Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica V. 1-2— - Of the churches Paul & his team established, the church at Thessalonica seems to the best known for its flourishing, growing ministry, even after Paul had left them o Paul has already told them in 1:7-8: 7…you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. - Paul is getting ready to defend his ministry because of skeptics in the region o From his various letters, we know that the opposition to Paul’s authority was not just isolated in Corinth, although it was there that the opposition was most intense ▪ There are several reasons for this • Paul’s call from Jesus to service was different from all the other apostles; among the churches there were some skeptics about his authority • He had been known far & wide for his fierce opposition to Christ before his conversion Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 2 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

• Location of the people to whom he ministered—Achaia, Macedonia, Greece, Cypress & other regions o These were distant from the “mother church” in Jerusalem, led by James & John, apostles who had been with Jesus from the beginning o It took several weeks to travel from these areas to Jerusalem & Judea, where the original apostles ministered • Others of the original apostles traveled to other regions to preach & build churches o Peter, Thomas, etc. o Many of their ministries were closer to Judea & in closer contact with the “mother church” ▪ Most of the skepticism, however, probably was rooted in the fact that his unique calling; he had not been with Jesus in the beginning, like all the other apostles ▪ Added to all of this was the fact that it was not comfortable to be a Christian anywhere during that time • Government opposition, social rejection, physical & financial persecution…all strove to influence Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 3 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

the converts to reject Christ & those who preached about Him o So as in all the locations he visited to preach the gospel, Paul had encountered opposition in the city of Thessalonica when he first went there ▪ But his consistent, bold preaching and teaching had prevailed, and the Thessalonian converts were the result Vv. 1-2— - V. 1— o Paul begins his defense by reminding them that their own experience serves to validate his ministry and apostolic position ▪ “Paul’s ministry among the Thessalonians was so fruitful that not only were people saved, and a vibrant, reproducing church planted, but (also) the church grew…after Paul left.”1 • The success of the Thessalonian church plant was especially effective o Despite Paul’s short time with them, local opposition, & that only a few months had passed since they accepted Christ, they were growing & successfully evangelizing

o The Thessalonians already know his ministry bears fruit because they are one of those fruits o Paul’s appeal that they should know of his ministry’s effectiveness is “…a characteristic of this book (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:1, 2, 5, 11). Similar phrases are found in 1 Thess. 2:9, ‘you recall’ and 10, ‘you are witnesses.’”2 - V. 2— o Paul reminds his readers that he has not been deterred from conducting his ministry, including bringing the gospel to Thessalonica, even in the face of severe suffering & persecution o Some of those who opposed him in Thessalonica & other cities put an accusatory twist on the fact that he and Silas had been imprisoned in Philippi ▪ 19th century commentator William Barklay writes “…that there were, no doubt, those in Thessalonica who said that this man Paul had a police record, that he was nothing less than a criminal on the run from justice and that obviously no one should listen to a man like that.”3 ▪ But an accurate view of his troubles, one held by those who had surrendered their lives to the Savior was that “…he was willing to go on preaching even though it

2 http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL07/VOL07B_02.html 3 William Barklay’s Daily Study Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-thessalonians-2.html Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 5 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

brought him much suffering. They knew how badly treated he (and Silas) had been at Philippi (Acts 16:12-40), but this had not prevented them from coming to Thessalonica and continuing to preach boldly, even though there were the signs (that) the same…(kind of persecution would happen)…to him there (Acts 17:5)…He had been willing to suffer…for the Gospel’s sake…”4 o In v. 2, Paul writes that he had continued to preach the gospel even …in the face of strong opposition. ▪ Here, strong opposition is a military term meaning “battle” (ἀγών, agṓn) • The same word is translated “struggle” in Philippians 1:30 & “contending” in Colossians 2:1 • It is the root of the English word “agony” & stresses the severity of the struggles he faced against the Jews who opposed him at almost every step o …to tell you His gospel… literally …to tell you the gospel of God… ▪ I think the NIV translation softens what Paul is stressing about the gospel…it is not

something Paul invented or imagined, but the very word of God Vv. 3-4— - He elaborates on this point in vv. 3 & 4 o What he teaches does not come from error, impure motives, or attempting to trick or confuse them ▪ This contrasted with the false apostles who traveled visiting the churches, preaching various gospels, & asking for support • “Most of these…were opportunists, who took everything they could from their listeners, and then moved on to find someone else to support them.”5 o But he teaches the gospel as one of those to whom God has given the responsibility to tell the good news ▪ He adds that he does not try to please people, but to please God • This surely was obvious to the Thessalonians, knowing of the widespread opposition & hatred for Paul because of his preaching & teaching

• He could not be accused of pandering or preaching what people wanted to hear just to please them • The gospel was controversial & stirred up opposition among both the Jews & the gentiles Vv. 5-8— - V. 5— o To illustrate, Paul points out that he …never used flattery… or tried to fool them with his preaching ▪ Others did so, preaching good pleasing sermons but having greed as their real motive • Greed—word means self-seeking in all its forms—money, goods, housing, flattery, prestige, etc. ▪ He adds, …God is our witness. • He has just reminded them in v. 4 that God …tests our hearts. • Now, in v. 5, he pledges that he is being honest with them …God is our witness. - V. 6—We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 8 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

o …as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. ▪ Paul is reminding them that he had never made any demands of them, even though as an apostle of Christ he had the authority to do so • He was entitled as an apostle to support, but he did not ask for it or accept it • In addition, demands would include what Paul would do in the case of the Corinthians, demanding that they make changes in their practice of Christianity; as an apostle, he had that authority o But we saw in chapter 1 of this 1st letter to the Thessalonians, this church was growing & focused on the gospel of Christ o He had visited Thessalonica to preach the truth & see people believe in Christ as their Savior and Lord - V. 7— o He had been there to give, not to take from them ▪ …we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 9 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

• Literally, “babies”6 - V. 8—…so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. o This explains the metaphor of the nursing mother (v. 7)—he & his companions loved them so much that they not only brought the message of the gospel, but also shared themselves—their lives—with them ▪ They became part of them ▪ They “…gave (their own) lives for (the sake of the Thessalonians)… The words used here by the apostle are expressive of the strongest affection and attachment.”7 ▪ This is the example of true witnessing & discipleship • Not just sharing the message verbally • But also getting involved with people, showing them love, sharing ourselves with them

6 Some early manuscripts use the term “babes” or “young children,” while others use the term “gentle”—…we were gentle among you. There is only a 2-letter difference between the Greek words for “gentle” & “baby” (ἤπιοι, the adjective “gentle”; νήπιος, the noun “infant, child”). Until the invention of the printing press early in the 15th century, manuscripts were hand copied. With 2 words that are so similar, it is possible the term “gentle” was rendered “babes” in error in an early copy, & the error repeated in later copies. Adam Clarke writes: “It is the Thessalonians whom the apostle considers as young children, and himself and fellow laborers as the (nursing mother); he (would not have written) that he was among them as a little child, while himself professed to be their (nursing mother).” See (https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/1-thessalonians- 2.html). The reading “young children” can also make reasonable sense, however. Paul may mean he was among them in innocence (that is, like a young child or babe, without a hidden agenda) and cared for them as a young mother would care for her child. 7 Adam Clarke Commentary, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/1-thessalonians-2.html Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 10 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

• One commentator observes, “A gospel messenger who stands detached from his audience has not yet been touched by the very gospel he proclaims.”8 • Another points out, “Ministry is not something we do—it is who we are.”9 Vv. 9-12— - V. 9— o Paul “…did not ask for any money from the Thessalonians, but rather lived on what he earned and what the Philippians sent (Philippians 4:16), so that his motives could not be questioned, unlike the false teachers who always sought money (cf. 2 Peter 5:2).”10 o Another aspect of this point that Paul makes in v. 9 when he writes …we worked night and day… may have been “…because some in the fellowship had quit their jobs to wait for the Second Coming (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).”11 - V. 10—You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you who believed.

8 Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/1-thessalonians- 2.html 9 Dr. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary, http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL07/VOL07B_02.html 10 MacArthur Study Bible, NIV, 1849 11 Dr. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary, http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL07/VOL07B_02.html Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 11 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

o Paul & his companions set the example of living righteously while teaching the Thessalonians o “Paul wanted people to look to Jesus, but he could also tell them to look at his life, because the power of Jesus was real in his life. As seen in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (…you became imitators of us…), Paul was comfortable in the idea of other Christians following his example. He repeated the same idea in passages like Philippians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 11:1. This is a worthy goal for any Christian today; to live a life that declares how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among others. This is the kind of life that draws others to follow Jesus for themselves.”12 - Vv. 11-12— 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. o Paul here describes or defines the loving relationship he cultivated & the righteousness he demonstrated in his own life ▪ In loving them, he dealt with them as their father, including such things as giving instruction, encouragement, & comfort ▪ He also urged them to live righteously, just as he and his companions had demonstrated to them with their own

words and behavior when they were with them • His life reflected Jesus (his example), & he told them that their lives should reflect Jesus, too (his instruction to them) Vv. 13-16— - V. 13— o “Previously Paul thanked God for the way these believers were bearing the fruit of righteousness in their own lives (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Now he thanked God for the way they responded when he had preached the gospel to them the first time. They sensed that it was a divine revelation rather than a human philosophy, and they believed it. Because they received that divine message, it had done a mighty work of transformation in their lives as God’s Holy Spirit used it.”13 o …you accepted it (the word of God)… ▪ ἐδέξασθε, edexasthe (2nd person plural, form of Δέχομαι, dechomai) • It means not just accepted, but “welcomed” the word of God

o As in “welcome someone as a guest”…acceptance with enthusiasm o …you received the word of God…not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God… ▪ “The phrase is literally ‘having received the word of hearing from us of God’. What they heard was ‘of God.’”14 ▪ The Thessalonians eagerly received the word & believed & trusted in the Savior, an especially remarkable acceptance…Paul visited Thessalonica for only 3 weeks & left a church there that was faithful from its beginning & reaching out to the unsaved with the gospel - V. 14— o The power of God is shown in the immediate acceptance of the gospel in Thessalonica in the face of the threat of severe, even life- threatening, persecution ▪ This young church was strong, just like those older Christians who were undergoing persecution in Judea ▪ And this is something for which Paul feels especially proud of the Thessalonian church

- V. 15— o In Thessalonica, the persecution of the Christians came especially from the Jews ▪ …who evidently felt severely threatened by the enthusiastic acceptance of the gospel by so many of the Jews in the city after Paul had taught only 3 weeks in the local synagogue o Paul describes in some detail the severity of the persecution from the Jews ▪ They …killed the Lord Jesus… • “…though the Romans carried out the execution…it was the Jews who brought the case the case against Him and demanded His death…”15 o Paul is not condemning all those of Jewish descent ▪ Thousands believed the gospel then & continue to come to Christ today • Discrimination against or hatred of our Jewish neighbors is never acceptable for Christians ▪ He is singling out those Jewish leaders who demanded Jesus’ death and

the Jewish people who had so enthusiastically joined them in calling for Jesus’ execution • (Note that “Elsewhere in the New Testament it is the sins of all people that were responsible. Therefore, Paul was just identifying a segment of humanity that was responsible. He was not blaming the Jews in some special sense for Jesus’ death.”16) ▪ …and the prophets… • This recalls the conclusion of Stephen’s response before the Sanhedrin to the charges against him, found in Acts 7:51-53: o 51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered

him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” ▪ …and also drove us out… • It was after the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 that a great persecution broke out in Jerusalem, causing the Christians to flee to the Judean and Samarian countryside o At that time, Paul, then known as Saul, was a leader in that persecution, but shortly would encounter the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) ▪ Paul adds in v. 15: They displease God and are hostile to everyone. • “In the ancient world the Jews (inspired by the Pharisees & priests) were, in fact, accused of ‘hatred of the human race.’ Their sin was the sin of arrogance. They regarded themselves as the Chosen People, as indeed they were. But they regarded themselves as chosen for privilege…(and)…that someday the world should serve them…”17 • “…it is God’s will that all (people) be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter

3:9)…(but)…it was the will of the Jews that no one find salvation in Christ.”18 - V. 16— o This hostility, Paul writes in v. 16, results in …their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. ▪ The persecuting Jews did not accept that a gentile could believe in the true God without becoming a Jew ▪ “The Jews’…fierce opposition was due to the fact that Christian missionaries offered salvation to Gentiles without demanding that they…become Jews.”19 o …the wrath of God has come upon them at last… ▪ Literally “at the end” or “in the end” (some translations, “the uttermost”) ▪ The verb form here means that this is a decision that has been made & cannot be rescinded ▪ …the wrath of God…is regarded in the Bible as a promise that is so sure that it is thought of as having already taken place • So, Paul does not write that the wrath of God will come upon them, but that

18 MacArthur Study Bible, NIV, 1850 19 Enduring Word Bible Commentary, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-thessalonians-2/ Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 18 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

The wrath of God has come upon them at last. • Also, as the wrath of God will eventually be poured out on the lost world (Revelation 6 & following), so God’s condemnation of unbelievers is thought of as His wrath now Vv. 17-19— - V. 17— o Paul & Silas had been forced to leave Thessalonica after only 3 weeks there ▪ A rioting mob, led by local Jewish leaders upset at the acceptance of the Savior by so many in the city • That night, the believers spirited Paul & Silas out of the city (See Acts 17:5- 10) o …when we were orphaned by being separated from you… ▪ Literally “to separate from, leave someone defenseless, to leave in bereavement” • The idea is that Paul was forced to leave although he did not want to ▪ We could turn the English translation around and say “…the Thessalonians had Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 19 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

been orphaned by Paul’s forced departure.”20 o And like a father or mother, Paul tells them that …out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. - V. 18—For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. o “The word he uses (ἐνέκοψεν, egkoptein; from ἐγκόπτω, egkoptó) is the…word for putting up a roadblock…to stop an expedition (such as an army) on the march. It is Satan's work to throw obstacles into the Christian's way--and it is our work to surmount them.”21 o Paul “…had already sent Timothy and Silas to them; but he himself was anxious to see them…Satan hindered (his return)…There was…such a storm of persecution raised up against him, that his friends did not think it prudent to permit him to go till the storm had…somewhat (died down).”22 o John MacArthur: “Satan, which means ‘adversary,’ continually attempted to tear down the church that Christ promised to build (Matthew 16:18). He was said to be present at the churches of Jerusalem (Acts 5:1-10), Smyrna (Revelation 2:9-10), Pergamum (Revelation 2:13), Thyatira (Revelation 2:24), Philadelphia

20 MacArthur Study Bible, NIV, 1851 21 William Barklay’s Daily Study Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-thessalonians-2.html 22 Adam Clarke Commentary, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/1-thessalonians-1.html Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 20 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

(Revelation 3:9), Ephesus (1 Timothy 3:6-7), and Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:1-11).”23 ▪ Acts 20:1-5 tells us that Paul did eventually overcome Satan’s opposition & returned to visit Thessalonica and other churches in the region ▪ “…we must not see him (Satan) as being almost as powerful as God. Powerful he is (Jude 1:9), but he has been defeated and bound by Christ (Mark 3:27; Colossians 2:15) and is limited in what he can do. Thus he acts through men who unconsciously carry out his bidding.”24 - Vv. 19-20— o Paul closes this portion of his letter by looking at 2 future events in which he will rejoice as the Thessalonian Christians experience the presence of Christ & their reward alongside him ▪ The 2nd coming of Christ, when the church will join Him in the air ▪ And the great white throne judgment, when the church…those whose names are written in the book of life…will go on to their reward • …you are our glory and joy.

23 MacArthur Study Bible, NIV, 1851 24 Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/1-thessalonians- 2.html Studies in the Book of 1 Thessalonians P a g e | 21 © Copyright 2018 Joel B. Curry

o This is how Paul thinks of his converts…& how the Savior regards every believer