5/28/18
Tom Lowe
Lesson 5: The Manner of His Preaching (1Th 2:1-8)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NIV)
1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
Introduction:
The first section of Chapter 2 [v. 1-8] records Paul’s comments about his visit to Thessalonica. His words suggest that people outside the church were charging him with unworthy motives and improper conduct.
Lesson 4
1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our †visit to you was not without results.
In this letter written to the church at Thessalonica, Paul says that they knew that there were good results from his †visit, and therefore no one else needs to bear witness, for they themselves knew what happened. The calling of the Thessalonians to be witnesses was a masterly defense. It is clear that Paul had been accused of insincerity. His enemies said that he was more concerned to make money out of his converts than to present true teachings. The accusation would be made easier because †itinerant preachers, concerned only to feather their own nests, were common in those days. The apostle was being represented as nothing more than another of this class of vagrant preachers.
Paul’s explicit calling of the Thessalonians to witnesses did two things. In the first place it showed his confidence in them. He had no fear that they would succumb to the propaganda being put before them. In the second place it demonstrated that all the facts required for his vindication were common knowledge. Neither Paul nor the Thessalonians had any need to search for material to prove he was authentic and above-board. An allegation of insincerity could not stand in the light of such a public knowledge of the man and his work.
There has been some difference of opinion as to what is meant by the word rendered “without results.” It has also been translated as “a failure, fruitless, barren of results, and ineffective.” The best rendering, I believe, is either “hollow, empty, or wanting in purpose and earnestness.” However, Paul’s ministry among the Thessalonians was anything but “without results”; it was in fact so fruitful that not only were people saved and a vibrant, reproducing church planted, but the church also grew and flourished even after Paul left (1:5-8). Paul was not a failure. He had not come merely to give speeches. Changes in the Thessalonian believers’ lives testified to the value and success of his visit.
We have already seen in 1:4 that Paul addresses the community as “brothers,” but this does not mean he intends the letter only for men; the term adelphoi is best translated “believers.” Paul took for granted the patriarchal culture of his world (4:4; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16: “husband, the head of his wife,” †11:3), but he also knew that “in Christ” such patriarchy has no place (Galatians 3:26-28: “no longer male and female” in Christ), and, to some extent, working with women in leadership, he did overcome patriarchal biases. The evidence that women worked with him in his apostolic labors is unmistakable (Romans 16:1-7, 12-15: and Phoebe, Prisca, Junia; Philippians 4:2-3: Euodia, Syntyche).
†Itinerate preachers?There has probably never been such a variety of religious cults and philosophic systems as in Paul’s day. East and west had united and intermingled to produce a mix of real piety, high moral principles, crude superstition and gross lawlessness. Oriental mysteries, Greek philosophy, and local godlings competed for favor under the tolerant backing of Roman indifference. “Holy Men” of all creeds and countries, and popular philosophers, magicians, astrologers, crack-pots, and cranks; the sincere and the phony, the righteous and the rogue, swindlers and saints, jostled and clamored for the attention of the gullible and the skeptical.
†Visit? Paul was referring here to his first visit to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9).
† (1 Corinthians 11:3) “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his †gospel in the face of †strong opposition.
The apostle stated, “We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi.” Paul had come from Philippi after being badly treated and imprisoned there. He had undergone physical hardship (“had previously suffered”), and to that had been added verbal abuse (“treated outrageously”). Acts 16 tells us that the physical suffering had included flogging and the placing of his feet in the stocks. On that occasion, when it had been suggested that the jailer should simply free Paul and Silas, the great apostle had refused to leave until the praetors themselves had come to make amends for their treatment of Roman citizens. In his insistence of upholding the dignity of Roman citizenship we see something of the deep hurt Paul had experienced by the indignities heaped on him. So now, as he recalls those days, he uses a word that evokes memories of the insolence of those who had ill-treated him. All this is something of which the Thessalonians have knowledge, as Paul reminds them (“as you know”). And when opposition broke out in Thessalonica the missionaries kept on preaching. Their boldness amid “strong opposition” was the sign of God at work in his servants and was proof of their genuineness.
And then he said: “but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his †Gospel in the face of strong opposition.” The boldness and confidence he shows here are not natural attributes, for Paul speaks of daring “with the help of our God” (more literally, “you in our God”). Because he lived “in” his God he was always at home, no matter what the outward circumstances, and thus he always had that attitude of ready speech of which we have been thinking. It was because he lived and moved in God (†Acts 17:28) that no hardship and no opposition were able to take away his confidence and his courage (†2 Corinthians 4:7). The conclusion to be drawn from this is that IF GOD WANTS US TO DO SOMETHING HE WILL GIVE US THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO DO IT IN SPITE OF THE OBSTACLES THAT MAY COME OUR WAY.
† The gospel originated in God, it tells about God, and it invites people to take God’s way of salvation. It is the good news (not “good advice,” “good ideas,” “good principles,” etc.) about God; it tells not only what He is like but what He has done; and not only what he has done; but what He offers. God is both content and source of the Gospel (Mark 1:14; Romans 1:1; 15-16).
† Strong opposition denotes a very genuine resistance and very hostile opponent. It is used of fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7), and that is no half-hearted fight. The use of the word here and in 2 Thessalonians indicates that the opposition that Paul faced had been intense, and his preaching had not been easy. How, in the face of this, could it be said that he preached only for what he could get out of it?
† (Acts 17:28) “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” The phrase “in Him we live, and move, and have our being” seems to have been a more-or-less traditional Greek saying. Through God people live and move and have existence.
† (2 Corinthians 4:7) “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Though His people are weak, God uses them to spread His Good News, and He gives them the power to do His work. Knowing that the power is His should keep believers from pride and motivate them to keep daily contact with God, their power source. Believer’s responsibility is to let people see God through their lives.
3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error [deceit] or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
Paul turns to a defense of the apostles’ behavior while in Thessalonica. “Defense” suggests there had been accusations, but there is no direct evidence of this. He acknowledged that apostles had the right to material support (1 Corinthians 9:3-7), but he also knew of Christian preachers who, in his view, were greedy “peddlers of the word of God” and whom he contrasted with himself in his preaching of the Gospel “without charge” (2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Corinthians 9:12). He spoke of these charlatans in his second letter to the Corinthians: “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17). The question asked Paul in verse 16 is “who is sufficient for these things?” One might expect the answer, “No man.” But Paul implies in this verse that the apostles are sufficient. Not in themselves, nor by their own resources (†2 Cor. 3:5); but Paul like every true apostle is sufficient. The many, that is, the false apostles who have been troubling the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:13), are not. They are hucksters, peddlers. They think of personal advantage and profit (†2 Cor. 11:20); they adulterate God’s Word, the message of salvation, to suit their interests (†2 Cor. 11:4); and so Paul applies to them the figure of the unscrupulous petty tradesman or peddler who thinks only of using every tricky means to make financial profit. In contrast, the ministry of Paul and his apostolic comrades stands the test; they can be trusted with the life and death issues of the Gospel.
In his defense Paul clearly faces the accusation that “he was no better than the usual series of wandering preachers.” But he persisted in his message despite hardships, which shows that he was concerned for the truth, not private gain. The word rendered “appeal” has the original meaning of “a calling to one’s side,” that is, a call with a view to being helped. It acquired other meanings such as “entreaty,” “exhortation,” and “encouragement” (it is similar to the word rendered “Comforter” in John 14:16, etc.). Here it means “request,” “appeal.”
The second accusation was more serious: “impure motives” or “uncleanness” denotes moral impurity. The charge is startling to modern ears, and it must always be borne in mind when interpreting early documents that sexual impurity was a regular feature of many of the cults of antiquity, especially those from the East. Ritual prostitution was carried on in connection with many Temples, the idea apparently being that “one brought about union with the god by union with one of his consecrated ones.” The Jews, at least in later times and perhaps as early as this, frequently brought the accusation of immorality against the Christians. It has apparently been suggested in Thessalonica that Paul and his companions had been associated with such practices, and the apostle repels the charge with resolve.
The third accusation is that of using “trickery.” Paul’s actions (which the Thessalonians personally observed) demonstrated both his sincerity and his motives (which they could not observe but which Paul explained here). His method was not trickery and he did not seek to mislead, or deceive them, but was straightforward.
† (2 Cor. 3:5) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
† (2 Cor. 11:20) For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.
† (2 Cor. 11:4) For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.
In strong contrast to the improprieties of 2:3, Paul said he spoke out of the best motives, realizing that God had put his heart to the test. He and his companions did “not” speak . . . “to please people, but God.” Having been approved (“shown by testing to be genuine”) “by God,” He “entrusted” them “with the Gospel.” God would not have blessed their work if their motivation had not been right. Paul saw himself as a steward entrusted by God to carry His message of salvation to lost men and women (1 Corinthians 9:17). Paul, who views himself as under God’s constant scrutiny, would not dare to serve with the wrong motives.
Paul’s preaching could not have been filled with error, for he was entrusted by God with the message. He was not impure, for he had been approved by God. He was not a trickster, for he aimed at pleasing God, not people.
The word translated “approved” basically means “to test.” But “to test” readily passes over to the meaning “to approve by test.” Since the Gospel is of divine origin, no one may take it upon himself to proclaim it. God chooses his messengers and He tests them before committing the gospel to their trust.
Paul says his motives are pure, “We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.” Paul in fact might serve people, but he never served with the aim simply of pleasing them. If he served them, it was in the spirit of “ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (†2 Corinthians 4:5). So now he says that his aim had been to render service that would be well pleasing to God.
That pleasing God could not comprise merely outward deeds, but was concerned with inward motives, underlies the reminder that God tests (or, “keeps testing”) people’s hearts. We are apt to misunderstand references to the heart in the Scriptures, for we often use the term to denote the affections. But in antiquity the affections were thought of as located in the intestines (“bowels of compassion”). The heart, even though it might sometimes be used in a sense not far removed from our own, stood for the whole of our inner life, thought and will as well as emotions. Here the meaning is that God searches out the whole of our inner life. Nothing is hidden from Him.
It could be that some false teachers came into the church to discredit Paul’s ministry. This would account for his emphasis in verses 1-12 on his divine appointment, approval, integrity, and devotion to them (Acts 9:15; 16:9-10).
† (2 Corinthians 4:5) “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” “We preach . . . Christ Jesus the Lord.” Believe me, dear reader, you and I are helpless when we give out the Word of God. There is an enemy opposed to us, and he binds the minds of people.
Paul had stuck to the essential truths of the gospel. He didn’t try to impress with great oratory, something very popular at that time, but he kept his preaching very simple and put the gospel on the lower shelves so everyone could understand it. What is the essential truth of the gospel: “Christ’s death on the cross provided salvation for all those who believe in Him” (1 Co. 2:1-2{9]). This verse underscores another central aspect of Paul’s message: Jesus is Master, or Lord, of all believers.
5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
Here Paul moves on to the integrity of the messengers. “Never” covers the whole period; no room is left for exceptions. Paul denies, then, that he and his companions had ever made flattery their method. It is a matter of using insincerity as an instrument of policy, as a means of persuading another to do one’s will. “You know we never used flattery.” The trouble in the early Church was that there were people who did use flattery in an attempt to cash in on their Christianity. Paul “never used flattery.” He could have; he was one of the best educated men of his day; but he never used enticing words when speaking of man’s wisdom, never flattered the people to whom he preached. The Thessalonians knew that Paul preached in words easily understood, in straight-forward language with no frills on his words. He preached with boldness and in terms that could be understood by his hearers.
The second charge refuted also contains the idea of insincerity. The term “mask” denotes a false pretext that conceals the real motive. It is used of putting forward something that is plausible and that might well be true in itself, but that is not the real reason for doing whatever deed is referred too. So here Paul denies that evangelism had been simply a cover for an underlying “greed.” By greed he means an eager desire for what one does not have. Basically it is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), for it exalts itself to the highest position; it regards itself with a veneration that amounts to worship. Paul’s words are a warning to all his readers to be rigorous in their self-examination.
Note that Paul evokes two witnesses; the Thessalonians and God Himself, to attest to the apostles’ character (see also 2:10; Deut 17:6; 2 Corinthians 13:1)
6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
Verse 6 indicates that Paul was accused of seeking personal prestige. It is the preacher’s constant danger that he should seek to display himself and not the message. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 there is a suggestive component. Paul does not say, “I came to you.” He says, “Our Gospel came to you.” The man was lost in his message.
The third point Paul makes is that he and his associates had not sought the esteem of people, whether from the Thessalonians or any others (which might mean other Christians or other people in general). Here he claims that they did not seek praise for themselves, the emphasis being on the inner state of the preachers. The preachers did not look for commendation. They may have received it, and they certainly deserve it, but Paul’s point is that they did not seek it. Their motives were pure.
Paul speaks of the “apostles of Christ.” We read of the appointment of the apostles in Mark 3:14-15, where Jesus chose twelve men “that they might be with him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” This gives us the primary function of the apostles. They were to preach in Christ’s name and perform certain miracles. After Judas fell, the early church took steps to see that his place was filled. But they neither selected nor commissioned Matthias. They recognized that God had already chosen a successor (†Acts 1:24), and when, in answer to their prayer, God showed who the new apostle was, they simply numbered him with the eleven (†Acts 1:26). In the same vein Paul stressed that his apostolate was not of human origin (†Galatians 1:1).
The phrase “we could have asserted our authority” is literally “being able to be in weight” (NEB: “we might have made our weight felt”). This is the weight of influence which someone enjoys or claims,” and it means to “wield authority, insist on one’s importance.”
Since at least Silas and possibly Timothy are included in the term “apostles,” it cannot be used here in its highest meaning of those directly called by Christ, but carries the broader sense of “missionaries,” i.e. those who have been commissioned and sent out by the church (†Acts 13:4). The success of their mission, in spite of sustained opposition, was due largely to their courage inspired by God.
Gentleness is not often a respected quality. Power and assertiveness gain more respect in our society, even though none of us like to be bullied. Gentleness is love in action—being considerate, meeting the needs of others, allowing time for the other person to talk, and being willing to learn. It is an essential trait for both men and women. We all need to maintain a gentle attitude in our relationships with others. In reminding the Thessalonians of his conduct, he says five times what it did not involve: deception, people-pleasing, flattery, greed, and being a (financial) burden (2:5-9). It is a veritable catalog of what preachers should avoid.
It is interesting here to recall Jesus’ words: “Among the nations those who are seen as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them. . . . but it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant” (Mark 10:42-43). Paul’s actual conduct accords with Jesus’ instructions.
† (Acts 1:24) “Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.”
† (Acts 1:26) “Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
† (Galatians 1:1) “Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”
† (Acts 13:4) “The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.”
7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,
The meaning is that when they preached in Thessalonica the apostles spoke as simply as possible, as simply as babies. It is a strong expression for the extreme lengths to which they went to meet the needs of their hearers.
Paul speaks of being “among you,” though some versions have “in the midst of you.” He then compares his behavior to that of a mother (but the Greek means “a nurse”) among children. A nurse in such a position could be relied upon to give the children the most tender care. Paul claims to have given care like this to the Thessalonians. So far from trying to make gain of them he had become one of them. He had lavished affectionate care on them.
Some who have read this verse believe that Paul was charged with being something of a dictator. His gentleness was that of a wise father. His was the love which knew how to be firm. To him Christian love was no easy sentimental thing; he knew that men needed discipline, not for their punishment but for the good of their souls.
8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
All this had followed naturally enough from the fact that Paul and his companions had shared such a deep regard for the Thessalonians. Now he employs a very unusual word to express it. It expresses a real depth of desire: “we loved you so much” brings out much of its significance.
When Paul speaks of the gift they made, he puts “the gospel of God” first. Even when he is putting the emphasis elsewhere, he never loses sight of the fact that it was the Gospel that gave the reason for the very existence of the preachers. They were “slaves of Christ.” They lived to render service to God. The particular service to which they were called was the imparting of the blessing of news of the salvation that God Himself had made available to sinners through the atoning death of his Son. Nothing must ever obscure that great fact.
By “lives” he means their whole personality; his expression sums up their innermost being. Thus he is saying that in their preaching the apostles were totally committed to preaching the Gospel without concern for their own safety (also see 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:17). Paul had come to see the Thessalonians as the objects of God’s love, and therefore the objects of the love of God’s servants too.
Rather than being greedy (v.5) the missionaries “were delighted to share” with the Thessalonians. They not only gave the message of eternal life, “the gospel of God,” but also imparted their own innermost beings (literally, “our own souls”) as well. They gave whatever they had in order to help the beloved Thessalonians. The love of Paul and his companions is evident, for genuine love finds expression in giving to people—not only to their spiritual needs, which are primary, but also to their physical needs.
