Sermon Tone Analysis

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Understand the Context

Acts 17 tells us that Paul spent three weeks ministering to Jews in the synagogue of Thessalonica.

In all likelihood, he also spent time during the week in the marketplace and other public arenas, talking with Gentiles and anyone else God brought along his path.

In the first chapter, Paul also encouraged them to continue standing strong in their faith.

Despite the relative youth of the Thessalonian congregation, the members had established a reputation for persistence and faithfulness under difficult circumstances.

Persecution had not slowed them down but had accelerated their efforts on behalf of the gospel.

In fact, they had become an example for other Christians in Greece and around the Roman Empire.

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Spring 2022]

Missionaries, and indeed all Christian witnesses, are peculiarly vulnerable to criticism, and therefore must make all the more effort to live, and to be seen to live, in a way that is not open to criticism.

Paul’s conduct as a missionary in Thessalonica seems to have been criticized in his absence, apparently by people outside the congregation, and he now defends himself from various possible accusations.

Explore the Text

Chapter 2 appears to be a continuation of the thought started in Chapter 1. 2:1-12 seems to be an aside about "the reception" they received and the thankfulness in prayer picks back up in verse 13.

That link is reinforced by the repetition of the unusual word eisodos, translated in verse 9 as “reception” and here as “coming”.

[Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.]

The first use of the family relationship analogy in our passage comes with the word translated in the ESV as “brothers”.

As siblings in Christ, we all answer to the Father for all our provisions and purposes.

We are equal in rank as Christ is our first-born brother.

We have a love for each other that is different than others as we are have the common bond of family that cannot be broken by laws or distance.

Although we gentiles are all adopted into the family of God, our “paternal” brothers are Messianic Jews who were first born into the Chosen race, and then adopted into the family of Grace.

Family ties cannot be undone, once you are in - you are in forever, and the same goes and more so with God’s family.

Once you are accepted by grace, you are in His family forever and ever.

The reason for the visit was for the proclamation of gospel which was “received” well and was not in “vain.”

Although the typical “meaningless” definition works in this context, the alternate “empty-handed” also works well as they came with the power of the gospel and worked to support themselves.

The lesson materials say this word “suffered” is more about the physical suffering that the men endured in Philippi but when I look at the other instances this word in Scripture, I see a mix.

In Mat 17:15 the Lord is asked to have mercy on a son that has seizures and “suffers” terribly.

The widow who had an issue of blood for many years “suffered much” by the physicians (Mk 5:26).

These were definitely physical ailments, but the prolonged illness would undoubtedly cause mental anguish as well.

Pilot’s wife however never met Jesus and was not physically impaired but tells her husband that, “I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

There is no physical component to this last use of the word as it is all mental and emotional torment.

Jesus uses this word for suffering several times to describe his upcoming torment at his final days as “The Son of Man must suffer many things” (Luk 9:22, Mt 16:21, Mk 9:12).

Jesus’ “suffering” encompasses all forms of torment so as to be able to comfort us and be an example to us in all things (1Pe 2:21).

I think Paul used this word intentionally to emphasize the connection with Christ more than to describe what had happened to the missionaries.

Not only had the writer’s suffered but they were “shamefully treated.”

Interestingly the single Greek word translated to “shamefully treated” in the ESV, is the word we get our modern word “hubris” from.

It seems to indicate that we mistreat ourselves when we have an over inflated opinion of ourselves or are overconfident.

The 5 times this word is used in Scripture it maintains its negative connotation and is translated as “insult” in Luke 11:45.

The connection back to Christ comes with its use in Luke 18:32 as Jesus is given over the Gentiles to be “mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.”

Using this list and the alternate word of “insult” leads us to define our word as taking injury mentally, emotionally, and to one’s personal reputation or integrity.

Again, the connection back to Christ’s suffering is the key as He is the one who did not deserve any of this kind of malignment as the perfect example of all God’s moral laws.

Despite these past and current maltreatments, the message of Christ continued to be spoken of with boldness.

In contrast to the various forms of oppression in Philippi, the men had much freedom or frankness in Thessalonica to speak God’s truth.

Persecution never invalidates the truth of the gospel, and it never provides an excuse for believers to stop sharing with those who need to hear.

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Spring 2022]

It is difficult to tell from the context if the “midst” of conflict being referred to is about what they had overcome in Philippi or the persecution that Jason and others eventually suffered as a result of the Gospel being accepted into the hearts of some of the Thessalonians.

Some of the cross-references for this verse point to the conflict of the apostles and how it followed them around (Phil 1:30).

One commentary made a more definitive link and stated that, “Paul and Silas probably still had the scabs and sores on their backs from their beating in Philippi (Ac 16:22–23) when they walked into Thessalonica and nevertheless began to proclaim the good news again.”

[The Moody Bible Commentary] Regardless Paul and his fellow messengers would accept the hardships as further proof of the Lord’s calling and a part of the “fellowship if His suffering” (Phil 3:10).

The gospel of God seems to spread in conflict better than in ease which seems appropriate for the Lord himself did not have a ministry of ease as the writer Hebrews tells us Heb 12:2-3.

Paul encourages the Thessalonians through example and directs us all to follow Christ’s example of completing the work God set before him even through the harshest of environments.

Paul uses variations on this Greek word “paraklesis” throughout his letters.

Here a request for action is being made, in this case to turn from sin to the Lord.

Later in our passage the base word form is translated to “exhorted”.

Although different in content and strength, there is still that request for change being made verbally.

This is not like the popular “positive reinforcement” speech or having any lack of attributing of error, this is merely the “put on” part of sanctification.

Paul would never only tell you what you were doing right without telling you how you do not measure up to Christ’s standards.

Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is help people see how off-track they are before showing them Christ’s way.

The men also are now bold about how they came to the new church without error, impurity, or deceit.

All three of these are not boasts about the apostle’s eloquence but about the holiness of God’s truth and the reverence the men had for it.

Error would be the opposite of truth or the “spirit of truth” (1Jn 4:6).

Impurity or uncleanness would be not only a tainting of the words being presented but more about the motives of the presenter.

An attempt to deceive would be about using less than pure methods for the persuasion or “cleverly devised myths” (2Pet 2:16).

You may even take these three actions to the extreme ends and say that missionaries did not “lie, cheat, or steal” conversions from the Thessalonians.

Paul has much to say about those that do use these false methods especially in his second letter to the same church.

In the second letter to the Corinthians, he calls them “disgraceful, underhanded ways.”

(2Cor 4:2) This may be why many non-believers are not interested in Christianity as they have been “swindled” enough and can immediately see through any inauthentic method or motive.

In the journals of Jim Elliot compiled by his wife later, we read a similar observation.

In spiritual work, if nowhere else, the character of the worker decides the quality of his work.

Shelley and Byron may be moral free-lancers and still write good poetry.

Wagner may be lecherous and still produce fine music, but it cannot be so in any work for God.

Paul could refer to his own character and manner of living for proof of what he was saying to the Thessalonians.

Nine times over in this first epistle he says, “You know,” referring to the Thessalonians’ firsthand observation of Paul’s private as well as public life.

Paul went to Thessalonica and lived a life that more than illustrated what he preached; it went beyond illustration to convincing proof.

No wonder so much work in the Kingdom is shoddy; look at the moral character of the worker.

These men however had excellent character, their work revealed it, and God “approved” it.

If Paul were writing this today, he would have probably used the word “vetted”.

Is that concept as challenging to you as it is me?

Can you emphatically state that God had “vetted” you and been found “approved”?

I am like Paul in his letter to Timothy (1 Tim 1:11-13), and know the kind of past that I had and how blasphemous and insolent I was toward the gospel and sometimes have difficulty reconciling and understanding how God “approves” of me.

Paul continues in that concept of vetting using both positive “proofs” of the testing and negative counterparts we are to remain watchful for.

Not only were the missionaries approved, but they were given stewardship of a great treasure which they were to freely distribute.

Although our word “entrusted” fits the context of being approved, the word is more often translated as “believe”.

Part of the apostle’s proof of being accepted by God for His work was their belief in Him and the gospel.

Because they believe and trust in the saving work of Christ, they were able to “speak” it in purity and power.

Because their motives were “clean” they spoke it to please God only and not to please themselves or other men.

The Gospel of Christ never “pleases” natural or sinful man.

Natural, worldly man always opposes the Gospel.

When we preach Christ, we must never try to please men; if we do, our “gospel” will be not the true Gospel but a false gospel.

We must speak the truth boldly; we must speak out against sin and evil.

We must not fear the opposition of men [The Applied New Testament Commentary]

The messengers also knew they were approved by God because they had passed God’s scrutiny.

“Tests” is the same root that we had for “approved” making it a book end in the passage for the vetting process being completed.

Unlike the process we go through for government approval or career validations, God “tests” our hearts.

We hear echoes of the Psalms (Ps 44:21) and Jeremiah in this as he proclaimed Jer 11:20 “O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind.”

There is no way around that test, and it cannot be faked or fooled.

God’s test is always 100% accurate and eternally valid.

This thought is what encouraged me after wondering about whether I was approved by God or not.