CHAPTER 2. PAUL DEMONSTRATES THE GENUINENESS OF HIS MINISTRY AND ENCOURAGES THE THESSALONIANS IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION. Having commended and rejoiced in the wonderful experience of the Thessalonians brought about by God through his Spirit-filled preaching, Paul now demonstrates what kind of a min... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For you yourselves, brothers, know our entering into you, that it has not been found vain.' This is his first evidence of his genuineness, the wonderful results that followed his ‘entering into' them. For the verb compare 1 Thessalonians 1:9. He had ‘come in' and the result had been the transforma... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But having suffered before, and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God in much conflict.' The second evidence of his genuineness is that he was willing to go on preaching even though it brought him much suffering. They knew how... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts.' This amplifies the fact that what they preached was God's Good News. Their enemies ha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a pretext resulting from greed. God is witness. Nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have been burdensome as Apostles of Christ.' They were not like professional philosophers who wen... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But we were babes in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherishes her own children.' ‘Babes' is the majority reading of the most ancient manuscripts and is powerfully supported. The alternative ‘gentle' has relatively little support. The idea is of innocence and no pretence. A baby expresses itself... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even so being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own inner selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labour and travail. Working night and day, that we might not burden any of you,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves towards you who believe, as you know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, to the end that you should walk worthily of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.' ‘And for this cause --.' This looks back to wh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out (or ‘persecuted us'), and do not p... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short while (literally ‘a season of an hour'), in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire, because we would fain come to you, I Paul once and again, and Satan hindered us.' Paul now explains why he has... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even you before our Lord Jesus at his coming? For you are our glory and joy.' Paul now reveals how important they are to him and his companions from every point of view. He has described to them his yearning to see them again. Now he conf... [ Continue Reading ]