younger I had it all figured out. Now I have to admit that know far less than I thought I did.

I do know this – Jesus is coming back again.

There is a lot of debate about the details and timing and such. These folks in Thessalonica were confused. Someone had told them that Jesus had already returned and they had missed him. Paul wrote to assure them that they had not missed the second coming of Christ.

But, for me today, that is not the issue.  For me the point today is the purpose of Paul’s words because they are words that he repeats later in the book.

Comfort one another with these words.

Comfort each other and edify one another.

It seems to me that the church and its members can be much quicker to confront than to comfort. Where we are called to be comforters and edifiers we can be so set on having our way or proving our point that we are better and conflict and tearing down.

We all need comfort. The world is not going to provide it. No matter what is going on or how long it is before He comes back we need to comforting each other in the meantime.