Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 30 June 2017

Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 2:6

Paul continues on with the things they did not do when they came to Thessalonica. In the previous verse, it was seen that they didn’t use flattering words, and they didn’t wear a cloak for covetousness. Now, he says, “Nor did we seek glory from men.” Despite their bringing the good news of Christ, and having made converts of those he is now writing to, they never claimed some type of special recognition because of it. There was no need to give them praise or applause, as if they were somehow special in some way.

Today, titles such as “apostle” and “bishop” precede some people’s names on their social media profiles. People like this are looking for glory from men. They desire to be recognized as bearing a special position which entitles them to honor and accolades. Stating an official title to someone while he is conducting his official duties may be a mark of respect, but to simply claim a title for all the world to see at all times is not exalting of Christ, but of self. Paul is telling those in Thessalonica that he, and those with them, shunned such glory “either from you or from others.”

Not only did they not look for such glory there, but it was their standard way of dealing with all people. They simply came as men with a message greater than themselves, humbly telling of the glory of Christ. However, despite coming in this way, he does acknowledge that “we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”

The Greek here literally says, “to be in weight.” It is a term unique to the Bible, and it means to be burdensome. As apostles, or sent ones, they could have expected to be paid for their services. Paul writes about this elsewhere, noting that those who minister in the gospel should be recompensed for their efforts, but these men did not ask for pay, lodging, or anything else. They let go of the rights which they were due in order to not be a burden on their hearers.

As a note of doctrine, the term “apostles of Christ” does not necessarily mean that they were all designated to the apostolic office as Paul was. Instead, it is being used of Silvanus and Timothy in connection with Paul. He uses the plural to speak of all of them, while he is the only official “Apostle” by designation. Even if the title is spoken of all three of them, as some assume, it is only in the sense of being a messenger of Christ (as the term means), but without the authority of the true apostolic office, of which Paul alone, among the three of them, possessed. There is no definite article in front of “apostles,” and so the rendering of the King James Version, “the apostles of Christ,” is incorrect. It leads to a faulty view of the status of Silvanus and Timothy.

Life application: In the last chapter of Hebrews, the writer twice encourages his readers to acknowledge the spiritual leaders among them. He says to remember them and consider their conduct, and also to obey them and be submissive to them. This is good and proper, but it must also be mixed with discernment. If a ruler does not display the biblical character of a leader then that person obviously doesn’t deserve the respect of the office he holds. Be discerning first, and then grant to your spiritual leaders respect and submission. Assuredly, they get a lot of grief in the office they hold, and so deal gently with them in regards to their position.

Lord God, how good and wonderful it is to share in the fellowship of Christ our Lord with other believers. There are faithful followers in every nation, who speak every language imaginable, and yet we are united through our faith in His work. Help us to put aside divisions which should not exist, and to come to you as brothers and sisters united through the common bond of what He has done for us. All glory to Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 29 June 2017

For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 1 Thessalonians 2:5

Paul has been defending his presentation of the gospel message, and the sincerity of himself and those with him as well. He continues with this by saying, “For.” He had just said that they spoke, not as pleasing men, but as tested by God. The word “For” builds upon this by saying, “For neither at any time did we use flattering words.” The word translated as “flattering,” kolakeias, is not found anywhere else in Scripture.

There was no flattering, or buttering up, of the those they talked to. They didn’t tell them how smart they were, or note anyone who lived a lavish lifestyle, as if fawning over them. Instead, they came without any pretense at all, and they simply presented the gospel. It was probably a presentation similar to that made in Acts 17 when Paul spoke to those in Athens. While there at the Areopagus, he told them their state, he told them of their need for Jesus, and he explained to them in their common language how they could be saved. At the end of his discourse, it says that many rejected him, but some believed.

He continues on in this verse by saying, “as you know.” They were fully aware of how he dealt with them, and so his words in the letter are to remind them of this, not to convince them of something they were previously unaware of. After this, he says, “nor a cloak for covetousness.”

The word he uses for “cloak” gives the idea of that which is evident to anyone who sees. In other words, if they had a cloak for covetousness, their true state would be hidden under a false covering of piousness, but underneath would be greedy hearts of covetousness. Rather than this, their outward appearance matched what lay below in their hearts.

He then finishes up the verse with “God is witness.” He can only expect those in Thessalonica to accept his testimony at face value in matters which concerned them. Any other places they went to evangelize, and their attitude towards those people, would be unknown to the Thessalonians. Therefore, Paul calls God as his witness to confirm that what he says is true. His words are reliable, and his testimony is sound.

Life application: It should be that our lives are lived in such a way that we are always the epitome of integrity. We should never have a false cloak which covers up hearts which are covetous or deceitful. Let us remember that we live in the Lord’s presence at all times, and that we are accountable to Him for how we live out our lives.

Lord God, You are always with us, and you always see our deeds. You search our hearts, and You test our ways. Because of this, help us live in fear of being displeasing to you. Help our hearts not to be covetous or deceitful. Instead, help us to be faithful followers of You at all times. May we stand accepted and approved concerning our deeds when we stand before You and receive our fair and impartial judgment. Help us in this Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 28 June 2017

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Paul, on several occasions, completely disregards the opinions of others concerning his doctrine. For example, in 1 Corinthians 4:3,4, he says –

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.”

Again in Galatians 1:10, he says –

“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

This is his same train of thought here in 1 Thessalonians 2:4. He begins with “But.” That is given as a contrast to the thought of the previous verse. He, and those with him, did not proclaim the gospel from error or uncleanness, nor did they proclaim it in deceit. Instead, he says, “But we have been approved by God.” The words of verse 2 were given to show how fallen man conducts his affairs. But Paul shows the contrast in how he and those with him conducted theirs. They were approved by God, being led by the Spirit and having been examined and found faithful in their proclamation, as the Greek word translated as “approved” implies. They had passed the necessary test of God by holding fast to His message, and thus they were “entrusted with the gospel.”

The gospel is God’s message of redemption to the people of the world. Its source is from God, and the message which Paul proclaimed was fully in line with that divine source. He did not deviate as others were prone to do. He makes this evident by saying, “even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” While others had fallen, human reasons for proclaiming salvation messages, Paul and those with him completely rejected such things. Pleasing men was of no value to them when they knew that it is “God who tests our hearts.” In these words, he repeats the same word which was just translated as “approved.” God had tested them, and they had passed His most stringent examination.

Life application: Time and time again, the Bible says that God searches the hearts and minds of humanity. As He is omnipresent, this is an obvious truth. Do you consider this as you conduct your life’s affairs? There is nothing unknown to Him; even your darkest secrets are fully exposed to Him. Remember this as you go about your life. Consider your ways, and align them with what is pleasing to God. That alone is a mark of faith worthy of rewards.

Lord God, though we know that you are all-knowing and all-present, we often don’t consider that. We try to hide our secret faults and sins from You. But this is a futile effort indeed. Help us to be people of faith who constantly consider that You are with us, watching us, and evaluating us. In this, we will be more mindful of doing the things which are pleasing to You, and avoiding those things which You find wrong. Yes, be with us in this, O God. Amen.

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. 1 Thessalonians 2:3

The word “For” is based upon the words of the previous verse. Paul and his associates were bold in speaking the gospel. It was an exhortation based in the truth of God. The word exhortation, paraklésis, is “a personal exhortation that delivers the ‘evidence that stands up in God’s court” (HELPS Word Studies). Paul knew this. Therefore, the words of the gospel message they proclaimed, having been pronounced because they are God’s plan of salvation, “did not come from error or uncleanness.” The preposition he uses, ek, gives the sense of “from” or “out of.”

If they are of God, then there could be nothing of error in them, nor could there be anything profane in them. The word for “error” gives the sense of deception which causes one to wander into sin. Obviously, if God’s plan is to bring man out of the bondage of sin, then His message will be completely free of such error.

The second word, translated as “uncleanness,” gives the sense of ritual impurity. This can come about by leprosy, an open infection, child birth, touching a corpse, and so forth. Each of these was something described in the book of Leviticus. If such uncleanness required a sin-offering when it was over, then obviously it speaks of the general sin-nature of man evidenced in such uncleanness. Again, the gospel is God’s plan to bring man out of sin, and therefore the gospel is – in itself – completely free of uncleanness, and it is what makes complete cleansing possible.

Paul then changes the preposition for his last noun. Instead of ek, he uses en. It means “in.” Their message did not stem from personal deceit, as if they were trying to bait their audience. Here the word used is dolos. It gives the sense of using a decoy to snare people through deception in order to exploit them in their naive state. Paul is saying that the motives of himself, and those with him, were pure and without any cunning. Instead, they genuinely presented the gospel from their hearts, knowing that it is the one thing that can remove from them the emotional pain of a fallen life.

Elsewhere, Paul speaks of people who present false gospels, and also people who present the true gospel, but in deceit. The first he warns against in the most vehement terms. We are never to allow a false gospel to be presented without challenging it, and we are to have a sound enough knowledge of the real gospel to be able to do the challenging when necessary. For the second category, Paul shows little care. If the true gospel is being proclaimed, even if it is by someone who simply hopes to profit off the message, he knew that God would deal with such a person. His words concerning this are found in Philippians 1:15-18 –

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: ¹⁶ The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; ¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”

Life application: Let us be fully versed on the true gospel, and also let us be ready and willing to defend against any false gospel. The soundness of the gospel message is far more important than trying to determine the heart of the person presenting the message. The Lord will deal with those whose hearts are not right with Him, but we have an obligation to deal with those whose message is not in accord with His word. Be prepared; know your Bible.

Lord God, how can we determine if the gospel we have heard is true or not unless we check it out? And how can we we defend against a false message unless we study and know Your word? Grant us wisdom enough to simply pick up the Bible, read it and study it, and then apply its truths to our lives. And help us to warn those who are being misled by false words. Help us to follow through with this, to Your honor and glory. Amen.

Monday, 26 June 2017

But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 1 Thessalonians 2:2

Paul had just said that his arrival, along with his associates, was not vain. Now, building on that, he says, “But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know…”

What this is saying is that such treatment would have caused most people to just give up. The spiteful treatment at Philippi that he is referring to is recorded in Acts 16:6-40. It included a public beating and imprisonment. After this, they next went along their mission route, arriving at Thessalonica. This is recorded in Acts 17:1-10. Despite this truly shameful treatment at Philippi, these men were not deterred in continuing on with their missionary work.

The words “as you know” are written as much for us as they are for those at Thessalonica. If what he said wasn’t true, then any person who knew it could have simply said as much. But history bears out that the account occurred, and those at Thessalonica were fully aware of it. In other words, they knew what had occurred in Philippi, and it only more poignantly demonstrated the high caliber of Paul and his associates. They had no idea what type of reception they would receive as they proceeded, and yet they boldly continued on where no Christian missionary had gone before.

With their fortitude evident, he says that they “were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.” With a full trust in God that they were meant to continue the mission trip through Macedonia, they proceeded onward. Paul knew this to be true because of what it says in Acts 16:9, 10 –

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

The Lord would not prompt them to go on such a mission if He were not going to be with them. The spiteful treatment at Philippi turned out to be exactly what was needed anyway. It bolstered confidence of those there who believed, it continued to confirm the legal proclamation of the gospel, and it brought salvation to the jailer who was given charge over Paul and Silas (Silvanus).

Rather than being negatively affected and weakened by what occurred, Paul and those with him, understood that these things were divinely orchestrated. Thus, they were further emboldened. This was despite “much conflict.”

The Greek word translated as “conflict” is agōni. As you can see, it is where our modern word “agony” is derived. It indicates a contest or a struggle. In secular Greek, which his audience would have been thinking of, it speaks of a gathering to the Greek games such as the Olympiads. It is a great struggle as if they were in a battle or a wrestling match against the spiritual foes of the church, fighting for the precious saints that they were called to minister to. And yet, despite this struggle, they continued on, emboldened by God.

Life application: The book is written, the future is set, and we have an absolute surety that Christ is in complete control of our destiny. No matter what happens in this earthly life, we are safe and secure in His capable hands. As this is so, why would we be timid in our proclamation of Christ Jesus, or why should we care about what could happen because of it? Get up, go out, and speak! Jesus. It is all about Jesus!

Lord God, Christ Jesus died for our sins, and He was raised to eternal life. This is what we believe. And we believe that we too will be raised in the same fashion. And so why on earth should we be timid concerning what people think when we speak about Him? How silly. They can kill the body, but Christ already possesses our soul! Grant us the fortitude to stand up and speak! Jesus… it is all about Jesus. Why should we keep that precious news quiet? Help us in this, O Lord. Amen.