Introduction

Paul was concerned to assure the Thessalonians that the gospel which they had believed truly did come from God.

• Paul was deeply concerned for the Thessalonians’ faith.

  • The intention is to explain the context of chapters 2 and 3. This will help the congregation to feel the force of the main assertion—the assertion that Paul was seeking to assure the Thessalonians that their faith came from God.

• Paul denied that his message was deceptive, or that he had come to them with ulterior motives or deceptive methods.

• Paul assured the Thessalonians that he had come to them as one with God’s own commission.

In our own day, we must stand firm on the assurance that the gospel truly does come from God.

• We must resist all the attempts of our society to relativize the gospel, as if it were merely an opinion or a culture-bound idea.

• We—especially ministers of the word—must seek God’s approval rather than human approval as we communicate the message to others.

Conclusion