1st Thessalonians Chapter
Two Commentary by
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - 1 Thess. 2:1-5
Verse 1. "For you yourselves know,
brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain,"
After Paul and his companions arrived at the city of
Thessalonica, he spoke in the local synagogue for three consecutive Sabbaths,
where he "reasoned with them from the Scriptures... saying
this Jesus... is the Christ" (Acts 17:1-2). "Some
of (the Jews) were persuaded; and a great multitude
of the devout Greeks... joined Paul and Silas," believing in Jesus
Christ" (Acts 17:3-4).
The Jews who did not believe were "envious" and incited
a mob to attack the Christians (Acts 17:5). Paul and Silas escaped with
their lives. Notice that a "multitude" of
Thessalonians had turned to the Lord; not because of miracles, but from the "Scriptures."
Paul observed, as we should, that the "gospel of Christ,"
presented in both the Old and New Testaments, "is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16). God's power is
"not in vain" and He will
save you, if only you - believe.
Verse 2. "but after we had already
suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in
our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition."
Immediately before Paul and Silas went to Thessalonica,
they were in the Macedonian city of Philippi. The "owners" of a
demon-possessed girl were incensed because Paul said to the demon in her, "I
command you, in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her;" and
indeed the
demon "came out
that very hour" (Acts 16:18). The girl had produced income through
fortune-telling which was now lost, and her owners caused Paul and Silas to be
arrested (Acts 16:19).
To really LIVE the Christian life in God's will is not
an easy road. But Paul and the others were not deterred. They
traveled from Philippi to Thessalonica, where they had "boldness"
to speak of the "gospel" (good news) once more.
Notice this was not in their own strength. It is "boldness
in our God" that we need. Yes, "opposition"
will occur, but we will be given "boldness in our God"
to effectively do what must be done.
Verse 3. "For our exhortation does not
come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;"
"Exhortation" in this verse
is the Greek "paraklesis," which is a calling to
someone's aid, an appeal for help. In John 14:26, the Holy Spirit of God
is called a "parakletos," a "comforter"
or "counselor," which is the same root word,
referring to a court of law where a defense attorney comes alongside and speaks for
you. When you tell someone about the Lord, you are performing "paraklesis"
for them, helping them in the Spirit and power of God.
Notice the confidence of Paul. He had personally
MET the risen Christ and he KNEW that his words came from God. There was
no "error" in anything he said. "Impurity" is
"akathartos," referring to words that come from unclean spirits. "Deceit"
related to deliberately deceiving others. Paul was clean and pure in what
he said, and we can rely on his words, which came from God.
Verse 4. "but just as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing
men, but God who examines our hearts."
There are many reasons why people say things and Paul is
examining the words we say in these verses. As we
saw in Verse 3, our words CAN come from an honest desire to help others, in the
power and love of God. People can also be simply WRONG in what they say.
Words in the mouths of people can be from evil spirits, and all too often the
words we hear are intended to deceive others.
Two more sources of the words uttered by those in
humanity are listed in this
verse. Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and those who traveled with them, were "approved
by God to be entrusted with (the words of) the
gospel" about Christ Jesus, which is why they spoke. God
showed them what to say. The
antithesis (opposite) of that motive is "as pleasing men,"
which is the source of most of the words uttered in this world. Most
want to be liked. But Paul spoke from a better motive - he spoke out of
his love for "God who examines our hearts."
What we do and say is for the Lord.
Verse 5. "For we never came with
flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed - God is witness -"
In this verse, Paul examines yet two more motives
that are common in humanity: false flattery and personal greed. Most
people, when they want something from someone else, or when they just want to be
liked, will flatter others falsely. The Holy Spirit in us will give us a whole new
definition of honesty and enable us to communicate truthfully without resorting to
the "flattery" of this verse. And we don't have to be greedy. God
will take care of us financially and in every way. And He indeed
witnesses what we do and why we do it; not only through our actions, but He also
sees our thoughts.
In Verses 3 and 4, Paul used himself for an example of
the way our motives should be and it is time to examine our intentions. We
are to be perfect, without error; which is impossible for us, but it is
attainable through God in us. We are to be pure, which is to say, nothing
of the enemy is to be in us. We are not to be deceitful - ever. We
are not to be men-pleasers, but instead let our intent be to do the will of our Lord in
everything.
Father, I give myself and my life to You. Place
honesty within me and give me a genuine concern for the needs of others. I trust
in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - 1 Thess. 2:6-10
Verse 6. "nor did we seek glory from
men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might
have asserted our authority."
This verse is a continuation of a discourse by Paul the
Apostle about the reasons why people, including religious leaders, seek fame and
notoriety. All too many want "glory from men."
That was emphatically NOT the motive of Paul, whether the "glory"
would come from the Thessalonians or anyone else. Paul's only motive, as
it says in Verse 4, was to be "approved (for what he did)
By GOD" Himself.
And that should be what motivates you and me.
There is no reason to "seek glory" for ourselves
because whatever we can do,
whether in the form of "natural" gifts, or gifts of the Spirit, it is
all from God.
My car does not drive me to the store - I drive me to the store, using my car.
It is not you and I who accomplish some good thing, it is God. He is the
Driver; we are like passengers in His "car." Whatever good we might do, we should praise God, even if, like Paul, we
have some kind of "authority" to assert. It
is God's authority, not ours.
Verse 7. "But we proved to be gentle
among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children."
Paul had become like his Lord. You should take a
look, a REALLY good look at Matthew 11:29, where Jesus said of Himself, "I
am gentle and lowly in heart." In another translation, the
suggested word for "gentle" is "meek."
Here is Almighty God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, telling us an important
truth about God: He is "meek and lowly" in heart.
You can trust Him for He surely is your faithful Friend.
Notice that this verse speaks of how this Godly
characteristic manifested itself in Paul - he had become like a "nursing
mother (who) tenderly cares for her own children."
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you become a son or
daughter of God. The Holy Spirit comes and literally lives within you,
bringing the "gentle" nature of God with Him.
The child of God gradually becomes able to care for others in ways we never before
thought possible.
Verse 8. "Having so fond an affection
for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but
also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us."
It's incredible to think that God would give one person
to another, but that's what He does in marriage, in parenthood, in work and in ministry. We are no longer our own. We belong to God and
to whomever He sends us to care for. Our earthly boss, our spouse, our
children, our congregation - we are sent to others as servants to care for them
in the power and love of God. We give "our own lives"
to one another.
The "fond... affection" that Paul felt for the
Thessalonians was given to him by God and it meant that he had a powerful love,
a "yearning" for them, as a mother loves her child (Verse 7). To look at
his life before his conversion to the Lord in Acts Chapter Nine, is to discover
that Paul previously had no godly love for anyone. He had been a religious legalist
and nothing more. He now loved with a fervent love for others, which is
God's intention for us all. Love is of God and He gives it to those who
trust in His Son.
Verse 9. "For you recall, brethren, our
labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of
you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God."
Paul was a tentmaker by trade, as you can see in places
like Acts 18:1-3, where the author Luke reported that, "Paul...
and Aquila... and Priscilla...
were... by occupation...
tentmakers." Paul did not ask for donations
when he was with the Thessalonians, he instead worked hard "night
and day" to earn money for food and lodging. His intention was to "not
be a burden" to any of them.
Does it mean that if God calls you to full-time
ministry, as He did Paul, that you cannot ask for donations to support you and
the ministry? It does not. Jesus said, in relation to receiving
donations, "a worker is worthy of his food"
(Matthew 10:10). Paul presented the same idea in his letter to Timothy, as
to those who "labor in the Word and doctrine."
He said, "the laborer is worthy of his wages" (1
Timothy 5:17-18).
Verse 10. "You are witnesses, and so is
God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you
believers;"
"You are witnesses." Have you thought of yourself
as a witness? Paul's imagery in this verse is like a witness in a court
of law. If you have accepted the Lord, you have a story to tell
about what He has done and what He means to you. Others will hear, like
they heard the Apostle Paul, and part of their decision to believe in the
Lord will be based on their opinions about what you say. The direct meaning
of this verse also includes yet another related kind of testimony.
We are, in the body of Christ (the church), witnesses
about one another. It's important to note the Thessalonian's opinion of
the Apostle Paul - others were influenced by what they thought of him, while he
was in the city of Thessalonica for a few weeks (Acts 17:1 & forward). The
place erupted in a riot over his teachings and Paul had to abruptly leave "by
night" (Acts 17:10). Others might have turned away from the Lord
because of him, but the
fact that the Thessalonian believers spoke of Paul as devout, upright and
blameless, helped many to decide for the Lord. What you say
about others is important.
Father, help us to speak well of one another and to
live upright, blameless lives. Lead us, Lord, and enable us to truly care
for others, including our brethren in Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - 1 Thess. 2:11-15
Verse 11. "just as you know how we were
exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his
own children,"
In this verse, Paul changes the imagery of God that he
has been using, from the example of a loving "nursing mother" (Verse 7), to that of a
caring father. All too many young people have resisted God the Father
because they received a distorted image of God, because of
their own fathers. God calls ALL fathers to gently exhort, encourage and
act wisely toward their children. Unfortunately, many overly discipline or
neglect their children because they themselves are angry and selfish. God is not that
kind of father.
We are to tenderly love our children. We are never
to punish them because of our mere anger or frustration. Loving sympathy
should be the quality of a parent and considering the relative helplessness of a
child, we must put their needs ahead of our own. We must look to the Lord
for wisdom, firmness and love in raising them. If our fathers are good, we
will expect God to be good as well. And as Paul modeled them for us, the same
good qualities are to be in those who minister to others within the church.
Verse 12. "so that you would walk in a
manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."
None of us is capable of walking "worthy of the God who
calls" us. Not Paul, not any of the apostles; not anyone. The only
One who has ever walked the earth in a "worthy" manner, is Jesus Christ Himself.
He always was, is and ever will be - blameless. The amazing part of all
this is
that, when we receive Him as Savior and Lord, something of HIM is imparted to
us.
The transformation in us is ultimately so complete that
a man like Paul, who was formerly named Saul and was not a good man at all,
now behaved "blamelessly" toward others, as we saw in Verse 10. The
Thessalonians were being called and shaped to that kind of life also, and the promise
is to all who trust in the Son of God. Trust in the Lord, give yourself to
Him, and you will be made like
Him.
Verse 13. "For this reason we also
constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from
us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word
of God, which also performs its work in you who believe."
When we hear "the Word of God," expressed eloquently in
what is called the "Bible," or hear the Word of God through a preacher like Paul,
we have a choice. We can believe it - or not. Many who have written
about the Bible, including a lot who have made their living by writing about it,
have decided it is only the "word of men," not understanding that it is "living
and powerful" (Hebrews 4:12); able to change your life for the good.
Paul had met the risen Christ and had been given the
faith that comes from God. As the author of the Book of Hebrews said,
"Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
His faith in us is the kind of faith which will last, and it is the Word of God which
"performs its work in you who believe," as in this verse. With faith you
will begin to understand the Bible, and through the Bible you will receive more
faith.
Verse 14. "For you, brethren, became
imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also
endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they
did from the Jews,"
At the time of this letter to the Thessalonians,
the churches in the Roman Province of Judea (those in the area around Jerusalem) were still
the leading churches in the body of Christ. They were the example, the
prototype, and all the other churches in and around the Roman Empire looked to them as an example. Our walk
with Christ should be so commendable that others will want to be like us.
Some of the "sufferings" of the Thessalonians, as
mentioned in this verse, can be seen in Acts 17:1 & forward. Paul is
clearly telling all of us, through this Thessalonian letter, that those who give
themselves utterly to Christ will suffer in this life. The Judeans did and
so did the Thessalonians. Peter said, "Do not be surprised at the fiery
ordeal among you" (1 Peter 4:12). But there's more: "To the degree that
you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing" (1 Peter 4:33). All
suffering is merely for a moment in relation to eternity and God is WITH you during all that
you endure.
Rejoice - in Him.
Verse 15. "who both killed the Lord
Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but
hostile to all men,"
This verse is utterly clear. Paul the Apostle,
himself a Jew, held his own people, the Jews, directly responsible for the deaths
of not only Jesus Christ, but also the prophets who preceded Him. And he was right, but there's
even more. The Romans were
also responsible, for even though their governor, Pontius Pilate, washed his hands
of what was happening (Matthew 27:24), he and his people were guilty of the
blood of Jesus. And we are guilty, too, for it was the sins of all
mankind, including yours and mine, that "killed the Lord
Jesus."
Many, in life, try to become "pleasing" to others.
When you have not yet trusted in Christ, the motive to please others is so that
they will accept you, or respect you, or do what you want. When you come
to Christ, everything begins to change. We want to please God. Note
that those who are against the people of God, come against God Himself. The
most important thing you can ever do is to please your Maker, and you do it by
trusting in His Son and receiving others who have also trusted in Him.
Father, give us the strength and the will to
encourage and help one another. Let our lives be pleasing to You; worthy
of the God who calls us. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - 1 Thess. 2:16-20
Verse 16. "hindering us from speaking to
the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up
the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost."
Though Paul the Apostle was a very Jewish man, he also
held the rare honor of being born as a Roman citizen. God had carefully
prepared him and then sent him to the "Gentiles"
(non-Jews) of this world. The Lord's intention was that not only Jews, but
also many Gentiles would be "saved" to everlasting life.
Those who prevented Paul and others from fulfilling their call, were "hindering"
God's intention of bringing many to the Lord.
Do you see the problem with "hindering"
God's messengers? To prevent the Lord's servants from doing their job is
to place yourself in danger of everlasting judgment, if in
fact you do such things. To dislike the Lord's people and speak against those whom God has
chosen is to add to your own "sins" in the sight of
God. If you hinder His people, God's "wrath" is
aimed in your direction.
Verse 17. "But we, brethren, having been
taken away from you for a short while - in person, not in spirit - were all the
more eager with great desire to see your face."
Paul (also called "Saul") had been a cruel, harshly
religious man who persecuted those who did not see things the way he did (Acts
8:1-3). Note the change in Saul a.k.a. Paul, as reflected in this verse
written to
the Thessalonians. At that time, he had only been away from
the believers in Thessalonica for a few months, but he was "eager
with great desire" to see them again. In the power of the
Lord, he now loved the people
he once hated.
However, "in spirit" he was
still there in Thessalonica. Modern devices, such as the telephone and the internet,
allow people to be "together" even though they are apart in distance.
The Lord does something in us that's even better: He knits our hearts together so that we can
love even those who were our enemies.
And the distance between us is lessened by our ability to pray for one another.
We who are far apart can be one in our Lord; together in prayer, united in His love.
Verse 18. "For we wanted to come to
you - I, Paul, more than once - and yet Satan hindered us."
Note that Paul, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
presents Satan, the adversary, the enemy of God and His people, as a literal
person. Is this "Satan" able to hinder the
work of God in and through people like you and me? Yes, he is able.
He is continually exploring and exploiting our weaknesses, trying to thwart the
call of God and the will of God in our lives.
Paul the Apostle is an excellent example of someone who
utterly gave himself and his life to the purposes of God, and yet he was "hindered" by this "Satan"
more than once. Should we be discouraged by such information? Not at
all. God had the victory in this man's life and in the lives of those Paul
served, just as He will in your life and mine. As the famous evangelist, Corrie Ten Boom, often said: "Jesus is Victor."
Verse 19. "For who is our hope or joy or
crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at
His coming? "
Paul the Apostle was called by the Lord to bring many
Gentiles (non-Jews) to Christ. Along the way, he also led many Jews to the
Lord. Even with the persecution he experienced in Thessalonica, many came
to Christ, including all that God intended for the Kingdom of Heaven. Note
that those who believed gave the man "JOY!"
When you give your heart to the Lord, there are people on earth who will rejoice, as do the
angels in heaven; and God Himself rejoices because of Your trust in His Son.
You give "hope" to others.
Yes, our hope is in the Lord and in the promise of His certain return to this earth to claim us
for His own. But when we see the will of God unfold and it is accomplished
in people like you; our "hope"
increases and we
find the "joy" of the Lord because of Christ's
victory in your life. When
those around us are
helped by the God who is in us, our hearts experience "exultation" in the Lord.
Verse 20. "For you are our glory and
joy."
What will give us happiness and a feeling of fulfillment
in life? Is it money? What about fame? Will we find
satisfaction in conquest? In power? How about triumphing over our
enemies? Would an Olympic gold medal do it for us? The answer to all
those questions is - NO! Emphatically - NO! Such victories can only
satisfy for awhile - you need to find that which is lasting, extending far beyond this brief life!
Most people don't like to be COMMANDED to do something.
We want to decide for ourselves. But when we give ourselves to the Lord,
that part of us begins to change. We start to hunger for the will of God
and look for it in His Word and in our lives. Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your
God" with everything you've got, and love "your neighbor as
yourself" (Matthew 22:37-38). Your "glory" and your "joy" is when you see
the fulfillment of God's will, not only for you, but also in the lives of those you are
able now to love.
Dear Father, heal us of our selfishness and enable us
to truly love the Lord and love one another. Bring even our enemies to the
Lord and let us regard them as "our glory and joy"
because You are in them. Let our lives reflect Your love. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
