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Home group study notes for 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 2

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Background: There are some in Thessalonica who are opposed to the message of the gospel and subsequently attack Paul’s integrity.

Here in chapter 2 Paul is writing to the church defending his own actions and character against those who are vilifying Paul.

Question 1:

There are many issues that Paul addresses in regards to his character here in this chapter, leading us to believe that these are addressing specific accusations against him.

Looking through verses 2-9 what do think some of the accusations against him might have been?

Answer:

“Paul is untrustworthy on account of his imprisonment at Philippi” (verse 2, we were shamefully treated at Philippi as you know)

“Paul is a coward” Paul was forced out of town by Jews that were offended by the gospel, yet he points out that they declared the gospel with boldness even when there was much conflict.

See verse 2 and also see

“Paul is delusional” (, error).

“Paul’s ministry is based on impure motives” (, uncleanness).

“Paul deliberately deceives others” (, in deceit).

“Paul preaches to please others, not God” (, not as pleasing men).

“Paul is in the ministry as a mercenary, to get what he can out of it materially” (, , nor a cloak for covetousness).

“Paul only wants personal glory” (, nor did we seek glory from men).

“Paul is something of a dictator” ( we were gentle among you).

Question 2:

Paul repeatedly points back to the results from his visit and asks the Thessalonian believers to reflect upon what they saw for themselves, why was it necessary for Paul to do this and why might it be important for us to reflect upon what God has done in our own lives?

Answer:

Paul knew that his conduct and results spoke for themselves and that if the people would just cast their minds back to when he was ministering among them that many of the accusations would be dispelled since they themselves witnessed his integrity and gentleness.

From the very beginning Satan has tried to bring into question what God has done and said, see .

Even though we may have witnessed a work of God for ourselves, Satan will still try to cause us to doubt it.

In the case of the Thessalonians Satan brought doubters along who said among the believers “did God really do this, and… did God really say that?” as ultimately it was the work of God that they were attacking when they turned against Paul.

Satan tries to do the same to us when God does a work in and among us.

For this reason it is important for us to reflect upon what we know God has done.

That we should remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness and stand against those ‘niggling’ doubts that Satan tries to bombard us with.

God knows that we can have a tendency to forget and so throughout the bible God put a high importance on reminders so that His people would not forget or overlook what He had done in their lives.

See one example in .

Question 3:

In verses 7-12 Paul uses the analogy of a Mother and Father, how might this have looked and what are some of the ways that we could we imitate Paul in respect to being like a mother and father to others?

Answer:

Paul showed gentleness (verse 7)

Showed care towards them (verse 7)

Acted selflessly, just as a parent gives out to a child with no expectation of receiving anything back.

(verse 8)

Showed genuine love (verse 8 ‘…because you had become very dear to us’)

Their conduct towards the people was upright, just as a parent is careful to set a right example.

He corrected when correction was needed.

He encouraged the believers (verse 12)

Question 4:

Why was Paul compelled to defend himself?

Was this an issue of vanity or an attempt to please men?

Answer:

Paul was certainly not a ‘people pleaser’ and when people criticised him for preaching the gospel he took it on the chin.

But Paul knew that these unfounded accusations were not really an attack on him personally but a spiritual attack from Satan to discredit the work of God.

Paul knew that if Satan could discredit him, then the message that Paul preached would be thrown into question and compromised.