1 Thessalonians 2:9-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Exemplified Godliness While Communicating the Gospel to the Thessalonians Lesson # 26

1 Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But 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. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive but 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. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness, 6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others, 7 although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children. 9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. (NET)

The assertions presented in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 serve to emphatically elaborate on or explain the assertions presented in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 in the sense that the former advances upon, intensifies and confirms the truth of the latter.

The first assertion in verse 9 states that the Thessalonian Christian community did remember Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s difficult, exhausting hard work.

Then, the second assertion explains the first and states that these three men publicly proclaimed to the Thessalonians the gospel of God while at the same making it their habit of working hard during the day as well as the night to support themselves in order to not enter into imposing a financial burden on them.

The assertions in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 like the ones in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 express a Spirit inspired conviction of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s regarding their conduct when interacting with the Thessalonians.

They also express their deep concern for them that they would not be influenced by the non-Christian community in Thessalonica which opposed them.

The reference to greed in 1 Thessalonians 2:5 and not seeking honor from the Thessalonians though they possessed the right to do so as apostles of Christ in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7 is addressed by the assertion here in 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were never greedy but worked to support themselves financially instead so as to not impose a financial burden on them.

They never sought honor from them even though they possessed the power to impose their authority on the Thessalonians as apostles of Christ by demanding support financially from the Thessalonians.

The assertion here in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 also elaborates on the assertion in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy shared not only the gospel with the Thessalonians but their very own lives.

This truth of this assertion is confirmed by the fact that these men worked hard day and night to support themselves financially so as not to impose a financial burden on the Thessalonians while at the same working hard teaching them the gospel.

In other words, they demonstrated they shared not only the gospel with them but also their very own lives by the fact that they served the Thessalonians self-sacrificially.

Even though they had the right to demand remuneration from them for proclaiming the gospel to them (cf. Gal. 6:6; 1 Cor. 9:14), they denied themselves that right by supporting themselves financially so as not to impose a burden on them.

Therefore, the assertions in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 provide an emphatic explanation for or elaborates upon the assertions in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 in the sense that the former advances upon, intensifies and confirms the truth of the latter.

In other words, verse 9 provides an emphatic explanation for verses 5-8 in the sense that it provides proof or evidence for the assertions in verses 5-8.

Correspondingly, the advancement and intensification is that the assertions in verse 9 provide proof or evidence for the assertions in verses 5-8.

This would indicate that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were never greedy and never sought honor in the form of remuneration even though they had the right to do so as apostles of Christ which is confirmed by the fact that they worked hard day and night to support themselves financially.

In other words, the fact that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy worked hard day and night to support themselves financially while proclaiming the gospel to them provided evidence or proof that they were never greedy with them and never sought honor in the form of remuneration from them.

It also indicates that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy shared not only the gospel with the Thessalonians but their very own lives.

This is confirmed by the fact that they worked hard day and night to support themselves financially even though they had the right to demand remuneration from them for proclaiming the gospel to them.

In other words, the fact that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy worked hard day and night to support themselves financially while proclaiming the gospel to them provided evidence or proof that they shared not only the gospel with the Thessalonians but their very own lives.

The assertions recorded in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 make clear that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were bi-vocational, which means that not only did they perform the task of communicating the gospel to the non-believers and believers in Thessalonica, but they also carried another job.

Acts 18:3 indicates that Paul was a tent-maker.

Therefore, when he was teaching the gospel to the Thessalonians, he was working as a tent-maker.

These assertions recorded in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 also reveal that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were dedicated servants of Jesus Christ as well as His body, the church.

They not only worked hard serving the church by teaching the Word of God, but they also worked hard at their second jobs.

The Lord Jesus Christ set the perfect example of servanthood in that He, the Son of God became a human being who assumed the position of a servant in order to redeem sinful mankind from enslavement to sin and Satan.

The Old and New Testaments do not have a negative assessment of servanthood as did the Greek culture.

The command to love God and one’s neighbor laid the foundation for a God-directed lifestyle characterized by service.

The believer is to imitate the servanthood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:20-28; 23:10-12; Ephesians 4:29-5:2).

Notice in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 that once again we have the phrase to euangelion tou theou (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ), “the gospel of God.”

This is the third time in 1 Thessalonians that this phrase occurs (cf. 1 Thess. 2:2, 8).

In each instance, it is expressing a monadic notion which is that this gospel is unique to God as well as the idea that there were many gods in the world but only one who is worthy to be worshipped by human beings.

This expression would remind the Thessalonians that they were delivered from idolatry since prior to their justification they worshipped the pantheon of Graeco-Roman gods (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9).

The gospel pertains to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy communicating the good news to the Thessalonians when they were non-believers that Christ died and rose from the dead for them and that through faith in Him they could receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.

Secondly, it also refers to the communication of the good news to the Thessalonians after their justification or conversion that they are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection and by appropriating this identification with Christ they can experience victory over sin and Satan.

Lastly, it also refers to the good news that the Thessalonians after their justification that they will receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for faithful service (cf. Col. 1:5, 23).

1 Thessalonians 2:9 is actually making a reference to two of the responsibilities of the pastor-teacher in relation to the body of Christ, namely, teaching the Word of God and exemplifying the Christian way of life or in other words, setting example of Christ-like behavior.

The pastor-teacher has four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4) (4) Set an Example (Phlp. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3).

Even though, Silvanus was a prophet, he was responsible to conduct himself in a godly fashion just like Paul and Timothy who were both pastor-teachers.