The Master Motive Series

How should a Christian defend himself when his character and

motives are attacked in an effort to belittle the Gospel which he

proclaims? Paul had to face this question everywhere he went, for

the Judaisers were hot on his trail trying to destroy the fruit of his

labors. From the defensive nature of this chapter it is clear that they

had arrived at Thessalonika as well, and they were trying to

discredit the whole revival experience. You can imagine the subtle

attacks they would use to undermine these new converts and cause

them to question.

They would say something like, “O you say that Paul was the

man who got this new movement going. Isn’t he the man with the

prison record going around stirring up trouble everywhere? He is a

brave man doing what he is doing, but then a man would do almost

anything if there is enough money in it. Just get a few good speeches

together and you can make a mint feeding people fancy ideas about

religion. I wouldn’t mind starting my own religion either if I was

free, like Paul, to be able to hit and run.” Others would be far less

subtle, and they would just accuse Paul outright of being a religious

racketeer out to get all he could from anyone sucker enough to fall

for his deception.

We need to keep in mind that this was a new thing. Paul

appeared on the scene with the Gospel. They believed and then Paul

had to move on, and they had no Bible or long history to fall back

on. Attacks like this would be serious. Paul was worried about how

they would hold out under tribulation and these attacks on the one

who brought them the Gospel. In this chapter we see him defending

himself, and we want to look at the two fold approach he uses in his

defense.

I. HE REJECTS THE FALSE CHARGES.

Paul just flatly rejects any such charges that he was trying to

trick them with impure motives. Peter likewise had to defend

himself as he wrote, “We have not followed cunningly devised

fables.” Men do not go around defending themselves unless there is

an attack on them, and so these verses reveal the constant battle the

Apostles had with public relations. This has been a major area of

conflict through the ages. Christian schools and organizations need

public relations offices constantly keeping people informed that the

charges against them are false.

In Paul’s day many false prophets were already active, and as

things went on they got worse. John later says that anti-Christ is

even now already at work in our midst. In such a situation you have

counterfeits at large that men can point to as examples of falsehood

and deceit. Paul could do what many evangelists since could not do.

The whole profession of evangelism has been given a black eye by

the false and deceitful methods by which some get decisions. Paul

used no such methods, and yet he was of the greatest success. He

respected people and did not take them for fools. There were no

tricks when Paul preached. He presented the Gospel in its

simplicity. We never read of Paul trying to get hands up and then

pressuring those people to come forward. Paul believed in the

sovereignty of God when it comes to evangelism. You do your best

and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. This is why I appreciate Billy

Graham. He gives the message and offers those who want to receive

Christ the opportunity to come. There are no tricks or pressure. If

God does not move them there is no point in trying to get a decision.

It is only a Spirit induced decision that is a saving decision. Knowing

that, Paul avoided all appearances of evil. He could say in perfect

confidence that he has rejected all deceit.

Even if deceit can sometimes get more results, honest

dependence upon God is the only way to go. You might wonder

about what practical value this is to us. I can’t speak for everyone,

but my experience has been that a good many Christians feel that

the end justifies the means. They feel that when it comes to getting a

person to decide for Christ anything goes. I use to think it was very

clever of a student I knew to think up unique ways of witnessing. He

would go into a restaurant and sit down by some man. Then he

would have a friend come in and sit by him. He would begin to

witness to his friend as if he was a stranger, and do so loud enough

to make sure the other man heard.

Such a method is highly unlikely to be effective, and the whole