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Paul's Work in Thessalonica
1 Thessalonians 2.1-8
Good News Translation (GNT)
1 Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit
to you was not a failure.
2 You know how we had already been
mistreated and insulted in Philippi before we
came to you in Thessalonica. And even
though there was much opposition, our God
gave us courage to tell you the Good News
that comes from him.
3 Our appeal to you is not based on error or
impure motives, nor do we try to trick anyone.
4 Instead, we always speak as God wants us to,
because he has judged us worthy to be
entrusted with the Good News. We do not try
to please people, but to please God, who tests
our motives.
5 You know very well that we did not come to
you with flattering talk, nor did we use words
to cover up greed - God is our witness!
6 We did not try to get praise from anyone,
either from you or from others,
7 even though as apostles of Christ we could
have made demands on you. But we were
gentle when we were with you, like a
mother [a] taking care of her children.
8 Because of our love for you we were ready to
share with you not only the Good News from
God but even our own lives. You were so
dear to us!
Footnotes
1 Thessalonians 2:7 we were gentle when
we were with you, like a mother;
some manuscripts have we were like children
when we were with you;
we were like a mother.
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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the
Scripture Union
Paul's Work in Thessalonica
A missionary once said that he liked working in a place where there was little response because he knew that when people were converted it would clearly be God's work and not his.
This is Paul's claim for the Thessalonians.
There was so much against the success of gospel preaching there that their conversion was clearly a supernatural event.
Paul had confidence that there was real power in the gospel, so there was no need to trick people into believing (v 3).
The openness of Paul's way of working is a challenge to those who are so keen to get people into our churches that we water down the gospel message or fail to present the challenge of discipleship.
Even the reality of persecution did not stop the Thessalonians believing.
Paul's pleasing of God and not men (v 4) does not mean that he was so concerned for his message that he did not value the Thessalonians as people.
He can talk about how his love for them meant that his preaching ministry was accompanied with sacrificial service.
He shared his life as well as his message.
He worked to provide for his own material needs and exhibited the same care towards these not-yet-believing pagans as a parent would show towards their own children (vs 7,8).
Paul's love for God and his love for people were never in opposition, but together commended the gospel.
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