1 Thessalonians 2:2

“but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict”

“But”: Before reaching Thessalonica, Paul and his companions had already experienced suffering. Stott notes, “This, then, was the second evidence of Paul's genuineness. People are prepared to suffer only for what they believe in. Thus Paul appeals both to his openness and to his sufferings as tokens of his sincerity” (p. 48). “Shamefully treated”: ‘After the injury and outrage” (NEB). “To treat insolently” (Robertson p. 15). In Philippi he had been arrested illegally, put through. mock trial, beaten (although they were Roman citizens), and imprisoned. Their rights and the law had been completely ignored (Acts 16:19). “As ye know, at Philippi”: Paul was. man with real feelings. Things just did not bounce off him with ease. Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), does not mean that one becomes. doormat for the world. Paul did not take revenge, but neither did he allow the authorities to just sweep the unlawful incident under the rug (Acts 16:35). News about Paul's imprisonment in Philippi had reached the Thessalonians. Barclay notes, “There were, no doubt, those in Thessalonica who said that this man had. police record, that he was nothing less than. criminal who was on the run from justice” (p. 219). If that was the case, then Paul answers it with the phrase, “shamefully treated”, as everyone knew, his imprisonment had been unlawful and. violation of justice. Note how the Biblical letters support and endorse each other. The Bible is written in such. way that all the parts are necessary to complete the whole, and if one attacks or questions one portion of the Bible, then the rest is equally under attack. One must either accept all of it or none of it. Not only does the New Testament endorse many of the events recorded in the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 10:1;. Peter Chapter s. and 3; and the many incidences in which Jesus commented upon Old Testament events, such as Matthew 11:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 12:1-8; and 39-42; but New Testament books also endorse events which are recorded in other New Testament books (2 Peter 3:16; Romans 15:25; 1 Corinthians 16:1 ff; 2 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:1).

“We waxed bold”: To be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor. “Time servers would have been discouraged by such treatment. Not so the little band of preachers. The verb rendered ‘waxed bold' is full of interest. It comes from two words meaning literally ‘all speech'. It denotes the state of mind when the words flow freely, the attitude of feeling quite at home. This attitude includes both boldness and confidence” (Morris p. 69). “Speak freely, openly, fearlessly, outspokenness, frankness, plainness of speech and so with courage” (Stott p. 47). Such boldness is seen in Acts 17:2. From the sheer fact that the New Testament often emphasizes boldness or confidence in preaching (Ephesians 6:19; 1 Peter 1:20; Acts 9:27; Acts 18:26),. must conclude that something is wrong if the Christian is always wondering whether they are right nor not. God does not want us to apologize for the truth, and the Christian can be absolutely confident that they do have the truth. “In our God”: “His defense is no exhibition of vanity and pride” (Erdman p. 39). He is giving God the credit. Without God and His message, Paul would be and he would have nothing to proclaim. Confidence by itself never saved anyone. Robertson notes, “It was not wild fanaticism, but determined courage and confidence in God that spurred Paul to still greater boldness” (p. 16). Paul had to supply the confidence and courage, but it was not. confidence placed in natural ability, or. message of human origin.

“The gospel of our God”: God is the author (1 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 1:16). “In much conflict”: “In spite of great opposition” (TCNT). “Conflict”: This word can refer to both outward conflict (1 Peter 1:30) and inward anxiety (Colossians 2:1). “It denotes not. token opposition,. tepid struggle, but. very real battle” (Morris p. 70). The "conflict" under consideration is recorded in Acts 17:5. “The use of the word here reminds the Thessalonians that the opposition which Paul had met was intense, and his preaching had not been easy. How, in the face of this, could it be urged that he had only preached for what he could get out of it?” (Morris p. 70).

“Having considered these two preliminary points, we are ready to follow Paul's apologia in its two main stages, in which he alludes first to his visit, and secondly to his absence, together with his intended return. He describes his integrity when he was with them, his anxiety while he was separated from them, and his determination to see them again” (Stott p. 48).