Deeper Reflection
PAUL’S BRIEF MISSION IN THESSALONICA CAME TO “an ignominious end. The public riot and the legal charges against the missionaries were so serious that they were persuaded to make a humiliating night flight from the city [Acts 17:5-9]. Paul’s critics took full advantage of his sudden disappearance. In order to undermine his authority and his Gospel, they determined to discredit him. So they launched a malicious smear campaign”⁶². And “it seems likely that some of the Thessalonians were being carried away by this torrent of abuse”⁶³. This was the background to Paul’s self-defence of his integrity in the letter (1 Thess 2:3-6): “our appeal does not spring from…” (v.3) and “we never came with…” (v.5). Paul defends himself in three ways. Firstly, the message (what we say) is true. It “does not spring from error” (v.3). And Paul did not use “words of flattery” (v.5) – “the tortuous methods by which one man seeks to gain influence over another, generally for selfish ends”⁶⁴. Secondly, the motive (why we say what we say) is pure. Paul’s ministry among the Thessalonians was not out of “impure motives” (v.3, NIV) – like ambition, pride and popularity.⁶⁵ And it was not “with a pretext for greed” (v.5). Thirdly, the methods (how we say what we say) are open: There was “not any attempt to deceive” (v.3) – to induce conversions by concealing the cost of discipleship, offering fraudulent blessings,⁶⁶ or making the Gospel appealing to human wants and ways, and easy to believe in Jesus.

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¹⁶ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 45 ⁶³ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 46 ⁶⁴ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 51 – citing George Milligan ⁶⁵ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 51 ⁶⁶ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 50