Monday 8th December 2025
Robin Hill
“… you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another …”
1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NRSV)
God our Teacher
“Class,” asked the history teacher at the end of a rather dull module on the Battle of Hastings, “how can we best describe life in England before the Battle of Hastings in 1066?”
The silence of apathy expanded to fill the room, until young Andy (a bright and witty – though often annoying – lad) raised his hand to say: “I don’t know, Miss, coz I wasn’t there.”
Too clever for his own good, Andy nevertheless makes a valid point. While historians might come up with best-guess conjectures on days long gone, there will always be a big mound of uncertainty to navigate our way around whenever we try to look far, far back in time.
Similarly, in matters of faith it can be troubling when we do our best to pin down what our world was really like in the BC years. Then, when we move our gaze forward to the early AD period, how are we to piece together the jigsaw puzzle that is the Church of Jesus Christ in the first century?
Another big question raises its weary head: how are we Christians of the present age to compare the “before” with the “after” … with the “now”?
When Paul writes to a young congregation offering his support, he says something very touching, namely that the believers of Thessalonica in Macedonia, “do not need to have anyone write” to them. (What an accolade for a young group of Christians starting out in the faith of Jesus!) It seems that the writer feels his words of wisdom might be unnecessary in this instance. Still, he seems keen to continue with this topic, and that is when he provides his big “because”.
The reason for needing no guidance is plainly that the congregation has been “taught by God” to love one another. In moving close to God’s holy presence, in seeking God’s wisdom, in trying their best to remain together in one mind under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these people have found their lives changed – bent round in the direction of love.
The baby born in Bethlehem will become the adult who challenges his listeners to faith in all its many facets. And through his life, his death, his Resurrection, Christ will be the one who brings people – individually and communally – into a new relationship with the God who is nothing less than Love itself.
So if you want to know how the Earliest Church might have operated in the Light of the Risen Christ’s presence, you could do worse than look to the people of a first century Church who were “taught by God”.
Shall we pray?
God of wise instruction, draw us near to you amid the clattering noise and the tireless busyness of these days. Draw us near … and in the stillness and calm of your presence teach us your Son’s way of life … his way of Love. Amen.
Thinking it through:
Make a list of all the descriptions you have used of God in your daily living. Does “Teacher” feature on it?
What might have led to the Church at Thessalonica to be open to God’s instruction?
In these days of Advent, how might we turn our lives around to be similarly open to God?