1Th 2:2 | KingComments | STEP | . With the words “for you yourselves know” Paul reminds the Thessalonians of what they saw when he and his companions appeared in the city. You may probably remember that also in chapter 1 something is said about the entrance that Paul and his companions found with the Thessalonians ( ). Other people in that place testified of that entrance. Here Paul is testifying of it himself. He reminds them that the entrance was not without result. It is also hidden in the way he addresses them. He calls them “brethren”, a title which he earlier could not use, because then they did not know the Lord Jesus. In this beautiful title you can sense the warm relationship that Paul has with them and which arose when the gospel found entrance with them. . They were informed about what Paul had to face in the city of Philippi ( ). He, as it were, showed them his bloody back when he came to preach the gospel to them. The torture and slander that he had to endure at Philippi had not extinguished his burning desire to preach the gospel (cf. ; ). The entrance that they had was that of wounded laborers. Paul did not encourage them to endure tribulations without him having the courage himself to endure it. He was speaking from experience. His courage to move on was not from himself. It was not a matter of taking a deep breath and keep on going. He had “boldness in our God”. That is not a natural courage or enthusiasm, but Divine capability. ‘Boldness’ is expressed in ‘saying everything you want to’, ‘speaking fearlessly’. If this way of speaking does not happen “in our God”, it is no more than an impertinent and audacious way of using words. The expression ‘in our God’ means that you are aware of your personal relationship with God, that He surrounds you behind and before. It keeps you from doing your own will and makes you feel safe and supported and also dependent. And how necessary is that, for preaching the gospel always goes hand in hand with a lot of struggles. There is a mighty adversary who does everything in his power to prevent the gospel to be preached. Speaking about the gospel, like Paul says here, is quite different from making the gospel discussable. The gospel is not one of the many and nice themes that are interesting to once debate about. The gospel is unique according to its origin and content. People who really believe in it, cannot keep it for themselves, but would rather speak about it ( ). But just because its content originates from God and Christ, everyone who speaks about it will not want to use words that would harm its uniqueness. . That may cause inward struggles in situations where the preacher runs the risk to adjust the gospel according to the world, in order to make it more acceptable. It may also be necessary that the battle is fought outwardly. Everyone who in his faithfulness to the gospel wants to talk about the words of the Scripture – for that alone is the power that leads people to conversion – will sense the increase of the pressure from outside not to preach the gospel in such a radical way. Paul was proclaiming an uncompromising gospel. He was in no way to be deluded by anything or anyone around him. His motives were crystal clear, without any impurity. He has never sought any advantage for his own sake. The gospel was not a way for him to make a living. It has caused him more slander and persecution than honor and prosperity. He summarizes extensively all the things that he is not to be blamed for. These negative things are actually found in all kinds of sects. Money, or the honor of people, plays an important role there. The exhortation, the call for repentance, was not made by him “from error”. He did not deceive them and lead them to an errant way. The source of his preaching was the pure, unadulterated Word of God. He also shook off the blame of “impurity”, as if he were seeking to fulfill his lusts, of himself. Nor did his preaching have anything to do with “deceit”, as if he had presented them with a bait by which he ensnared them. . How did Paul and his companions escape those dangers? How do we escape them? It is only by doing these things in fellowship with God. Paul always speaks about God. He brings everything in connection with Him and therefore he could say that he and his companions “have been approved by God”. When they went out together, all three of them had made the necessary experiences in the service of the Lord. Whatever the difference in age, education and experience, they were no novices. These were the men whom God had entrusted the gospel with. He gave it to them as, as it were, a precious gift to deal with faithfully (cf. ; ). Paul is well aware of the fact that it goes together with a great responsibility. That is embedded in the words “so we speak”. How could he dare to deal with something that God had entrusted him with, otherwise than it was fitting to Him by Whom it was given? Any kind of pleasing people was absolutely out of the question here. Who would ever dare to adjust the gospel according to the taste of the world? No, when God is so before your attention, you think only of Him and want to speak only what He has said. Then you are aware that God is examining your heart, which indicates that you always want to have that fellowship with God. The examining of the heart is continually needed, so that wrong motives may not creep in and take their place. . Neither did Paul use “flattering speech” to win them for the gospel. He says it strongly: he has “never” made use of that. They know that, for they have observed it themselves. He who lives in the presence of God, like Paul and his companions do, knows that flattering speech is condemnable in God’s sight. Elihu was fully aware of that ( ). Flattering speech does not bring people into the light of God, but brings them further away from God. Flattering speech pleases man in his selfishness and pride and makes him insensitive to the need because of his sins. Whoever uses flattering speech, only does that to get something done by others for his own advantage. It is winning the other person in order to use him for his own goal. With flattering speech God is fully put aside and it is all about man. With regard to flattering speech, Paul refers to the testimony of the Thessalonians; regarding the covetousness he refers to God as Witness. God alone can judge the motives of the heart. A “pretext for greed” implies that the true motive is covered. Covetousness is the motive, but it is presented in a deceiving robe. The love for material things, especially money, makes a person to be inventive in using methods which hides this love in the sight of others, while the desired thing is being sought for. We ourselves have to work, in order to provide for our needs. Do we have to bother other people and ask them money (begging letters) or even allude to it (manipulating)? . Another great danger for everyone who wants to serve the Lord is the seeking of the “glory from men”. Paul neither did that. How easily he could have impressed them by his dignity as an apostle. He was after all a person of great spiritual class. How much honor would that have delivered him if he had presented himself like that. But he was not seeking to establish his own importance. He did not want to put before them any particular obligations they would have toward him. He was always seeking the spiritual well-being of the Thessalonians and that is still the most important thing to him. He had not been among them as a claimant, but as a mother. In the next section we will go further into that. Now read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 again. Reflection: Which characteristics do Paul and his companions have and which do they not have? What can you apply to yourself?

‏ 1 Thessalonians 2:2

The Way the Gospel Got Entrance

1Thes 2:1. With the words “for you yourselves know” Paul reminds the Thessalonians of what they saw when he and his companions appeared in the city. You may probably remember that also in chapter 1 something is said about the entrance that Paul and his companions found with the Thessalonians (1Thes 1:9). Other people in that place testified of that entrance. Here Paul is testifying of it himself. He reminds them that the entrance was not without result.

It is also hidden in the way he addresses them. He calls them “brethren”, a title which he earlier could not use, because then they did not know the Lord Jesus. In this beautiful title you can sense the warm relationship that Paul has with them and which arose when the gospel found entrance with them.

1Thes 2:2. They were informed about what Paul had to face in the city of Philippi (Acts 16:19-24). He, as it were, showed them his bloody back when he came to preach the gospel to them. The torture and slander that he had to endure at Philippi had not extinguished his burning desire to preach the gospel (cf. Acts 4:29; Eph 6:19-20). The entrance that they had was that of wounded laborers. Paul did not encourage them to endure tribulations without him having the courage himself to endure it. He was speaking from experience.

His courage to move on was not from himself. It was not a matter of taking a deep breath and keep on going. He had “boldness in our God”. That is not a natural courage or enthusiasm, but Divine capability. ‘Boldness’ is expressed in ‘saying everything you want to’, ‘speaking fearlessly’. If this way of speaking does not happen “in our God”, it is no more than an impertinent and audacious way of using words.

The expression ‘in our God’ means that you are aware of your personal relationship with God, that He surrounds you behind and before. It keeps you from doing your own will and makes you feel safe and supported and also dependent. And how necessary is that, for preaching the gospel always goes hand in hand with a lot of struggles. There is a mighty adversary who does everything in his power to prevent the gospel to be preached.

Speaking about the gospel, like Paul says here, is quite different from making the gospel discussable. The gospel is not one of the many and nice themes that are interesting to once debate about. The gospel is unique according to its origin and content. People who really believe in it, cannot keep it for themselves, but would rather speak about it (2Cor 4:13). But just because its content originates from God and Christ, everyone who speaks about it will not want to use words that would harm its uniqueness.

1Thes 2:3. That may cause inward struggles in situations where the preacher runs the risk to adjust the gospel according to the world, in order to make it more acceptable. It may also be necessary that the battle is fought outwardly. Everyone who in his faithfulness to the gospel wants to talk about the words of the Scripture – for that alone is the power that leads people to conversion – will sense the increase of the pressure from outside not to preach the gospel in such a radical way.

Paul was proclaiming an uncompromising gospel. He was in no way to be deluded by anything or anyone around him. His motives were crystal clear, without any impurity. He has never sought any advantage for his own sake. The gospel was not a way for him to make a living. It has caused him more slander and persecution than honor and prosperity. He summarizes extensively all the things that he is not to be blamed for. These negative things are actually found in all kinds of sects. Money, or the honor of people, plays an important role there.

The exhortation, the call for repentance, was not made by him “from error”. He did not deceive them and lead them to an errant way. The source of his preaching was the pure, unadulterated Word of God. He also shook off the blame of “impurity”, as if he were seeking to fulfill his lusts, of himself. Nor did his preaching have anything to do with “deceit”, as if he had presented them with a bait by which he ensnared them.

1Thes 2:4. How did Paul and his companions escape those dangers? How do we escape them? It is only by doing these things in fellowship with God. Paul always speaks about God. He brings everything in connection with Him and therefore he could say that he and his companions “have been approved by God”. When they went out together, all three of them had made the necessary experiences in the service of the Lord. Whatever the difference in age, education and experience, they were no novices. These were the men whom God had entrusted the gospel with. He gave it to them as, as it were, a precious gift to deal with faithfully (cf. Mt 25:21; 1Cor 4:2).

Paul is well aware of the fact that it goes together with a great responsibility. That is embedded in the words “so we speak”. How could he dare to deal with something that God had entrusted him with, otherwise than it was fitting to Him by Whom it was given? Any kind of pleasing people was absolutely out of the question here. Who would ever dare to adjust the gospel according to the taste of the world? No, when God is so before your attention, you think only of Him and want to speak only what He has said. Then you are aware that God is examining your heart, which indicates that you always want to have that fellowship with God. The examining of the heart is continually needed, so that wrong motives may not creep in and take their place.

1Thes 2:5. Neither did Paul use “flattering speech” to win them for the gospel. He says it strongly: he has “never” made use of that. They know that, for they have observed it themselves. He who lives in the presence of God, like Paul and his companions do, knows that flattering speech is condemnable in God’s sight. Elihu was fully aware of that (Job 32:21-22).

Flattering speech does not bring people into the light of God, but brings them further away from God. Flattering speech pleases man in his selfishness and pride and makes him insensitive to the need because of his sins. Whoever uses flattering speech, only does that to get something done by others for his own advantage. It is winning the other person in order to use him for his own goal. With flattering speech God is fully put aside and it is all about man.

With regard to flattering speech, Paul refers to the testimony of the Thessalonians; regarding the covetousness he refers to God as Witness. God alone can judge the motives of the heart. A “pretext for greed” implies that the true motive is covered. Covetousness is the motive, but it is presented in a deceiving robe. The love for material things, especially money, makes a person to be inventive in using methods which hides this love in the sight of others, while the desired thing is being sought for. We ourselves have to work, in order to provide for our needs. Do we have to bother other people and ask them money (begging letters) or even allude to it (manipulating)?

1Thes 2:6. Another great danger for everyone who wants to serve the Lord is the seeking of the “glory from men”. Paul neither did that. How easily he could have impressed them by his dignity as an apostle. He was after all a person of great spiritual class. How much honor would that have delivered him if he had presented himself like that. But he was not seeking to establish his own importance. He did not want to put before them any particular obligations they would have toward him.

He was always seeking the spiritual well-being of the Thessalonians and that is still the most important thing to him. He had not been among them as a claimant, but as a mother. In the next section we will go further into that.

Now read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 again.

Reflection: Which characteristics do Paul and his companions have and which do they not have? What can you apply to yourself?