Click here for a .pdf version that retains all of the original formatting. Easier to read.

1 Thessalonians 2:1 - 6  Pauls Keys to an Effective Ministry
Legacy Standard Bible

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our entrance to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much struggle. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. 5 For we never came with a flattering word, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed⁠—God is witness⁠— 6 nor seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you.

In this passage Paul gives us a snapshot of an effective ministry.  Does anyone else get tired of the barrage of titles for articles that begin with numbers.  10 reasons for this or 9 ways to excel at this or 7 causes for that.  

I confess that I've built up a resistance against articles that have titles with numbers in them.  So with that said, I'm going to resist calling this sermon; 13 things Paul did that made his ministry effective for the kingdom.  Not going to do that.

But it becomes very obvious very quickly that what we have here is a polemic argument.  This is obviously a defense against those who have followed Paul into Thessalonica and discredited his ministry in an attempt to undo the work of God accomplished in that place by Paul.

If you were Satan and were trying to undo the kingdom of God and regain the lost territory of souls gained for the kingdom of God, it makes perfect sense that close on Paul's and Silas' and Timothy's heels, as soon as they leave town you would send in some of your troops to do their best to do damage control.  Perhaps it sounded something like this;

Paul seems like a nice person but he is misguided and didn't get the full memo, he's preaching a false gospel, full of errors, and his motives are self glory and money and maybe even sexual favors.  Yeah, he's on the take and you folks were duped.  I can't believe you fell for his schtick.  It's all baloney.  And oh yeah, did you guys give him a "love offering".  Yeah, knew it,  Wow.

Something like that.  It's just immediate damage control by Satan to tip over the wavering and weak and try to get them back into the kingdom of darkness.

If we set up a straw man something like that we can read through Paul's polemic defense of his ministry and it sounds exactly like what someone would write in defense of who they truly are and what truly did happen.

One main defense Paul uses is to force the Thessalonians to review their own memory of the actual events that caused a new church to be born.  And he does that by continually reminding them that they have first hand knowledge of the real truth about the real events.  And he does that continually by saying "you know that what I say is true.  You know."  He keeps throwing his argument back onto their own first person first hand knowledge.

1 For you yourselves know 2 as you know, 5 as you know, 9 For you remember 10 You are witnesses 11 just as you know

And we'll see that again and again throughout this book.  Those guys made claims about us, about our ministry, about the reality of what God did, about your legitimacy as believers, but you know the truth.

It's a powerful argument.  Satan's got 20 reasons why what happened was illegitimate but you guys were eye witnesses of God at work in your midst.  Paul's immediate defense is to call into memory what actually took place.
So we get to come along for the ride, 20 centuries after the fact.

1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our entrance to you was not in vain,

Our coming to you was not in vain.  kenē  The word means empty.  Worthless.  No value.  Hot air that evaporates.  

Paul's first defense, or his opening to his defense is a rebuttal.  Paul is worthless hot air.  Paul is nothing.  What he says is useless emptiness.  No.

Paul says it wasn't useless, our coming to you.  In fact it was at great cost that Paul did come, because there was resistance.  Paul's first defense is that everywhere he goes, a war breaks out between God's kingdom and Satan's kingdom.  Paul is a disturber of Satanic peace, if there is such a thing.  Everywhere he goes, trouble follows.

2 Kingdoms, 2 authorities to reign are at war, beyond our physical sight and senses.  Satan has captured this world and reigns here.  His weapon is sin and he has captured the entire human race.  He rules here.  Almost unchallenged.  Almost.

And then in walk Paul and Silas and Timothy, and right in the middle of Satan's kingdom, they explain that God has sent His own Son to die in our place in payment for our sins, and by that act God has purchased out of Satan's holdings, all who will believe.  

You can come out of the condemned world and belong to God, forgiven, purchased out of the wrath to come by the shed blood of Jesus.  With the remission of sin you are promised everlasting life with God.  The first born of the dead is Jesus who rose up from the grave, and who will call all of us who believe to come with Him in resurrection life.

That was Paul's good news, and a whole bunch of people believed.  Satan took a hit!  He's fighting back.  The way to do that is to discredit Paul.  Paul is an empty windbag.  That's what vain means in verse one.  And Paul says, you know better.  You know.  Our coming to you was not vain.  Not worthless.  Not empty.  But we came with other worldly power.  Power not our own.

The proof is in the disturbance that Paul creates everywhere he goes.  Paul is like this little hook nosed tornado that leaves a path of destruction in Satan's kingdom everywhere he goes.  And he calls that into his defense.  Empty?  Vain?  Hardly.

2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much struggle.

What exactly happened in Philippi?  Thessalonica was what happened next, but what went down in Philippi?  Paul the tornado in Satan's peaceful realms.  I'm going to take the time to read you the full account at Philippi because it's a snapshot of the Paul effect, everywhere Paul went.  Trouble.  Paul impacts Satan's kingdom and trouble happens.  Paul the tornado in Satan's kingdom.

Acts 16:1 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees, which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

     6 And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

     11 Therefore putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

     14 And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

     16 And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

     19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

     22 And the crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

     31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

     35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Now therefore, come out and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

Paul just walks through Satan's kingdom wreaking havoc for Satan and winning people out of Satan's grasp for God's glory.  

Paul was mis-treated in Philippi.  He's dragged before magistrates.  No fair trial.  They beat him with rods, inflicting physical injury and throw him in prison.  Because of the gospel.  Imagine yourself on Paul's team.  

What should we do today?  Oh I know, let's go to Thessalonica and get beat up again.  Maybe it will be different in Thessalonica.  Then they look at the little hook nose tornado and they say, no, no it won't be any different.  Another beating is definitely in our future.

I love it in the Philippi story that Paul pushes back a little.  The magistrates send the policemen to tell the jailor to release Paul, and Paul says, not so fast.  We're Romans and you folks give us a beating and lock us up without any warrant.  Illegally.  No trial, no defense, no nothing.

We've just witnessed the church universal in 2020 roll over and play dead because a bunch of authorities who didn't really have the authority that they claimed were trying to shut the churches down.  And most of evangelicalism just rolled over and played dead.

I like it that Paul has some backbone.  After an illegal arrest and an unfair phony non trial and beatings and jailings you release us.  Not so fast.  We're Roman citizens.  Paul could have actually caused those magistrates some real damage.  He puts some fear into them and heads to Thessalonica where he knows the same thing will happen again.  And it does.

That takes some tremendous backbone to keep going, knowing full well, that when the kingdom of God marches into Satan's hornet nest, the hornets are going to get territorial.

2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much struggle.

Paul's accusers have said he's empty hot air.  Paul's answer is, why is it that everywhere I go, satan's hornets get territorial and try to sting me to death.  And the bigger question, knowing that is true, how does Paul and his team keep marching into enemy territory knowing full well, trouble is waiting.

Amidst that scenario of sure trouble, Paul says, we had the boldness to come to you, God supplied the boldness, we came to you to speak the gospel of God, and we knew ahead of time, trouble would follow.  It always does.  That isn't hot air.  That isn't vapid empty gas.  It was very real.  As you well know.

3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;

Satan is an accuser.  Satan's dupes, our straw men that we know have caused Paul to write this defense, have made accusations against Paul.

He speaks error.  He's a false teacher who is bringing you dangerous errors.
He's impure.  His motivation is sexually impure.  akatharsias.  It meant physical or moral uncleanness.  This accusation is that Paul's motives were to take sexual advantage of them.  Paul's message causes moral impurity.
Finally, he's a liar.  He's deceiving you with untruth.  

Paul simply says, no;  our exhortation (our message, our teaching, our gospel) does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;

But by way of direct contrast and rebuttal to those accusations, Paul says;

4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

Errors.  Lies.  False motives.  No.  We have been approved by God.  God doesn't approve liars and people with false evil motives to go spread error.  We are approved by God and therefore

God has entrusted us with the gospel.  There's so much in that statement.  Over and over as time goes by, Paul will keep telling Timothy to take care of the precious treasure that has been entrusted to them by God.  The gospel of salvation.

We are stewards who have been given a trust.  We are responsible to deliver the same gospel God has entrusted to us, intact and unchanged, to the next generation after us.

In 2 Cor. 4:7 Paul tells the Corinthians;  7 Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;…

Paul says, we're just clay jars.  Earthen vessels.  Common as dirt.  But we are ordinary jars full of extraordinary treasure.  We hold a treasure that is more valuable than anything this condemned and perishing world can match.  

We have the gospel which is the ticket out of the wrath that is coming to this world.  More precious than all the gold the world can gather.  That's the treasure entrusted to us.

Notice something else.  In the next verse, the direct effect of this powerful treasure we hold, in Satan's kingdom, trouble.  Count on it.  If the treasure is intact, trouble follows it.  Satan hates it.  It's a war, and if you've got the pure treasure, the entrusted-to-you-by-God treasure, expect trouble.

In 2 Cor. 4:8 We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair

Look around you at modern evangelicalism.  If vs. 8 isn't happening, it's because vs 7 has been compromised.  When the treasure isn't the treasure because it's compromised, then trouble is avoided.  

Satan isn't a fair fighter, but anyone knows, when the treasure is compromised so that it is no longer a threat to the enemy, peace reigns.  Satan will make peace when the gospel isn't causing him any loss.

That was NOT the case in Thessalonica.  Paul can argue, just the opposite happened.  His accusers say he's empty air.  A liar.  False prophet speaking lies with dirty motives.  Paul says, no;

4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

God entrusted us with the dynamite and we go all over Satan's territory setting it off.  Paul says;  So we speak.  God entrusted us with it and we're delivering it.  Not as pleasing men.  The gospel message doesn't please men who love their sin.  

Do you think it never crossed Silas and Timothy's minds that, you know Paul, if we could just tone this down a little bit, maybe take off some of the sharp edges, maybe make it just a little more user friendly to sinful men who will fight to keep their sin, then maybe we could make it in and out of some town without getting beaten senseless.  Maybe we could please men, just a little bit?

And Paul slams his fist down and says;  not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts

We deliver the message intact, in purity and power, why?  Because we are stewards and the person who owns the message examines our hearts.  We aren't in this to please men.  We're in this to please God who looks inside our hearts at our motives.  And we expect the beatings.  Setting off gospel bombs in enemy territory.  Of course there will be beatings.

5 For we never came with a flattering word, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed⁠—God is witness⁠— 6 nor seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you.

Paul recounts all of the usual reasons hucksters would come to town and says we came for none of those reasons.  Flattery to gain an entrance.  Greed to leave with our pockets full of your money.  Glory to satiate our sinful pride.

We didn't come to flatter.  If we had done that we'd have been welcomed, not punished.  We could have come and flattered everyone and been instant friends with everyone.  

Flattery is a sin.  If it's done with a motive to get what you can get it's a source of lieing.  Win the world by flattering the world and telling them how great they are.  Show the world that we're just like they are.  Can't we all just get along.  Maybe we can make the treasure a little more flattering to a sinful perishing condemned world.

Paul says we didn't do that.  Nor did we come with a pretext for greed.  We didn't come to Thessalonica to flatter people into giving us their money.  We didn't come to fleece the people of Thessalonica somehow.  This isn't a way to get rich.

God is witness, Paul says.  He keeps reminding them that they all know very well exactly what he's saying is true, they experienced God at work through Paul.  They all know.  But here he says, God knows too.  God knows our inner beings.

Maybe I could fool you.  Come with a deceptive plan to win you over and eventually get you to give me money or glory or favors.  But here Paul says, all of these motives that our accusers have said are the motivation for why we came, perhaps we could fool you, but we can't fool God.  If there was any deceptive motive for coming to you, get your money, get your hot women,  get awarded Rock Star of the Month status in Thessalonica, God knows what our motives are.

In vs. 6 Paul says, no, we didn't come seeking glory.  Not from you, not from others.  Glory was not our motivation.

And then Paul says something out of character, or at least it seems strange to hear from Paul;

even though as apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you.

To be called as an apostle of Christ was to have been called into a standing more important and glorious than to be emporer of Rome.  Ultimately, Paul understood that in God's accounting, to be called as an apostle was the most glorious calling and office any man on this earth could hold.

Paul understood his true value and calling, his true rank in the armies of heaven.  In the kingdom of God, Paul was among the top 12 men on earth.  Paul was selected by Jesus Himself to be an apostle.  But he never traded on that.  He knew that glory was for later.  Right now he's a clay jar, holding priceless treasure.  That's enough.

Still, Paul says we could have been a burden.  They were actually biblically due a wage for their hire.  The other apostles took support from the folks they labored hard to serve.  Paul worked with his hands to earn his own money so he could provide the gospel free of charge.  Beyond the biblical pattern.

He didn't have to do that.  The Bible is clear that the working messenger is worthy of his hire.

1 Timothy 5:17-18 - Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.   

Galatians 6:6 - Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

1 Corinthians 9:14 - Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:9-14 - For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

Paul says, we would have been within our rights to charge you for the work we are doing.  Not Paul.  He worked hard to bring the gospel free of charge so that when the inevitable accusations came, he could say in Acts 20 to the Ephesian elders;

I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.  Paul was not in it for the money.  Paul wasn't in it for the sexual favors.  Paul wasn't in it for the glory even though in kingdom terms, he was more glorious than any earthly king.  Paul was happy to be considered a clay pot.  

Later on Paul could accept gifts from other church's helping him along his way.  If he was in Thessalonica for instance and the brothers from Philippi brought him a cash gift to help him on his way, he would accept help from other places while providing the gospel message where he was at, free of charge.

That has been the missionary pattern to this day with new church start-ups.  We send some money to help the work get started until it can become self sufficient on it's own.

Satan's method to undo God's work in the world is to bring accusations against those doing the work in order to dis-credit the work.  How important is it then, that those who are causing Satan harm cannot be neutralized with accusations that are true.

I've been watching carefully this week past some accusations against my own beloved pastor and mentor from afar, John MacArthur.  A man in his church some years ago who was in a ministerial position is accused of harming his own children.  Accused by an estranged wife.

When it happened there was sorrow and repentence.  We don't know what exactly did happen.  It's all he said she said.  But he humbled himself and repented and tried to make things right if there was some level of truth.  She refused to budge.  No forgiveness.  She only wanted to depart.

The elders at that church disciplined and removed the un-forgiving wife.  13 years later it has all blown up and Satan is grabbing at straws trying to dis-credit MacArthur for following clear biblical protocol.  Easily done now because our culture is sympathetic to non biblical worldly standards.

Interesting to watch because MacArthur is getting blamed for what the collective body of 40 godly elders decided was the correct thing to do according to clear biblical mandate.  Satan doesn't care about 40 guys whose names you've never heard of.  He goes after MacArthur.

And John's approach is exactly like Paul's.  He looks inside his heart and let's God judge his and all of the elders motives whether right or wrong, and as he has done for 53 years, he let's Satan throw his punches.  It's a real life example of what Paul is describing in this passage.

In 1 Cor. 4 Paul makes this statement;

2 Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.…

Paul was human dynamite blowing up Satan's kingdom and he would get beaten and incarcarated over and over by this world's courts.  Eventually he would die a prisoner of this world's systems.  Satan never stopped trying to neutralize him.

Funny story.  Satan throws Paul in prison, Paul uses the time to write the Bible that we're studying this morning.  Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.  

Thessalonica was actually pretty early on in Paul's ministry.  The accusations come, and Paul says, you folks know the truth.  You were witnesses of God's power at work.  You yourselves are the result of the power of God in your midst.  Me, I'm just the clay jar that the power came to town inside.