Preaching, reinforced by godly concern:
Godly concern for his
listeners underscores more forcefully than anything else the legitimacy of
Paul's missionary methods.
Paul seems to respond to certain doubts or
criticisms of his ministry. He implicitly defends his ministry of the gospel,
and at the same time, by recalling the work he and his companions have done, he
gives the Thessalonians a pattern of loving service to follow.
1
Thessalonians 2:5-12 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put
on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as
apostles of Christ
we could have asserted our authority.
7 But we behaved gently when we were among you,
like a devoted mother Nursing and cherishing
her own children.
8 So, being thus tenderly and affectionately desirous of
you, we continued to share with you not only God’s good news (the Gospel) but
also our own lives as well, for you had become so very dear to us.
9 For you recall our hard toil and struggles,
brethren. We worked night and day [and plied our trade] in order not to be a
burden to any of you [for our support] while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the
Gospel) of God to you.
10 You are witnesses, [yes] and God [also], how
unworldly and upright and blameless was our behavior toward you believers [who
adhered to and trusted in and relied on our Lord Jesus Christ].
11 For you know how, as a father [dealing with] his
children, we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you
12 To live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into
His own kingdom and the glorious blessedness [into which true believers will
enter after Christ’s return].
Paul mentions the gentleness of their behavior: We
were gentle among you, 1 Thess. 2:7. Paul showed great
mildness and tenderness who might have acted with the authority of an apostle
of Christ.
Such behavior greatly
recommends religion, and is most agreeable to God’s gracious dealing with
sinners, in and by the gospel. This great apostle, though he abhorred and
avoided flattery, was most condescending to all men.
Paul accommodated himself to all men’s
capacities, and became all things to all men. Paul showed the
kindness and care of a nurse that cherishes her children. This is the way to
win people, rather than to rule with rigor.
The word of God is
indeed powerful; and as it comes often with awful authority upon the minds of
men, as it always has enough in it to convince every impartial judgment, so it
comes with the more pleasing power, when the ministers of the gospel recommend
themselves to the affections of the people.
And as a nursing
mother bears with forwardness in a child, and condescends to mean offices for
its good, and draws out her breast, cherishing it in her bosom, so in like manner
should the ministers of Christ behave towards their people.
The servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, and patient, 2 Tim. 2:24.
This gentleness and goodness the
apostle expressed several ways.
1. By the most affectionate desire of their welfare: Being
affectionately desirous of you, 1 Thess. 2:8. The apostle had a most affectionate
love to their persons, and sought them, not theirs; themselves, not their
goods; and to gain them, not to be a gainer by them, or to make a merchandise
of them: it was their spiritual and eternal welfare and salvation that he was
earnestly desirous of.
2. By great readiness to do them good, willingly imparting to
them, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, 1 Thess. 2:8. See here the manner of Paul’s
preaching. He spared no pains therein. He was willing to run hazards, and
venture his soul, or life, in preaching the gospel. He was willing to spend and
be spent in the service of men’s souls; and, as those who give bread to the
hungry from a charitable principle are said to impart their souls in what they
give (Isa. 58:10), so did the apostles in giving forth
the bread of life; so dear were these Thessalonians in particular to this
apostle, and so great was his love to them.
3. By bodily labor to prevent their charge, or that his ministry
might not be expensive and burdensome to them: You remember our labor
and travail; for, laboring night and day, etc., 1 Thess. 2:9. Paul denied himself the liberty he had
of taking wages from the churches. To the labor of the ministry he added that
of his calling, as a tent-maker, that he might get his own bread. We are not to
suppose that the apostle spent the whole night and day in bodily labor, or
work, to supply the necessities of his body; for then he would have had no time
for the work of the ministry. But he spent part of the night, as well as the
day, in this work; and was willing to forego his rest in the night, that he
might have an opportunity to do good to the souls of men in the day time. A good
example is here set before the ministers of the gospel, to be industrious for
the salvation of men’s souls, though it will not follow that they are always
obliged to preach freely. There is no general rule to be drawn from this
instance, either that ministers may at no time work with their hands, for the
supply of their outward necessities, or that they ought always to do so.
4. By the holiness of their conversation, concerning which he appeals
not only to them, but to God also (1 Thess. 2:10): You are witnesses, and God also. They were observers of their outward
conversation in public before men, and God was witness not only of their behavior
in secret, but of the inward principles from which they acted.Their behavior was holy towards God, just
towards all men, and unblameable, without giving cause of scandal or offence;
and they were careful to give no offence either to those who were without, or
to those who believed, that they might give no ill example; that their
preaching and living might be all of a piece. Herein, said this apostle, do
I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God, and
towards men, Acts 24:16.
II. He mentions their faithful discharge of the
work and office of the ministry, 1 Thess. 2:11, 12. Concerning this
also he could appeal to them as witnesses. Paul and his fellow-laborers were
not only good Christians, but faithful ministers. And we should not only be
good as to our general calling as Christians, but in our particular callings
and relations.
Paul exhorted the
Thessalonians, not only informing them in their duty, but exciting and
quickening them to the performance of it, by proper motives and arguments. And
he comforted them also, endeavoring to cheer and support their spirits under
the difficulties and discouragements they might meet with.
And this he did not
only publicly, but privately also, and from house to house (Acts 20:20), and charged every one of
them by personal addresses: this, some think, is intended by the similitude of
a father’s charging his children.
This expression also
denotes the affectionate and compassionate counsels and consolations which this
apostle used. He was their spiritual father; and, as he cherished them like a
nursing mother, so he charged them as a father, with a father’s affection rather
than a father’s authority.
As my beloved sons, I warn you, 1 Cor. 4:14. The manner of this apostle’s
exhortation ought to be regarded by ministers in particular for their
imitation, and the matter of it is greatly to be regarded by them and all
others; namely, that they would walk worthy of God, who hath called
them to his kingdom and glory, 1 Thess. 2:12.
Observe,
1. What is our great gospel privilege—that
God has called us to his kingdom and glory. The gospel calls us into the
kingdom and state of grace here and unto the kingdom and state of glory
hereafter, to heaven and happiness as our end and to holiness as the way to
that end.
2. What is our great gospel duty—that we
walk worthy of God, that the temper of our minds and tenor of our lives be
answerable to this call and suitable to this privilege. We should accommodate
ourselves to the intention and design of the gospel, and live suitably to our
profession and privileges, our hopes, and expectations, as becomes those who
are called with such a high and holy calling.
