If you are like me, many times I will skip any thought of meaning to biblical salutations. In large measure, I think, there is the perception that they simply serve as an ancient literary form, similar to saying "hello." I am not denying that they serve as a greeting, but if one closely "unpacks" a salutation is there meaning there that is profitable for the life of the church. In other words: is there more there than a simple greeting?
Tonight at Firestone Park Baptist church we will be engaging the opening salutation in the book of First Thessalonians. At first read, it appears to reinforce common and modern notions of salutations, as we quickly hurry to find a "nugget" of spiritual substance. Yet, with a bit of effort, the salutation will show a complexity of both theology and practice that is a benefit to the modern church.
The cool thing about coming together to study the salutation is that when we come together we will be modeling the very core teaching embedded there.
Come out to study an ancient literary form for the purpose of edifying the church.
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