Truth Talk

1 Thessalonians 2:3-9 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, 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.
 
ONE way to know a message is true is to know the messenger is true. That, of course, was the great challenge for Jesus. Too few people believed his claim to be the Son of God, and they denounced him as a fraud. This would have been easy to also say about all messengers of the gospel. There had never been such a message for mankind so widely spoken until the Spirit empowered the apostles to begin the church.
    As noted, the Jews and other officials attempted to denounce Paul, Silas and Timothy as frauds, enemies of Judaism and of Rome. Now Paul has his turn to defend the evangelists’ work to the Thessalonian church.
    He makes three important points: 1) The gospel appeal is not an error. 2) Their motives were not impure. 3) They are not trying to trick the Thessalonians. These are very common accusations still today. When you don’t like what someone is saying, it’s easy to accuse them of lies, fraud and deceit to cast doubt on their words.
     Paul defends their purpose as men not trying to please men but God. They have answered a call from God to this work. The evidence of that call is the tests they endured. Evangelism, church planting and gospel preaching is intense work that causes much physical and spiritual labor. It can weary the soul when God’s servants experience loud opposition and only quiet acceptance. This tests our hearts, Paul says.  
    Other evidence that God has sent the men to Thessalonica is the message of sin. True preachers do not flatter an audience; they tell the truth of people’s lives. It is the difficult truth people must face before they know the glorious release of forgiveness.
    The evidence of their call is also in the fact they did not request money from anyone. Praise from men was not important. They could have requested, even demanded financial help form the Thessalonians, but they worked night and day not to be a burden. The ministry team treated the people with a mother-like tenderness. It was love that motivated them to share the truth of Jesus, and to give testimony of their own lives.
    The essential point here is that we must be true to God in all we are.