Genuine Love - Week 2
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Genuine Love
Connecting to one another
· What drew you to the Person of Jesus when you first read about Him in the gospels?
· What did you feel or think when you saw that many among Jewish leadership, his people and family rejected Him?
Context of Today’s Passage –
If you genuinely love God and His people, you will at some point be rejected. Since your genuine love will be evident to all, rejection will need to be justified, so it is likely that you will be falsely accused of something that takes the form of NOT loving God and His people. This is the crux of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 10-11), and this accusation can take many forms.
Case in Point -- Since Jesus loved God and people well, He drew followers, and this made Jewish leadership jealous and fearful of losing their powerful status in their Jewish community and in the political Roman world. Therefore, Jesus was FALSELY accused of breaking the Sabbath, performing signs through Satan’s power, and sedition against Roman authority. Jesus knew He would be falsely accused and die on the cross as a result. But He came anyway.
Last week we learned that Paul imitated Christ, so it should not surprise us that he was also falsely accused. In Acts 16, he and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel because their accusers were losing money when their fortune teller believed the gospel. In Acts 17:1-15, we read that this conflict did not prevent them from bringing the gospel to Thessalonica where they were again accused, this time of sedition against Caesar because the Jews were jealous. In our text today, we will infer other accusations against Paul/Timothy/Silvanus, and observe how and why Paul defends their word, character, and work.
Understanding the Truth with one another
Verse by Verse ~ Topic by Topic ~ Argument by Argument
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
1a. In his introduction, Paul opens their defense when he writes: “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (1:5b). In chapter 2:1-12, underline every time Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they and God are witnesses of Paul/Timothy/Silvanus’ character and work starting with “For you yourselves know...” in verse 1.
1b. If you were a member of this young church and listening to this letter being read out loud, how would the repetition of this “witness” language impact you?
2. In verse 1 Paul uses the expression “not in vain.” Flipped to the positive, “not in vain” means it was well worth it. Briefly review together what we learned last week in chapter one about the worth of Paul/Timothy/Silvanus coming to Thessalonica.
When crafting an argument, a good writer will appeal to authority when establishing his credibility (ethical appeal) and to his readers’ sense of reason (logical appeal). He will also stir his readers’ hearts (emotional appeal). Paul inspired by the Spirit uses all three appeals.
3. In verse 2, how does Paul appeal to reason to prove their motivations in proclaiming the gospel to the Thessalonians were pure?
4a For verses 3-6, list how Paul/Timothy/Silvanus do NOT share the gospel and how they DO.
4b. Using your chart, you can infer some of the practices of traveling false teachers during this time period and see how Paul/Timothy/Silvanus were accused as being like them. What is Paul’s main argument supported by the details on your chart?
4c. How does Paul appeal to authority to establish their credibility in these verses? Be sure to discuss why Paul uses the word “entrusted” in verse 4 as part of that appeal.
In the previous verses Paul focuses more on what these genuine good-news preachers did NOT DO. Now in verses 7-12, he focuses on the positive of what they DID by intimately comparing them to a mother and a father. Notice how Paul appeals to readers’ emotions with those family comparisons.
5a. How were Paul/Timothy/Silvanus like nursing mothers? (verses 7-10)
5b. How were they like a father with children? (verses 9-12)
6. Throughout this passage Paul lists a genuine gospel ministers’ words and actions. Words can be HEARD; actions can be SEEN, so his evidence is in keeping with his appeal to them and to God as WITNESSES. If Paul were only defending himself, then his integrity is questionable. What is Paul defending or protecting and why is he doing so? Connect this to what he affirmed in the Thessalonican church last week.
Living the Truth as we are sent out
Overarching Question -- How can we live in FAITH, LOVE, and HOPE in light of the PAST and in view of FUTURE?
We are going to zoom back to verse 2b “...as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” The word “boldness” (parresia) is opposite of “flattery” (kolakeia).
When we flatter, we want to get something. If getting is our goal, then we will move on at the first sign of conflict. But boldness in God seeks to GIVE; therefore, boldness does not budge when conflict rears its head.
7. Let’s exhort and encourage and charge one another to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls us into his OWN kingdom and glory (verse 12). Share a time when you lived the gospel boldly in word and deed even in the midst of conflict, perhaps even in the midst of accusations. How were you motivated and able to do that in Christ? Were others drawn to you as you were drawn to Christ (referencing our opening “Connecting” question here).
8a. This week we saw how Paul made loving God and man boldly as part of his lifestyle as a gospel laborer. Brainstorm with your group practical day to day ways we can do that today as children, siblings, spouses, parents, friends, neighbors etc.
8b. Last week you were asked to consider who YOU might disciple and how and when you will spend time with them. Share your decisions for those questions with your group.
Who
How
When
Praying Through the Truth for one another
How can we pray for you in light of what you learned in 1 Thessalonians 2?
Pray about question 8 in light of our mission “to lead our city into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.
God bless you, Grace family, we love you!
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org