Read with Me
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 (HCSB)
For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result. On the contrary, after we had previously suffered, and we were treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition. For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive. Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others.
Listen with Me
Too many outside observers, Paul might have seemed to be fighting a losing battle. He had been arrested, beaten, and imprisoned in Philippi, and had ultimately been escorted from the city. He had caused a riot in Thessalonica and had had to leave the city under cover of darkness, and then a short time later he had been forced out of Berea as well.
But Paul did not see any of those as failures, least of all his time spent in Thessalonica. In Philippi and Berea he had left behind a strong nucleus from which the Gospel had spread and from which the Church would grow. That reality, that with God’s help the work he did in each city would last and grow even if he himself was driven out, gave Paul the courage to continue to speak boldly. And when he came to Thessalonica, he did just that.
Even though Paul’s stay in Thessalonica was just a little over three weeks, his work had been blessed with God’s divine power, and he had reaped a harvest among both the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as among the prominent women of the city.
Paul realized that there were a lot of charlatans in the society of the day, peddling “divine secrets” for money and prestige. But he was not one of those. His gospel wasn’t one of the “secrets of the ages”; it was God’s revelation to all mankind. It was not designed to be kept secret; it was to be shared broadly. It wasn’t just for the “initiates” of a mystery religion; it was for everyone, men, women, and even children.
Paul’s motive for his ministry was not riches or prestige, and those who saw him could see that he had neither. His goal was to share the good news widely and freely, with anyone who was willing to listen. And, thankfully, many in Thessalonica did listen, and were now living in God’s kingdom.
Pray with Me
Father, it is refreshing to read Paul’s take on the events of the previous few months. Many who had undergone the rejection, the pain, and the disgrace that he had would be ready to throw in the towel. But instead of looking at the negative things that had happened, Paul saw the harvest he had gathered in each city while he had been able to work there. He saw that, through Your divine power and his steadfast labor, he had been able to form a solid core of believers in each city he had visited, despite the strong efforts of those who were opposed to the gospel. And that knowledge drove him forward to the next city, the next harvest. Lord, helped me to have the same passion, the same perseverance, so that I, too, can reap an abundant harvest in Your power Amen.