The Thessalonian church was a remarkable body of believers making a striking impact on their world for Jesus Christ, despite their weakness and persecution. Seeing this causes us to ask, “What made the Thessalonians such dynamic Christians?” The same answer is repeatedly given by Paul: the Thessalonians “received the word” (1:6), the gospel’s having come to them “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1:5). These believers had been brought to life through the mighty working of God’s Word! And what was their chief conviction regarding the message they received? Paul states: “You received the word of God, … not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (2:13). This same question – is the Bible the word of man or of God? – will largely determine the vigor and fidelity of Christians today.

The first part of this question is much disputed today. Is the Bible merely the word of men? In answering this question, we must admit that in a number of important ways, the answer is Yes. This is why Paul refers to the Word “which you heard from us” (v. 13).

The sixty-six books of the Bible were written down by real men, with all their limitations and peculiarities. The Bible did not fall down from heaven completely written, leather-bound, with maps and concordance appended! Instead, the Bible came together through a process that took place over a thousand years. The human writers of Scripture possessed a wide variety of experience, personality, and character. Moreover, the full range of human characteristics is evident in the biblical materials. Using 1 Thessalonians as just one example, this letter was written because of the human circumstances described in it, with the personal experiences of Paul and his readers on full display, including joy, thanksgiving, anxiety, and relief. It is a letter written by a man to other men and women, with its humanity integrally woven into every verse.

In saying that God’s Word is not the word of men, therefore, Paul does not mean to deny the genuinely human process involved in its composition. Rather, his particular concern has to do with the origin of the Bible and its teaching. Does the Bible present ideas, convictions, doctrines, promises, commands, and precepts that merely reflect what man – the human author – has to say, or is it instead the Word of God, so that ultimately it is God who speaks to us through the very words of Holy Scripture? On this Paul is insistent: the Bible presents to us, through human means, the very Word of God.

When Christians are challenged to defend the assertion that the Bible is God’s Word, there are two main ways to do so. The first is to point out the Bible’s self-attestation, that is, what the Bible says about itself. Does the Bible present the ideas of fallible men, so that however well-meaning the human authors were, their ideas were limited, historically and culturally, and at least occasionally wrong? According to its own testimony concerning itself, the Bible is God’s revealed Word to mankind and not the word of man about God. It was God who providentially created, guided, and through the Holy Spirit inspired each biblical writer to give exactly the message that God had designed. Therefore, as Hebrews 1:1 teaches, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.”

The second and even more potent way of demonstrating the divine nature of Scripture is simply to read it and have the Holy Spirit press upon our hearts the awareness that God is speaking through His Word. The most compelling reason on which our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority of the bible rests is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. Paul wrote of this inward testimony to the Corinthians: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12).

The Thessalonian Christians became strong in the Lord not only because they received Paul’s teaching as the Word of God but also because of the mighty working of God’s Word in and among them. It is “the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (v. 13). The Thessalonians grew strong in grace not merely because they received God’s Word but also because of what God’s Word did in them as they believed it. Paul rejoices that God’s Word works “in you believers”, which reminds us that God’s Word calls us to a faith that believes and receives. Thankfully, it is God’s Word itself that produces the faith by which it works. As Paul wrote, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Having believed God’s Word, we must further open our hearts and minds to the Scriptures, which not only are “breathed out by God,” but are also “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:1`6-17).

One result of God’s Word in every true believer’s life is the strengthening of faith that enables the Christian to persevere under hardship. Paul emphasizes this work in the Thessalonians: “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews” (v. 14). Paul knew all about the persecution that the original believers had suffered in Jerusalem, since he himself had been their chief persecutor. After he was brought to faith by the resurrected Jesus. Paul himself shared in the suffering of the church. The unbelieving Jews, he said, “killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out” (v. 15).

Are you willing to endure persecution for your faith? Are you willing to remain faithful to Christ and live according to His Word even if it means being shunned, ridiculed, or wickedly injured? The only true faith is that which is willing to suffer with Jesus. He said, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it? (Luke 9:24). Are you willing to miss out on worldly pleasures in order to live boldly for Jesus and offer your life for his gospel? True faith answers yes, because the Word has worked mightily through faith. This is how Christians today stand boldly next to Martin Luther, holding fast to the Word of God before the world, declaring, “Here I stand, I can do no other!”

Paul’s description of the persecution suffered by the Thessalonians contains a final word of warning that challenges anyone who hears God’s Word but does not combine hearing with faith. Paul said that unbelieving Jews “killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved – so as always to fill up the measure of their sins” (vv. 15-16).

These verses describe what the unbelieving world has always done: having crucified Jesus under Pontius Pilate, the world continues to crucify Him in mocking unbelief, despising the cross on which Jesus died to save sinners. As unbelieving Israel so frequently slew the prophets who spoke God’s Word, Israel also refused to tolerate the apostles and the early Christians who preached the gospel of God’s grace through faith. Today, secular humanism devotes its energies to removing a witness to Christ from every public sphere and place. Since the gospel is God’s good news of salvation through Jesus, God is displeased by the persecution of His Word. Such persecution opposes the true well-being of all mankind “by hindering us from speaking…that they might be saved” (v. 16).

Paul did not hesitate to point out that for those who refuse the salvation offered in God’s Word and provided at such cost by God’s Son, there can be only divine wrath in the final judgment. God’s wrath equates to the just and violent punishment that will be inflicted from heaven on all who persist in sin and unbelief.

Yet Paul knew that God has saving grace even for persecutors who are living out the curse of God’s wrath against their sins. The apostle described himself as the chief of sinners (1 Cor. 15:9). Yet Paul had a testimony of saving grace that came to him through hearing the gospel. That grace came to him through the Bible’s message, which is not of men but of God. God’s Word declares God’s holy wrath on sin, especially for those who wickedly oppress Christ and His gospel. But that same Bible offers salvation to anyone who believes the Word of salvation that Paul loved to preach.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-17 Study Questions:

Suffering is a reality in our world today for believers. How does the church today react to suffering?

Believing passionately that God’s salvation was for them (Jews) only, these Jews regarded as blasphemous the message of a crucified Messiah who offered salvation on equal terms to Gentiles as well. What reasons do people have today for not wanting this message promoted?

We are often uncomfortable discussing God’s wrath. How do different churches or different people in the church today respond to the idea of God’s wrath?

In today’s world, it is not typical for sons to follow in the occupations of their fathers. Throughout most of human history, however, virtually all sons followed in the steps of their fathers. In that world, fatherhood involved training your sons to enter into your work. Along these lines, Paul writes to the Thessalonians that he ministered to them “like a father with his children” (v. 11). A father obligates himself to prepare his sons for life in the world, and likewise Paul sought to raise his converts to maturity in faith and godliness.

Together with verse 7, in which Paul compared himself to “a nursing mother taking care of her own children,” verse 11 provides a balanced parental picture of spiritual leadership. As Paul continues to defend his ministry from the accusations of those who opposed the gospel, he not only sets a standard for pastors and other spiritual leaders today, but also tells us how any of us can be used by God to make a decisive difference in the lives of other believers.

As Paul exhorts his spiritual children in Thessalonica, his motto for the family of believers might be “Worthy of the Calling.” This was the theme, at least, to which Paul directed his fatherly leadership: “walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (v. 12). As other fathers trained their sons to follow in the work of blacksmiths, farmers, or soldiers, Paul was training his spiritual sons and daughters to consecrate their lives in service to God and Christ’s kingdom.

According to Paul, these believers should think of themselves as those call by God “into his own kingdom and glory” (v. 12). They were saved not because they had sought God but because God had sought and called them to Himself. Salvation results from God’s sovereign summons, which, in tandem with the ministry of His Word, brings about the new birth and saving faith. These Christians had been born again to faith in Christ, and now they were to live as those who had been called by God to enter into His kingdom and glory.

When Paul speaks of “walking” in a worthy manner, he refers to the lifestyle that believers are to embrace. We may understand this from a secular example. When a solder is called into an elite special-forces unit, he is expected to display a standard of valor, fitness, and skill that is a cut above that of the average fighter. Likewise, when a sinner has been called into salvation through Jesus Christ, entering God’s kingdom and becoming an heir of glory, he or she is obligated to leave behind former ways of sin and embrace a new life of practical godliness and service to the Lord.

Are you pursuing a walk that is worthy of your calling? Or are you living a life of halfhearted obedience to God’s Word? Do you sincerely trust in Jesus Christ, yet are portions of your life governed by the world’s rules instead of His? While giving your worship to Jesus, are you withholding your time, your money, or some sinful habit from Him? According to Paul, this is no way for a Christian to live. Nor should you think that Christ will settle for a lukewarm devotion and halfhearted service. For a Christian to be worldly is to walk in a manner unworthy of his or her calling. Since Paul insists that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6), you should expect Him to intervene in your life so as to motivate you to embrace the high calling that you have received.

Paul had a clear idea of what he was aiming to see in the new believers’ lives. He also knew that in order to serve as a good spiritual father, he must first set a worthy example for his children. He thus reminded the Thessalonians of their personal experience in watching how Paul lived. Not only should they realize that the slanderous accusations against the apostle were false, but they should also notice his example in order to imitate his lifestyle of faith.

First, Paul set an example of hard work: “For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you” (v. 9). The apostle was careful not to give the impression that the purpose of his ministry was to enrich himself; rather, his motive was to bring salvation to his hearers. He therefore refused financial support from the new believers. Paul received financial aid from other, more established churches, but he also engaged in manual labor to support his needs.

Second, Paul set an example in faithfully witnessing the gospel: “while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (v. 9). Paul was a herald called to preach the gospel. It was not a message concerning which he had liberty to innovate or modify doctrines on his own, but rather he preached the “gospel of God,” a message fixed by God’s revelation.

Third, Paul set a clear example of personal holiness before his spiritual children: “You are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers” (v. 10). By emphasizing “you believers,” Paul suggests that while the world might be slandering him, the believers knew the truth about Paul’s life. Paul knew that the new believers greatest need was his personal holiness. The same is true of every spiritual leader, whether a pastor, a father, or anyone else who desires his or her example to promote the spiritual well-being of other believers.

In addition to setting a godly example for his spiritual children through his labor, his witness, and his godliness, Paul also faithfully ministered to them: “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (v. 12). Paul describes his ministry in three ways, the first of which focuses on exhortation: “We exhorted each one of you.” This means that Paul set before his people the clear biblical expectations for a believer. Later in this letter, Paul will give some pointed exhortations, commanding the Thessalonians to pursue sexual purity, brotherly love, and a quiet, useful life (1 Thess. 4:3-12).

Second, Paul ministered encouragement to the Thessalonians: “We…encourage you” (v. 12). Paul indicates that he engaged in extensive personal ministry to each of the believers in Thessalonica, saying that he exhorted and encouraged “each one of you.” We must also give personal attention to those who are discouraged or weak. We encourage one another by recalling God’s promises of salvation for all who trust in Jesus. One encouraging promise was spoken by Jesus in John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Every Christian – not just those who are spiritual fathers – is called to encourage his or her brothers and sisters. This requires us to come alongside others with words and actions that will strengthen them in Christ. Encouragement may mean bearing the load for them; it may mean prayer, companionship, or sharing our conviction that God is faithful based on our experience of His loving care.

Third, Paul entreated the believers to press on in faith and godliness: “We…charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (v. 12). The idea here is bearing testimony so as to motivate those who may be growing weary in their lives of faith. Here the caring heart of a father comes alongside a child and reminds him that all his labors will be worthwhile in the end, that the cause is noble and true that the power to persevere will be given in answer to the prayer of faith. Paul would provide this ministry to his closest spiritual son, Timothy, in his final letter (2 Tim. 4:7-8). Just as Paul counseled Timothy, our spiritual encouragement in Christ is intended to keep us going on the path of faith, godliness, and Christian service.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Study Questions:

In his dealings with the Thessalonians, Paul could afford to be gentle, caring and loving. He wasn’t secretly out to gain anything from them; he simply and genuinely wanted the love of God to embrace them, and as he worked among them, he found that his own love was drawn to them as well. In what specific and concrete ways mentioned in verses 9-12 did Paul and his companions minister to or disciple the Thessalonians?

The central thing that Paul wants the Thessalonains to do (v. 12) is, literally, to “walk worthy of God.” The word walk is a regular Pauline word for “behavior,” following the standard use of the equivalent Hebrew word. Behavior is seen as a matter of putting one foot in front of the another; good behavior is taking care of the direction and placing of those feet. How does the example and ministry of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy help to encourage the Thessalonians to behave “in the manner worthy of the God” who calls them?

It seems from what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 that his ministry was under attack in that city in such a way that might jeopardize the advances made there for the gospel. When it came to his actual faults, Paul appealed to God’s grace for his ministry: “not that we are sufficient in ourselves,” he wrote, “but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). Paul could also defend himself by appealing to the personal experience of church members. In the opening section of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, he points out that his was a true ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner among them. Therefore, he begins, “You yourselves know brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1).

The message of ministry: Paul’s ministry was effective because of the message that he proclaimed among the Thessalonians. In preaching this message. Paul was undaunted by the context of great affliction. He reminds his readers that “though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (v. 2). Paul’s boldness in ministry did not come from his own native courage. It was, he said, “boldness in our God,” as he preached “the gospel of God.”

We get a clear impression of the charges leveled against Paul in the denials that he makes. He insisted that his message did not “spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s day, there were multitudes of traveling religious charlatans who were notorious for the things alleged against Paul. Unlike the vain philosophers of his day, Paul did not teach error. Certainly, his Jewish opponents would have charged Paul with falsely interpreting the Old Testament. But Paul could show from the Scriptures that his teaching was true to God’s Word. Every preacher today should be able to do the same.

Finally, Paul did not teach with “any attempt to deceive” (v. 3). In Paul’s world, rhetoricians could be hired to argue with great eloquence for any cause, much as some lawyers today will argue any legal case for a large enough fee. But the apostle did not manipulate the Scriptures or speak with skillful cunning so as to entrap his audiences. Instead, as he insisted in 2 Corinthians 4:2, “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” Paul spoke with an integrity that should be observed by all ministers of God’s Word, as Christ’s servants rely on the power of God for salvation rather than manipulate techniques designed to allure or confuse. Paul preached his message with integrity because of his sense of obligation to God. He explained: “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (v. 4).

The motive of ministry: Not only was Paul’s message criticized in his absence, but even stronger attacks were launched against his motives. His opponents suggested that he sought the approval of men through flattery, that he was greedy for money, and that he advanced his own glory at the people’s expense. Paul answered: “For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (vv. 5-6).

First, Paul was not motivated by a desire for the approval of men, which is why he refused to flatter in his preaching. The apostle knew that it is not possible to preach the gospel faithfully without giving offense to some listeners. Yes, there are those who enthusiastically believe, but there are others for whom the gospel is “a fragrance from death” (2 Cor. 2:16). Jesus offended the Pharisees of his day by showing their sin and condemning their self-righteous works.

A second false charge leveled against Paul’s motives was that he preached out of a covetous desire for financial gain. Paul would be especially susceptible to this charge because of his zealous efforts to raise money to assist the famine-stricken believers in Judea (1 Cor. 16:1-3). “We never came,” Paul retorted, however, “with a pretext of greed – God is witness” (v. 5). The word for pretext means “cloak”: Paul did not use his ministry to conceal a true desire to lay hands on the people’s money.

A third charge against Paul’s motives was that he was aiming to increase his own glory through his ministry. He answered: “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others” (v. 6). The only glory that Paul sought was the eternal glory that only Christ can give.

The manner of ministry: To preserve his gospel labors, Paul defended his message, his motives, and finally his manner among the Thessalonians. Not only was he not motivated for approval, money, or self-glory, but his manner was, first, gentle among the new believers: “But we were gentle among you, like nursing mother takes care of her own children” (v. 7). We should not be surprised that Paul used a feminine analogy for his labors as an apostle, since God’s grace had touched his heart in order to expand rather than contract his range of human emotions and actions. As Paul looked on the virtues of self-sacrifice and tender love exemplified by nursing mothers, he saw an example that should inspire all of us who share the gospel.

Not only was Paul gentle in his manner, but he was also affectionate toward the Thessalonians. He wrote that he was “affectionately desirous of you…, because you had become very dear to us” (v. 8). The apostle admits that while he did not covet the believers’ money, he did desire the believers themselves, because of his love for them and his longing for their salvation. Paul realized that his preaching of truth must be combined with love.

Finally, because of his affection for the Thessalonians, Paul could point out the obviously sacrificial character of his ministry. Since the apostle and his associates desired the believers for Christ and because they had become so very dear to them, they shared not only the gospel with them “but also our own selves” (v. 8). Here again, Paul’s example of the nursing mother is instructive. Love will cause a true Christian to make a sacrificial offering of his or her life in service to Christ and His people.

Paul defended his ministry in terms of his message, his motives, and his manner. This kind of faithful godliness was not impressive according to the standards of the world. To realize the significance of what Paul did, however, and of what we are called to do today, we may look back to his opening words in this chapter, where Paul stated that “our coming to you was not in vain” (v. 1). A message of integrity according to God’s Word, motives formed by sincerity before God, and a manner that is guided by love will not fail. It will achieve, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).

Paul’s testimony regarding his ministry speaks a vitally important word to those who hear the gospel today. If the message that is preached comes with integrity from the Word of God, then it is the same “gospel of God” that Paul preached. It is God who appeals to you now with the good news of forgiveness through the blood of His Son, and God who commands you to honor Him by believing.

Our is a generation in which so many rich, high, and exalted people are crumbling under the gravity of spiritual emptiness and in which the swollen pride of man inevitably fails of its boasting. In our age, like Paul’s, how great is the need for the humblest sinner to believe, and then for every Christian to show how full and powerful a life that is offered to Jesus can be for the service of His gospel. With Paul, we may boldly claim: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Study Questions:

In verses 1-2, Paul describes his previous ministry experiences. How did these episodes affect Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians?

What are the unhealthy or ungodly motivations for ministry that Paul mentions in verses 3-7?

What motives does Paul say drive him and his companions to minister to the Thessalonians and to preach the gospel even in the midst of opposition?

Paul contrasts the godly motivations that can drive one to preach the gospel with the self-serving motivations of those who also may be in ministry. It’s easy to point fingers, but we all wrestle with these same unhealthy motivations. How do you see mixed motives at work in you when it comes to Christian service?

According to Paul, it is by receiving God’s Word in true faith that we become the Christians that God wants us to be. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Paul sketches three movements of the gospel as it progressed in northern Greece. In verse 5, he says that “our gospel came to you.” Then in verse 6, “you received the word.” Finally, Paul states in verse 8 that “the word of the Lord sounded forth from you.” This is the gospel progression that has continued throughout the church age, as the gospel has come to people who received it by faith and became in turn heralds who bore God’s Word to others. This is the progression that God intends for the gospel to follow in our lives as well.

Verses 5-7 center on the Thessalonians’ receiving God’s Word in saving faith. This stage is the key to our salvation, for when we believe the gospel in faith, we enter into Christ’s salvation and become His servants for the spread of the gospel in the world. Paul notes four characteristics of these early believers’ receiving of God’s Word: (1) they received it through human agents; (2) they received it from God; (3) they received it in great affliction; and (4) having received God’s Word, they became a model for other believers to follow.

A word received through men: Paul refers to the message about Jesus Christ as “our gospel” (v. 5). This does not mean that the apostle claimed to be the originator of the doctrines he taught. Nor did he think that the gospel’s success depended on his own strength or ability. He will refer to it in this letter as “the gospel of God” (2:2, 8-9) and “the gospel of Christ” (3:2). Paul’s gospel was not about himself but about God and His Son, Jesus, and the salvation they offer by grace and through faith. It was Paul’s gospel, however, in the sense that Paul had embraced it for his own salvation. He was relying on this gospel for his own soul’s destiny. It was also a message that had been entrusted to him. When Christ converted Paul on the Damascus Road, Jesus identified him as “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

Christians today have not received the apostolic office, but we have all been inducted as participants in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). The gospel has thus been committed to us in a way similar to how it was entrusted to the apostles. We will be effective in spreading the gospel to the extent that we embrace this calling and rely in the good news of Jesus for our own salvation blessing.

Paul makes it clear that the gospel message requires an authentic messenger to the world. He writes: “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (v. 5). It’s obvious that Paul became personally involved in the lives of the Thessalonians, since he can state that they have personal knowledge of his character and spirit. He had ministered “among” them, so that they could assess in his life the credibility of his message.

Today, increasing percentages of Christians attend churches that are so large that few attendees have personal contact with their preachers. Many other Christians depend on media personalities whom they may never meet in the flesh. When such preachers are faithfully proclaiming God’s Word, some real good will be done. But the biblical model involves heralds of the gospel whose lives are personally known by those to whom they preach. Such men are never going to be perfect, of course, but there should be a strong correspondence between their message and the pattern of their lives.

It should be obvious that true ministers of the gospel are motivated not by personal gain but, as Paul writes, “for your sake” (v. 5). Some people are reluctant to receive God’s Word from a minister’s lips until experience demonstrates his love and sincerity in ministry, after which people will receive even hard teachings from his trusted lips. Paul’s emphasis on the credibility of the human witnesses applies not only to pastors and elders but also to every other Christian. The evidence of the gospel in our lives provides an important commendation of our witness to the gospel. Hypocrisy is perhaps the single greatest deterrent to a Christian’s effectiveness as a witness, while the evidence of the gospel’s power provides a compelling testimony to the gospel’s truth.

A word received from God: Together with Silas and Timothy, Paul was a vital agent in bringing the gospel to the Thessalonians. It was not his word, however, but God’s Word that they received in faith. In his many letters, Paul insists that a divine message was committed to him directly by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that the prophets and apostles received God’s Word by means of inspiration. Inspiration refers to the process by which the Holy Spirit conveyed God’s Word to His chosen messengers. Paul’s classic statement on inspiration says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). As a result of divine inspiration, the apostles’ message is the very Word of God, written to the first Christians and faithfully preserved for us. When Paul says to the Thessalonains, “You received the word” (v. 6), urging them to welcome it gladly in the way that a treasured guest is received into the home, Paul might have said, “You embraced the Word to your heart” by receiving it gladly with faith.

Since Paul’s gospel was not a human but a divine message, we truly receive the Scriptures only when we receive them as a word from God. To receive the Bible as God’s Word is to bow before its sovereign authority, just because it is the Word of God. Some people complain that evangelical Christians worship the book instead of God. This is a false charge once we recognize that God wrote the book in order to aid us in living before Him in faith. If a king leaves instructions before he goes away, it is hardly rebellion for his servants to pay careful attention to what he has written, and when the king returns, he will surely reward those who have kept his word.

Receiving the Bible as God’s Word also means accepting its inerrancy, receiving it as without error in all that it teaches and affirms. We believe the Bible’s inerrancy not because we can harmonize every apparent discrepancy (although they all have good explanations) but because it is the Word of God and therefore is perfect. God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and sublime wisdom enable Him to declare perfect truth at all times, while His attributes of holiness and faithfulness oblige Him to speak only the truth.

We further rely on the Bible’s power as God’s Word. Paul proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Because the Bible is inspired, authoritative, and true, the Christian is not on a quest seeking after truth. Instead, the Christian has found truth by receiving God’s Word, which he or she is faithfully to believe and boldly proclaim.

A word received in affliction: Paul notes that in receiving God’s Word, the Thessalonians “became imitators of us and of the Lord” (v. 6). Discipleship is learned by imitating the example of those who have gone before us. Paul does not hesitate to tell new believers, “Be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 11:1). If as mature Christians we can sincerely tell new believers, “Watch what I do and how I live,” then we will be greatly used by God in helping fellow believers to walk in faith.

In urging his readers to follow him, Paul is not claiming spiritual perfection. His example, rather, is in receiving God’s Word, as he has urged them to do as well. Those who teach the Bible should be the most eager students of the Bible. We should be able to urge others to believe all that is taught in Scripture by receiving ourselves the whole counsel of God in obedient faith. We should lead a life that is growing in the truth and delights in God’s Word so that others will do the same.

Paul emphasizes that his readers followed his example not only in receiving the Word but also in believing in the context of “much affliction” (v.6). Paul himself had suffered very great afflictions through his service to Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:23-30), and when he first arrived in Thessalonica, he was probably still bruised from the beating he had just taken in Philippi (see Acts 16:23). Now by imitating him, the Christians were suffering similar trials. Ultimately, our example in suffering is Jesus Himself.

The word that Paul uses for affliction (thlipsis) refers to severe pressure being applied to an object. Therefore, Paul is speaking of great trouble that results in serious and harmful difficulty. Christians in the West today are most likely to suffer social rejection, the loss of valued relationships, or the limiting of career prospects because of our discipleship to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the key to knowing joy in the midst of trials, which is why Paul observes that his readers exhibited the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (v. 6). This is not to say that Christians never grieve or walk in spiritual shadows. Instead, even with tears on our cheeks we can access a joy that comes from above. This happens when we take our griefs to the Lord and receive the peace and joy that only His Spirit can give. It is God’s design that our afflictions would bring out a spiritual joy from our lives as we draw close to Christ.

How did Paul and his friends have such a mighty impact despite their earthly weakness? By preaching the gospel in God’s power so that it was received in faith by those who heard. They further influenced the world through the joy of the Holy Spirit that shone through their afflictions. We now have the privilege of following their example in having this effect on our world. Paul’s formula for the gospel’s spread is that Christ’s people are to receive God’s Word in imitation of those who brought it and then to become bearers of the same gospel message so that others may follow their example. Paul reported this as happening in and through the Thessalonians, rejoicing “that you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” (v. 7).

This calling to be an example to others is not given to only a few highly educated and gifted Christians but to all believers; it is the thrilling calling that will enable each of us to make an eternal difference, one believer and one church at a time, as we follow Christ and offer ourselves as an example to others.

Are you just now hearing God’s Word as it is preached to you? Then God calls you to welcome His gospel into your heart through faith, believing that Jesus died for your sins and offers you eternal life. Or have you long since received the gospel in faith? Then draw near to God for the joy in the midst of afflictions that will enable you to be an example to others. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 Study Questions:

The events surrounding the arrival of Paul and his companions in Thessalonica made a remarkable impression upon not only the people who heard and believed the gospel, but on people of all sorts, all around Greece and the neighboring countries. Nobody had to say, “Have you heard about those peculiar Jews who are going around talking about someone called Jesus?” What was the story that people everywhere were telling about the Thessalonians?