Skip to main content

1 Thessalonians 2:5

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. (1 Thessalonians 2:5 -- ESV)

As a demonstration that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not people-pleasers (See Verse 13), but God Pleasers... Paul points out two evaluative elements. One: Their words weren't words of flattery and Two: There was not a pretext for Greed. In other words, they were not using their words to manipulate the Thessalonians to get what they wanted or to increase themselves in any way. 

This is an important element that is often overlooked with many eloquent speakers of the word today... (Who really aren't speakers of the Word of God.)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jonah 2:10

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (NIV) Don't you just love fresh starts. They're not always fresh, but they are a start. The God that we serve is a God of fresh starts. My mind goes to the many times that Christ reached out his hand, pulling a lame man to his feet, and saying, "...now go and sin no more." Or the woman caught in adultery, "...neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." Only a God of grace will allow a swallowed man to repent. Praise Him.

Psalm 119:10

With my whole heart I have searched for You; Let me not wander from Your commandments. -Psalm 119:10 (Translation by Jay E. Adams, in his book Counsel from Psalm 119) Can you say with this psalmist, that you have searched for God with your whole heart? Is your prayer, the prayer that he prayed? "O Lord, don't let me wander from Your Word!" In this blog, I hope to post daily (or nearly daily) posting from scripture. I don't plan on adding much of my own commentary, maybe just a statement or two; sometimes more, sometimes less. But if you would like to add some commentary of your own, or if you would like to share what a passage has meant to you, please feel free.

1 Thessalonians 2:17

But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, (1 Thessalonians 2:17 - ESV) "... we were torn away from you ..." If you go back to Acts 17:1-10, you can read about the quick departure from Thessalonica. But Paul wants them to know that the separation is only physical, he is still with them in heart and has a strong desire to return to them. His desire is to see them "face to face"...  What is interesting though, is that this is the first letter of Paul's. Paul has discovered a new way of ministry. Paul has had to adjust his preferred ministry, but we have all benefited from this new process of teaching to those that he cannot see face-to-face. This benefit has stretched through the centuries and has served to fulfill God's purposes of spreading the gospel to every nation on earth.