Review

It would be easy to read these words and simply carry on, without stopping to realise what they have to say to us, especially about evangelism.  I have had the privilege of preaching evangelistically and seen people respond and consequently receive Christ by faith, and the dynamic of what happens at such moments is very important.  This is what Paul is speaking about here.

Paul had come only briefly to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9), and yet his preaching yielded a valuable harvest for the Kingdom.  However, some in Thessalonica doubted Paul’s message and integrity, and he needed to defend his words and deeds.  He says here that he was successful because he worked hard at evangelism, but he also worked hard to prove himself an honest worker in God’s Kingdom, a true devout worshipper and someone who cared.  The same is true for those who preach God’s Word today, for unless they demonstrate these and similar qualities, then their message is quickly compromised.

The burden of declaring the Gospel (2:9)

When Paul emphasises the ‘hard work’ of the Gospel (2:9), the picture we may have is of endless preaching through ‘night and day’, but is this really what is said here about Paul’s evangelism?  He doubtless worked hard at preaching, but generations of evangelists have known that there can be a danger of overstepping the mark.  If an evangelist pursues someone too long, they may make a response simply to bring the pressure of preaching to an end!  This certainly happens today, and the result can be people who are less persuaded of Christian faith as cajoled into the church, which is neither wise nor helpful.

Now, after speaking of this ‘hard work and hardship’ of preaching, Paul says that he ‘worked day and night so that we might not become a burden on any of you while we proclaimed the Gospel …’ (2:9).  This second comment about hard work is probably not about preaching itself, but about Paul’s personal circumstances in Thessalonica.  On coming to the city, he and his companions had immediately gone to the synagogue (Acts 17:1-3), but there is no hint in Acts of them staying with the Jews there.  We must presume they paid their way by working at their trade, tent-making (as we find later on in Acts 18:3) and selling their wares in the local markets.  This would be hard work for an ‘outsider’ in the chaotic trading conditions of the city, but Paul knew it was important for the success of his mission. Being independent of personal favours, Paul ensured that his motives for preaching the Gospel were kept pure. No one could accuse him of unscrupulously gaining a living from those he persuaded.

The integrity of the preachers (2:10)

Paul could speak in this way because he was confident that the church at Thessalonica knew the truth of his words.  So Paul is able to say ‘you are witnesses , and so is God, that to you who became believers we were devout, righteous, and blameless’ (2:10).  

Now if we look deeper at what what Paul says, we gain further interesting insights.  He says that they could see the evangelists were ‘devout’, but this was not because they appeared to be so from their preaching.  Anyone who has a skill with words can persuade others that they are wonderful and good.  No, it is almost certain that while Paul was in Thessalonica, he worshipped with other Jews in the synagogue (Acts 17:2), and so those he sought to persuade about the faith were able to see for themselves the devotion with which he worshipped God.  They could see the nature of Paul’s relationship with God, that is, his ‘righteousness’, to use the language people would have then understood

Together with his claim to blameless living (see above), Paul’s personal witness of faith was a powerful factor in his preaching of the Gospel.  It remains true that the most effective preachers of the Gospel are probably those who can be seen doing what is right before God; worshipping, doing good works and demonstrating faith in God throughout life.

Relationships and pastoral care (2:11)

As we began to find yesterday, Paul’s evangelism was effective partly because of the genuine fellowship existing at Thessalonica, but this fellowship was the by product of Paul’s own attitude towards his converts.  He was not a preacher who delivered the Gospel and left the rest to others, believing that while evangelism was his gift, the job of pastoring a church belonged to others.  This unfortunate division of labour does not help the church today although it is unfortunately common.  Paul says of those converted under him, ‘we dealt with each one of you as a father would with his children’ (2:11).

Of course, these were not merely touching words of paternalism, an idea found within a scholarly commentary on Thessalonians which comes from a modern cynical mind.  For Paul, these words reflect not just the care of God for His Son Jesus, but the words of Jesus Himself, who said ‘the Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands’ (John 3:35) and ‘as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you …’ (John 15:9).  So Paul’s words declare that the Gospel fulfils Jesus’ ministry amongst His people!

The appeal to live a worthy life … (2:12)

The consequence of receiving the Gospel is always a changed life, and there are many descriptions of this changed life within Scripture.  Jesus, for example, says it is like being ‘born again’ (John 3:3f.).  Here, Paul describes the Christian life as one lived ‘worthy of God, who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory’ (2:12).  No evangelist can or should determine how another should live the life of faith, and there is no scriptural sanction for creating such dependency between evangelist and follower that the one who is saved sees little more of practical Christian faith than copying what an evangelist does.  Paul Himself identifies more spiritual ‘gifts; and ‘graces’ than this (e.g. Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 4:11f.).

As Paul says here for our benefit, the measure of all practical Christian faith is God, as we see Him through the person of Jesus Christ.  Each Christian and each church has its own life within the Kingdom of God, and it is the Lord’s intention that each fulfil their calling and strive to be ‘worthy of God’.

9 Fellow believers, you remember our hard work and hardship, and that we worked day and night so we might not become a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the Gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, that to you who became believers, we were devout, righteous, and blameless.  11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you as a father would with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and appealing to you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.