Category: 1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2:10 – Blameless Ministers

Posted on by Will

You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we were to you who believe;

Truth to Learn

Christians should be blameless in whatever ministry they are engaged in.

 

Behind the Words

The word “witnesses” is translated from martus, from which we get our English word “martyr” (someone who has given his or her life as a witness of their belief). Martus means “someone who gives testimony as a witness of some act or event.”

“Devoutly” is from hosiōs, which refers to “piety,” that is “a demonstration of obedience to God’s will and devotion to serving Him.”

Dikiōs is the Greek word translated “righteously.” It is derived from dikios, meaning “that which is right or just.” Therefore dikiōs refers to “doing that which is right or just.”

“Blamelessly” is from amemptōs, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “without” or “not” and a form of the verb memphomai, meaning “to find fault.” Thus, amemptōs refers to “acting without fault or blame.”

The word “were” is the translation of the verb ginomai, meaning “to become” or “to be.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is continuing his defense against apparent attacks on his character and ministry while serving God among the Christians at Thessalonica. Based on his previous defensive arguments it appears that he had been accused of:

  • Using deceptive practices to teach doctrinal error.
  • Simply being “men pleasers,” using flattering words to make the people feel good so that Paul and his companions could gain material goods from them.
  • Seeking their own glory and being harsh, laying heavy burdens on those to whom they ministered.
  • Being lazy while expecting the Thessalonians to provide for all their material needs.

Based on the current verse, it appears that Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy had also been accused of behaving themselves improperly and dishonestly while they ministered there. In defense of this, Paul calls for his witnesses.

In the Old Testament two witnesses had to testify the same thing regarding any accusation in order to ascertain the truth (Deuteronomy 19:15). Paul is satisfying this requirement by appealing to God as well as the people in the church in Thessalonica. He says that they are witnesses to the fact that Paul and his co-workers were not only devout and obedient to God in their personal lives, but they also acted justly and blamelessly while performing their ministry. Paul’s ministry was always characterized by being obedient to God’s call on his life, and he always did what was just and right. So much so, in fact, that he could remind the people that no one could legitimately blame him for any wrongdoing.

 

Application

My prayer for each of you is that you perform whatever ministry God has given you in such a manner that you may be found blameless in the sight of God and of men.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:8 – Spiritual Parenting

Posted on by Will

So, yearning for you, we were well pleased to give to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

Truth to Learn

Mature Christians help younger Christians grow.

 

Behind the Words

“So” is from the Greek word houtōs, meaning “in this way.”

The word “yearning” is translated from the Greek verb himeiromai, meaning “to have a strong affection for, or remembrance of.” It is a term of endearment which was most often used of a mother and father toward their children. This is the only place in the New Testament where it appears.

“We were well pleased” is from the verb eudokeō, which is composed or eu, meaning “well” or “good” and dokeō, meaning “to think.” It is expressed in the imperfect tense indicating past, on-going action.

Metadidōmi is the verb translated “to give.” It is composed of meta, meaning “with” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” This word means “to share something with someone else.”

The word translated “dear” is agapētos, meaning “someone who is dearly loved.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, the Apostle Paul used the imagery of a nursing mother to express to the Christians in Thessalonica how gentle and caring he and his fellow-workers were toward these new Christians. In one sense, these people really were children. They were young children in the faith. When Paul wrote this letter to them, the church in Thessalonica may have been less than a year old, with none of them having been a Christian longer than that.

In a similar manner, Paul later told the Christians in Corinth that, although they had most likely been Christians more than a year, they were still babies in their faith. Because they were letting their fleshly desires control them instead of the Spirit of God, they needed to be fed with milk (baby food) instead of adult food.

And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to infants in Christ. I fed you milk and not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not able; (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

The Thessalonians, on the other hand, were simply very young Christians. Therefore, as their spiritual parents Paul said that he, Sylvanus, and Timothy acted like doting parents to them, tenderly caring for them, feeding them with milk, watching over them, gently challenging them, and encouraging them. In fact, Paul and his companions were so affectionately tied to the Christians in Thessalonica that he referred to them as “dearly beloved ones.” And, like any loving parents, Paul and the others would have given their very lives in order to protect and nurture these new Christians.

 

Application

Let me ask you, my friend, where are you in your own spiritual maturity? Are you a baby in the Lord? Then do all you can to learn and grow. Give yourself to God and serve Him with all your heart. Have you been a Christian for years? Then be a spiritual parent to the babes in Christ. Be gentle, feed them, care for them, and encourage them like a loving parent.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:9 – Hard Labor

Posted on by Will

For you recall, brothers, our labor and hard work; laboring night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

Truth to Learn

Serving God sometimes requires hard work.

 

Behind the Words

“Labor” is translated from the Greek word kopos, which literally means “to strike or hit something.” Throughout the New Testament it is used figuratively to refer to “wearisome effort, or labor.”

The words “hard work” are from mochthos, which refers to “difficult labor.” It refers to a type of work which is greater in effort and difficulty than kopos; that is, the kind of work which produces fatigue because of how hard the work is.

“Laboring” is translated from ergadzomai, which is based on ergon, meaning “work.” Ergadzomai is a generic term for work or labor of any kind.

Nux is the Greek word for “night” and hemera is the Greek word for “day.” They are both expressed in the genitive case, so we could translate this as “by night and by day.” The implication is that they started their ministry early in the morning (probably before dawn) and worked until after dark.

The word “burden” is translated from epibareō, which is made up of epi, meaning “on” or “upon” and the verb bareō (from baros, meaning “a weight” or “a burden”). Thus, we see that epibareō means “to lay a heavy burden on someone” or “to be burdensome to others.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul told the Christians in the church in Thessalonica that he and his companions nurtured and cared for the people there like loving parents care for their dearly beloved children. He is telling them now how hard they worked for the sake of these young Christians. They put a lot of effort into not being burdensome to the church in Thessalonica. In his later letter to the Thessalonians, Paul explained this further, saying:

nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hard working night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves a model for you, so that you would follow our example. (2 Thessalonians 3:8-9)

We learn from Paul’s letter to the Philippians that they provided financial support to Paul and his co-workers while they were in Thessalonica.

… no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my necessities. (Philippians 4:15b-16)

We also know from Acts 18:3 that Paul worked as a tentmaker while he was in Corinth. It is quite likely that he also performed that trade while in Thessalonica to help cover some of his financial needs.

 

Application

Serving God is hard work and it sometimes requires hard work not directly related to our ministry. When you stand before God, will He be pleased with how hard you worked to serve Him? We can all learn a lesson from Paul’s efforts.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:7 – Caring Like Mothers

Posted on by Will

But we became gentle among you, just as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Truth to Learn

Christian service should demonstrate love and care for others.

 

Behind the Words

“Gentle” is translated from the Greek word nēpios, which is made up or nē, meaning “not” and epos, which refers to “a spoken word.” Thus, nēpios literally means “one who does not speak.” Its common usage is a reference to “infants,” that is, “those who have not yet learned how to talk.” On many Greek manuscripts, however, this word appears as ēpios, meaning “one who is gentle, easy, or mild.” This seems to make more sense in the reading of this verse.

The words “among you” are from the Greek en mesō humōn, which literally translates to “in the midst of you (plural).” This implies a more intimate interaction between the apostles and the people of Thessalonica.

Trophos is the word translated “nursing mother.” It is derived from the verb trephō, meaning “to nourish, feed, or nurture.” It generally refers to “a nurse, someone who nurses an infant.” In classical Greek it was often used to indicate “a mother.”

“Tenderly cares for” is from the verb thalpō, which literally means “to make warm.” Figuratively, it means “to brood over, to foster, or to cherish.”

The word “children” is translated from the Greek noun teknon. This is based on the verb tiktō which means “to bear a child,” thus teknon refers to “an offspring” or “a child.”

 

Meaning Explained

In defense against false accusations, Paul has been telling the Christians in Thessalonica what the true intentions of the apostles had been while they ministered there. In the previous verse he said that they didn’t lay heavy burdens on the people to whom they ministered.

In Behind the Words we noted that there is a variation in this verse. Some manuscripts have nēpios (infants) while others have ēpios (gentle ones). Paul says that they were like a nursing mother who tenderly takes care of her children. It doesn’t make sense that he would say the apostles were children in the midst of those people and at the same time say that they were like a mother. So, his message is, instead of laying heavy burdens on the people, he and his co-workers were gentle and treated the Thessalonians with the same tender love and concern that a mother does for her own children.

Paul may have been making a reference to Moses’ complaint when he referred to himself as a nursing mother to Israel:

Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? (Numbers 11:12)

One of the hallmarks of Paul’s (and Moses’) ministry was that he performed his responsibilities out of his love for God and his concern for the welfare of those to whom he ministered.

 

Application

All of our service for God should be done out of our love for Him and our desire to gently help others to become more Christ-like. This is the heart of a true servant of God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:6 – It’s Not About Us

Posted on by Will

Nor seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, being able to be in authority as apostles of Christ.

Truth to Learn

Paul didn’t make personal demands, even when he could have.

 

Behind the Words

The word “seeking” is from the Greek verb dzēteō, which means “to seek after” or “to try to find.”

“Glory” is translated from doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think” or “to recognize.” Doxa refers to favorable thought or opinion. In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.”

The first occurrence of the word “from” is translated from ex, meaning “out of.” What Paul is saying is that he and his associates did not try to extract praise out of others; they did not manipulate the thoughts of others to receive recognition.

The words “being able” are translated from dunamai, meaning “to have the ability or power.”

“Authority” is the translation of baros, which refers to “a weight, a load, or a burden.” So, a literal translation of this portion of the current verse would be, “having the ability to be burdensome.”

 

Meaning Explained

This is now a third defense given against the accusations that apparently had been leveled against Paul and his co-workers. The first two were that they didn’t minister to the Thessalonians simply to make people feel good, and they didn’t use flattering words and false praises to endear people to themselves or their message.

In today’s verse he says that they didn’t try to manipulate people to draw praise out of them. Their ministry was not about personal glory or recognition. Paul’s ever present goal in his life was to bring praise to God. In fact, later in verse thirteen, he tells them that it wasn’t his own message that he delivered to them, it was the word of God.

He now makes an interesting comment to the Christians in Thessalonica. He says, in effect, “We had every right to be a burden to you, to make demands of you, because we are apostles of Christ, but we didn’t do so.” There are some who think this is a reference to the fact that the apostles didn’t expect financial support from the Thessalonians while they were ministering there. Verse nine seems to support this belief. Others, including Calvin, believed he is saying that the apostles could have used their authority to demand unqualified obedience from those to whom they ministered, but they didn’t. Paul had similar things to say to the Corinthian Christians in 1Corinthians 9:8-15.

One final note on this verse, notice that Paul uses the word apostles (plural). This implies that Paul believed that at least Silvanus and possibly Timothy were also apostles of Christ.

 

Application

Some people within the church seem to expect to receive recognition or praise for the work they do. That’s not why Paul worked as hard as he did, and we shouldn’t either. We should all put as much effort into our ministries as we possibly can, not expecting anything in return. Instead, let’s serve Him so that God will get all the glory and all the praise.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:5 – No Deceptive Practices

Posted on by Will

For neither at any time did we come with flattering words, as you know, nor with a pretense of covetousness—God is witness.

Truth to Learn

Christians don’t need to be deceptive to deliver the truth.

 

Behind the Words

The words “at any time” are from pote, which means “at some time” or “ever.” It can be used to refer to sometime in the past or in the future. Here it obviously refers to the past.

“Flattering” is translated from kolakeias, which does not appear anywhere else in the New Testament. It refers to “excessive compliments” or “insincere praise.”

Prophasis is the Greek word translated “pretense.” It is composed or pro, meaning “before” and phainō, meaning “to shine.” It refers to an outward show or a pretense used to hide the real intent of the speaker.

“Covetousness” is from the Greek word pleonexia, which is made up of a form of pleiōn, meaning “more” and echo, meaning “to have.” Pleonexia refers to the desire to have more, that is, greediness or covetousness.

 

Meaning Explained

The apostle is in the middle of a defense of the type of ministry he had among the Thessalonians. This verse gives us more clues as to the type of criticism or attacks that were leveled against him. In yesterday’s verse he told his readers that his purpose for declaring the gospel was not to make people feel good about him or his message. The whole reason for his ministry was to be pleasing to God. His defense in the current verse is that he didn’t use excessive compliments or unearned praise to try to influence his listeners.

It seems that many public speakers of that day used flattery and insincere praise in their speeches to make the listeners feel better about themselves and about the speaker. It was common to praise people for their beauty, wealth, accomplishments, or talent to make others more accepting of the message that was being delivered. A good example of this is given to us in Acts chapter twenty-four. When Paul was taken to Caesarea to be judged by the governor, a man named Tertullus opened his accusation before Felix like this:

Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight, we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us. (Acts 24:2b-4)

Paul says that he never resorted to such deceptive practices. He also said that he didn’t try to hide his real intentions because he was not trying to gain anything from his listeners. Today there are television preachers who use such techniques to persuade viewers to give money to their ministries. Their real motive is not to help viewers grow in their faith, but to help themselves grow in their wealth. Paul’s intention, however, was not to get something for himself, but to give something of real worth to the people of Thessalonica, and he calls upon God as his witness to the type of ministry he had among them.

 

Application

Christians have a powerful message and great truths that lead to freedom. We don’t need to resort to deception or trickery to deliver our message because we proclaim the truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:4 – Be a God Pleaser

Posted on by Will

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

Truth to Learn

Proclaim the simple truth and seek God’s approval alone.

 

Behind the Words

“Approved” is translated from the Greek word dokimadzō, which means “to test something to determine its value.” It is not a testing to find flaws or fault, but a testing to determine worth. It is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect. Hence, Paul is saying “we have been tested and found worthy; therefore, we now have God’s approval.”

The word translated “entrusted” is pisteuō, which means “to believe, to have faith in, or to trust.” It is expressed here in the passive voice (action done to the subject). Thus, it means “to be believed in” or “to be entrusted.”

“Pleasing” is from the Greek verb areskō which means “to be content with, or to be pleased with.” In the New Testament this word has evolved in emphasis from the end result (others being pleased with us) to the active pursuit (working to please others). Thus, instead of expressing a relationship, it expresses a behavior as an attempt to influence a relationship.

The word translated “tests” is another form of the verb dokimadzō, as we just saw means “to test something to determine its value.”

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse we noted that from verse three on, Paul is talking about the pastoral/teaching phase of his ministry among the Thessalonians. Previously, he had been talking about his evangelistic ministry there. And, as was pointed out in verse one of this chapter, it appears that Paul is now defending himself against some accusations that have been made. In yesterday’s verse it appears that he was defending himself against a claim that he was teaching false doctrine or that he was using deceptive means to convince his listeners to accept the truth he was proclaiming. These claims possibly came from those Jews who first heard his messages regarding Jesus but did not believe (Acts 17:2-5).

In preaching the gospel message and teaching the truths of God’s word, we are handling messages of extreme importance and of inestimable worth. How we deliver these messages indicates how much respect we have for them. When we declare these messages, we are not trying to endear ourselves to others; we are not trying to win others over to “our side.” We are proclaiming truths that God has given to us, and we are relying on the Spirit of God to carry these truths and to open up the hearts of men to receive them. Our job is not to make converts nor is it to convince people with fancy words or clever communication techniques. Our job is simply to proclaim the truth and to let God take care of the rest. Paul was not trying to make his listeners like him; he was trying to please God who called him to his ministry.

The great preacher Dwight Moody is said to have been approached by a man who said, “I saw one of your converts in a bar getting drunk last night” to which Moody is said to have replied, “Yes it may have been one of my converts. If he was one of God’s converts he wouldn’t have been there.”

 

Application

Whatever your spiritual gifts and whatever ministry God has placed you in, don’t seek the approval of men. Instead, seek God’s approval by being diligent and faithful to Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:3 – Minister Righteously

Posted on by Will

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity, nor was it in deceit.

Truth to Learn

All ministries should be performed honestly and for God.

 

Behind the Words

“Exhortation” is translated from paraklēsis, which is derived from parakaleō, meaning “to call near” or “to call alongside.” It is a picture of someone who has come alongside to coach, encourage, or comfort. Paraklēsis refers to comfort, encouragement or to urgent instruction, challenging someone to make a change.

The Greek word translated “error” is planē, which refers to “a wandering away from the proper path.” Figuratively, it refers to doctrinal error. It expresses the notion of passive error rather than intentional deception.

The word “impurity” is translated from akatharsia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of kathairō, meaning “to cleanse.” Thus, akatharsia refers to “doing something in an unclean or immoral manner.” In the New Testament it generally refers to sensual impurity.

“Deceit” is from the Greek noun dolos, which is derived from the verb delō, meaning “to bait.” It is often used metaphorically, as it is here, meaning “fraud” or “deceit.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the latter half of the first chapter of this letter, Paul spoke of the evangelistic nature of his ministry to the Thessalonians. Now, through verse twelve, he gives a defense of the type of pastoral, teaching ministry he and his companions performed. He refers to this phase of his ministry as “exhortation.” Preaching the gospel and evangelizing the lost is only a portion of a pastor’s ministry. In Ephesians we learn that the purpose of the specially gifted spiritual leaders, including pastors/teachers, is to equip those under their care so that the church members can perform the work of the ministry.

And He gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Unfortunately, many pastors today focus almost exclusively on evangelism, producing a flock that is saved but spiritually immature and ill equipped to evangelize and minister to others.

The Apostle tells his readers that his preaching and teaching were not based on erroneous doctrine. Even though this letter was written very early in the life of Christianity, there were already others whose teaching was based on man’s ideas rather than on God’s word. And, he says that his ministry was not based on impurity and immorality. Pagan religions of the time incorporated immoral sexual practices which enticed many to join.

Finally, Paul tells us that he did not use deceptive practices or trickery to perform the tasks that God had given him to do. His teaching was straight-up and straightforward, the truth and nothing but the truth.

 

Application

Whatever ministry you have within your local church, take a lesson from Paul. Perform it as plainly, forthrightly, and honestly as you possibly can. Don’t seek attention or glory for yourself; give all the glory and praise to God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:2 – God-Given Courage

Posted on by Will

But also, we had suffered previously and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much opposition.

Truth to Learn

Serving God faithfully means you will encounter opposition.

 

Behind the Words

The words “we had suffered previously” are translated from the Greek verb propaschō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or position” and paschō, meaning “to suffer.” So, we can see that propaschō means “to have suffered previously.” It is expressed as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having suffered previously.”

“Were spitefully treated” is from the verb hubridzō, based on the noun hubris, meaning “an insult” or “arrogance.” Hubridzō means “to act with great violence” or “to treat with contempt, causing injury.” This is also expressed as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having been treated injuriously.”

The words “we were bold … to speak” are translated from the Greek verb parrēsiadzomai. This word means “to speak openly, boldly, and without restraint.”

“Opposition” is from agon, which refers to “contention,” “opposition,” or “striving for victory or mastery.” It is a picture of a contestant trying hard to win a victory in an athletic event in spite of strong opposition.

 

Meaning Explained

As we discussed in the previous verse, Paul and his companions faced a lot of opposition to their ministry in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. He tells us now that they suffered as a result of their work and they were treated with acts of violence by those who opposed them in Philippi.

In spite of the fierce opposition they faced, however, Paul and his helpers spoke openly and boldly when they presented the gospel message to the people in Thessalonica. They didn’t suspend their ministry in the face of opposition and they didn’t fall back to take a defensive position. Instead, they presented the message of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ openly and with conviction.

Our enemy doesn’t want others to hear about the good news. He wants to silence us and intimidate us so that we will be afraid to speak the truth. Also, notice that the courage and conviction with which they performed their ministry didn’t come from internal fortitude or gritty determination on their own part. They knew that the message they proclaimed came from God, and they relied on the Holy Spirit to give them the message to deliver and the boldness to deliver it.

Too often today, Christians lose heart when they face opposition to their ministries. Sometimes it appears as if they are looking for an excuse to back down and take the easy road of appeasement. Instead, we all need to bathe our efforts in prayer, asking God to give us boldness in proclaiming the gospel message to a lost world.

 

Application

Have you suffered as a result of proclaiming the gospel message or teaching the truth as given to us in the pages of the Bible? Don’t lose heart, my friend! Seek God’s face and step out with spiritual courage, serving God faithfully. That doesn’t mean that the opposition will stop, it just means you’re being faithful to God’s calling on your life. Go forth boldly!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:1 – Opposition Will Come

Posted on by Will

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

Truth to Learn

An effective Christian ministry will encounter opposition.

 

Behind the Words

“Know” is translated from the Greek verb eidō, which literally means “to see,” but as in English, it carries the meaning of “to see with perception.” Hence, it means “to know.” It is expressed in the perfect tense (past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect) as a second person plural (you) verb. Since the verb already expresses the idea of “you (plural) know”, it is not necessary to include the pronoun autoi (you, plural) in order to convey that meaning. However, the fact that Paul used the personal pronoun indicates emphasis on it and it is here translated as “yourselves.”

The word “coming” is from the Greek noun eisodon, which we saw in verse nine of chapter one. It is made up of eis, meaning “in” or “into” and hodos, meaning “a road” or “a way.” Thus, eisodon literally means “a way in.” So, we could have translated this as “… that our way in to you …”

“In vain” is the translation of kenos, which literally means “empty,” “hollow,” or “fruitless.” In this case it could be a reference to Paul’s preaching being without merit or deceitful, or it could be a reference to a lack of success. Based on the subject matter of the latter half of the previous chapter it probably refers to “a lack of success.”

The verb “was” is translated from ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the effect. We could, therefore, interpret the ending of this verse as “that our coming to you has shown itself to be fruitful.

 

Meaning Explained

Having spent most of the first part of this letter praising the Thessalonian Christians for their testimony, Paul now turns to a more serious topic. Based on the subject matter of this second chapter we can surmise that there were some people who had made charges against the way that Paul and his associates behaved. From verse three we can conclude that their accusers had claimed that Paul used deceitful means or false, flattering words in his preaching. From verses five and six it also appears that Paul was accused of trying to take advantage of the Thessalonians for his own selfish benefit. Also, from verses seventeen through twenty, it appears that Paul and his companions were accused of hastily abandoning the Church in Thessalonica after they got what they wanted from them.

So, to get a better understanding of the background of Paul’s ministry to these dear saints, read Acts 16:9-17:10. There you will see that Paul and Silas (Silvanus) were persecuted and thrown in jail while ministering in Philippi. The reason they had been imprisoned was not because they preached the Gospel, but because they cast out a demon from a young girl who was being selfishly used by others to make money from her demon possession and resulting fortune telling. After leaving Philippi and coming to Thessalonica, Paul preached in the synagogue and a large number of people believed. But, because of the jealousy of the Jews there, he was forced to leave and go to Berea. The Jews in Thessalonica then pursued Paul and his companions, again stirring up the crowds against them, causing Paul and Silvanus to flee from Berea as well.

In today’s verse Paul is pointing out to the Thessalonian Christians that his ministry there was not without merit or fruit. In fact, in Acts 17:4 we see that some of the Jews and a large number of Greeks got saved as a result of Paul’s ministry.

 

Application

Paul and Silvanus didn’t let opposition and persecution stop them from serving God in the ministry He had called them to. Likewise, don’t let opposition to your ministry cause you to get discouraged or to give up. Remember, greater is He who is in us than he who is against us!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved