1stThessalonians2

1Thessalonians 2:1-6(ESV)
¹For you yourselves know, brothers,^£ that our coming to you was not in vain. 
²But 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. 
³For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 
⁴but 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. 
⁵For we never came with words of flattery,^£ as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 
⁶Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 

 

The 1^st century world was full of false spiritual leaders and charlatans.  Many of the charlatans were traveling around using the ministry as a front to gain personal power, wealth, and prestige.  Quote from W. Neil:

There has probably never been such a variety of religious cults and philosophic systems as in Paul’s day.East and West had united and intermingled to produce an amalgam of real piety, high moral principles, crude superstition and gross license. Oriental mysteries, Greek philosophy, and local godlings competed for favour under the tolerant aegis of Roman indifference. “Holy Men” of all creeds and countries, popular philosophers, magicians, astrologers, crack-pots, and cranks; the sincere and the spurious, the righteous and the rogue, swindlers and saints, jostled and clamoured for the attention of the credulous and the sceptical. (Cited in Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989], 68, n.3)

The enemies of the Gospel were have some success in convincing the Thessalonians that Paul and his companions were men of wicked intention as they were seeking funds for self as so many other ‘spiritual teachers’ of that time were. 

V.1 – “not in vain (kenos)” –  Paul is giving a statement about the effectiveness of his ministry.  He was using them as proof of his sincere effectiveness as it was self evident.

Vain (kenos) means empty or something without purpose. 

Kenos G2756 Strong’s Greek Dict. – 1empty, vain, devoid of truth. 1aof places, vessels, etc. which contain nothing. 1b of men. 1b1 empty handed. 1b2 without a gift. 1c metaph. destitute of spiritual wealth, of one who boasts of his faith as a transcendent possession, yet is without the fruits of faith. 1d metaph. of endeavours, labours, acts, which result in nothing, vain, fruitless, without effect. 1d1 vain of no purpose.

V.2–“…treated at Philippi…we had boldness in our God…”

Paul & Silas had just left Philippi before arriving there.  At Philippi they were treated badly though Lydia had become a believer and she insisted they stay with her.  When Paul freed the demon from the girl, her owner gathered up a mob to come against them with wooden rods and severely beaten and thrown into prison with their feet in the stocks  (Acts 16:23-24).

Yet, despite this suffering Paul explained that God had given him courage to go on to Thessalonica and declare the Good News…boldly.  

In Thessalonica the Jewish leaders claimed that Paul and Silas were ‘guilty of treason against Caesar” because they were professing “allegiance to another king, Jesus”  (Acts 17:7)  Some of these same Jews sent a delegation to Berea to stir up trouble there.  (The most vocal and strongest protestors were Jews!)

V.2 –     But after we had already suffered (propascho) (G4310 – LN24.79)  and been mistreated (hybrizo) (G5195 LN88.130)  in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much  opposition.

“Suffered” refers primarily to the physical abuse…

LN 24.79προπάσχω: to suffer beforehand or previous to an event in question—‘to suffer already, to suffer before.’ …‘but you know how we had already suffered and been insulted in Philippi’ 1 Th 2:2. In order to render ‘already’ in the expression ‘how we had already suffered,’ it may be necessary in some languages to use the equivalent of a clause, for example, ‘how we had suffered even before that happened.’

“Mistreated” refers to public disgrace, or even legal abuse – their unjust treatment…
“Mistreated” (hybrizo) means to treat shamefully, insultingly, or outrageously in public with all intent to humiliate. 

LN 88.130ὑβρίζω^a: to maltreat in an insolent manner—‘to maltreat, to mistreat with insolence.’ …‘others grabbed the servants, mistreated them, and even killed them’ Mt 22:6. In a number of contexts ὑβρίζω seems to combine not only the maltreatment of persons but the attitude of insolence on the part of the one who maltreats another. Therefore, it may be useful in some instances to employ a double expression, for example, ‘to look down upon and to maltreat.’

“…we had boldness in…”  – In spite of the experience with such bad treatment in Philippithey continued to preach the gospel in Thessalonica with boldness.  Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not go into the city and operated with different methods that might reduce the attention on them.  Adjusted (watered down) their message as to not offend others.   
Our Lesson for today is thatsome churches use that approach to get more in attendance or not to offend and scare away. 

Today, many ‘Christian Leaders’ operate on the philosophy of being careful to win friends and influence people.  Excessive tact and the soft sell were not Paul’s method.  He boldly declared the gospel, and his experiences did not affect his approach.

Acts 17:1-10 tells about their journey to Thessalonica.

This is a letter being sent to Thessalonica’s church a few years after they had been there while Paul was in Corinth around A.D. 51.  While there, Paul probably sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the believers were doing.  (1 Thess. 3:1-4) 
Paul spent a full year and a half in Corinth, establishing a church in that city. During that time, Timothy returned from Thessalonica (Acts 18:5) with a favorable report on the Thessalonian believers and with their questions. In response to Timothy’s report, Paul dictated 1 Thessalonians to the church there.

 

1 Thessalonians 2:3 (NASB95)   For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;

V.3(KVJ 1900) – ³For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,
 
AV (Authorized Version)-  ³ For our exhortationwas not of deceit (plane) G4106 LN31.10, nor of uncleanness (akatharsia)(G167 LN79.54) , nor in guile (dolos)(G1388 LN88.154)

“Deceit means “error”  …Paul did not water down the gospel or changed it in any way. 

G4106–1a wandering, a straying about. 1aone led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither. 2metaph. 2amental straying. 2a1error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion. 2berror which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting. 2cerror, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud.

“Uncleanness” (akatharsia) means “sensuality” or “immorality=filth” (Note above..) 

G167– 1uncleanness. 1aphysical. 1bin a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living. 1b1of impure motives.

“Guile”  (dolos)  means “Craftiness”  “trickery”.  LESSON:  –  Sometime we need to check on our own motives.  

G1388– From an obsolete primary verb, dello (probably meant to decoy; GK 1515; 12 occurrences; AV translates as “guile” seven times, “subtilty” twice, “deceit” twice, and “craft” once. 1craft, deceit, guile.

LN 88.154 (dolos) δολιόω; δόλος,ου m: to deceive by using trickery and falsehood—‘to deceive, to trick into, treachery.’ …‘with their tongues they keep deceiving’ Ro 3:13.   …‘they made plans to arrest Jesus by means of treachery’ Mt 26:4.

 

V.4 – “…but just as we have been approved (dokimazo) (G1381 LN 30.114) by God to be entrusted with the gospel,

The Greek Work “dokimazo”  means “approved” on the basis of testing.

G1381–  1to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals. 2to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy.

In the Louw Nida Lexicon they stress that the Greek Word means they have accepted it only after that have tested it.  (Meaning after Paul spoke they tested his words with other scriptures or teachings for the True Christian Church and use of Jesus own words.) 
LN30.114δοκιμάζω^c: to regard something as genuine or worthy on the basis of testing—‘to judge to be genuine, to judge as good, to approve….‘happy is the man who doesn’t cause himself to be condemned by what he judges to be good’ Ro 14:22;…”

V.4b-5 -Paul did not seek glory from men.  He was only pleasing God as God is the one who examines the hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 – What Spiritual Leadership Look Like – (Example using Parents)
V.7 – as a nursing mother and behavior as to her own children…

V.8 –NASB – Having ‘so fond an affection’ (houtos)  for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

V.8 – from the Greek words  “homeiromai” G2442 “houtos” G3779 – to translate correctly houtos that one Greek word it took six words English. 

The Greek Word houtos is translated to read:  “so fond an affection for”    –   Below is the text using the Wordstudy KJV Bible.    The bold and underlined text represents the translation for the Greek word (houtos)   

⁸So [being affectionately desirous]of you, we [were willing]to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God^, only,^, but also [our own]souls,^, because ye were dear^an, unto us.^[1]

Louw (homeiromal)  LN-25.47ἐπιποθέω^b; ὁμείρομαι: to experience a yearning affection for someone—‘to have a great affection for, to have a yearning love for.’
LN61.9(houtos)  – (a rarely occurring variant): with reference to that which precedes—‘so, thus, in this way.’

They “were well pleased” (eudokeo) (G2106-LN25.113)  to minister to them.  Their desire defined an eagerness and zealousness generated from love-filled hearts.  That they gave of their “own selves”. 

G2106  1it seems good to one, is one’s good pleasure. 1athink it good, choose, determine, decide. 1bto do willingly. 1cto be ready to, to prefer, choose rather. 2to be well pleased with, take pleasure in, to be favourably inclined towards one.

 
V.9 – Remember brothers we labor and toil..night and day.. 

V.10 – You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly (hosios) (G3743-LN88.24)  and uprightly (dikaios G1346 LN88.15)  and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers;

LN 88.24  pertaining to being holy in the sense ofrior moral qualities and possessing certain essentially divine qualities in contrast with what is human—‘holy, pure, divine.’

The word “devoutly” means to be holy about doing it and modified with “uprightly” (dikaios)   G1346 – LN88.15  “and blamelessly” (amemptos) (G274 – LN 88.317)

G1346 – 1just, agreeably to right. 2properly, as is right. 3uprightly, agreeable to the law of rectitude.

“and blamelessly” (amemptos) (G274 – LN 88.317)

G274 – 1blameless, so that there is no cause for censure.

 

V.11 – Just as you know how we were exhorting (parakaleo) G3870-LN25.150)  and encouraging (paramytheomai – G3888-LN25.153 and imploring (martyromai) G3143 LN33.319 each one of you as a father would his own children.

Exhortingis from parakaleō,  literally “to call alongside,” and is related to the noun paraklētos,  “one who comes alongside,” which is one of the titles for the Holy Spirit

Encouraging(paramutheomai), meaning to encourage in the sense of comfort and consolation, is so critical in assisting toward spiritual growth because of the many obstacles and failures Christians can experience.

Imploringis the Greek participle marturomenoi, which is usually translated “testifying,” or “witnessing,” is related to the word martyr because so many faithful witnesses died for their boldness.

 

V.12 – so that you would walk (ho peripateo) (G3588, G4043 & LN92.24 & LN41.11) in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 

G4043 – 1to walk. 1ato make one’s way, progress; to make due use of opportunities. 1bHebrew for, to live. 1b1to regulate one’s life. 1b2to conduct one’s self. 1b3to pass one’s life.

Quote from John MacArthur commentary sums this section up by writing:

The parental pictures of spiritual leadership in 1 Thessalonians 2:7–12 clearly demonstrate that leadership in the church must be balanced. It is not enough for leaders just to be compassionate, tender, and caring as spiritual mothers. They also need to live uncompromising, pure, and exemplary lives as spiritual fathers—lives that, in their motives and actions, set the standard for all to follow (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1). Furthermore, they need to teach the truth faithfully, building up the saints in spiritual wisdom (cf. Eph. 4:11–16) and displaying the courage of conviction to come alongside and exhort and call their spiritual children to obedience, through both strong discipline and tender consolation. These efforts lead their congregation to live in a way that honors God, who has called them to His eternal kingdom and glory

 

1 Thessalonians 2:13-14(ESV)
¹³And we also thank God constantly^£ for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 
¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 

V.13 – ¹³And we also thank God constantly^£ for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 

Paul gives credit to God and thankful they were a people willingly:   ¹³And we also thank God constantly^£ for this, that when you received the word of God… which is at work in you believers.   They were open and receptive to listening. 

Consider that this city was full of many different people with various false philosophers and religious teachers.  Yet when these Thessalonians heard the Gospel they accepted it as the true message of salvation from God.   The word accepted (edexasthe) connotes an inward welcome of the message, a transference from the mind to the heart.  There was an eager embracing of the message that God had granted them faith and regeneration. 

It was not the word of men, but it was really the word of God.  Unlike the word of men, these words spoken by Paul were the words of God and carried a force of power to convert many.  God’s Word always performs His purposes in the lives of all who believe. 

 

Following is a few of the ways that Scripture works on behalf of believers: 
1) James 1:18, it saves them   
2)John 17:17, it sanctifies them 
3)  1 Peter 2:2, it matures them 
4)  John 8;31-32, it frees them  
5) 2 Timothy 3:16-17, it counsels them  
6) Ps. 119:34, it counsels them 
7) Acts 20:32, it builds them up  
8)Josh. 1:8-9, it ensures their spiritual success 
 9)  Ps. 119:145, it gives them hope…. And more…

V.14a –  ¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.

They became imitators of Paul, the apostle and his coworkers.  They were primarily made up of Gentile believers however they imitated the believers in Judea and this was further reason to give thankfulness to God.  Judea was the area that Christ had established had labor with while on earth.  These people formed various churches throughout the area.

V.14b – ¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.

After the stoning of Stephen, the Judean Christians suffered a period of persecution that was mainly led by Saul of Tarsus.  (Acts 7:54-8:4)  When the Lord met Saul on the Damascus road and enlightened him to salvation, the persecution decreased somewhat  – but not for long did that stop, for under the rule of Herod when James, was murdered by the sword and the imprisonment of Peter.  (Acts 12:1-4)   (Quote: John MacArthur Comm.)

Those in Judea suffered persecution from their own people, the Jews.  Likewise soon after the Thessalonians received the gospel they were faced with persecution at the hands of their countrymen.  InActs 17:5-8 account of a mob of jealous Jews along with some wicked men from the market place attached the house of Jason.  They dragged Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting:  “These men who have upset the world have come here also.  Jason has welcomed them and yet these people act contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King, Jesus.”   Paul and company left immediately after this mob uproar.  (Quote: John MacArthur Comm.)

1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 – A people to be sad for…

¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 
¹⁶by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!^£

For a greater understanding of the prejudice here one needs to look at Acts 13:40-50 to learn the “why”:

Acts 13:40-50(ESV)
⁴⁰Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
^41£“‘Look, you scoffers,      be astounded and perish;      for I am doing a work in your days,      a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
⁴²As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 
⁴³And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
⁴⁴The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 
⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 
⁴⁶And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 
⁴⁷For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,      ^£“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,      that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
⁴⁸And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 
⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 
⁵⁰But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.  T

 

They were filled with envy and rage over the efforts of Paul, a Jew, to reach unclean Gentiles.

Confirming their zeal is misplaced note:  Romans 10:2-3
Romans 10:2-3(ESV)
²I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 
³For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 

 

Three reasons to be sad for the rebellious Jews: 

1) they rejected God’s Word, 

2) they hindered the saints  

3) they faced punishment in suffering. 

 

1 Thess. 2:15a  – ¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out,

There exists a long history of the Jews rejecting the message of God and the messengers of God that He sent them.  (Can you state examples of this…)  Their base cause of the problems can be summed up in one word, Pride!  WHY?  (One way would be that they refused to listen and check the scriptures for themselves.) 

When Jesus was on earth he provided parables that made it clear about what behavior they had done.  Reference Matthew 21:33-46 – reveals their murderous acts toward the prophets and the Lord;   Stressing the 1^st verse…

Matthew 21:33-46(ESV)
^33£“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 
³⁴When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^£ to the tenants to get his fruit. 
³⁵And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 
³⁶Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 
³⁷Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 
³⁸But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 
³⁹And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 
⁴⁰When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 
⁴¹They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:      ^£“‘The stone that the builders rejected      has become the cornerstone;^£      this was the Lord’s doing,      and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
⁴³Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 
⁴⁴And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”^£
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 
⁴⁶And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

 

Their Gospel supported Paul’s statement that the Jews “killed the Lord Jesus”.   It was the apostate Jewish mob that insisted Jesus to be crucified.   Recall that Pontius Pilate stated he found no error in this man.  That court room scene demonstrated that the same deadly hostility was present toward the prophets. 

 

V.15b-16a – displease God and oppose all mankind  ¹⁶by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—

The Thessalonians honored Paul and his missionaries.  However, there were a group of Jews that hindered the gospel preachers by trying to prevent them from preaching their message.  However, while they were doing this they thought, like Saul of Tarsus did, that they were rendering God a service.   Spend a moment to reflect and see if you know of any examples of miss-place religious justice today?

Early on in their ministry, the Sanhedrin attempted to silence the apostles.    Read two verses from this passage of Acts 5:25-33 – Verses 28-29…33

Acts 5:25-33(ESV)
²⁵And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 
²⁶Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 
²⁸saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 
²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 
³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 
³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 
³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
³³When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 

The promise is: Romans 11:25-27

Romans 11:26-27(ESV)
²⁶And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,      ^£“The Deliverer will come from Zion,      he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
²⁷    “and this will be my covenant with them      when I take away their sins.”

Those who honor the Word, believe and obey it along with honoring other believers by imitating their lives will persevere to eternal glory.  But those that reject the Word and hinder it being preached will ultimately suffer eternal condemnation.

The base of the Jews problem with the Christians may well be that Rome considered the Christians as part of the Jewish religion.  Therefore:

1.       Their concern might be that the reprisals leveled against the Christians might be expanded to include them.

2.       In addition, the Jewish leaders feared that if many Jews were drawn away into Christianity, their own political position might be weakened. 

3.       The Jewish leaders were also very proud of their special status as God’s chosen people and resented the fact that the Christians were preaching the Good News to the Gentiles and including Gentile believers as full members in the church. 

4.       Thus the Jewish natural animosity against Gentiles extended to fearing that some might be saved. 

5.       Even if they recognized that the Messiah and welcomed all who would come to the one true God, the Jewish leaders failed miserably and actually feared that other might find salvation.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20  –  Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind
¹⁷But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 
¹⁸because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 
¹⁹For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 
²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

Conflict between people persists in spite of all human effort to mitigate it. Some reports estimate that ninety percent of the people who fail in their life’s vocation do so because they cannot get along properly with other people. Ultimately, job failure usually has little connection with ability or even performance. Instead, such failure often stems from an inability to be unselfish and to understand and care about the concerns of others. People may be well trained and highly skilled in a technical or professional field, but they are a liability in the workplace if they are self-centered. Likewise, the most academically well-prepared pastor can be a liability in the church if he does not seek to sacrificially love and serve his people.

The apostle Paul set the standard for pastors in all his ministry and here confirmed the genuineness of his love and concern for the Thessalonians as he answered another accusation from his critics. In addition to their earlier criticisms that he lacked integrity, was greedy, was a deceitful flatterer, and was power hungry, Paul’s foes apparently told the Thessalonians that he really had no affection for them and had willfully and callously deserted them. Thus he concludes 1 Thessalonians 2 by telling his people why he had not been back and how he truly cared for them.  (Quote:  John MacArthur  Commentary)

 

Paul was forced out of the city.

Acts 17:1-10(ESV)
¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 
²And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 
³explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 
⁴And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 
⁵But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 
⁶And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 
⁷and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 
⁸And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 
⁹And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
¹⁰The brothers^£ immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 

 

Jason and his friends put up something of their possessions as bonds that promised that Paul would not cause further trouble in the city.  Paul willing left the city to prevent more harm to Jason and the brothers there.

 Paul addresses this again in 1 Thess. 3:1-3, 5  (“when we could endure it no longer,” )  for the reason to send Timothy back to check on them.

In this letter Paul focus on three elements of his relationship to them:

1)      his desire to be with them

2)      his understanding of his spiritual enemy

3)      his anticipation of eternal reward

 

V.17-18a – ¹⁷But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,   ¹⁸because we wanted to come to you—

V.17 – Paul repeatedly writes of his strong love for the fellow believers at Thessalonica.   Paul and his colleagues sincerely did care about their spiritual health.   The expression:  “we were torn away” would show that it was not his choice to leave.  It was like a premature separation of a child and it’s mother. 

From past practices where Paul stayed much longer with the churches he started, that he would have preferred and stayed longer there.   Ephesus – 3yrs  –  Corinth – 18-20 months –

Paul’s enemies had taken him away from them in person.  However, they could not remove him in spirit and his thoughts and prayers were still with them.  Paul’s desire was to see the collective face of the Thessalonians again soon.  “Seeing one’s face” means to come into intimate communication with him or her. 

Contrary to the critics that charge that they were glad to leave them and that they had no desire to ever return.  Paul and his companions wanted to come back and see their faces. 

V.18B – and yet Satan hindered us.

Paul identifies the opposition in his life and their desire.   The translated word, “Hindered” is a military term referring to digging a trench or breaking up the road.  A ancient method used to hinder opposing armies.  The hindrance this time could be how Satan organized a mob against Jason and the security that Jason gave to prevent things occurring to Paul and the missionaries.   Satan is a roaring lion seeking to devour his victims. 

Quote from NAC:

Other New Testament writers portray Satan as a roaring lion who seeks victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8), and as one whom Christians must resist so he will flee from them (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). However, the devil is not omnipresent, and against believers he can do nothing that is outside God’s overruling providence (cf. Job 1:12; 2:6). In this regard, commentator R. C. H. Lenski wrote:

This by no means excludes divine providence which rules in the midst of our enemies. Satan entered the heart of Judas so that he made plans to betray Jesus, and God permitted the betrayal for his own divine and blessed ends. So Satan succeeded in frustrating Paul’s two plans to return to Thessalonica, but only because this accorded with God’s own plans regarding the work Paul was to do. Satan has brought many a martyr to his death, and God permitted it. The death of these martyrs was more blessed for them and for the cause of the gospel than their life would have been. It is ever so with Satan’s successes. No thanks to Satan! His guilt is the greater. It was due to Satan that the Thessalonians suffered just as the original churches in Judea had to suffer (v. 14) although God permitted this suffering. (The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961], 275–76)

 

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20(ESV)  – Paul’s Anticipation of Christ’s Return
¹⁹For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 
²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

 
 Who is the object of this hope?

The crown of exultation  – 1 Thess. 2:19-20

What are some of the crowns we look forward to?

Crown of Righteousness  –  2 Tim. 4:8

Crown of life  –  James 1:12

Incorruptible crown  – 1 Cor. 9:25

The LORD will crown all believers with life, righteousness, glory, perfection and joy. 

The word “coming” (Parousia) which in the majority of its occurrences has an eschatological meaning.  In 1 Thess. It refers more specifically to the “rapture” because Paul was writing to believers whom he knew were already waiting for Jesus to return from heave. 

They also were his glory, which is the true honor bestowed on him by God, who used him to reach them. The pronoun you is in the emphatic position so as to remove any doubt that Paul was identifying his Thessalonian brethren as the source of both his eternal honor and happiness.