6/6/18
Tom Lowe
Lesson 6: THE MANNER OF HIS LIFE (1Th 2:9-12)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV)
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.
Introduction:
The apostle in dwelling on the manner and spirit of preaching has shown the necessity of boldness, sincerity, and gentleness as powerful tools in achieving success. In these verses he insists on the moral consistency of the individual’s life and conduct. So the personal example of the preacher must always answer to the words he utters. Paul and his co-helpers could fearlessly appeal to their hearers and in all humility to God, to attest to the moral consistency of their private and public actions.
Lesson 6
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.
This reminder that Paul and his companions had not been a burden on the Thessalonians is a further appeal to their own experience. They well knew what a sacrifice these preachers had made in order to bring them the Gospel without charge, toiling to the point of weariness and struggling constantly against hardship. The expression “night and day” (i.e. “A part of the night, a part of the day, and not all night and all day long”) indicates the long hours it cost them to maintain their independence while still discharging their god-given commission. We have all heard the expression: “Man’s work is from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.” A mother is not a paid nurse. Paul is saying that he wasn’t a paid nurse who worked by the hour. He wasn’t a hired baby-setter. He did not belong to a union. The point He is trying to get across is this: he loved these people. He labored over them night and day because he loved them.
Although Paul would accept help from established churches (Philippians 4:15, 16 (see note 9.1); 2 Corinthians 11:8), his policy when planting new churches was to pay his own way by working at his trade as a tent maker (Acts 18:3; see note 9.2). This arduous choice at once freed him from the suspicion of making money out of the gospel and proved the purity of his motives in preaching it.
This is the third time that Paul uses the phrase “the Gospel of God” (v. 2, 8). In verse 2 it suggests “the greatness of the charge entrusted to Paul; here, the greatness of the boon gratuitously bestowed on the Thessalonians”. “We preached” means that they proclaimed as heralds God’s Gospel, without amendment or alteration of any kind. “The Gospel preacher is not at liberty to substitute his view of the need of the moment for the God-given message of the cross.”
(note 9.1) “And as you Philippians know, in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving. For even in Thessalonica you provided for my needs once and again.” (Philippians 4:15, 16).
Not only after he left Macedonia, but even before that time, when he had just passed from Philippi to Thessalonica. At Thessalonica, as at Corinth?both very rich and luxurious communities?he refused maintenance, and lived mainly by the labour of his own hands (1Thessalonians 2:9; 2Thessalonians 3:8). But it appears from this passage that even then he received "once and again" (that is, occasionally, "once or twice") some aid from Philippi "to supply his need"?that is (as in all right exercise of liberality), to supplement, and not to supersede, his own resources.
(note 9.2) “And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:3).
Paul mentioned working to support himself in his letters (1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 11:7). In Acts 20:34 he reminded the Ephesian elders that while in Ephesus he had supported himself and his coworkers with the labor of his own hands.
Only in Acts 18:3 are we told the trade by which he supported himself—that of “tent maker.” Exactly what this involved is often debated. A number of the early church fathers rendered the term used here by a more general word, “leather worker.” This is quite possible. Tents were often made of leather, and tentmakers probably used their skills on other types of leather products as well. Some interpreters have suggested, however, that Paul may not have worked in leather at all but rather in ciliciun, a cloth of woven goat’s hair that was often used as a material for tents. Since ciliciun originated in and was named for Paul’s native province of Cilicia, he may well have learned the trade there. The later rabbinic writings required students of the law to adopt a trade in order to keep the mind from becoming idol and so that they would never need to depend on profit from the teaching of the Torah. Paul may well have been influenced by this idea. First Corinthians 9:12 particularly reveals such an attitude, where Paul spoke of forgoing any support from the Corinthians in order to avoid any obstacle to the Gospel; but seeing that he worked at the same trade as Aquila and Priscilla, he takes up his lodging with them at Corinth, and works at their trade. Perhaps Paul used his work as an opportunity for witnessing.
Paul continued to work as a tentmaker until Silas and Timothy joined him (18:5). When Silas and Timothy came, they brought an offering from the church in Philippi, where the Philippian jailer was converted. They took up an offering and sent it to Paul, and when they came with this offering for Paul, then it was no longer necessary for him to work, and so he gave full time to the ministry there in Corinth. So Paul was the kind of person who if he needed money he was willing to go out and work with his hands to acquire it. But if the Lord would provide, such as He did with the Philippians’ offering, then he was eagerly willing to give himself full-time to the work of the Lord.
The obstacle he had to overcome, in the case of the Corinthians may well have been the distrust they had for those who went about making profit from their message. Paul may have been particularly careful in places like Corinth to avoid any associations with the street preachers who preached for profit.
10 YOU ARE WITNESSES, AND SO IS GOD, OF HOW HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND BLAMELESS WE WERE AMONG YOU WHO BELIEVE YOU ARE WITNESSES, AND SO IS GOD,
YOU ARE WITNESSES, AND SO IS GOD,
Paul is speaking of something which they know to be true. Notice the way Paul conducted himself among them.
OF HOW HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND BLAMELESS WE WERE AMONG YOU WHO BELIEVE YOU ARE WITNESSES, AND SO IS GOD,
Holy, as it is used here, means that he carefully discharged his duty to God. That is what holy living is. “Righteous”—he also carefully discharge his duty to man. Paul had a duty to God and a duty to man; he discharge both of them.
I hear so many people talk about being “dedicated Christians.” If you hope to be a dedicated Christian, you must live a holy life before God. Watch God, and don’t watch the clock. Don’t work only when the boss is around. You should work all the time, because God is always around. Going down front in a church service, shedding a few tears, and having someone pray over you will not produce a dedicated life. What does your boss think of you? If you are a student, what does your teacher think of you? If you are lazy, then you are not dedicated. A dedicated life is a holy life, lived always in the presence of God.
People will say ugly things about you, but the important thing is to make sure the criticisms are not true. Paul and his companions maintained a holy life. A holy life does count. It has nothing to do with obtaining your salvation, but it has everything to do with the salvation of folks around you, because they are watching you.
It is not that the conduct of these missionaries was any different towards unbelievers, but only the believers in Thessalonica were competent to judge the spiritual nature of their devotion towards them. It is as if they said, “Whatever unbelievers may think of us, you who believe our message know very well that the way we lived among you was a confirmation and not a contradiction of that testimony.”
11 FOR YOU KNOW THAT WE DEALT WITH EACH OF YOU AS A FATHER DEALS WITH HIS OWN CHILDREN,
The KEY word here is “dealt” and the idea is that Paul came to the side of them to help, to entreat, and to convict them. Remember that the Lord Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (see John 16:7-11). We saw that meaning on the mother’s side of the apostle’s ministry (see v. 9). Paul’s hope for the Thessalonians is “to persuade” them. There was urgency in Paul’s message to the Thessalonians. He often said, “I beseech you”—I beg you. That is the way the Gospel should be presented even today.
Paul “dealt” with them. That has a note of severity in it—it involves discipline. It is a viral word, a robust, firm, masculine word. I’m afraid that we find a lot of sissy preaching in our pulpits today. The popular thing is to have a little sermonette given by a preacherette to Christianettes. There is so little urgency. Someone has defined the average church service in a liberal church as with a mild-mannered man gets up before a group of mild-mannered people and urges them to be more mild-mannered. Oh, that is sickening, my friend!
Paul recalls here, the faithful pastoral care that was given to every convert. “The apostle compared himself to a nurse-mother (v. 7) in his tender, gentle affection; now he is a father in the fidelity and manly strength of his counsels.” The dual nature of this exhorting is specified by “encouraging” and “testifying” (NEB has, “appealing to you by encouragement as well as by solemn injunctions”) thus to encourage and admonish believers is essential for their spiritual progress, which will be in proportion to their grasp of the privileges and the responsibilities of their high calling.
12 ENCOURAGING, COMFORTING AND URGING YOU TO LIVE LIVES WORTHY OF GOD, WHO CALLS YOU INTO HIS KINGDOM AND GLORY.
ENCOURAGING, COMFORTING AND URGING YOU TO LIVE LIVES WORTHY OF GOD,
A special feature of these Epistles is the continued emphasis which Paul lays on the relation of the Christian believer to God. “It was God’s message these apostles of Christ had brought to the Thessalonians (vv. 2, 9); “unto God the living and true,” they had “turned from their idols to serve” Him (1:9). They must, therefore, now live a life “worthy of God”—worthy of those who have such a God and are His servants and sons. Our compliance with this lofty demand becomes a practical possibility only through the enabling power of God’s calling?“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13). “For it is God who works in you,” Which is both an encouragement to persons conscious of their own weakness to work, as before exhorted to; see Haggai 2:4; and a reason and argument for humility and meekness, and against pride and vain glory, since all we have, and do, is from God; and also points out the spring, principle, and foundation of all good works; namely, the grace of God wrought in the heart, which is an internal work, and purely the work of God: by this men become the workmanship of God, created unto good works (Ephesians 2:10), and are new men, and made fit for the performance of acts of righteousness, and true holiness; and this grace, which God works in them, is wrought in a powerful and effective manner, so as not to be frustrated and made void. The word used here signifies an inward, powerful, and efficient effective operation; “to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”; God forms in converted men a will to do that which is spiritually good; which is to be understood, not of the formation of the natural faculty of the will; or of the preservation of it, and its natural liberty; or of the general motion of it to natural objects; nor of his influence on it in a providential way; but of the making of it good, and causing a willingness in it to that which is spiritually good. Men have no natural desire to come to Christ, or to have him to reign over them; they have no desire, nor hungering and thirsting after his righteousness and salvation; wherever there are any such inclinations and desires, they are wrought in men by God; who works upon the stubborn and inflexible will, and, without applying any force to it, makes the soul willing to be saved by Christ, and submit to his righteousness, and do his will; he sweetly and powerfully draws it with the cords of love to himself, and to his Son, and so influences it by his grace and Spirit, and which he continues, so that it freely wills everything spiritually good, and for the glory of God: and he works in them also to "do"; for there is sometimes in believers a will, when there is a lack of a power for doing. God therefore both implants in them principles of action to work from, such as faith and love, and a regard for his glory, and gives them grace and strength to work, without which they can do nothing, but having these, can do all things: and all this is "of his good pleasure.”
WHO CALLS YOU INTO HIS KINGDOM AND GLORY.
The present tense is used because God is calling to that which, in its fullest realization, is still future. For though believers are already by grace the subject of God’s kingly rule, they yet await the final manifestation of the kingdom in Glory. “The Glory to which He calls us is His own eternal Glory, of which all the true members of the Messianic kingdom shall be partakers; (compare Romans 5:2: “through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” See note 12.1).
(note 12.1) If you have ever attempted to call the President of the United States, you know how relatively inaccessible he is. To the unbeliever, God the Father is even more inaccessible than the President. He cannot be reached, since there is no common ground and no mediator between the unbeliever and God. To the believer, there is free, abundant, and immediate access to God, because He has justified (saved) us. Jesus Christ provides immediate and consistent access to God for all those whom God has declared and treats as righteousness. Also, we enjoy access into an indescribable position of favor with God. We are accepted in the Beloved One; therefore we are as near and dear to God as His own Beloved Son. The Father welcomes us as sons, not strangers. This grace, or standing in favor with God is as perfect and permanent as Christ’s, because we are in Him.
Access means that you and I have access to God in prayer. Due to our standing as children of God, we have access to a heavenly Father who will listen to us here and who does answer our prayer. He will answer according to His wisdom, not according to our will.
Into this grace in which we now stand. An age-old problem is this, “How can a sinner stand in the presence of a holy God?” The psalmist wrestled with this question—“If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Ps 130:3). We do not have a leg to stand on when it comes to a defense of our sinful actions. How is it possible for a sinner to stand before God? The Swiss reformer Robert Haldane said, “And it is by Him (Jesus Christ) they enter into the state of grace, so by Him they stand in it, accepted before God; secured, according to His everlasting covenant, that they shall not be cast down” (Robert Haldane, Romans, p. 186). The only possible way we can stand before God is by His grace.
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” The word “hope” confuses many new Christians. Hope is not vague, it is concrete. We have joy in hope. The glory of God, of which we have fallen short, is the perfect standard of Christ’s righteousness—“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). We can rejoice in the fact that whatever we are like today, one of the benefits of having been justified is the hope that one day we shall be like Him—“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn 3:2–3). We joyfully look forward to the time when we will not only gaze on the splendor of God, but will ourselves be enveloped in glory—“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one” (John 17:22). We cannot comprehend the full significance of that hope here on earth, nor will we get over the wonder of it through all eternity.
The Hope that is mentioned here is the hope that the scriptures hold out. Paul said to a young preacher by the name of Titus, “Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). To look for the Lord to come and take His church out of this world, that’s a glorious hope, and it will take place at His appearing at the Rapture.
