Paul begins chapter 2 by fleshing out chapter 1 verse 5 when he writes, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.” Here in chapter two, he provides the Thessalonians with proof of this.

“For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.”

In a similar way to what he had done in his letter to the Galatians, here Paul begins to catalog all the reasons why the Thessalonians can trust him. He reminds them of what they already know: that when he had preached the gospel to them, their lives had changed, since this preaching “was not in vain.” And the power of his message was in no way curtailed by what had happened in Philippi, even though there was such opposition to it that he and his companions were run out of town. He preached the same gospel to the Thessalonians despite what had happened to him there!

And he maintained the boldness of his message even after this incident at Philippi:
“3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who examines our hearts.”

In other words, Paul can be bold because he knows that his message, that his teaching and exhortation, is the truth. He can because—just as he told the Galatians—he speaks because of the Lord’s calling upon his life. He remains bold because what he says isn’t intended “to please people, but to please God”.
He then reminds the Thessalonians why they know that this is the truth.

“5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness— 6 nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though we could have asserted our authority as apostles of Christ. 7 But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

The message—the teaching—was not accompanied by any flattery, requests for money, or demands for honor even though he, “could have asserted [his] authority as [an apostle] of Christ.” He could have demanded that they listen to him and follow whatever he said since he was called to be an apostle, but he didn’t even do that. And in verses seven and eight he reminds them that he responded to them in quite the opposite way, actually. He was gentle, motherly, “delighted to share with [them] not only the gospel of God, but also [his own life]”, because the Thessalonians “had become very dear” to him.

In verses 9-12, Paul provides them with evidence of this care:
“9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

Paul’s proof of his care for the Thessalonians is in his “labor and hardship”. He never took a dime from them, and he provided for his own financial needs. He did not want concerns about money to get in the way of the mission. (Ahem)

The final two verses in the above passage can be summed-up in this way: We practiced what we preached and anytime we may have been hard on you, we only did so so that you would do likewise and live a life worthy of your calling and faith. It is for the sake of the Thessalonians’ walk with God that Paul chose to live among them as he did.

To use a modern expression: There is a difference between ministry to the poor and ministry with the poor. The Thessalonians are not a project for Paul to complete before he can move on to the next group. Quite contrary, Paul loves them has both a mother AND a father! He is personally invested in their growth as Christians.

“13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews…”

Paul is grateful that the congregation accepted his message and call as authentic and from God. It is for this reason that the Thessalonians, “became imitators” of the Jewish Christian’s in Judea. The apostle is thankful that God has empowered these Gentiles to persevere in the same way that their Jewish counterparts were being equipped to: “for you also endured the same suffering at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews”.

It is here that we catch the first glimpse of Paul’s reason for writing to the Thessalonians. The congregation is facing trials and persecution for its beliefs.

“15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.”

As I pointed out in the Galatians series, Paul makes a distinction between Abraham’s two offspring: Isaac and Ismael. The latter he refers to as child of the flesh, but the former he calls the child of the promise. They may both be Abraham’s sons, but only through one of them, Isaac, will the promise of God’s blessing be extended to the whole world.

Likewise, Paul distinguishes between Jewish Christians and their Jewish countrymen. I guess the apostle is sticking with what he said to the Galatians in Galatians 3:28; in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile. Like the Thessalonians and the Galatians, these persecuted, Jewish Christians are no longer who they were before they came to know Christ—“or to be known by Christ.”

He tells the Thessalonians that the worldly descendants of Abraham are “hostile to all people,” because they hinder the proclamation of a gospel to the Gentiles that would bring salvation to all. This hindering has consequences (i.e., it comes with a price).

“…with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.”
There will come a time when they will no longer be able to prevent the spreading of the gospel of salvation. Even though Paul is specifically talking about Jews oppressing Jewish Christians, this statement can be equally applied to the “countrymen” who oppress the Thessalonians. In other words, “Haters gonna’ hate.”

“But wrath has come upon them fully.” Paul here introduces the concept of orge, which means wrath or retribution, as the means through which God will rectify the oppression that the Thessalonians are currently experiencing. God will bring salvation to those seeking the gospel and to those who are seeking to prevent them…His wrath. So, to seek to prevent a person from sharing the gospel of salvation is to become an enemy of all people.

In the closing verses of chapter 2, I think Paul reveals exactly who is one hindering the gospel message. Here is a hint as to who the hater really is: It’s neither the Jews who oppress the Judean church nor the Thessalonians’ countrymen…

“17 But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.”

The apostle and his fellow evangelists want nothing more than to come back to the Thessalonians—and who wouldn’t. They are a church that is doing it right apparently, but “Satan hindered [them]” from return to Thessalonica in person—although the church has remained on their minds and in their hearts and prayers. Remember, the Thessalonians are not a project but Paul’s children. They are his “glory and joy.”

Paul will return later in Ephesians to this idea that Christianity’s true enemy is Satan and not “flesh and blood”, but as for now, I think that all Paul wants here is for his spiritual children to know that the only thing that can possibly keep him away from them is the Devil. No human authority or agent could, otherwise. He closes out the chapter by telling them why this is the case: Because they are the proof of his calling—the sign of his authority—just like his miracles were for Jesus. And there in nothing wrong with that.