为教会的复兴和发展祷告（四）
帖后1:11：「因此，我们常为你们祷告，愿我们的神看你们配得过所蒙的召，又用大能成就你们一切所羡慕的良善和一切因信心所作的工夫。。」
提醒我们几个重要的信仰原则：
神的召唤和配得过的生活：保罗祈祷帖撒罗尼迦教会的信徒能够配得过神的召唤。这里的“配得过”指的是信徒的生活和行为应当与他们作为基督徒的身份相符合。这意味着信仰不仅是个人的信念，还应该体现在日常生活的实践中。
神的大能和信徒的愿望：保罗祷告神用大能成就信徒“一切所羡慕的良善”。这表明，信徒的美好愿望和追求，当它们符合神的旨意时，可以通过神的能力得以实现。这强调了信靠神和按照神的旨意行事的重要性。
信心所作的工夫：保罗提到“一切因信心所作的工夫”，这强调了信心在基督徒生活中的实际应用。信心不仅仅是心中的信念，也应该通过实际的行动和工作表现出来。
祷告的力量：保罗为教会祷告，显示了祷告在基督教信仰中的重要性。通过祷告，信徒们寻求神的引导、力量和智慧，以实现神的旨意，并在生活中体现出基督的形象。
这段经文提醒我们作为基督徒，我们的生活和工作应当反映出我们的信仰，并且我们应当依赖神的力量和智慧，以配得过神的召唤。同时，我们也应当通过祷告不断寻求神的引导和帮助。
问: 保罗在《帖撒罗尼迦后书》1:11中提到的“配得过所蒙的召”意味着什么？
参考答案:
在这节经文中，保罗提到的“配得过所蒙的召”意味着信徒们的生活和行为应该与他们作为基督徒的身份和所接受的神的召唤相符合。这不仅涉及个人的信仰和心灵上的转变，也包括他们在日常生活中的实际表现和决策。配得过神的召唤意味着在言语、行为、思想上都要反映出基督的教导和榜样。
问: 在《帖撒罗尼迦后书》1:11中，保罗为信徒们所祷告的“一切所羡慕的良善”和“一切因信心所作的工夫”应如何理解？
参考答案:
这里，“所羡慕的良善”指的是信徒们在属灵生活中所追求的美德和善行，这些都是出于他们对神的爱和对圣经教导的理解。而“因信心所作的工夫”强调了信仰不仅是内心的信念，而是需要通过实际的行动体现出来的生活方式。这些行动和工作是信仰的外在表现，反映了信徒对神的信赖和对基督教义的遵循。保罗的祷告鼓励信徒们在日常生活中实践他们的信仰，并寻求神的帮助来实现这些属灵目标。
Pray for the Revival and Growth of the Church
2 Thessalonian 1:11：“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”
This passage reminds us of several important principles of faith:
1. God's Calling and Worthy Living: Paul prayed that the believers in the Thessalonian church would be worthy of God's calling. "Worthy" in this context means that believers' lives and behaviour should be consistent with their identity as Christians. This means that faith is not only a personal conviction, but should also be manifested in the practice of daily life.
2. The Power of God and the Desire of the Believer: Paul prays for God to fulfill all the 'good desires' of the believers with His power. This indicates that the believer's good desires and pursuits can be fulfilled through the power of God when they are in accordance with His will. This emphasises the importance of trusting God and doing His will.
3. Works of Faith: Paul's reference to "all the works of faith" emphasises the practical application of faith in the Christian life. Faith is not just an internal belief, but should also be demonstrated through practical actions and deeds.
4. The Power of Prayer: Paul's prayers for the churches show the importance of prayer in the Christian faith. Through prayer, believers seek God's guidance, strength, and wisdom to fulfil God's will and to reflect the image of Christ in their lives.
This passage reminds us as Christians that our lives and work should reflect our faith and that we should rely on God's strength and wisdom to be worthy of God's call. At the same time, we should continually seek God's guidance and help through prayer.
Q: What does Paul mean by "worthy of the calling" in 2 Thessalonians 1:11?
Reference Answer:
In this passage, Paul's reference to being "worthy of their calling" means that believers should live and act in a way that is consistent with who they are as Christians and the calling they have received from God. This involves not only personal faith and spiritual transformation, but also practical behaviour and decision-making in their daily lives. Being worthy of God's call means reflecting Christ's teaching and example in words, deeds, and thoughts.
Q: In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, what is to be understood by Paul's prayers for believers, "every good thing to be envied" and "every work of faith"?
Reference Answer:
Here, the "every desire for goodness" refer to the virtues and good deeds that the believers pursue in their spiritual lives arising from their love for God and their understanding of the biblical teachings. The "works of faith" emphasise that faith is not just an inner conviction, but a way of life that needs to be manifested through practical actions. These actions and works are the outward expression of faith, reflecting the believer's trust in God and his adherence to Christian doctrine. Paul's prayer encourages believers to put their faith into practice in their daily lives, and to seek God's help in achieving these spiritual goals.