1 Thessalonians 2

This is the second of the five chapters of 1 Thessalonians. After the thanksgiving for the believers' faith in 1 Thessalonians 1, this chapter looks back on the time Paul and his companions spent ministering in Thessalonica.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Even after suffering and being shamefully treated at Philippi, they boldly preached the gospel in Thessalonica.
• Verses 3–6 Their exhortation did not arise from deceit, flattery, or covetousness. They sought not to please men but to proclaim the gospel entrusted to them by God.
• Verses 7–8 They cared for the believers as a nurse cares for her children and were glad to impart even their own lives.
• Verses 9–12 They labored night and day so as not to be a burden to anyone while they preached the gospel. Like a father, they exhorted, comforted, and charged the believers to walk worthy of God.
• Verse 13 Paul gives thanks that the believers received the message not as the word of men but as the word of God.
• Verses 14–16 The believers suffered at the hands of their own countrymen, just as the churches in Judea had. Paul then rebukes the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and who hindered the preaching to the Gentiles.
• Verses 17–20 Paul tried to return more than once, but Satan hindered him. He declares that at the Lord's coming the believers will be his hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing.

Key Verses

• 1 Thessalonians 2:4 "not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts" — states the motive of those who preach the gospel.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God" — frequently cited in discussions of the proper attitude toward hearing the word.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:19 "Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" — links love for the church with the hope of the Second Coming.

People and Places

• Paul: Named in verse 18. According to 1:1, "we" refers to Paul together with Silvanus and Timothy.
• Philippi: The Macedonian city where Paul suffered before coming to Thessalonica.
• Judea: The region where the churches that first experienced persecution were located.

Points for Reflection

• In verse 7, the Greek manuscripts differ, some reading "gentle" and others "little children," and translations vary accordingly.
• Verses 14–16 have generated considerable interpretive discussion because of their strong criticism of the Jews. Some scholars suggest that the passage may be a later addition, but most regard it as Paul's own writing. Others hold that the words are directed at those who took part in the persecution and should be read alongside the hope for Israel's salvation expressed in Romans 11.
• The text does not specify how Satan hindered Paul in verse 18.
• The imprisonment at Philippi is recounted in Acts 16, and the mission and uproar in Thessalonica in Acts 17. Paul's working with his own hands is related to 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9.

In Korean Churches

Verses 4, 7–8, and 11 are frequently used in sermons on the character and conduct of pastors. Verse 9 is also cited as Paul's example in discussions of self-supporting (tentmaking) ministry and bivocational ministry.