A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness.

Can you hear those in the church trying to degrade Paul? Their “ministry” of destruction describes his inner motives, his desire for things and his manipulation of those he seeks to gain from.

Flattery

This term is only used once in the New Testament and is associated with greed. It is a tool of the speaker to get on the good side of the hearer, to gain something from them. It is always associated with a message that favors the hearer, or the hearer’s condition. It includes excessive compliments, praising them beyond what the situation deems necessary.

Yes, the apostle who had been whipped and tortured, imprisoned and beaten was a man pleaser. Sometimes the defamation of a man’s character is blatantly flimsy, and so it is in this claim, yet it must have been accepted by some in the church to afford a response from the apostle.

This speaks of our responsibility to reject gullibility, to be willing to listen to others yet not to be swayed by arguments that are baseless, that we as believers are to be grounded in the truth, ready for those who may seek to convince us of their opinion, to our own hurt.

Paul a flatterer? This was a weak attack and speaks of the hearer’s willingness to let go of Paul’s message of self sacrifice and giving to others. Those not committed to the Savior and His apostle may seek an alternate opinion, that would allow their faith to settle elsewhere. A dangerous situation!

Greed

We have considered flattery, and the impact this claim may have on those in the church, but when we get to greed, this touches a nerve for myself. Not that I consider even a hint of this avarice expressed in the apostle Paul’s life, for he spent much of his ministry working for his own support, and rejected the common teaching of a salaried position. He lived by faith, went without, suffer hunger and deprivation and found God to be enough.

This claim of greed that is attached to the apostle Paul is as weak as the flattery claim in my opinion, and as such should be rejected.

When I suggested above that this topic touches a nerve for myself, I am referring to a modern church that is mad with greed. A modern church that accepts millionaire pastors, that feed the shepherds even as they consume the flock. A modern church that pushes a physical wealth as promised by the poverty stricken Messiah (He had no place to rest His head) and His apostles, who spoke of having no silver or gold. A modern church that is distracted from the kingdom in order to enjoy the world. A modern church, that sadly infects us all.

Flattery and greed. Paul was accused of this approach and motivation to the Thessalonian church, even though they experienced his life practice for a period.

Sadly, though the claim is baseless against the apostle Paul, it is not baseless against many in the modern church, and yet no one seems to care. No one sound the alarm that this is the very death of true Christianity, leaving behind an empty shell of what was. A hollowed out, weak church with nothing but self love.

I must quit. This topic is heavy on my heart, and I fear the worst for the modern church.

May the Lord Himself speak to the church, (may He speak to me!). May He drive into our thoughts and hearts the depth of this infection, and guide us out of the mire of greedy motivations and coveting of lowly things!

May we be like the apostle, slurred with the claim of flattery and greed, but clearly without a basis of the claim sticking.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.