But As It Actually Is

Many people look at the pages of scripture and see a collection of old stories, letters, and historical references. There are certainly pieces of each of those, but what we often fail to recognize is that it is something deeply spiritual beyond words. It may have been written by men, but the words of the Bible are guided, instructed, and inspired by God himself.

Recognizing the authority of scripture can be hard in our modern context, but it was still hard back then, too. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul praises their local church for accepting the word of God as truth, not merely words from men. Just like today, people would have wondered: how is what Paul is saying truthful? What if this is another story, god or religion? Here is what the apostle said to them:

“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”

Zoom in on the bolded phrase: “but as it actually is.” This wasn’t Paul and other Christians trying to spread great messages and stories, hoping that people might follow their movement. Precisely the opposite – he was hoping they would come to see through his words that it was the word of God, the gospel of salvation for all who believe. And here, he’s thankful that the Thessalonians get it!

The Thessalonians understood it because the word of God was at work in their lives. They didn’t need a scientific debate or rational preacher to dissect the message, because they had come to see the truth of it in their own lives. They saw the letters from Paul as they actually are: the word of God.

What does this have to do with us today? Well, today we have the full context of scripture with us. We have hundreds of commentaries helping us relay the meaning of the Bible and every single word, prophecy or poem to us. Despite this, people still doubt. People wonder what it actually is, leading to more people than ever who are religiously unaffiliated, having no understanding of the Bible or religious study. The call for us is simple: read the message of scripture to find the truth. You can read any philosophical or lofty writer’s thoughts, but none of it matters until you see for yourself what is in there. I could be wrong, but I bet you would find the Bible to be as it actually is, not words full of empty stories, but the word of God, possessing the power to transform our hearts, minds, perspectives, and lives.