1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 God’s People Entrusted with the Gospel

1 Thessalonians, New Testament, Sermons

Good morning, everyone! Ben and Christy are attending a conference the next few days so I’m giving message today. In our opening chapter of 1 Thessalonians, which we started a few weeks ago, we learned that Paul thanked God for the exemplary Christian church in Thessalonica. Today in chapter 2, we will learn about the type of spiritual leadership needed to maintain a fruitful, healthy, and exemplary church. As we know, the state and well-being of citizens in a country depend highly on the kind of leaders they have. In the same way, the spiritual well-being of a church depends on the spiritual condition of the leaders. But the Bible also teaches that we are all part of the body of Christ. If one part of the body is sick, then the whole body suffers. All of God’s people are blessed with some manifestation of spiritual gifts, which God can use to grow and bless the church and fellow believers. Therefore, as disciples of Jesus and blessed people of God, we ought to all take some kind of responsibility not only for our own spiritual growth but for the work of God in the local church. Especially, for those whom God has called to be in leadership positions. The spiritual leaders must be those who know that they have been entrusted with the gospel.

God’s People Entrusted with the Gospel

(Not Just for Church Leaders)

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Key Verse: 4:

“4 …but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who [e]examines our hearts.”

In many cities and places Paul visited and shared the gospel, opposition arose against him. In many cases, opposition arose from orthodox Jews, who vehemently hated Paul preaching that the crucified Jesus was the promised Messiah for Israel. They wanted to destroy Paul’s reputation to undermine his message. If the enemies of Paul could convince people that Paul was a liar and charlatan, then they could effectively destroy Paul’s ministry. Remember that on this second missionary journey was Paul’s first time preaching the gospel in modern day Europe. The first city he went to preach the gospel was Philippi. While he and Silas were there preaching the gospel and healing a demon-possessed girl, strong opposition arose. They were beaten and put in prison in Philippi. Acts 16:22-24 reads, “22 The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” By God’s help they were able to leave the prison and continue on their missionary journey. And the second city they visited was Thessalonica. Let’s look quickly at the map of Paul’s second missionary journey. [Pic 1—3 churches established] But soon after arriving and just at the beginning of their ministry in Thessalonica the Jewish opposition came and gave them a very hard time. Acts 17:5 reads, “5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and they attacked the house of Jason and were seeking to bring them out to the people.” The Jews formed a mob to perturb Paul and his team from conducting their gospel ministry. We know the power of mob mentality, which we see on the news or even on the UIC campus. They threaten, yell, and even beat up the victims of their hatred and malice. How would you and a friend feel when there is a group of bullies always following you and looking to hurt you? [Pic 2 bullies] You may get scared, hide in your basement, and not want to go out anymore. However, the apostles were not thwarted by the opposition but continued to preach the gospel boldly.

Look at verses 1-2. “For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our [a]reception among you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God [b]amid much [c]opposition.” Here we see in these opening verses, Paul was defending himself from the false accusations against him and criticism of his ministry in Thessalonica. When you go to jail several times and getting criticized a lot, people naturally begin to question your integrity. Why were they saying that his ministry there was in vain? It was because the Jewish oppositions followed Paul to Thessalonica. Again, they were causing him trouble and strongly opposing his ministry. So, after only a few weeks of serving in Thessalonica Paul and his team was forced to leave again. It seemed to be such a short visit. Sometimes, in our UBF ministries we do short term missionary work and go visit other chapters around the world for a few weeks. Those who opposed Paul knew that they had successfully forced him to move out. Then they began to give him a bad rap to the believers that he had left behind. They were saying that Paul’s work there was a failure and that he had really left because he was a fake and gave them a false message. They were saying he ran out of town because he didn’t want to be exposed as a charlatan. But Paul wrote in his letter to the believers in the Thessalonian church that he along with Silas and Timothy, had boldly spoken to them the gospel of God. It was not his made-up story, but the good news that the Risen Lord Jesus himself revealed to him. Also, he had almost died preaching this gospel to them boldly. Nobody wants to die for a lie. Paul didn’t put all this trouble and pain upon himself and fellow apostles because they were masochists. He was speaking to them about the gospel because it was the truth and only way of salvation. Then he went on to tell them how the gospel he had preached to them was pure and an inerrant.

Look at verses 3-4. “3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or [d]by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who [e]examines our hearts.” Here, we better understand why Paul had used the phrase “the gospel of God” in verse 2. His message to the Thessalonians was not of human origin, otherwise it would be susceptible to errors. But if it came from the one and only God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, then it would inerrant, for God cannot lie. We call the authenticity and veracity of the Bible the doctrine of inerrancy. Of course, in the course of time, there has many translations of the Bible but the essence of the gospel has not changed. Jesus died to forgive our sins and rose again on the third day to give us eternal life in the kingdom of God. The coming of Jesus the first time and his second return are the main points of the Bible. And Paul did not stray away from teaching this. Paul even had written to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “…and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” In verse 3, we see another accusation against Paul of “impurity.” This was related to sexual impurity. Why would they accuse Paul of this? When Paul preached the gospel, many women began to join the church. Remember in Philippi who was Paul’s first convert? Lydia. In Thessalonica, many women also began to believe and attend the church. Acts 17:4 reads, “4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a significant number of the leading women.”  Those who opposed Paul were saying that he was actually attracting women in order to take sexual advantage of them. We have to understand that in that pagan culture were cults that had female prostitutes in their religion. They believed by having sex with the priests and prostitutes who served in the temples, they could come closer to their deity. This is what made some of those pagan religions very popular. Paul defended himself by saying that he served the gospel with purity to bring all people, including women to salvation in Jesus. These types of accusations and actions of some pastors are still going on today. This past week, it was sad news for Christians, when one famous evangelical preacher had to resign from his position as senior pastor in his church because of his adulterous relationship with a young lady. (Even though he is in his 70’s. So, pastors must careful even in their 60’s and 70’s like Rhoel, me and Henry and Ben if he is watching.)

Last of all, the enemies of Paul were accusing him of deceit. In other words, he was deceiving the people in order to get monetary gain. Again, this kind of deception was nothing new for other religious leaders had used the name of God for personal gain. Even in Jesus’ time, he went to the Temple in Jerusalem and overthrew the tables of money changers and drove away animals from the temple court. The religious leaders were making money by raising the price of animals sold for the sacrificial ceremonies. Today, there are many prosperity gospel ministries springing up all around the world. The preachers teach followers if they give of their money to them and to their church, God would bless them back many times over and make them rich like them. Offerings are necessary and even encouraged by God’s word, but they are to be used to support the church, serve the sick and needy, and for the promulgation of the gospel. It was not to be used to make the pastor become a multi-millionaire, with a million-dollar home and own a private jet. This is why many prosperity preachers will make their messages about how to feel good, be successful in the world, and how to have a happy life, instead of preaching the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul did not give into cultural pressures, but preached the gospel entrusted to him by God.

Look at verse 4 again. “4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who [e]examines our hearts.” Paul wrote that he had “been approved by God.” In our modern society, we know that if anyone is to occupy an important position he must be approved by his peers or voted into that office. Paul could not self-approve himself, so how he could he say he was approved by God? It was because of his personal testimony that the Risen Jesus himself appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Jesus called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles. God also revealed this to other servants of God, who accepted Paul as God’s chosen servant. The Lord appeared to His servant Ananias with these words in Acts 9:15, “But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” With God’s approval and other servants of God’s approval, Paul became the man entrusted with gospel to share with many other people around the world. This was the driving force behind Paul’s ministry. This is why he never burned-out doing ministry because he knew it was not his own ministry he was serving, but God’s ministry. In our weekly Bible study group, we time to time talk about how to avoid being burnt out in God’s work. We talked about some things we need to do for ourselves on a human level which are necessary. For example, remaining healthy in body, mind, and spirit is very important for God’s servants, for God’s work is demanding and laborious. But most of all, like the Apostle Paul we must renew God’s calling as an approved servant of God. This is what Paul wrote to his young coworker and fellow missionary Timothy to do. 2 Timothy 2:15 reads, “15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Paul did not say to Timothy be diligent in exercise or be diligent to keep your mental health, though these things are important, but be diligent to be an approved servant of God. Also, according to the end of verse 4, a servant approved by God lives to please God, not men. Paul elaborates more on what this means in the next verses.

Look at verses 5-6a. “5 For we never came [f]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext [g]for greed—God is our witness— 6 nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others…” Paul was not a man pleaser. What is a man pleaser? Is it someone who makes delicious food for men like a chef? [Pic 3 do you know him– Nusret Gökçe] No, instead it’s like a person as Paul mentioned in verse 5, who uses flattering speech to scratch the itching ears of his hearers. As aforementioned, they would be like prosperity preachers who teach what others want to hear in order to gain personal and material gain. One famous prosperity preacher said he didn’t like the idea of calling people sinners because it doesn’t make them feel good. He said he would rather give positive and encouraging messages to church members. Another minister wrote a very popular self-help book called, The Power of Positive Thinking, which became a best seller in the 1950’s selling millions of copies. It was accepted by the general public but criticized by psychiatrists and spiritual leaders. Men-pleasers are also those who want to sit in honorable positions so that others may look up to them and envy them. Paul made it clear that he was not seeking honor from men. Jesus warned the Pharisees on the spiritual dangers of seeking honor from men. John 5:41-45 reads, “41 I do not receive glory from people; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.” Because they wanted glory and honor from each other, they could not see the glory of God. They ended up rejecting Jesus as their Messiah because he did not fit their own human idea of what the Messiah should look like. To them, the Messiah should look glorious, powerful, rich, and highly honored by all the people. Seeking only human honor causes us to have the wrong view of ourselves and of God. Our correct view of God is reflected in how we serve the ministry. When we have the correct view of God we remain as His humble servants like our Lord Jesus.

Look at verses 6b-8. “…though [h]we could have [i]asserted our authority as apostles of Christ. 7 But we [j]proved to be [k]gentle [l]among you. As a nursing mother [m]tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own [n]lives, because you had become [o]very dear to us.” Because Paul and his team had the right view of God, they did not demand their rights as apostles. One of those rights, which we will discuss more later, was to be supported by the church. As apostles, they could also have used their authority to demand many things from the church and church members. But instead of demanding from others, they only served them with a loving and gentle spirit. Like a nursing mother tending her little babies. Because they are babies they will poo in their diapers and spill their milk, but parents don’t get mad at them and yell, “Why did you poo in diapers!” (Except I get upset with my grandson for pooing while I am babysitting him) Parents, especially mothers, have an important role to nurture their children with love and emotional support. [Pic 4 some WL mothers feeding and nurturing their children] They are willing to give up sleep and of themselves in order to help their infants to grow up as healthy children. This is what Apostle Paul and his team wanted to do for the believers in Thessalonica. Not only share the gospel with them, but their own lives. They wanted to be with them in their time of need, as parents meet the needs of their babies. How can we show a mother’s care for others in the church? One way is visiting the sick and praying for them. [Pic 5 Sarah Mina] Maria and Elena also visited but didn’t have a picture together. Yesterday, Ben, Rhoel, and I visited brother Abinav who had to go to ER the other day for a sharp pain in his body. It was so painful that he could not work. Now he is resting at home. [Pic 6 with elders visiting Abinav] We want to practice Christian love and share our lives with others as the Apostle Paul did with the early believers.

Look at verses 9-10. “9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we [p]behaved toward you [q]believers…” As parents don’t demand anything from their babies and young children, Paul and his coworkers didn’t demand anything from the believers in Thessalonica. Instead, they were working hard night and day to support the ministry. Paul was known as a tent-making missionary in order to support himself. [Pic 7 Silas and Timothy helping] He did this because he didn’t want to burden the young church in Thessalonica. In Ukraine, Maria and I supported our family and the church as international teachers for 19 years. Actually, the Bible gives exhortations in giving provisions for gospel workers. 1 Corinthians 9:3-6 reads, “3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from working?” But Paul’s team did not demand their apostolic rights. Through their hard work, devotion to God, and faithfulness to the gospel, the Thessalonian believers could see with their own eyes how they had served God and them. Through their hard-working examples, they wanted to encourage them as a father encourages his children through his hard work and toil to support the family.

Look at verses 11-12. “…11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” In verse 7, Paul had written that they served them “like a nursing mother” for her children. But here in verse 11, Paul writes about “a father would his own children.” In God’s wisdom, he made parenting both the duties of the father and the mother. Through the mother children are nurtured with love and care. Through the father not only with love but also with discipline. [Pic 8 father disciplining child] Hebrews 12:7-11 reads, “7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

In this passage, we learn that Paul wanted not only the early believers in Thessalonica to live “lives worthy of God,” but also for us believers who live in the present. God has given us the freedom of choice to live anyway we want. But let’s pray to live like the Apostle Paul and live as men and women “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.” Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:1 Or coming to you
  2. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Or during
  3. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Or struggle; or conflict
  4. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 Lit in deceit
  5. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Or approves
  6. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 Lit in a word of flattery
  7. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 I.e., to conceal greed
  8. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Lit being able to
  9. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Or been burdensome as
  10. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or became gentle
  11. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Three early mss infants
  12. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Lit in the midst of you
  13. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or cherishes
  14. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Or souls
  15. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Lit beloved
  16. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Lit became
  17. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Or who believe

1 Thessalonians 2 1-12

Bible Study Questions:

God’s People Entrusted with the Gospel
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Key Verse: 4:
“4 …but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who [e]examines our hearts.”
1.Read 1 Thess. 2:1-2. Why did some criticized Paul’s initial visit to Thessalonica as a failure? What had happened in Philippi? (Ac. 16:22-24) Do you know when and why Jesus was asked to leave the region of the Gerasenes? (Lk. 8:36-37) Who do you think these people were who were trying to malign Paul’s spiritual leadership and ministry?

2. Read 1 Thess. 2:3-4. How did Paul defend his ministry at Thessalonica? Why was it important for him to do so? What does it mean to be “men approved by God”? (2 Tim. 2:15) What does it mean that Paul wanted to please God? What was the attitude of the other apostles at the time of dangerous persecution? (Ac. 5:28-29)

3. Read 1 Thess. 2:5-6a. How may “Christian influencers” of today use flattery or their own unbiblical teachings to please people or those aspiring to be Christians? What does it mean to put on a mask? Why is receiving the praise of men so tempting and spiritually dangerous? (John 5:41-45)

4. Read 1 Thess. 2:6b-8. What are some rights of apostles? (1 Cor. 9:3-6, 11-14) How did Paul’s missionary team show a mother’s gentle care for the believers in the church of Thessalonica? What did they share with the believers there besides the gospel? (1 Cor. 13:13)

5. Read 1 Thess. 2:9-10. How had Paul’s team toiled and worked in order not to be a burden? In spite of their busy life, what did they continue to do? (2 Ti. 4:2) How did their life examples show their holy desire to serve God?

6. Read 1 Thess. 2:11-12. Earlier in verse 7, Paul talked about a mother’s care. What can you learn about the role of the father in these verses? How does he encourage God’s children? (Heb. 12:7-11) How ought to live in this world before we enter God’s kingdom and glory? (Phil. 1:27)

NASV
For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our [a]reception among you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God [b]amid much [c]opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or [d]by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who [e]examines our hearts. 5 For we never came [f]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext [g]for greed—God is our witness— 6 nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though [h]we could have [i]asserted our authority as apostles of Christ. 7 But we [j]proved to be [k]gentle [l]among you. As a nursing mother [m]tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own [n]lives, because you had become [o]very dear to us.
9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we [p]behaved toward you [q]believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
Footnotes
a. 1 Thessalonians 2:1 Or coming to you
b. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Or during
c. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Or struggle; or conflict
d. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 Lit in deceit
e. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Or approves
f. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 Lit in a word of flattery
g. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 I.e., to conceal greed
h. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Lit being able to
i. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Or been burdensome as
j. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or became gentle
k. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Three early mss infants
l. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Lit in the midst of you
m. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or cherishes
n. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Or souls
o. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Lit beloved
p. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Lit became
q. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Or who believe

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