The judgment executed on Christ puts to death any thought that God could otherwise forgive sin. Unless there was no other way for us to be redeemed, the cross makes no sense… If there was any way to save the world other than by Jesus’ death on the cross, then His death was unnecessary and foolish. Would not a viable alternative make a mockery of Jesus’ own agonized words in the Garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matt. 26:39)? The cup was not removed, for there was no other way.
Iain Duguid

The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

{1:1} Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of theThessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to youand peace. {1:2} We give thanks to God always for you all, makingmention [of you] in our prayers; {1:3} remembering without ceasing yourwork of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord JesusChrist, before our God and Father; {1:4} knowing, brethren beloved ofGod, your election, {1:5} how that our gospel came not unto you in wordonly, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and [in] muchassurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselvestoward you for your sake. {1:6} And ye became imitators of us, and ofthe Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of theHoly Spirit; {1:7} so that ye became an ensample to all that believe inMacedonia and in Achaia. {1:8} For from you hath sounded forth the wordof the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place yourfaith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything.{1:9} For they themselves report concerning us what manner of enteringin we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve aliving and true God, {1:10} and to wait for his Son from heaven, whomhe raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrathto come.

{2:1} For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, thatit hath not been found vain: {2:2} but having suffered before and beenshamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our Godto speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict. {2:3} For ourexhortation [is] not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: {2:4}but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with thegospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth ourhearts. {2:5} For neither at any time were we found using words offlattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness;{2:6} nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, whenwe might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. {2:7} But wewere gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her ownchildren: {2:8} even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we werewell pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but alsoour own souls, because ye were become very dear to us. {2:9} For yeremember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, thatwe might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.{2:10} Ye are witnesses, and God [also], how holily and righteously andunblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe: {2:11} as yeknow how we [dealt with] each one of you, as a father with his ownchildren, exhorting you, and encouraging [you], and testifying, {2:12}to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you intohis own kingdom and glory. {2:13} And for this cause we also thank Godwithout ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of themessage, [even the word] of God, ye accepted [it] not [as] the word ofmen, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in youthat believe. {2:14} For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churchesof God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered thesame things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;{2:15} who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove outus, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; {2:16} forbiddingus to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up theirsins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. {2:17}But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presencenot in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face withgreat desire: {2:18} because we would fain have come unto you, I Paulonce and again; and Satan hindered us. {2:19} For what is our hope, orjoy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus athis coming? {2:20} For ye are our glory and our joy.

{3:1} Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it goodto be left behind at Athens alone; {3:2} and sent Timothy, our brotherand God’s minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and tocomfort [you] concerning your faith; {3:3} that no man be moved bythese afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed.{3:4} For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that weare to suffer affliction; even as it came to pass, and ye know. {3:5}For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that Imight know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you,and our labor should be in vain. {3:6} But when Timothy came even nowunto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love,and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, evenas we also [to see] you; {3:7} for this cause, brethren, we werecomforted over you in all our distress and affliction through yourfaith: {3:8} for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. {3:9} Forwhat thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joywherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; {3:10} night and daypraying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect thatwhich is lacking in your faith? {3:11} Now may our God and Fatherhimself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you: {3:12} and theLord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, andtoward all men, even as we also [do] toward you; {3:13} to the end hemay establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God andFather, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

{4:1} Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the LordJesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to pleaseGod, even as ye do walk, –that ye abound more and more. {4:2} For yeknow what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. {4:3} For this isthe will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain fromfornication; {4:4} that each one of you know how to possess himself ofhis own vessel in sanctification and honor, {4:5} not in the passion oflust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; {4:6} that no mantransgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is anavenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.{4:7} For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.{4:8} Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, whogiveth his Holy Spirit unto you. {4:9} But concerning love of thebrethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves aretaught of God to love one another; {4:10} for indeed ye do it towardall the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you,brethren, that ye abound more and more; {4:11} and that ye study to bequiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, evenas we charged you; {4:12} that ye may walk becomingly toward them thatare without, and may have need of nothing. {4:13} But we would not haveyou ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that yesorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. {4:14} For if webelieve that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that arefallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. {4:15} For this we sayunto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are leftunto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that arefallen asleep. {4:16} For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven,with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump ofGod: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; {4:17} then we that arealive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in theclouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with theLord. {4:18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

{5:1} But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have noneed that aught be written unto you. {5:2} For yourselves knowperfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.{5:3} When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destructioncometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall inno wise escape. {5:4} But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that thatday should overtake you as a thief: {5:5} for ye are all sons of light,and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; {5:6} sothen let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.{5:7} For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunkenare drunken in the night. {5:8} But let us, since we are of the day, besober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet,the hope of salvation. {5:9} For God appointed us not into wrath, butunto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, {5:10}who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should livetogether with him. {5:11} Wherefore exhort one another, and build eachother up, even as also ye do. {5:12} But we beseech you, brethren, toknow them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, andadmonish you; {5:13} and to esteem them exceeding highly in love fortheir work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. {5:14} And we exhortyou, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted,support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. {5:15} See that nonerender unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after that whichis good, one toward another, and toward all. {5:16} Rejoice always;{5:17} pray without ceasing; {5:18} in everything give thanks: for thisis the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward. {5:19} Quench not theSpirit; {5:20} despise not prophesyings; {5:21} prove all things; holdfast that which is good; {5:22} abstain from every form of evil. {5:23}And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spiritand soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming ofour Lord Jesus Christ. {5:24} Faithful is he that calleth you, who willalso do it. {5:25} Brethren, pray for us. {5:26} Salute all thebrethren with a holy kiss. {5:27} I adjure you by the Lord that thisepistle be read unto all the brethren. {5:28} The grace of our LordJesus Christ be with you.

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