The Opposition Christians Face

I Thessalonians 2:9-20

Any true and faithful messenger of the Lord will face opposition from His enemies, sometimes harsh opposition.  Many of the Old Testament prophets faced this, as did the Apostles, and of course, the Lord Jesus did as well.  Here in our Scripture passage today, as we continue in I Thessalonians, we see how Paul was facing just such strong opposition.

As Paul traveled throughout the eastern half of the Mediterranean bringing the Gospel message to the lost, he rarely depended on the people he was ministering to for his daily support.  In verse 9 we read that he never asked the church in Thessalonica for financial support while he was there.  He had been a tentmaker by trade before the Lord called him to the ministry, and often he continued that work to provide for his day to day expenses or needs (Acts 18:3).  Paul didn’t want his motives questioned by his enemies.

There were preachers back then, and certainly are today, who are greedy for money and riches from the ministry, but Paul was not one of them.  His enemies were always looking for something that they could throw at him, trying to discredit him in the eyes of everyone.  Paul called upon the Thessalonians, and God as well, as witnesses to his holy conduct (vs. 10).  These opponents of the Gospel may throw their accusations, but they were all lies.  Whenever a Christian takes a stand for Jesus, there will be opposition, disapproval and ridicule from the enemies of God.  Paul’s words and example gave encouragement to the Thessalonians in their efforts to live in such a way as to honor God.

Earlier in the chapter Paul compared himself and the Thessalonian church to a mother/child relationship.  Now in verse 11, he sees himself like a father to them.  He could be gentle, like a mother, or admonish and discipline like a father.  These believers were Paul’s children in the faith, and like any parent, he was looking out for their behavior.  As Christians our behavior and lifestyle needs to reflect to Whom we belong to.  We need to walk worthy of our calling (vs. 12).  The message that Paul brought was not just his words or his opinion; it was truly the Word of God (vs. 13).   Be careful whose message we are accepting - is it the word of man, or is it truly from the Word of God.

In verses 14 thru 16 the Word of God tells more of the opposition and persecutions that Paul and his companions received as they sought to spread the Gospel.  Here are the verses in the New King James version:

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

After only a few short weeks of speaking the Gospel message to the Thessalonians, Paul was run out of town by his enemies (vs. 17).  He had been forcefully separated from the Thessalonians, his spiritual children, when he and Silas had been forced to flee for their lives (Acts 17:1-10).  This opposition wasn’t just from men, it ultimately was coming from Satan, himself (vs. 18).  Satan was attempting to stop the growth of the church.  He was trying to put an end to Paul’s ministry.  If we are doing work for the Lord, we need to also be aware of Satan’s opposition, but never be discouraged by his schemes.  The ultimate victory will be God’s.

As Paul concludes this portion of our Scripture passage for today, he made sure that he let the believers there that they were his joy (vs. 19-20).  He knew that the greatest thing from his ministry was the souls that he won for the Lord Jesus.  That should be our greatest joy, as well.  The souls we lead to the Lord are our crown of rejoicing.