I Thessalonians
Chapter
2
{Presentation
of the gospel verses 1-12; Verse 1 - Make Contact with the Unbeliever}
1~~For
you, yourselves, brethren,
know
our entrance {coming}
in
to you, to your advantage,
it
became not in vain.
{Note: To witness, you must go to the unbeliever. And, in Thessalonica, this was fruitful.}
{The
gospel must be presented in spite of opposition}
2~~Having
suffered before and having been shamefully treated,
as
you know, at Philippi,
we
were bold to speak unto you
the
gospel of God in the sphere of much opposition.
{How
the gospel should be NOT be delivered}
3~~For
our persuasive discourse
{exhortation - the jubilant presentation of the gospel} . . .
not
of error {content must be accurate},
nor
of carnality {only witness filled with the Spirit - rebound
first if necessary},
nor
as a huckster {this term was used for a tavern keeper who
watered down or diluted his wine - pure doctrine, don't
embellish} . . .
{How
it SHOULD be delivered}
4~~but
as we received
testing
from God for the purpose of approval by God
{testing for spiritual advancement},
have
received a deposit of the gospel in us,
even
so we keep on speaking
not
as to please men but {to please} God . . .
Who
tries/tests our hearts/'right lobes'.
{Note: RBT brings out the parable of the 'talents' here - Matthews 25: 15-30ish. The one slave does not invest his master's money (the gospel) for fear he will lose it, but buries it. Hidden, the gospel earns no interest and the man is not rewarded in heaven.}
{What
NOT to do when evangelizing - verse5 thru 6 1/2. Then how to evangelize}
5~~For
neither did we at any time
become
flatterers {when witnessing}, as you know,
nor
a 'cloak of covetousness' God witness.
{Note: Covetousness is to greedily desire. Paul did not evangelize using 'Madison Avenue' tricks or with the wrong mental attitude - a good thing done in a wrong way is still wrong.}
6~~Nor
of men sought we glory
{again don't become an evangelist for the perceived glory in it} . .
. neither of you . . .
nor
yet of others.
When
we might have been burdensome,
as
the apostles of Christ,
we
were not.
7~~But we were gentle among you, even as a nursing mother keeps on caring for her children.
8~~So
because of our tremendous love
{in
Greek means 'the love of a parent when their children are away'}
of
you, we were willing to have imparted unto you,
not
only the gospel of God,
but
also {the doctrine stored in} our own souls . . .
because
you were precious unto us.
{Note: In life to LOVE is to share without any regard for reward. Here Paul states his desire to share with his 'loved ones' that which he holds in the highest regard - doctrine - from the Right Mental Attitude - no thought or desire for rewards! Right thing done in a Right Way is Right!}
9~~For
you keep on remembering, brethren,
our
labor {hard work} and travail {pain of childbirth}.
For
constantly laboring night and day,
because
we would not be chargeable of any of you,
we
preached unto you the gospel of God.
{Note: Paul is stating that giving them doctrine was WORK and painful work!}
{Evangelizism
must be follow-up.}
10~~You
are witnesses . . . and God also . . . how we became:
holy
{state of mind mental attitude},
justly
{filled with the spirit},
and
unblameably {rebound if sin}
among
you who believe - to your advantage.
11~~As
you know we encouraged
{idea of helping with verbal critique}
and
comforted {verbally sooth with doctrine}
and
charged {pass on the concept of witnessing}
every
one of you . . . as a father does his children.
{Note: Analogy to what any father must do for his children - explain what to expect in life . . . why people do things . . . the situations in life . . . the problems of life. Also syntactical parallelism with the previous verse.}
12~~For
the purpose that
you
would keep on walking worthy of God . . .
Who
has called you {election - our purpose in His plan}
unto
His kingdom and glory.
{Response
to the gospel verses 13-14}
13~~For
this cause also . . .
we
keep on thanking God without ceasing . . .
because,
having received and welcomed the Word of God
which
you heard of us . . .
you
received and welcomed it
not
as the word of men {human viewpoint},
but,
as it is in Truth . . . the Word of God . . .
which
effectually worked also in you that believe.
14~~For
you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God . . . which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus . . .
for
you also have suffered like things of your own countrymen . . . even
as they have of the Jews.
{Note: Analogy to the Christians suffering at the hands of their countrymen in Judea - same situation for the Thessalonians.}
15~~Who
{legalistic Jews} both killed the Lord Jesus . . .
and
their own prophets . . .
and
have persecuted us {Paul and his crowd} . . .
and
they please not God . . .
and
are hostile to all men.
16~~Forbidding
us to speak to the Gentiles
that
they might be saved.
They
keep on getting drunk on their own sins.
For
the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost
{they will get their comeuppance}.
{Note: The legalistic, religious Jews are filling up and drinking from the cup of sin of persecution and maligning, etc.}
{Now
in contrast some of the rewards of ministering - verses 17-20}
17~~But
we, brethren,
I
was bereaved of you for a short time in presence,
not
in heart/'right lobe',
endeavored
the more abundantly
to
see your face {be face to face} with great desire.
{Note: Paul was sad he had to leave them because they desired the bible teaching so much!}
18~~Wherefore
we would have come unto you,
even
I, Paul, once and again.
But
Satan hindered us.
19~~For
what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Are
not even you {our 'crown'}
in
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
{Note: Hope is the absolute confidence that, in eternity, we will see the people we lead to the Lord. Joy is in time - inner happiness in seeing people respond to the gospel. We will see the people we bring to the Lord as part of the Rapture of the Church!}
20~~You all {the Thessalonians} are our glory and our joy.
{Note: the Thessalonians turned out to be a great church and the center of great missionary activities!}
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