Sermon Tone Analysis

Review & Context

The “for” in v. 1 points us back to what Paul said in 1:5 about his the character of himself and his company.

He reminded the Thessalonians that while they were with them in their city they:

Proclaimed the gospel with boldness which was met with much fruit and opposition (1-2)

Conducted themselves and their ministry with integrity (3-6)

Approached the people with gentleness and affection (7-8)

Above Reproach in Manual & Gospel Labor (9-12)

Sacrifice for the cause of the gospel (9)

Labor & toil: refers to the exhausting work Paul, Timothy & Silas did for the cause of the gospel

Night & day: Typically, labor contracts were from sunrise to sunset.

It appears that their labors began before the sun rose and went beyond its setting.

that: references the goal which was to work this hard in order not to be a financial burden to the church

Paul received financial assistance from the Philippian church while in Thessalonica but apparently it was not enough to make it possible for him to do the work of proclaiming and shepherding without working for a wage.

while we proclaimed the gospel to you: it may be that Paul’s manual and gospel labor were integrated.

It may be the Paul and his team would proclaim the gospel in the workplace.

Question: How does their mission to proclaim the gospel of God help them endure the extreme physical demands of this particular ministry and even the emotional challenges that they may have struggled with when the did not received enough support to alleviate some of the burden?

Question: How must we view our mandate to proclaim the gospel to not give up on proclaiming the gospel when challenges and adversity come?

Blameless conduct for the cause of the gospel (10-12)

2 witnesses: the Thessalonians and God

matter were established by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses: see Deut.

19:15

Acts 6:3 - lit: select from among yourselves seven men to whom they could bear witness (martyroumenos)

The point here is that the Thessalonians were witnesses to what they had seen and God was witness to what they had not seen

Deities were often thought of as presenting a witness for something or someone (Apolo)

holy, righteous and blameless conduct

all 3 of these words are adverbs: so they conducted themselves in a holy manner, righteously and blamelessly.

so these adverbs are describing Paul’s conduct towards the Thessalonians

The use of these words, specifically holy and righteous (remember the adverbial forms) describe conduct which conforms to both divine and human laws

It turns out that this word holy appears only here in the NT.

Socrates used both holy and righteous when he said : satisfied with being just in his dealings with men and religious (holy) in his attitude towards the gods.

Question: Is our perspective on Paul & co.’s commitment to the gospel and their sacrificial efforts towards the Thessalonians impacted by understanding these adverbs as describing a God-prescribed way of conduct?

If so, how?

like a father

Paul describes his approach to the Thessalonians as a mother in v. 7 and now as a father here in v. 11.

Question: What about his conduct does Paul emphasize with the mother imagery and then the father imagery?

How do these qualities go together?

The fatherly instruction centers on exhortation.

The 3 participles used in v. 12: exhorted, encouraged & charged work together to describe Paul’s exhortation as a fatherly figure to the Thessalonians to walk in a manner worthy of God.

Question: What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of God? (see Col. 1:10)

who calls you into His own kingdom and glory

kingdom: God’s reign and rule

Question: Why might the declaration that God calls His people into His kingdom and glory be especially encouraging to the Thessalonians?

Thanksgiving for a God-honoring reception of God’s word (13-16)

God-honoring reception of the word (13)

v. 13 lit.

reads: And for this reason we thank God constantly for this because… So Paul is about to explain why they are thankful in what he says next

They received the word of God as if it were the word of men but as the word of God

Question: What might it look like to receive the word of God as if it was believed to be nothing more than the word of men?

Evidence of a God-honoring reception of the word (14)

became imitators of the church of God in Christ that are in Judea: they suffered for the faith

Question: Why should we not conclude that Paul’s point in v. 14 is an example of “misery loves company”?

Why should the Thessalonians find comfort in the fact that the suffering they have experienced reflects that they are part of a larger movement?

Enduring suffering & trusting God for justice (15-16)

Question: Summarize the offense of the Jews in versed 15-16

killed Jesus and the prophets

drove out Paul and team

displeased God

opposed all mankind

hindered the preaching of the gospel

Question: What can we learn about serving people from the connection Paul makes between opposing all mankind and proclaiming the gospel to people?

so as always to fill up the measure of their sins

could also read: in this way they always heap up their sins to the limit

The point is, through the Jews’ history, they have resisted divine initiative

So this is a concluding statement regarding the opposition they attempted to levy against the propagation of the gospel

What I think Paul is saying then is that the sins of a people come up to their complete measure before divine judgement is poured upon them.

Now, of course, we need to be careful about how certain we think we can be when it comes to assessing that line when it comes to our own observations, but this theme is present in the OT.

Here’s 1 example:

God permitted the Amorites to continue to live in Canaan for 4 more generations.

Afterward, judgement came, and they were exiled from the land.

So the announcement that their sins have come to full measure begs the question, can their judgement lag far behind?

And Paul answers this question is a rather shocking way at the end of v. 16

but wrath has come upon them at last...

And of course, we want to know what Paul means here.

We should remember what Paul said earlier in this letter:

So we know that Paul is not consumed with people getting their due judgement from God.

But what Paul is making clear is that the Jews who have opposed God’s plan of redemption will not escape the wrath of God.

In their opposition, they have filled up the measure of their sins.

The phrase has come at the end of v. 16 is key.

Given the grammar of this word, it appears that Paul is saying the wrath of God has arrived or came upon them.

So in some way, it appears Paul is saying that the rath of God, at the time of his writing this letter, had already come upon the Jews who perpetrated this gospel opposition.

And the measure of this wrath is expressed in the word at last which means finally.

I suggest that Paul is not referring to final culmination of judgement here and we know that Paul is still holding out hope that his people, that is, the Jews will be converted (see Rom. 11:25-27).

So, I’m suggesting that this wrath is some present day (in the day of Paul) manifestation of the wrath.

Some commentators have noted that in AD 49 the Jewish people suffered greatly, including their expulsion from Rome by Caludius’s decree and the massacre of thousands of Jews in the temple during the Passover of AD 49.

And if that might be what Paul is referencing then we can think of that as an inauguration of God’s yet future and final wrath when Christ returns.

Longing to see them again (17-20)

Apart but still connected (17)

torn away: means orphaned - not necessarily referring to a child without parents but to the separation of a child from parents.

It references the loss that exists when this relationship is interrupted because of unwanted events.

Question: What does Paul mean that they (Paul and his team) were torn away in person but not in heart?

Still connected but opposed (18)

hindered: impediment - military language of the effort of an enemy to stop progress by tearing up a road - warfare imagery

Question: Given the warfare imagery here in v. 18, what is the cause of the battle?

What are Satan and Paul fighting over?

How does this battle help us understand the warfare that we face today?

Opposed by not without hope and joy (19-20)

In what ways is the Thessalonian church Paul’s hope and joy?

hope is that their labors were not in vain.

The Thessalonian church will be able to be presented as mature in Christ (see Col. 1:28)

joy certainly now as they reflect on what God has done and is doing in the lives of the Thessalonians, but a future joy knowing that when Christ returns, this church will have been a testimony of the grace of God in this world.