It seems from what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 that his ministry was under attack in that city in such a way that might jeopardize the advances made there for the gospel. When it came to his actual faults, Paul appealed to God’s grace for his ministry: “not that we are sufficient in ourselves,” he wrote, “but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). Paul could also defend himself by appealing to the personal experience of church members. In the opening section of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, he points out that his was a true ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner among them. Therefore, he begins, “You yourselves know brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1).

The message of ministry: Paul’s ministry was effective because of the message that he proclaimed among the Thessalonians. In preaching this message. Paul was undaunted by the context of great affliction. He reminds his readers that “though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (v. 2). Paul’s boldness in ministry did not come from his own native courage. It was, he said, “boldness in our God,” as he preached “the gospel of God.”

We get a clear impression of the charges leveled against Paul in the denials that he makes. He insisted that his message did not “spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s day, there were multitudes of traveling religious charlatans who were notorious for the things alleged against Paul. Unlike the vain philosophers of his day, Paul did not teach error. Certainly, his Jewish opponents would have charged Paul with falsely interpreting the Old Testament. But Paul could show from the Scriptures that his teaching was true to God’s Word. Every preacher today should be able to do the same.

Finally, Paul did not teach with “any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s world, rhetoricians could be hired to argue with great eloquence for any cause, much as some lawyers today will argue any legal case for a large enough fee. But the apostle did not manipulate the Scriptures or speak with skillful cunning so as to entrap his audiences. Instead, as he insisted in 2 Corinthians 4:2, “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” Paul spoke with an integrity that should be observed by all ministers of God’s Word, as Christ’s servants rely on the power of God for salvation rather than manipulate techniques designed to allure or confuse. Paul preached his message with integrity because of his sense of obligation to God. He explained: “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (v. 4).

The motive of ministry: Not only was Paul’s message criticized in his absence, but even stronger attacks were launched against his motives. His opponents suggested that he sought the approval of men through flattery, that he was greedy for money, and that he advanced his own glory at the people’s expense. Paul answered: “For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (vv. 5-6).

First, Paul was not motivated by a desire for the approval of men, which is why he refused to flatter in his preaching. The apostle knew that it is not possible to preach the gospel faithfully without giving offense to some listeners. Yes, there are those who enthusiastically believe, but there are others for whom the gospel is “a fragrance from death” (2 Cor. 2:16). Jesus offended the Pharisees of his day by showing their sin and condemning their self-righteous works.

A second false charge leveled against Paul’s motives was that he preached out of a covetous desire for financial gain. Paul would be especially susceptible to this charge because of his zealous efforts to raise money to assist the famine-stricken believers in Judea (1 Cor. 16:1-3). “We never came,” Paul retorted, however, “with a pretext of greed – God is witness” (v. 5). The word for pretext means “cloak”: Paul did not use his ministry to conceal a true desire to lay hands on the people’s money.

A third charge against Paul’s motives was that he was aiming to increase his own glory through his ministry. He answered: “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (v. 6). The only glory that Paul sought was the eternal glory that only Christ can give.

The manner of ministry: To preserve his gospel labors, Paul defended his message, his motives, and finally his manner among the Thessalonians. Not only was he not motivated for approval, money, or self-glory, but his manner was, first, gentle among the new believers: “But we were gentle among you, like nursing mother takes care of her own children” (v. 7). We should not be surprised that Paul used a feminine analogy for his labors as an apostle, since God’s grace had touched his heart in order to expand rather than contract his range of human emotions and actions. As Paul looked on the virtues of self-sacrifice and tender love exemplified by nursing mothers, he saw an example that should inspire all of us who share the gospel.

Not only was Paul gentle in his manner, but he was also affectionate toward the Thessalonians. He wrote that he was “affectionately desirous of you…, because you had become very dear to us” (v. 8). The apostle admits that while he did not covet the believers’ money, he did desire the believers themselves, because of his love for them and his longing for their salvation. Paul realized that his preaching of truth must be combined with love.

Finally, because of his affection for the Thessalonians, Paul could point out the obviously sacrificial character of his ministry. Since the apostle and his associates desired the believers for Christ and because they had become so very dear to them, they shared not only the gospel with them “but also our own selves” (v. 8). Here again, Paul’s example of the nursing mother is instructive. Love will cause a true Christian to make a sacrificial offering of his or her life in service to Christ and His people.

Paul defended his ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner. This kind of faithful godliness was not impressive according to the standards of the world. To realize the significance of what Paul did, however, and of what we are called to do today, we may look back to his opening words in this chapter, where Paul stated that “our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1). A message of integrity according to God’s Word, motives formed by sincerity before God, and a manner that is guided by love will not fail. It will achieve, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).

Paul’s testimony regarding his ministry speaks a vitally important word to those who hear the gospel today. If the message that is preached comes with integrity from the Word of God, then it is the same “gospel of God” that Paul preached. It is God who appeals to you now with the good news of forgiveness through the blood of His Son, and God who commands you to honor Him by believing.

Our is a generation in which so many rich, high, and exalted people are crumbling under the gravity of spiritual emptiness and in which the swollen pride of man inevitably fails of its boasting. In our age, like Paul’s, how great is the need for the humblest sinner to believe, and then for every Christian to show how full and powerful a life that is offered to Jesus can be for the service of His gospel. With Paul, we may boldly claim: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Study Questions:

In verses 1-2, Paul describes his previous ministry experiences. How did these episodes affect Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians?

What are the unhealthy or ungodly motivations for ministry that Paul mentions in verses 3-7?

What motives does Paul say drive him and his companions to minister to the Thessalonians and to preach the gospel even in the midst of opposition?

Paul contrasts the godly motivations that can drive one to preach the gospel with the self-serving motivations of those who also may be in ministry. It’s easy to point fingers, but we all wrestle with these same unhealthy motivations. How do you see mixed motives at work in you when it comes to Christian service?

According to Paul, it is by receiving God’s Word in true faith that we become the Christians that God wants us to be. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Paul sketches three movements of the gospel as it progressed in northern Greece. In verse 5, he says that “our gospel came to you.” Then in verse 6, “you received the word.” Finally, Paul states in verse 8 that “the word of the Lord sounded forth from you.” This is the gospel progression that has continued throughout the church age, as the gospel has come to people who received it by faith and became in turn heralds who bore God’s Word to others. This is the progression that God intends for the gospel to follow in our lives as well.

Verses 5-7 center on the Thessalonians’ receiving God’s Word in saving faith. This stage is the key to our salvation, for when we believe the gospel in faith, we enter into Christ’s salvation and become His servants for the spread of the gospel in the world. Paul notes four characteristics of these early believers’ receiving of God’s Word: (1) they received it through human agents; (2) they received it from God; (3) they received it in great affliction; and (4) having received God’s Word, they became a model for other believers to follow.

A word received through men: Paul refers to the message about Jesus Christ as “our gospel” (v. 5). This does not mean that the apostle claimed to be the originator of the doctrines he taught. Nor did he think that the gospel’s success depended on his own strength or ability. He will refer to it in this letter as “the gospel of God” (2:2, 8-9) and “the gospel of Christ” (3:2). Paul’s gospel was not about himself but about God and His Son, Jesus, and the salvation they offer by grace and through faith. It was Paul’s gospel, however, in the sense that Paul had embraced it for his own salvation. He was relying on this gospel for his own soul’s destiny. It was also a message that had been entrusted to him. When Christ converted Paul on the Damascus Road, Jesus identified him as “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

Christians today have not received the apostolic office, but we have all been inducted as participants in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). The gospel has thus been committed to us in a way similar to how it was entrusted to the apostles. We will be effective in spreading the gospel to the extent that we embrace this calling and rely in the good news of Jesus for our own salvation blessing.

Paul makes it clear that the gospel message requires an authentic messenger to the world. He writes: “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (v. 5). It’s obvious that Paul became personally involved in the lives of the Thessalonians, since he can state that they have personal knowledge of his character and spirit. He had ministered “among” them, so that they could assess in his life the credibility of his message.

Today, increasing percentages of Christians attend churches that are so large that few attendees have personal contact with their preachers. Many other Christians depend on media personalities whom they may never meet in the flesh. When such preachers are faithfully proclaiming God’s Word, some real good will be done. But the biblical model involves heralds of the gospel whose lives are personally known by those to whom they preach. Such men are never going to be perfect, of course, but there should be a strong correspondence between their message and the pattern of their lives.

It should be obvious that true ministers of the gospel are motivated not by personal gain but, as Paul writes, “for your sake” (v. 5). Some people are reluctant to receive God’s Word from a minister’s lips until experience demonstrates his love and sincerity in ministry, after which people will receive even hard teachings from his trusted lips. Paul’s emphasis on the credibility of the human witnesses applies not only to pastors and elders but also to every other Christian. The evidence of the gospel in our lives provides an important commendation of our witness to the gospel. Hypocrisy is perhaps the single greatest deterrent to a Christian’s effectiveness as a witness, while the evidence of the gospel’s power provides a compelling testimony to the gospel’s truth.

A word received from God: Together with Silas and Timothy, Paul was a vital agent in bringing the gospel to the Thessalonians. It was not his word, however, but God’s Word that they received in faith. In his many letters, Paul insists that a divine message was committed to him directly by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that the prophets and apostles received God’s Word by means of inspiration. Inspiration refers to the process by which the Holy Spirit conveyed God’s Word to His chosen messengers. Paul’s classic statement on inspiration says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). As a result of divine inspiration, the apostles’ message is the very Word of God, written to the first Christians and faithfully preserved for us. When Paul says to the Thessalonains, “You received the word” (v. 6), urging them to welcome it gladly in the way that a treasured guest is received into the home, Paul might have said, “You embraced the Word to your heart” by receiving it gladly with faith.

Since Paul’s gospel was not a human but a divine message, we truly receive the Scriptures only when we receive them as a word from God. To receive the Bible as God’s Word is to bow before its sovereign authority, just because it is the Word of God. Some people complain that evangelical Christians worship the book instead of God. This is a false charge once we recognize that God wrote the book in order to aid us in living before Him in faith. If a king leaves instructions before he goes away, it is hardly rebellion for his servants to pay careful attention to what he has written, and when the king returns, he will surely reward those who have kept his word.

Receiving the Bible as God’s Word also means accepting its inerrancy, receiving it as without error in all that it teaches and affirms. We believe the Bible’s inerrancy not because we can harmonize every apparent discrepancy (although they all have good explanations) but because it is the Word of God and therefore is perfect. God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and sublime wisdom enable Him to declare perfect truth at all times, while His attributes of holiness and faithfulness oblige Him to speak only the truth.

We further rely on the Bible’s power as God’s Word. Paul proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Because the Bible is inspired, authoritative, and true, the Christian is not on a quest seeking after truth. Instead, the Christian has found truth by receiving God’s Word, which he or she is faithfully to believe and boldly proclaim.

A word received in affliction: Paul notes that in receiving God’s Word, the Thessalonians “became imitators of us and of the Lord” (v. 6). Discipleship is learned by imitating the example of those who have gone before us. Paul does not hesitate to tell new believers, “Be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 11:1). If as mature Christians we can sincerely tell new believers, “Watch what I do and how I live,” then we will be greatly used by God in helping fellow believers to walk in faith.

In urging his readers to follow him, Paul is not claiming spiritual perfection. His example, rather, is in receiving God’s Word, as he has urged them to do as well. Those who teach the Bible should be the most eager students of the Bible. We should be able to urge others to believe all that is taught in Scripture by receiving ourselves the whole counsel of God in obedient faith. We should lead a life that is growing in the truth and delights in God’s Word so that others will do the same.

Paul emphasizes that his readers followed his example not only in receiving the Word but also in believing in the context of “much affliction” (v.6). Paul himself had suffered very great afflictions through his service to Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:23-30), and when he first arrived in Thessalonica, he was probably still bruised from the beating he had just taken in Philippi (see Acts 16:23). Now by imitating him, the Christians were suffering similar trials. Ultimately, our example in suffering is Jesus Himself.

The word that Paul uses for affliction (thlipsis) refers to severe pressure being applied to an object. Therefore, Paul is speaking of great trouble that results in serious and harmful difficulty. Christians in the West today are most likely to suffer social rejection, the loss of valued relationships, or the limiting of career prospects because of our discipleship to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the key to knowing joy in the midst of trials, which is why Paul observes that his readers exhibited the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (v. 6). This is not to say that Christians never grieve or walk in spiritual shadows. Instead, even with tears on our cheeks we can access a joy that comes from above. This happens when we take our griefs to the Lord and receive the peace and joy that only His Spirit can give. It is God’s design that our afflictions would bring out a spiritual joy from our lives as we draw close to Christ.

How did Paul and his friends have such a mighty impact despite their earthly weakness? By preaching the gospel in God’s power so that it was received in faith by those who heard. They further influenced the world through the joy of the Holy Spirit that shone through their afflictions. We now have the privilege of following their example in having this effect on our world. Paul’s formula for the gospel’s spread is that Christ’s people are to receive God’s Word in imitation of those who brought it and then to become bearers of the same gospel message so that others may follow their example. Paul reported this as happening in and through the Thessalonians, rejoicing “that you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” (v. 7).

This calling to be an example to others is not given to only a few highly educated and gifted Christians but to all believers; it is the thrilling calling that will enable each of us to make an eternal difference, one believer and one church at a time, as we follow Christ and offer ourselves as an example to others.

Are you just now hearing God’s Word as it is preached to you? Then God calls you to welcome His gospel into your heart through faith, believing that Jesus died for your sins and offers you eternal life. Or have you long since received the gospel in faith? Then draw near to God for the joy in the midst of afflictions that will enable you to be an example to others. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 Study Questions:

The events surrounding the arrival of Paul and his companions in Thessalonica made a remarkable impression upon not only the people who heard and believed the gospel, but on people of all sorts, all around Greece and the neighboring countries. Nobody had to say, “Have you heard about those peculiar Jews who are going around talking about someone called Jesus?” What was the story that people everywhere were telling about the Thessalonians?

It has been said that the Trinity is the forgotten doctrine of Christianity. This could not be said about the apostle Paul, who structured his whole teaching of salvation around the Trinity. Paul’s opening section of thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians makes mention of each person of the Trinity and that person’s respective contributions to our salvation.

The Trinity is Christianity’s highest and greatest mystery. The Bible presents the one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As the Westminster Larger Catechism explains, they are “the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties” (WLC 9). This statement emphasizes that each member of the Trinity is equally God in every respect, yet in His personhood He is distinct and individual. To be a Christian is to relate to all three persons of the Trinity; according to Jesus, the full Christian name for God is “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).

In his teaching of salvation, Paul emphasizes the role of each of the three persons plays and the distinctive work that each provides. God the Father chiefly administers our salvation. This means that God ordains, plans, and supervises His will for our redemption. Speaking of the Father, Paul writes in Ephesians 1:11 that we have been “predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” The ultimate cause of our salvation is the sovereign plan and will of the Father.

Meanwhile, God the Son accomplishes the work of our salvation. Paul says in Ephesians 1:7, “in [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Christ’s saving achievement includes His perfect life as our representative, His sin-atoning death and glorious resurrection, His present reign on the throne of heaven, and His soon return to bring His people to glory. These are all things that Christ does for us, accomplishing a definite work for our salvation.

But there is still need for the work of God the Spirit, who plays the role of applying salvation to individual believers. How can I be included in God’s salvation? How can I know that these things are not merely true in the abstract but true for me? The answer is in the work of God the Spirit, who gives us faith and unites us to Christ.

Paul loved the Trinity which is why his exclamation of thanksgiving for the Thessalonians points to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together for us and in us. The God displayed in the Trinity is a God of unfathomable glory, who meet our every need. Our salvation rests on the sovereign authority of God the Father, who administers salvation, on the finished work of God the Son, who accomplishes salvation, and on the mighty intervention performed by God the Holy Spirit, who applies salvation to believers.

At the beginning of Paul’s thanks for the Thessalonians, he prays to “our God and Father” because of their faith in “our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). Paul then thanks the Father because faith in Christ indicates that the believers were chosen by God for salvation: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you” (v. 4). Here, Paul makes clear reference, as he so often does in his letters, to the doctrine of election.

The doctrine of election gets its name from the Greek word eklektos, which means “chosen.” The Bible’s doctrine of election declares that God chooses His people for salvation. All blessings that we enjoy as Christians are grounded in God’s sovereign election and predestination, which took place in eternity past. Paul asserts in Ephesians 1:4 that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world.” God’s eternal purpose provides the strongest, firmest ground for salvation, and it is on this foundation that Paul rests our hope for salvation.

Salvation is not caused by anything in the Christian, but because of God’s sovereign election of individuals to be saved through faith in Christ. This is good news to all who believe, for election assures us that our salvation does not ultimately rest on anything in ourselves – we who are so weak and changing, so mixed in our affections, so inconstant in our faith – but on God’s sovereign choice from eternity past. Paul’s firmest and ultimate cause for the Thessalonians’ salvation is “that he has chosen you” (v. 4).

Notice that Paul joins election to both the love of God and the brotherhood of believers: it is “brothers loved by God” who are chosen by God. The Bible consistently sees God’s love as the operative principle in election. The Lord told Israel, “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers” (Deut. 7:7-8). Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4-5, “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.” Being bound together in sovereign grace, believers are joined into the brotherhood of God’s family.

Despite the overwhelming biblical evidence for election, many Christians raise objections to the doctrine. Some argue that believing in election leads to pride, since if we believe that we have been chosen by God, we will think that we are somehow special and superior. On the contrary, the biblical doctrine of election promotes humility and not pride.

A second objection to election complains that it leads to laziness and loose living. After all, it is argued, if my salvation is caused not by my effort but by God’s mercy, then what motive do I have to press on with the difficult work of sanctification? The Bible answers by emphasizing that election promotes holiness and not license. The objection that election promotes license fails to realize that holiness is the goal for which we are saved. It is God’s purpose in our salvation that we should be holy. Paul wrote that God “chose us…that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Being ‘chosen’ and being ‘holy’ are inseparable.

A further objection to election argues that believing the doctrine discourages zeal in evangelism. Critics say, “If God predestines people to salvation, then why bother to preach the gospel?” The answer is that God ordains not merely the ends but also the means. God predestines some to be saved and commands us to preach the gospel to that end. If we do not witness the gospel, then none will be saved. But God has ordained that they will be; so He has also ordained that we would preach the gospel so that His chosen people will come to faith.

The relationship between God’s sovereign election and the preaching of the gospel is seen in Paul’s continuing thanks for the Thessalonians. In verse 3, Paul saw evidence of their faith, love, and hope as proof of their election. Now, Paul expresses confidence in their election because of the way the gospel came to them: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (vv. 4-5).

Paull see God’s sovereign grace at work in three ways in which the gospel came to the Thessalonians. First, Paul says that the gospel came to them “not only in word” (v. 5). This tells us that the gospel must first come “in word,” that is, in the form of clear, biblical teaching. Second, Paul thanks God and sees evidence of his readers’ election because the gospel did not come to them “only in word, but also in power.” When Paul speaks of power, he is not referring to the miracles that the apostles sometimes performed. Instead, he refers here to the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit with and through the Word of God to bring the spiritually dead sinner to life.

Third, Paul concludes his statement in verse 5 by asserting that the faith given to Christians by the Holy Spirit is not bare faith but one that is fully persuaded regarding Jesus Christ. Paul thus completes his thought: “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” Paul is not saying that true faith requires believers always to have complete assurance of their salvation. A true believer may often doubt his or her election, and will have ups and downs in his or her spiritual life. Paul is referring, instead, to full persuasion of Christ and His gospel that endures under trials and temptations to turn away.

In His important parable of the soils, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a farmer going about sowing seeds, with the seeds representing the Word of God (Luke 8:11). In one case, the seed fell on rocky soil, where the seed would no grow strong roots. Jesus explained that the person “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matt. 13:20-21). Paul rejoices that this example does not describe the Thessalonians. They had given testimony of their election by enduring under hardships and persecutions, so that they not only received the Word with and initial experience of the Spirit’s power but also continued persuaded in their faith and showed their salvation by refusing to give way under trials.

In thanking God for the tangible signs of his readers’ election, Paul provides us with a helpful framework for evaluating the spiritual authenticity and health of our churches and our lives. Is the Word of God going forth plainly from our pulpits and being received earnestly by God’s people? Are our evangelism and our spiritual growth based on God’s Word, instead of worldly methods and techniques? Paul presupposes that ministry must be centered on the Word. But then are there evidence of and experience of the Spirit’s power working in our lives through the Word? Is the Spirit of God bringing Bible verses to our minds so as to restrain our sin or motivate our service? Are we embracing Christian duties in the home, church, and society more freely and with a more fervent commitment? True Christians revel in the excitement of hearing and reading God’s Word, knowing the power of which the Holy Spirit attends the Word, a power that testifies to our eternal election and reveals itself through a persevering, conquering persuasion of faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 Study Questions:

What does it mean for the gospel to come in word, in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in great assurance (v. 5) in Paul’s day and ours?

How did the gospel come to you?