1 Thessalonians 2:3

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: FOR - the ground of his 'boldness' (1 Thessalonians 2:2), his freedom from 'deceit [ planee (G4106): imposture, before men], uncleanness, and guile' [ doloo (G1388): before God, 2 Corinthians 4:2 ] (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Ephes...

3_For our exhortation_. He confirms, by another argument, the Thessalonians in the faith which they had embraced — inasmuch as they had been faithfully and purely instructed in the word of the Lord, for he maintains that his doctrine was free from all deception and uncleanness. And with the view of placing this matter beyond all doubt, he calls their conscience to witness. The three terms which he makes use of may, it would seem, be distinguished in this manner: _imposture _may refer to the substance of doctrine, _uncleanness _to the affections of the heart, _guile _to the manner of acting. In the _first _place, therefore, he says that they had not been deluded or imposed upon by fallacies, when they embraced the kind of doctrine that had been delivered to them by him. _Secondly_, he declares his integrity, inasmuch as he had not come to them under the influence of any impure desire, but...

1-6 The apostle had no wordly design in his preaching. Suffering in a good cause should sharpen holy resolution. The gospel of Christ at first met with much opposition; and it was preached with contention, with striving in preaching, and against opposition. And as the matter of the apostle's exhortation was true and pure, the manner of his speaking was without guile. The gospel of Christ is designed for mortifying corrupt affections, and that men may be brought under the power of faith. This is the great motive to sincerity, to consider that God not only sees all we do, but knows our thoughts afar off, and searches the heart. And it is from this God who trieth our hearts, that we must receive our reward. The evidences of the apostle's sincerity were, that he avoided flattery and covetousness. He avoided ambition and vain-glory....

Verse 1 Thessalonians 2:3. _OUR EXHORTATION_] The word παρακλησις has a very extensive meaning; it signifies not only _exhortation_ and _teaching_ in general, but also _encouragement, consolation_, and the like. When the apostles exhorted or admonished men, it was that they should turn from _evil_ to _good_, from _misery_ to _happiness_, from _Satan_ to _God_, and from _hell_ to _heaven_. Their exhortations having this object, every word was _consolatory_; and as the truth which they delivered was unquestionable, therefore their ministry was a subject of the highest encouragement and joy. _NOT OF DECEIT_] We did not endeavour to allure you with false pretences; we did not deceive you, nor were we deceived ourselves. _NOR OF UNCLEANNESS_] Such as the teach

FOR OUR EXHORTATION - That is, the exhortation to embrace the gospel. The word seems to be used here so as to include preaching in general. The sense is, that the means which they used to induce them to become Christians were not such as to delude them. WAS NOT OF DECEIT - Was not founded on sophistry. The apostle means to say, that the Thessalonians knew that his manner of preaching was not such as was adopted by the advocates of error. NOR OF UNCLEANNESS - Not such as to lead to an impure life. It was such as to lead to holiness and purity. The apostle appeals to what they knew to be the tendency of his doctrine as an evidence that it was true. Most of the teaching of the pagan philosophers led to a life of licentiousness and corruption. The tendency of the gospel was just the reverse.NOR IN GUILE - Not by the arts of deceit. There was no craftiness o

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—Paul turns from the reports of others to the experience of the readers. They themselves knew that his entrance was not powerless; although maltreated in Philippi, he was emboldened to preach the gospel at Thessalonica. His preaching did not proceed either from delusion on his part or from a desire to delude others. He felt approved by God, and was actuated by no improper motives: he sought neither their praise nor their money; so far from insisting on his apostolic rights, he was gentle among them, and conducted himself with the tenderness of a nursing mother toward her children; and so far from his ministry being a pretext for covetousness, he had labored for his own support; and thus he could confidently appeal to the Thessalonians as witnesses of the blamelessness of his conduct And as his entrance among them was not powerless, so he thanked God that it resulted i...

FOR OUR EXHORTATION,.... Or "consolation"; for the ministry of the Gospel, which is here meant, consists of doctrines full of comfort to distressed minds, such as free justification by the righteousness of Christ, full pardon by his blood, and complete satisfaction by his sacrifice; as well as of exhortations to the exercise of grace and discharge of duty: and this was NOT OF DECEIT; or "error", was not "fallacious", as the Ethiopic version renders it; it consisted of nothing but truth, it was the word of truth, and the truth as it is in Jesus; nor did it proceed from any intention to deceive and impose on persons; it was no imposture: NOR OF UNCLEANNESS; it did not spring from any impure affection for any sin, for popular applause, or worldly interest; nor did the ministers of it connive at uncleanness in others, or practise it themselves, as did the false teachers; but bore their tes...

II. TRUE SERVICE, AS MANIFESTED IN APOSTOLIC MINISTRY CHAPTER 2 _ 1. Apostolic conduct and service 1 Thessalonians 2:1)_ 2. Thanksgiving for the reception of the message and the opposition 1 Thessalonians 2:13) 3. Looking forward to His coming 1 Thessalonians 2:17) 1 Thessalonians 2:1 The apostle now enlarges upon the brief statement in the previous chapter “Ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes.” His conduct and character, as well as that of his fellow laborers, corresponded fully with the holy character

PAUL'S DEFENCE OF HIS MISSIONARY WORK. Paul had been charged by his opponents with being a wandering sophist making money out of his followers. He rebuts the charge and incidentally gives us a picture of the ideal missionary. 1 THESSALONIANS 2:2. AT PHILIPPI: the reference is to the scourging and imprisonment described in Acts 16:22. 1 Thessalonians 2:3. Our preaching was not the result of mental delusion, nor of an impure character, nor was it with intent to deceive. Each phrase refers to a charge which had been brought against Paul. 1 Thessalonians 2:4. pleasing

You yourselves know, brothers, that our coming among you was not to no effect; but after we had--as you know--already undergone suffering and ill-treatment at Philippi, we were bold in our God to tell you the good news of God, and a sore struggle we had. Our appeal to you did not proceed from any delusion, nor from impure motives, nor was it calculated to deceive; but as we have been deemed worthy by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, not as if we were seeking to please men, but rather as if we were seeking to please God, who tests our hearts. At no time, as you know, did we use flattering words; at no time did we use our message as a pretext for greed; God is our witness at no time did we seek reputation from men, either from you or from others, although we might well have claimed a place of weight, as apostles of Christ. But we showed ourselves gentle among you, treat...