1 THESSALONIANS 2 — PAUL'S MINISTRY AMONG THEM AND THE SHARED SUFFERING OF THE CHURCH
Do verses 14–16 teach that the Jews are collectively guilty of killing Jesus? Study 1 Thessalonians 2 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
1 Thessalonians 25 questions
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Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · 1 THESSALONIANS 2 — PAUL'S MINISTRY AMONG THEM AND THE SHARED SUFFERING OF THE CHURCH
01
The precise difficulties
Do verses 14–16 teach that the Jews are collectively guilty of killing Jesus?
Is Paul claiming that his own words are Scripture?
How could Satan hinder an apostle if God is sovereign?
Does the maternal image imply anything about women in ministry?
Should pastors support themselves, as Paul did?
02
Verse and question study
Do verses 14–16 teach that the Jews are collectively guilty of killing Jesus?
No. The passage refers to particular opponents who persecuted the church and the prophets, and Paul himself was Jewish. Jesus was crucified by Roman authority at the instigation of some Jewish leaders, and the New Testament affirms that He died for the sins of all (John 11:51–52; Romans 3:23–25). Paul affirms in Romans 11 that God has not rejected His people, and this commentary holds that Israel retains covenant significance. Any use of this passage to justify hatred or discrimination against Jews is a grave distortion.
Is Paul claiming that his own words are Scripture?
He claims that his preaching was the word of God, and the early church recognized the apostolic writings as carrying that same authority. Peter refers to Paul's letters as part of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:15–16). The Thessalonians received the message as God's word because it was God's word spoken through His apostle. Believers today receive the apostolic message in the New Testament in the same way.
How could Satan hinder an apostle if God is sovereign?
Scripture teaches both God's sovereignty and the reality of spiritual opposition. God permits Satan to oppose His servants for a time, and He uses even this to accomplish His purposes (Job 1–2; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10). Paul does not understand the hindrance as defeat, since he found other ways to care for the Thessalonians, including sending Timothy and writing this letter.
Does the maternal image imply anything about women in ministry?
It shows that the qualities of tender care and self-giving belong to every minister, men and women alike, and that Paul had no difficulty using a female image for himself. This fits the conviction of this commentary that women may serve in all ministry roles consistent with their gifting. The women who believed in Thessalonica included prominent leaders (Acts 17:4), and later references show their prominence in the Macedonian churches.
Should pastors support themselves, as Paul did?
Paul did so in particular circumstances, for the sake of the gospel and as an example, but he insisted that ministers have a right to support (1 Corinthians 9:3–14; 1 Timothy 5:17–18). The principle is that ministers should not be motivated by money and should avoid any appearance of exploitation. Some are called to be bi-vocational, and others are supported by the church.
03
Historical and literary context
Chapter 2 is a defense and a memory. Paul had left Thessalonica abruptly under threat, and in his absence he apparently faced slander from opponents who accused him and his companions of the same kind of self-serving behavior that characterized itinerant philosophers and religious hucksters of the day. The Greco-Roman world was full of traveling teachers who offered wisdom for pay, and some of them were notorious for flattery and greed. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the integrity of his conduct, which they themselves had witnessed, and of the motives behind his ministry. In the second half of the chapter, he turns to the believers' sufferings, and then explains his unfulfilled desire to return. The chapter gives a vivid picture of pastoral ministry, with its two images of the mother and the father, and it contains one of the most important statements in the New Testament about the authority of apostolic preaching as the word of God. Verses 14–16 are among the most difficult in the letter, and they require careful reading.
04
Apologetic note
Paul's defense of his motives in this chapter reflects a real problem in the first-century world. Itinerant philosophers and religious teachers were a familiar sight in Greek and Roman cities, and the writings of the orator Dio Chrysostom, from the generation after Paul, describe the contrasts between genuine philosophers and charlatans who flatter crowds for money and reputation. Paul's disclaimers echo this concern, and they show that he was aware of the way his message would be received. His hard labor and refusal of payment, his suffering, and his lack of any worldly gain are consistent with sincerity. A man pursuing power or wealth would not have taken the route that led to beatings, imprisonment, and eventual execution. The statement in verse 13 also shows that the apostles claimed divine authority for their preaching from the earliest stage, and that this claim was accepted by the first converts. The persecution that the Thessalonians endured at the hands of their countrymen is another indication that the faith was costly. People do not usually suffer for what they know to be false, and the endurance of such suffering by a church only a few months old points to the reality of the conviction behind it.