Deeper Reflection
PRESUMABLY, BOTH PAUL AND THE THESSALONIANS KNEW what the interference was in “Satan hindered us” in Paul’s repeated attempts to return to Thessalonica (v.18), while we lack this information.¹In Paul’s ministry, he experienced both open doors and closed doors. And apparently, he moved in terms of open doors and closed doors, as he prayed for open doors (Col 4:3). During his second missionary journey, Paul was “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). And when he attempted to go into Bithynia, “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (Acts 16:7). Then Paul discovered that God was directing him to go to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). Towards the end of his third missionary journey, he prayerfully planned to go to Rome (Acts 19:21; Rom 1:10), but he had been “often hindered” by God’s will “from coming to you [Rome]” (Rom 15:22).In Paul’s failed attempts to reconnect with the Thessalonians, he attributed the blockage to Satan, while attributing others to God. It could be that God gave Paul spiritual insight “to distinguish between providential and demonic happenings”, or “with the benefit of hindsight”². But theologically, God still retains supreme authority while Satan does his part. Once, “even though a door was opened to me in the Lord” in Troas “to preach the gospel”, Paul abandoned it to attend to a more urgent pastoral situation at Corinth (2 Cor 2:12-13; 7:5-7). It wasn’t an act of disobedience, but an act of discerning what was deemed to be of higher priority.

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¹ ohn R. W. Stott, The Message of Thessalonians, The Bible Speaks Today (IVP, 1991), 63 ² John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 63