THE response to the ministry of preaching the gospel is at the heart of all ministry. Without a response, all ministry is left with nothing. All who preach, if they preach truly as ministers of Christ, feel failure unless there is a response in receiving the word of God, believing it and living by it. Paul expresses here his joy that as he preached in Thessalonica there was this response to the word preached in that the people received it as the very word of God, and believed it and obeyed it. Because of this Paul gave thanks to God constantly, thanking God who alone is the one who produces this effective response.

There are several important truths that are embedded in this text for us to consider if we are to get something of the full flavour and blessing from this verse.

PAUL'S CLAIM AND ITS IMPLICATION.

Paul speaks of the word he preached as really the word of God. In other words Paul is declaring that God had spoken to him, and taught him, so that what he preached was in fact God speaking through him.

In this claim we have opened to us the truth that God has spoken, and revealed himself, and made his purpose and ways known, so that we who believe can know the mind and purpose of God.

We have here the whole doctrine of inspiration made plain to us. Paul, and the other apostles, specially those who wrote down their teaching, made this claim that God had revealed himself to them plainly, so that they could declare the word of God to others. When Paul says in our verse that the word he preached was truly the word of God, he is declaring that God so held him, and empowered him, so that what he spoke revealed the mind and message of God to his people, and indeed to the world; and this revealing of the mind of God was protected from all mistake in understanding, and from all error.

When Paul tells us that the word he spoke was really the word of God, he was claiming that God spoke through him truly and perfectly, all the truth which God desired to reveal to us in this world, and specially to those who believe.

From this we can deduce and hold fast to the claim of the apostles that this inspiration covered all those who recorded the truth of God in the Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Paul tells us that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is God breathed, so that it is truly God speaking. This understanding and claim is supported by Christ's attitude to the Old Testament. During his ministry, Christ was constantly referring to the Old Testament and clearly accepting it and declaring it to be the very word of God, with the full authority of God.

Although the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament his handy work, this revelation of God in creation is limited. If God had not revealed himself through his apostles and the prophets, which he has done in the inspired and infallible word of God, the Bible, we would know little of God, and nothing of how we can know God, be reconciled to God and God reconciled to us. We would be living in this world, as Paul speaks of in Ephesians 2, without hope, without God in the world.

ATTITUDE TO THE WORD OF GOD.

The testimony that Paul gives to the Thessalonians is one of great importance. Paul tells us that when they listen to Paul preaching, they received it as the very word of God. They did not treat Paul's preaching as words of a man, expressing his own ideas, but they received Paul's preaching as the truth of God, and they accepted Paul's words as God speaking to them.

It was because the Thessalonians received the preaching of Paul in this way and with this belief, that they received great blessing. God revealed himself to them so they knew what God required of them, and so they entered into the blessing God gives to all who listen to his word and receive it as God speaking to them the words of eternal truth, which had to be believed and obeyed.

This shows us what is the only true way to view the Bible and the revelation which God gives of himself in the Bible. We must receive it, as it really is, as God speaking his will and purpose to us. It is only in this way that our understanding will be opened to the truth of God. Because this is the truth about the Bible then the only right and safe way to proceed in life is to seek to understand the Bible in its plain and obvious meaning, and live by it. In this way we shall be led into the truth of salvation which the Bible's revelation is all about. If we do not receive the message of the Bible in this way then we shall find that we will miss the truth and remain, with the rest of humanity, without hope and without God in the world.

When Paul preached he was preserved from error, and his preaching was the true truth of God, and could safely be received and believed. The apostles were in a unique and privileged position. Christ had told them that he would send the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth. This meant that they would be given by the Holy Spirit true understanding and appreciation of Christ in his life and work, on earth and in heaven, and be able perfectly to make that understanding clear to those to whom they preached, and be able to speak with authority the true truth of God.

Ministers and preachers today are only to be received as speaking the truth of God when they faithfully proclaim the message of the Bible without any addition or subtraction. The authority of ministers is not in themselves but in the word of God stored in the Bible. Their authority only abides and is to be believed and received when it is the faithful exposition of the Word of God in the Bible that they proclaim. The believers in Berea were commended because they searched the Scriptures to see that what they were being taught actually was the truth of God.

Paul was a responsible and faithful preacher because he always spoke the truth of God revealed to him. The example here is for all ministers to be faithful to the Bible, and endeavour always, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to speak nothing but the true meaning of the Bible.

EFFECT OF GOD'S WORD.

When the word of God is received as God speaking to us then Paul tells us it is at work in us. In other words the word received by faith and obeyed changes our lives. The change is into the image of God that God is working in us, so that we are made fit to live with God in the heavenly realm for all eternity.

The question which we need to ask is what this work of the word of God is? In the first place the word of God believed and received changes our attitude to ourself. We see more and more clearly how God views us. This shows itself in an ever increasing realisation of the sinfulness of our flesh or sinful nature. It shows itself in a clearer assessment of our lives, that we fall short of the glory of God all the time. It reveals itself in an increased humility before God as we realise our sinfulness, and how much we have no right to glory in ourselves. Because of this we are humble before God and learn daily to submit to the Lord in total obedience

From this the word of God works in us a deeper sense of the love and grace of God, by deepening our understanding that we are dependent on God's grace alone. The word of God leads us, more and more, to place ourself in the hands of Jesus, relying on him completely for our acceptance with God, having no confidence in our flesh. We still use our natural gifts in living for the Lord, but attribute all blessing and growth in grace and holiness, not to our own efforts, but to God who is working within us to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The word of God tells us that all things are working together for our good, and in so many ways shows us the reality of this work of God, so that on the one hand we praise him for his love and grace working in us; and on the other we learn to accept all things that happen in our lives as under the control of our wise God, and live in the assurance that it is only good that he is working in us.

The word of God, as we receive it, believe it, study it and meditate upon it, works in us joy, assurance and peace. The word of God achieves this as the Holy Spirit opens up to us an ever deeper appreciation and understanding of the great work Christ has done, and is doing, for our salvation, and opens to us the wonder of the blessings and privileges which are ours in Christ. The word of God teaches us how to put on the whole armour of God so we may stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. It tells us in a practical way what this armour is, and we put in on for our safety against the assaults of the evil one.