Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

AFFIRMATION OF PAUL’S CHARACTER IN THESSALONICA

1Th 2:1-6 (3/20/11)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. PAUL WAS SUCCESSFUL IN HIS MINISTRY TO THESSALONICA (1)

A. In the front of Paul’s mind, he was giving thanks for the Thessalonian’s election and salvation (1Th 1:4-10). He also gave thanks to God for the fruitful ministry he had among them. However, in the back of his mind he would not soon forget the fierce persecution he endured at the hands of the Jews in Thessalonica.

B. In Acts 17:5-14, Luke gives the details of this opposition. The Jews had become “jealous” (zelóō - bad sense of zeal with hostility and resentment) and they joined with “wicked” (ponêrós - bad or evil) men and formed an angry mob. Though they were looking for Paul, they did not find him but took their aggression out on Jason (possibly a relative of Paul’s, cp. Rom 16:21, and apparently housing Paul and the missionaries). These persecutors “attacked” (ephistêmi - set or pounce upon) Jason’s home and “drug” (surō - move by force) him away to the authorities. Their claim before the authorities was that Paul “upset” (anastatóō - cause political uprising or revolt) the whole world with his teaching and that they promoted King Jesus over Caesar. After receiving a monetary pledge, they released Jason. The believers of Thessalonica urged Paul to leave immediately for Berea. However, after the same Jews found out, they set out for Berea to find Paul, causing him to be sent away again.

C. The Thessalonians themselves knew that Paul’s ministry among them was not a failure (1). The salvation of the believers at Thessalonica were the fruit of Paul’s short ministry. Paul therefore, was able to call them “brethren” as believers in Christ. So the ministry there had not been in “vain” (kenos - empty or without substance). In fact Paul uses the perfect tense (gégonen fr ginomai - to become) to state that his ministry in Thessalonica was not and continues not to be in vain.

II. PAUL WAS ABLE TO PREACH BOLDLY IN SPITE OF OPPOSITION (2)

A. Paul begins to speak of some of the opposition he experienced while on his second missionary journey. The persecution was very prominent, especially in Philippi. For he wrote that he had “suffered” (propáschō - undergo suffering) and been “mistreated” (hubrizō - punish in a humiliating way) in Philippi. Paul and Silas underwent beatings and imprisonment for the sake of Christ (Act 16:22-24).

B. Their persecution continued from Philippi to Thessalonica. Paul described the persecution in Thessalonica as “much opposition.” The Greek more adequately describes Paul’s experience and could be translated as “much struggle and agony.” “Opposition” is the word agōn and means strife, contention, and struggle. It was an athletic term and we get our English word, “agony” from it. So the persecution in Thessalonica was an extreme struggle and agony for Paul.

C. But in spite of the struggle, they continued to preach the gospel. Paul shares his secret to preaching in spite of persecution, namely “boldness in God.” “Boldness” is the Greek word parrêsiázomai and means to speak courageously and openly without constraint. Paul was able to speak courageously and openly in the face of opposition because his confidence was in God. Paul knew that God sovereignly would protect him or else sovereignly allow Paul to be persecuted but use it for His glory (Act 9:16; Phil 1:29). Paul also knew that it was God who empowered him to speak boldly through the Holy Spirit (Act 4:31 cp. Act 4:29; Eph 6:19-20).

III. PAUL WAS A TRUE AND APPROVED SERVANT OF GOD (3-4)

A. Apparently the Jews of Thessalonica accused Paul and his teaching of being in error (plánê - straying and wandering from the truth) (3). But the accusations deepened as they questioned his character (“impurity”) and motives (“by way of deceit”). Paul affirms that his teaching, character, and motives were transparent and right before God. The Thessalonian believers themselves “knew what kind of man he proved to be among [them]” (1Th 1:5).

B. If there was any question at all from his accusers or even any in the Thessalonian church, Paul writes that his authority came from God (4). Paul and those with him had there “approval” (dokimazō - tested and accepted) by God. This would especially apply to Paul’s apostleship to which it seems he always had to defend (1Co 9:1-2; Gal 1:1; 1Ti 2:7).

1. Because Paul was appointed as an apostle, he was entrusted (aorist passive infinitive of pistueō - to be committed to one’s trust) with the gospel. Because he was approved and entrusted with the gospel, his gospel was the true gospel (Gal 1:8-9). Because he was commissioned, therefore he spoke. To Paul, speaking the gospel was an obligation and a privilege (1Co 9:16-17).

2. Since preaching the gospel was a divine commission for Paul, he was not attempting to please men, but God. Paul viewed his obligation as being under divine scrutiny whereby God examined his motives, namely his motive to please God and not men.

IV. PAUL DID NOT SEEK TO PLEASE MEN BUT GOD (5-6)

A. Because Paul was pleasing God and not men, there was no need for him to come with flattering (kolakeía - saying good things for manipulation) words (5).

1. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they were fully aware of his words of truth and conviction rather than feel-good preaching.

2. In the ministry, there is always pressure to mitigate the message, to be inoffensive to sinners, to make the gospel acceptable to them. But such a compromise had no place in Paul’s strategy. Instead, he had full confidence in God’s power to overcome all opposition and achieve His redemptive purpose. The servant of God preaches the true, unmitigated message God has laid out in His Word, not some other message. He does so for the sake of truth, not for personal popularity. And when opposition comes, he trusts in the power of God and stays obedient to his calling. All that was true of Paul and his companions. As with all dedicated preachers of the gospel, they counted the cost of faithfully confronting sinners with the truth and rested boldly in the sovereign, supreme power of God. (MacArthur’s Commentary, in loc.)

3. Some came with motives of greed, but Paul was not such a man. There were such men in Paul’s day (2Pe 2:1-3, 14; Rom 16:17-18; 1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 6:5; Tit 1:11) and unfortunately in our day as well. To Paul’s correct and pure motives, God was witness. In fact the Thessalonians themselves were witnesses of Paul’s godly conduct (“You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers” (1Th 2:10).

B. In a bolder statement, Paul declares that he did not seek the glory of any man, and that would include even the Thessalonians as wells as his persecutors (6).

1. Paul would neither flatter to manipulate nor seek man’s glory to avoid persecution.

2. He includes an interesting statement that he could have demanded their respect because he was a divinely appointed apostle of Jesus Christ. But that was neither God’s will nor Paul’s demeanor.

V. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. How to be a bold witness for the Lord

1. Trust in the effective power of the gospel (Rom 1:16).

2. Realize that you have been commissioned (Mat 28:19-20).

3. Receive your boldness from God (Act 4:31).

4. Expect persecution (Phil 1:29).

5. Deliver the pure gospel message (Gal 1:8-9).

6. Deliver the gospel message with integrity (1Co 9:27).

7. Seek to please God, not men (1Th 2:4).