While reading the second half of Acts recently, I was struck by the commitment of Paul and his companions to press forward in ministry, no matter the opposition they faced. We find a good example in Acts 16-18. Just after the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), Paul and Silas set out on Paul’s second missionary journey. In Acts 16, they added Timothy as a companion in ministry and soon ended up in Troas. In Troas, Paul had a vision by night where he saw a man from Macedonia pleading, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts 16:9). Paul, convinced this vision was the Lord’s will, set out. On the way to Macedonia (the region where Thessalonica was), Paul and his companions shared the gospel in Philippi with Lydia and then with the Philippian jailor after being stripped, beaten, and imprisoned. These beginnings are remarkably humble ones for the Philippian church.
In Acts 17, Paul and Silas finally made it to Thessalonica, where Paul reasoned with Jews in the local synagogue for three Sabbaths about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. Some were persuaded and believed. Other Jews stirred up a group of men to harass Paul and his companions as well as their host Jason, who was abused when the crowd failed to find Paul and his companions. Concerned for Paul and Silas, the believers in Thessalonica sent them away under the cover of night. The mob was so outraged with Paul and Silas, they tracked them down in the next town, Berea. Paul was then sent away to Athens, where he preached in the synagogue and then at the Areopagus before moving on to Corinth.
What strikes me in Acts 16-18 is the commitment of Paul and his companions to take the gospel wherever the Lord led, no matter the abuse or ridicule they faced. Their commitment led me to reflect on the questions: “Why are they doing this? How do they continue to press on in ministry despite such opposition?” As I read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, answers to these questions emerged.
First, Paul and his companions had a singular focus: the proclamation of the gospel that had transformed their own lives and had been entrusted to them. Second, they were motivated by a desire to be faithful to the Lord. As I read 1 Thessalonians 2, I also noted they were determined to minister boldly but with gentleness. I believe each of these points can be paradigmatic for how we think about pastoral ministry.
Purpose: Gospel Proclamation
Paul and his companions went to Thessalonica to preach the gospel in response to the Macedonian vision. As noted, this path was not easy. Paul faced all sorts of opposition and physical abuse on his way to Thessalonica. Paul alluded to this difficulty in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, noting, “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.”
Paul and his companions had been “roughed up” at Philippi — stripped of their clothes, beaten, and imprisoned. Paul could have hung it up. He could have called it a day. We probably would not have blamed him. Yet, Paul moved on to Macedonia, the next region and town. Why? How? Because his whole life was dedicated to taking the good news about Jesus wherever he was called to go.
I am struck by Paul’s clarity and singularity of purpose. His entire life was about gospel proclamation. He always looked for an opportunity to preach the gospel wherever he went. Paul wanted the gospel to spread, and he did not wait for the perfect opportunity or for the mood to be just right. He constantly sowed the seed of the gospel. That is what he did in Thessalonica. Paul essentially said in 2:1: “You know we did not come empty-handed. Our coming to you was not in vain. Because we came with the ’gospel of God.’” Paul came with the very thing the Thessalonians needed — the gospel.
Motive: Faithfulness to God
Paul’s primary motive in ministry was faithfulness to God. At the beginning of 1 Thessalonians 2, we learn some in Thessalonica questioned Paul’s motives for ministry, wondering what Paul hoped to gain. In the ancient world, traveling teachers often went from town to town to take advantage of people. Apparently, some had accused Paul of getting what he wanted in Thessalonica and then moving on to the next place under the cover of night.
Yet Paul did not go to Thessalonica for personal gain. He was not trying to trick anyone, take advantage of anyone, or stroke his ego (verses 3-6). God called Paul to this place, and he sought to be faithful. Through his obedience to God, Paul longed for the Thessalonians to hear the gospel, repent, and believe the truth. And now, having heard this critique against himself and his ministry companions, Paul was able to say with a clear conscience that he had been faithful.
Paul expressed he was not beholden to anyone in Thessalonica. He was not trying to be a smooth talker. He was not trying to figure out the key figures in town so he could gain their approval by saying what they wanted to hear. He was not trying to “win friends and influence people” through empty flattery (verse 5). His goal was to please God (verse 4). The easiest way for Paul to get off course would have been to shape his ministry and persona around the desires of the most influential figures in Thessalonica. But that almost certainly would have led Paul to distort the gospel message in some way. He resisted this temptation.
It is not that Paul was indifferent to the Thessalonians and was just serving God how he saw fit. Later in this letter, he poured out his heart to the Thessalonians. Paul wanted a reciprocal relationship with them whereby he loved them and cared for them through his ministry, and they loved and cared for him in return. But in response to critiques of his ministry, Paul said, with a clear conscience, “We did not shape our ministry around the desires of any individual or group in Thessalonica. We did not seek human approval. Our goal was faithfulness to the Lord, and He can test our hearts to know this is true.”
Pastors who want to be faithful cannot live and die by human approval. If we live to be congratulated and patted on the back, we will end up doing whatever it takes to get and keep approval. But if our work is done in faithful service to the Lord, while criticism may hurt us, ultimately, it will not crush us because we have divine approval. Critics will come and go, but the One who tests hearts remains. Our ministry must be motivated by faithfulness to the Lord.
Demeanor: Gentleness
Paul described his demeanor among the Thessalonians as gentle (verse 7). He paints a picture of a nursing mother caring for her child. She is careful and thoughtful, tending to each need. That is how Paul ministered among the Thessalonians. He did not roll into town, announce his credentials, and tout his education. He did not brag about surviving beatings in Philippi. He did not demand they treat him like an apostle or expect them to meet his every need. On the contrary, he gave of himself humbly. In verse six, Paul acknowledged he could have made demands. But he did not. He gave of himself. He did not think too highly of himself. He was a servant of the Lord, a servant of the Thessalonians, and he acted like it.
I am struck by the way Paul described his demeanor here: “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us” (verse 8). He and his companions shared the gospel and themselves. Their ministry was not a “flyover.” They did not just dispense the message and move on. They gave of themselves to the Thessalonians. They ministered with care and gentleness to the holistic needs they encountered.
It is possible for pastors to become dictators, thinking they must constantly assert their pastoral authority. Such authority may be needed on occasions, but certainly not all the time. Sometimes, pastors become prideful, authoritarian, and brash. They are not gentle. But this approach misses the example set by Paul: “We were gentle among you.”
Pastoral authoritarians miss the example Paul was imitating — Jesus, the One who had every right to make demands but was characterized by gentleness and lowliness of heart (Matthew 11:29).
In this passage, we learn from the example of Paul, who learned from the example of Jesus. Ministry must be done for the right purpose, with the right motive, and with the right demeanor. The goal was the gospel, in obedience to God’s command and for God’s approval, but with a demeanor of gentleness.
Paul’s letters were somewhat unique to his ministry, but each one offers something to learn. Pastors, we must make our lives about advancing the gospel wherever we are. We must live for the Lord’s approval, so we will not be crushed when others do not approve of us. And we must do all these things with the humble, gentle demeanor of our Lord and Savior.
