seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Thessalonians 2:1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children[a] among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.[b]
17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
a. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts were gentle
b. 1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or them fully
This is from the easy English site.
They reminded the Thessalonians how they first came to the city. They had come from the city of Philippi. There Paul and Silas had suffered badly. The leaders of that city had stripped their clothes from them and whipped them in public. Then they threw them into a prison. The leaders did not even ask whether the charges made against Paul and Silas were true or false (Acts 16:19-24).
Just a few days later, they were in Thessalonica. Although they had suffered so much, they had the courage to go on telling the good news about Jesus Christ. God gave them the courage to be bold and to speak with confidence. Because they trusted in God, they were not afraid of what their enemies might do. They knew that God had sent them to tell what Jesus Christ had done. And he gave them the courage to do it.
With this confidence and courage, they told the Thessalonians the good news that comes from God. They spoke in plain language about the life and the death of the Lord Jesus. This was God’s plan by which he would save people from their sins and give them new life. This gospel was not of human origin. It came from God himself. God was the author of it.
It was not an easy task to speak about the Lord Jesus in Thessalonica. Many people tried to stop them. The Jews especially were against them but there were a lot of other people as well. In the end, their enemies forced them to leave Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-10).
Those who were against them accused Paul and his friends of many things. Among these were three false claims, which Paul, Silas and Timothy answered:
1 Paul and his friends were false and what they said was a lie. They tried to get the people to believe a story that was not true.
But Paul and his friends knew that the message was true and no lie. Their appeal was not from error. God had sent them to tell this message. What they urged the Thessalonians to believe was good news for all who would trust in Christ.
2 Then Paul’s enemies said that the intentions of Paul and his friends were not pure. They behaved badly and not in a proper way. They came to get some gain for themselves from the people.
Paul and his friends replied that this was not true. They were sincere and had no false intentions. They had come and passed on the message for the benefit of the Thessalonians. They had lived good and pure lives while among them.
3 The enemies said that these three had cheated the people to get them to believe. It was like catching fish by offering them something on a line. Their purpose was to make some gain out of those whom they cheated. What they could get was of more interest than the help that they could give.
Paul and his friends replied that they had no false intentions. They had come for the benefit of those who would believe. They had no other purpose in coming to Thessalonica. What they said was true and no lie. They were sincere when they spoke. They cheated no one and they did not look for anything for themselves.
It did not matter to Paul, Silas and Timothy whether the people at Thessalonica approved of them or not. It was not important what men or women thought of them. They were servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their aim was to please God and they wanted him alone to approve of them.
We often use the word ‘apostles’ to mean the 12 whom Jesus called to be his first team. Some time later the Lord called Paul to be an apostle. But here the word apostles means those whom Christ sent to take the good news. So Silas and Timothy are also, with Paul, apostles of Christ.
The letter does not say what type of work they did. It was a rule that all Jewish boys had to learn a trade. Paul was a tent-maker (Acts 18:3). He would have worked at that to earn his wages in Thessalonica. Silas and Timothy did some type of physical work as well, perhaps tent-making with Paul.
They worked both in the day and at night. And, in between, they taught the people about Jesus. This must have been very tiring. But they were happy to do it because they loved the people at Thessalonica. They were eager to tell them the good news about God’s love for them. The reason for this constant work was to make the offer of the good news free to all and without cost.
They had been like fathers to them. They showed an interest in each one of them. They cared for and helped each of them. They were like fathers as they taught and trained them. They loved them as a father loves his children. They encouraged them to live good lives.
Most of the Christians at Thessalonica had worshipped idols before. They lived in a city where the normal way of life was not how Christians should live. They had to learn how they should now live. Instead of pleasing the idols or themselves, they now had to live for God. Paul and his friends taught them what God expects from them. They gave them a model to follow in the way that they themselves lived. They helped and encouraged each one of them. They urged them to live clean and honest lives.
He also taught that the kingdom of God was still to come (Mark 9:1). We do not see God ruling in power over all the world. But when Jesus comes again, he will bring in the full rule of God on earth. The kingdom of God will come and God will rule the world.
He taught that the kingdom of God is inside you (Luke 17:21). Where God is the Lord, there is his kingdom. All who believe in the Lord Jesus have this kingdom in them.
Paul here is thinking about the kingdom that is still to come. He looks beyond the time when Jesus will come. The kingdom of God will be the home of those who know God. That kingdom will never end. It will be full of the glory of God. And those who believe will live in that wonderful place.
Some did not believe. Some of them claimed that what Paul and his friends said was of human origin. But the apostles spoke with certainty and power because they knew that they had the message from the Lord. That is why they insisted that it was the word of God. It encouraged them. And they thanked God when the Thessalonians accepted the good news as the word of God.
The word of God does things. It works in those who believe it. By his word, God affects the lives of those who believe. He changes their thoughts and actions. As a result of this work, the Christians at Thessalonica had turned from idols to the God who lives. With joy, they told other people about the good news about Jesus Christ. They were even happy when they had to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those in Thessalonica, who did not believe the good news persecuted those who did. But the Christians were ready and willing to suffer for Christ. This was further proof that their trust in God was genuine. It was a normal part of the Christians’ life to suffer for believing in the word of God. Their experience was the same as that of all Christians at that time.
In the way that they suffered, the Christians at Thessalonica had become like those in Judea. They did not choose to suffer like that. But they now had the same bad experience that the Judean church had. The Jews hated the Lord Jesus Christ. So they tried to destroy the Christians in Judea. In Thessalonica, both the Jews and the Gentiles in that city tried to destroy the Christians. Their own people caused them to suffer.
The Jews believed that the salvation from God was for them and those who became Jews. They did not accept that this salvation was through Jesus Christ. They looked for the Christ (the Messiah), who would come one day to deliver them. They could not see that Jesus is that Christ.
They were angry that Paul, Silas and Timothy taught that salvation is through Jesus who is the Christ. They were angry that Paul and his friends offered this good news to the Gentiles. They did all they could to stop Paul and his friends. But they could not prevent the spread of the good news, because it was God who sent it.
Go back... look at verse 5.... see it there... mask... cloak of covetousness .... this commentary is from the bible-studys.org site. “Cloak” (Greek prophasis), signifies “excuse,” “cover up,” or “front”; for an impure motive of greed.
Paul was not trying to get anything from them. He did not covet anything that belonged to them. When someone flatters you, they are usually setting you up to get something from you. Paul had none of these desires. He was compelled within himself to bring the Truth of the gospel to all who would receive it.
Some believe that Paul was trying to make up for the times when he himself had persecuted the Christians. I really believe that Paul loved God so much that he wanted everyone to know and love God as he did. He was truly grateful that God had loved him enough to turn him around on the right path.
So... the word mask in the NIV interpretation is cloak in another interpretation. I am surprised some rebels aren't going around claiming 1 Thessalonians 2:5 as their reason for not masking up.... but then again... they would have to step out of the KJV into the NIV... and that might cause some issues. As long as people like me can't get past the thees and thous of the KJV they can twist the Gospel to suit their own needs.... The other night I turned on the church channel, TBN... It had been a particularly rough day in the world.... and I thought I could use some good news. I don't normally end my day that way... I generally start my day in the Bible and just end it with a prayer... but it had been a particularly rough day so I decided to get a boost.
There was a man on TV... one I do not recognize... but it was his show. He had on a black suit... looked like a leisure suit....the fabric seemed to shimmer as he talked... the background was shimmering... it was as if he was a godly guy.... shimmering... and then he spoke these words..... [paraphrased because I didn't have a pen and paper at the time].....
Are you tired and lonely. Are you hungry or without a job. Are you depressed or suicidal? I can help... send me $35 and I will send you the answer to your problems."
That's what Paul is talking about here.... Paul wouldn't come into someone's home... point out the horror that is in an individual's life... and then bilk them of what little they have. That's what that TV preacher was doing.... he reminded me of a carnival barker setting up the next sucker for the fleecing.
I know there are a lot of people who are distressed over the headlines of the day. Christians are the adopted children of God. God has control of time and space... He knows what's going on and He knows how this turns out. God is in control so there is no reason to fear.
I live in a retirement community. Three apartments became vacant this week..... one of them belonged to my next door neighbor. These are horrible times... I have been battling this detached retina in my right eye so I have been in quarantine since all this started. I wear a mask or have one in my hand whenever I walk outside. Some of my neighbors get downright indignant when they see it. It's like my mask is some kind of sign or protest.
Paul here, however, says a mask is like a cloak of covetousness.... like the masks the bank robbers use.... and that's the difference. The mask back then... they were worn when someone was ripping someone off.... just like in the westerns.
Paul wasn't there to rip them off. He worked at a regular job and worked at the "church" when he wasn't working at the regular job. He was a tentmaker so he would get a job as a tentmaker so he didn't have to ask for $35 in advance.... get my drift?
Please... don't be angry at the Christians about how the church is acting today.... the idol worshipers have taken over.... the are looking for all those shiny baubles... idols... coins.... ducketts... they are addicted to money... and they are now intrenched in the church. They are selling books, brochures, radio time and TV time. They don't care what the message is.... they don't care if the guy is saying "give your life to the Lord" or "send me $35". Christians don't put a price on the Good News.
I hope those who see my mask.... don't think I'm trying to conceal anything... I just want to get my eye fixed... so I have to avoid all kinds of ailments... cold, flu, or COVID.... all of them will keep me from my office visit... a fever is not cool.... so I wear a mask... but it's not out of covetousness, it's for protection.
It's not about the mask... it's about the rip off.
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