1 Thessalonians 2:4

“but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts”

“But”: In contrast to unworthy motives and methods. “Approved of God”: “We have passed God's scrutiny” (Knox). “ Perfect passive, here the tense for completed state means tested and proved and so approved” (Robertson p. 16). “We came and spoke to you as ‘tested' men” (Vincent p. 23). “His emphasis is on God as the person to whom he was responsible. God had tested Paul and found him fit” (Stott p. 50). “To be intrusted with the gospel”: Paul is quite clear that the gospel is something that was given him (he did not invent it) (1 Corinthians 15:1; Galatians 1:11 f), and that he had been chosen to act as. steward or trustee of the very Word of God (1 Corinthians 4:1). “So we speak”: “Simple, yet confident claim of loyalty to God's call and message” (Robertson p. 16). “Habitually speak (continuous present)” (Morris p. 72). Paul took his apostleship very seriously. Being entrusted with the gospel meant to Paul, that he absolutely refused to add any of his own opinions to it (1 Corinthians 4:6). It was. message that deserved to be preached from the highest motives. Nothing in his personal life could be allowed to detract from the message. Paul's point seems to be, how could men entrusted with. Divine message, even think about stooping to such unworthy motives? “To put this verse briefly, it says, ‘We did and said only what God approved us to say'” (Fields p. 55).

“Not as pleasing men”: “Not to satisfy men” (Mof) (Galatians 1:10). This was the motive of the false teachers and wandering philosophers (2 Timothy 4:3). Robertson notes, “Few temptations assail the preacher more strongly than this one to please men, even if God is not pleased, though with the dim hope that God will after all condone or overlook. Nothing but experience will convince some preachers how fickle is popular favor and how often it is at the cost of failure to please God” (p. 17). Compare with Isaiah 2:9. “But God who proveth our hearts”: The aim of the preacher or teacher is to please God (2 Corinthians 2:9). Many in the modern religious world need to realize that one can please people without much effort if one is willing to just water down the message enough. But if God is not pleased, then one has not accomplished anything. “And he is the only one whose approval matters in the end of the day (1 Corinthians 4:5)” (Robertson p. 17). “Proveth”: To discern, examine. “This present continuous tense at the end of the verse, because the divine examination is never final. No secret of Christian ministry (service) is more important than its fundamental God-centeredness. On the one hand, this is. disconcerting fact, because God scrutinizes our hearts and their secrets and His standards are very high. On the other hand, it is marvelously liberating, since God is more knowledgeable, impartial and merciful judge than any human being. To be accountable to Him is to be delivered from the tyranny of human criticism” (Stott pp. 50-51).

“Our hearts”: This expression stands “for the whole of the inner life, comprising thought and will as well as emotions. Here the meaning is that God searches out the whole of our inner life. Nothing is hidden from Him” (Morris p. 73). Here is great motivation to be completely honest with ourselves and really work on our problems, because God is honest with us and already completely knows all our problems (Hebrews 4:12). It is pure foolishness to continue to live as if He does not know our secret sins.