New Testament Biblical Theology

Lecture #21
Dr. Hoke

In this lecture I want to turn our attention to Paul as a minister and the way he went about it.
While it is true that Paul dealt strongly with rebels and stressed the importance of sound
theology in the face of many who disagreed with him, he was also gentle, kind, and tender.

Let’s look at how Paul interfaced with the Thessalonian church. Some of this material we have
looked at, but now I want to mainly look at it as if we were part of the flock Paul was writing to.
How would you feel reading these words?

1 Thessalonians

Notice how positive Paul is with the Thessalonians. It is every pastor’s dream to be this positive.
Of course, you can’t always do that. Sometimes you have to be tougher. Paul evidences that
with the Galatians and Corinthians, but with the Thessalonians, he was much gentler.

Paul prays for the Thessalonians

1:2 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.”

3:10 “as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply
what is lacking in your faith?”

2 Thessalonians 1:11 “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy
of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power.”

Paul prayed for them and wanted them to know it.

Paul Asks the Thessalonians to Pray for Him

1 Thessalonians 5:25 “Brothers, pray for us.”

2 Thessalonians 3:1 “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead
and be honored, as happened among you.”

I make a point of this because it is one thing to pray for others when they are your spiritual
responsibility. It is quite another to ask them to pray for you. Why do I say this? Because by
asking others to pray for you it is admitting that you need help from the Lord and are enlisting
them to bring you before the throne of grace. It is also to encourage them to join you as a team
serving the Lord. That Paul did with the Thessalonians and the Colossians, too.

Paul Reminded Them of His Good Conduct

1:5-7 “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you
became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the
joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and
in Achaia.”

Now, normally, we should not speak of ourselves, but of the Lord. However, Paul here reminds
them that he modeled correct living and that by following his example they have ministered to
others. This is profound, for he is actually applauding their life examples.

2:1-12 “For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But
though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we
had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3
For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as
we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please
man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as
you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people,
whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So,
being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of
God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might
not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are
witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you
believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of
you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you
into his own kingdom and glory.”

In verses 1, 2 Paul reminds them of how he and his team had suffered persecution. It was in
that weakened context that they came to minister in Thessalonica. What brought about this
conflict? Well, Paul and his team did not cater to what people wanted to hear, but spoke what
God had given them. This brought conflict after conflict. And with the conflict came suffering,
much suffering.

Paul also reminds them that he did not flatter or seek, come with greed, or seek glory from
people. His heart was simply to minister the Word of God. Paul was not in ministry for Paul, but
for the Lord to see the Word of God.

Then he reminds them that he and his team were like a nursing mother taking care of her own
children. This is pastoral ministry at its very best. Anyone who has had children understands the
care a mother gives her children, especially when they are young and nursing. She holds them,
cuddles them, and gives her milk to them. Nothing is more tender than that! So it was with Paul
and the Thessalonians. From reading Paul, it is clear that he was not always that way.
Sometimes the church needed strong discipline. But I believe that had Paul been given a choice
he would have preferred to always treat churches as he had done with the Thessalonians.

Then he mentions that they shared not only the gospel but their own selves with the
Thessalonians. In Africa this is called “value added.” You care about the whole person and do
your best to care for all their needs. You also relate to them not only as a gospel project, but as
a person who should be cared for.

Notice also that Paul and his team worked hard night and day so as not to burden the
Thessalonians. While it is true that a workman is worthy of his hire, sometimes it is better to
provide for your own needs rather than to ask those to whom you minister to do so. Paul
certainly thought so, for he made tents as needed. I presume so did all the other apostles. It
seems in Africa this is a good model for ministry. Many pastors have other jobs to provide for
their families. When I first started out in ministry I did that in America.

Then the is their conduct among the believers (and notice he calls them believers). Paul and the
ministry team were holy, righteous, and blameless in their conduct. Do not pass this by without
giving it some thought. We’ve all known pastors who were definitely not holy, righteous, and
blameless. Some steal from the church. Others sexually abuse women in the church. Still others
preach and teach themselves. And so it goes. Paul and his team did none of that. Christ was at
the center of all they did and it showed by the way they conducted themselves!

Now notice verse 11 again, “For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted
each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God,
who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

A few verses earlier Paul had said that the team acted like a nursing mother to them. We saw
that he acted with great tenderness. Now, he says that team acted like a father. Well, which is
it, Paul. The simple answer is BOTH. Simultaneously, Paul and the team acted in a tender
motherly way as well as a strong fatherly way. Both are needed. Always. As a mother, they
were gentle and nourishing. As a father they exhorted, encouraged, and charged the
Thessalonians to live godly lives.

I should note that the mother and father roles did not work against one another. They worked
together. Sometimes Christians need to be treated with great tenderness. At other times they
need strong directives.

I know of no place in all of God’s Word that gives us better insights into how to minister to
people in the church than 1 Thessalonians 2. I urge you to read over these things again and
again. Then take the principles and apply them in your context, according to your culture. The
Word of God never changes, but how we apply it often differs. Just be sure you show the
integrity, care, and direction as the Paul and his team to the Thessalonians.

End of lecture