Not As Pleasing Men
Thessalonians 1 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsIn-depth look in the books of Thessalonians 1 and 2
Notes
Transcript
1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.
I think it’s a good idea to refresh our memory on what happened at Philippi. Paul executed his usual strategy of going to the synagogue and preaching Jesus. A lady named Lydia, a seller of purple, got born again along with her household and invited Paul and his team to stay with her, which they did.
It appears that at some point, Paul got fed up with the slave girl possessed by a spirit of witchcraft following them around, so he cast the demon out ruining the profitable business of her owners. Paul found himself in legal trouble, beaten, and thrown into prison. Paul and Silas chose to worship God in jail, which caused an earthquake that opened all of the jail doors, and led the jailer to get saved. Paul then confronted his jailers about being a Roman citizen and they asked him to quietly leave, which he refused to do before going to Lydia’s and saying good-bye.
Paul then confronted his jailers about being a Roman citizen and they asked him to quietly leave, which he refused to do before going to Lydia’s and saying good-bye.
From there, they went to Thessalonica and followed his usual ministry practice and, once again, the Jews stirred up the marketplace. When they couldn’t find Paul, they dragged Jason and some other believers to the city rulers. The rest of the believers secretly got Paul and Silas out of the city by night and they went to Berea. Things were better there until the Jews from Thessalonica heard Paul was there and went there to stir up trouble. And as we learned last wee, he went to Athens and then Corinth.
In spite of the conflict surrounding Paul, he was bold IN God to speak the good news. Bold means “to have courage or boldness in the face of danger or opposition.” It also means “to speak openly.” This boldness wasn’t just the fact that Paul was a D. It was a supernatural boldness.
Conflict is “to engage in intense struggle, involving physical or nonphysical force against strong opposition.” Paul clearly defines the “nonphysical force” as spiritual forces in . The original use of the word was to contend for victory in the public games like fighting or wrestling. I like this idea of “straining every nerve to the uttermost towards the goal.”
Exhortation is paraklesis, a similar word to paraklete in describing Holy Spirit. To the Biblical writers’ and believers’ minds, ALL scripture is paraklesis, encouragement and comfort, written for the purpose of strengthening and establishing the believer. All scriptures is sourced in Holy Spirit.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Give by inspiration is from two words, Theos, God, and pneo, to breath or blow. It’s INSPIRED COMMUNICATION.
16 Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.
During their time, this was referring the OT. I love the OT but I’m very happy we have the apostolic doctrine recorded! It’s the apostolic doctrine that establishes us in the faith.
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
Both the Old and New are God-breathed to establish, strengthen, and encourage. The Word comes alongside us in life directing and leading us from glory to glory or the unveiling of the glory in us.
Paul then says that their exhortation didn’t come from:
Error. The content of that which misleads or deceives—misleading belief, deceptive belief, mistaken view.
Uncleanness.
Uncleanness. Any substance which is filthy or dirty—rubbish. Interestingly, it is the same word used in referring to the Pharisees appearing beautiful on the outside but full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
Deceit is “to deceive by using trickery and falsehood.” You can see that error is different from deceit because error can be based in a mistaken view that someone might not realize is wrong but deceit is a knowing falsehood presented as truth.
And what I find even more interesting is that it seems Paul is once again distancing himself from the Law or the legalists by using the term uncleanness.
You can see that error is different from deceit because error is
1 My dear brothers and sisters, it’s obvious that our ministry among you has proven to be fruitful. 2 And though we had already suffered greatly in Philippi, where we were shamefully mistreated, we were emboldened by faith in our God to fearlessly preach his wonderful gospel to you in spite of incredible opposition.
3 Our coming alongside you to encourage you was not out of some delusion, or impure motive, or an intention to mislead you,
Listen to verse 3 in the Mirror:
For our appeal to you was from a place of union, a place of seamless oneness where distance or any definition of distraction of subtle hidden agendas were eliminated.
4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
1 thess
I like this verse. Basically Paul is saying that their motivation for preaching the Gospel is to only please God, “who thoroughly examines our hearts,” because He’s the one that selected them to preach the gospel not man; therefore, they’re not about pleasing man.
Approved means “tested, approved…it has the notion of proving a thing whether it is worthy or not, to judge as good, to approve.” This tells me that Paul passed his tests that prepared him for his apostolic office. Paul considered his ministry as something God entrusted to him. Now, you might think all ministry is, but I believe there are a lot of churches and ministries that weren’t God’s idea. They were man’s. But Paul received his revelation of the gospel directly from God not man.
16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
The gospel Paul preached was THE REVELATION OF JESUS IN HIM or that God now dwells in man, the indwelling. WE ARE ESTABLISHED ON THIS DOCTRINE.
CONTINUE WITH VERSE 5.