Introduction In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul praised God for the real transformation that has occurred in the lives of the church members in Thessalonica. Paul's confidence that these professing Christians were in fact rooted in Christ, the evidence their "conversion" was legitimate, was in the fruit the church displayed--this fruit being faith, hope, and love. The gospel, the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and promises to save all who trust in Him, is what has brought the change. In fact, gospel ministry is all about seeing people delivered from the power of sin. Paul begins chapter 2 with the word "For" which shows he is going to provide reasons for what he just stated in 1:9-10. In these verses we see the effect of faithful gospel preaching is people turn to God from idols (faith); they serve the living and true God (love); and they wait for Jesus Christ (hope). Faithful gospel ministry is about seeing the development of faith, hope, and love in individual lives. In 2:1-8 Paul reminds his readers of a number of things that are true of faithful gospel ministry. The Text
"1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us." (1) The gospel brings conflict, and is to be declared (v1-2) "But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict." --1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 When Paul arrived in Thessalonica it sparked controversy with the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ. Nevertheless, Paul preached the gospel with success. The conflict was not usual. Paul had experienced the same thing in the city he visited prior to Thessalonica. Everywhere Paul went, conflict seemed to erupt--but why? The word "gospel" means good news. This word was not unique to Christians, it was a common word that referred to a proclamation of some significant event that had implications for those who heard. The biblical gospel declares, not opines, an event with which all must reckon--that event being the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Scripture declares that Jesus was proven to be the Christ through His resurrection. "Christ" is a loaded term, but in brief, Christ is the God-appointed king who will establish the visible rule of God over the entire earth and will destroy all those who oppose and ignore Almighty God (Ps 2). As such, if Jesus is "The Christ" all the earth is commanded to repent of their rebellion and "kiss (embrace) the Son" lest they be destroyed (Ps 2:12). Paul presses this same point further when he says, "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31). The resurrection of Jesus tells us that Jesus is the Christ, judgment for sin is sure, repentance is essential, and repentance must be preached to all. The gospel declares the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, Satan, and death, and it commands people to acknowledge this victory by repenting of their rebellion against God and seeking refuge in Christ according to God's promise of forgiveness in Jesus' name (Ps 2:12; Acts 4:12). So where does the conflict come from in proclaiming the gospel? It comes in when there is disagreement about who is Lord--who has the authority. We are all born sinners (Ps 51:5; Rom 3:23); we are born with the natural desire to operate as our own god. Our sin is exposed most clearly when God's Word is heard and we say "no" in response. Sin refuses to obey God, and it goes to great lengths to ignore, distort, suppress, and oppose the truth God has revealed (Rom 1:18-23). If sinful man desires to live his life on his terms, the gospel confronts that desire and demands repentance (a change of mind), and this is where the conflict occurs. Sinful man insists "my will be done" but Christ declares "God's will be done"--and Christ is going to win that fight. This conflict over authority will be so foundational and sharp that it will even divide households. Jesus taught that He did "not come to bring peace...but a sword" (Matt 10:34). Furthermore, Jesus promises this conflict will pit "man against his father, and a daughter against her mother...and a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matt 10:35). But is the conflict really necessary? Isn't it possible to be a Christian without pressing the claims of Christ? Jesus told His disciples "if you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn 8:31-32). If we care about people being delivered from the wrath of God and the killing power of sin, then only speaking the Word of God will yield that result. Sinful man's problem is he ignores the Word of God; the solution to his problem does not include avoiding the Word of God. Some erroneously believe that speaking the Word is unnecessary because we can "preach" Christ through our kindness and "love" (which is not defined biblically) and wait for the opportunity to be asked why we are so nice. But Scripture tells us "faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ" (Rom 10:17). If we want someone to turn to Jesus, it will be through hearing the Word by faith. Those who truly trust in Jesus Christ will follow Him; He commands us to speak, and to speak with the expectation His Word will divide those who are being called to Himself from those who persist in their rebellion against God (Jn 10:26-27). (2) The gospel makes an appeal through approved servants "For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel." -1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 The gospel is not a FYI kind of statement; a response is required when it is heard. The gospel seeks to persuade and induce a decision from the hearer. The rule of Christ is declared, and all are summoned to embrace it--the question is will the hearer submit to the rule of God in joy? Paul's ministry was all about telling people what is true and teaching and encouraging them to listen to God. Sadly, the gospel has always been attacked by those who think it needs to be changed to suit human preference, and even more tragically there have always been teachers willing to cater to this demand (2 Tim 4:3-4). This is why Paul has to remind us that he has been approved by God to speak for God--which is what biblically faithful preaching is. It is a big deal to say "God says" or "God thinks," and it should not be said unless you can show it from God's Word. The third commandment is that we not take the name of God in vain, because God will not hold such a person guiltless for doing so (Ex 20:7). How many teachers will find out that much of what they presented as God's truth was in fact a gross misrepresentation of Him, and will be called to account for it? Teachers will fall under stricter judgment for what they say (Jam 3:1) The church is commanded to practice quality control when it comes to the doctrines it teaches, especially when it comes to what is presented as the gospel. Gospel ministry is much like a relay race, the gospel being the baton. Our responsibility is to receive it from those who have come before us, run our race according to the rules, and pass it on to the next person. We do not change or drop the baton--that would disqualify us--we hold it with the understanding we need to run our portion of the race and pass it on to the next person. Paul proves this when he told Timothy "what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim 2:2). Do you hear all the accountability in this statement? Paul told Timothy what was true, and he did so in the presence of many witnesses who could confirm what he said. Timothy was to hear and receive what Paul said with the understanding he was responsible to teach many other men, and these men needed to understand the requirement to pass the truth on to others. Elsewhere, Paul describes gospel ministry as being an ambassador. The role of of an ambassador is to truthfully and fully convey what his king has said; the ambassador does not have liberty to "improve" or edit the message of his king. Christians have been entrusted with a "message of reconciliation...we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us" (2 Cor 5:19-20). God and man are estranged because man rejects God; God pursues reconciliation with us by urging us to repent with the promise of total forgiveness in Christ. Stated differently, the gospel declares that man is in sin and will perish for it, but God promises to receive us back if we repent and turn to Jesus. Gospel ministry urges people to see the misery of sin and exchange it for the joy of being reconciled with God and living under His rule. (3) The gospel is declared to please God, not man "But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ." -1 Thessalonians 4-6 The aim of preaching the gospel is multifaceted. One aspect is the desire to see sinners reconciled to God and delivered from their sin and shame. There is, however, a more foundational purpose behind our preaching of the gospel: the glory of God. Whatever we do should be done for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). God has set above all things His Name and His Word (Ps 138:2); can we say the same? If there is no other discernible benefit to what we do except the truth and goodness of God has been displayed, God is glorified and pleased. Some will alter, or omit, their preaching of the gospel under the guise of desiring to see people come to Christ, but people come to Christ when He is raised up and glorified before them, not when God's people conceal the Word of God to avoid offense. John 3:14 puts it well: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." Clear and open statements of the truth of Christ is how God brings those He is calling to Himself, and God's people give glory to God by speaking His truth without shame. Paul contrasts what he did--speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth--with what others do. Namely, he did not come with flattery, pretext for greed, or selfish glory-seeking. Paul did not butter up the Thessalonians so they would praise him. Paul did not use ministry as a cover to gain personal wealth. Paul did not maneuver to increase a personal following. Everything Paul did was about securing their undivided devotion to Christ (1 Cor 7:35) and encouraging the obedience of faith (2 Cor 10:5). (4) The gospel is given incarnationally "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us." -1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 Paul cites his conduct among the Thessalonians as evidence that his aims were noble. This included two things: (1) preaching the gospel and (2) giving himself. Gospel ministry is life-on-life. We get our hands dirty if we are doing gospel ministry the right way. But there is a need for both a message and a presence when it comes to fully preaching the gospel. There is a temptation to emphasize one to the exclusion of the other. Some will put all the focus on simply speaking things that are true, but there is no desire to be involved in the life of the other person. Some will put all the focus on being "there" with the other person, but then it seems they forgot the reason for why they are there, and why they need to move to where God wants them to be. Gospel ministry seeks to walk with people out of idolatry and sin into life in the kingdom of God under the rule of King Jesus. Jesus was not content to send truth from heaven, He became a man and dwelt among us. Jesus not only revealed truth, but He came to be with us where we are in order to walk with us and bring us to God. Christians are called to do the same. Paul was gentle and affectionate towards the Thessalonians. This does not mean he was weak, passive, or would avoid conflict (we know from Paul's writings that is not true), but it means he was very purposeful and motivated by biblical love. A gentle person has the ability and strength to do a lot more than they choose to do in a given situation; they opt to limit and control the use of their power or authority for the ultimate good of the one they seek to win. Nursing mothers put up with a lot of difficulty for the sake of their vulnerable, dependent child--Paul did the same. Paul's labors were not driven exclusively by a cold sense of duty; he had affection for those he served and was eager to lay himself down for their good. Final Thoughts Christianity is about following Jesus, and gospel ministry is about seeing people become followers of Jesus. The mission statement of Lighthouse Church is "knowing, loving, and sharing the truth of Christ that leads to eternal life." This is a good summation of what being a true follower of Jesus looks like. There is a personal understanding that is required; we need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and understand the call to repent and believe in Jesus. The next step requires personal application of that gospel on a daily basis. As I learn more about who God is, what He commands and forbids, and what He promises, repentance will be an ongoing need. It is one thing to merely claim that Jesus is Lord, but to live under the Lordship of Christ is something else--true Christianity is the later. If I am living under the Lordship of Christ, I will see the command to make other disciples, followers of Christ (Matt 28:18-20). And that is gospel ministry: seeing people delivered from the power of idols and sin to walk in the joy of Christ. The question is do we really see the horrors of sin and the goodness of God to be compelled to flee to Christ ourselves and help others do the same by hearing the Word of God?
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
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