1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

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 men: Paul's object was not that of the professional sophist, to captivate his audience with a display of rhetoric.

1 Thessalonians 2:7. gentle: the addition of a single letter to the Greek word meaning gentle makes it mean babes (cf. mg.). If gentle is right (and the context seems to support it) the verse gives us a beautiful picture of Paul as the gentle apostle caring for his converts as a nursing mother cherisheth her children.

1 Thessalonians 2:9. working day and night: Paul replies to the charge of covetousness by stating that he earned his livelihood (cf. Acts 18:3 *, 1 Corinthians 4:12; Ephesians 4:28, p. 768).

1 Thessalonians 2:11. father: a variation of the metaphor used in 7, where Paul describes himself as a nursing mother.