Motivations matter. We can’t always tell why another person does this or that, and it’s also easy to be wrong when we speculate. But that doesn’t mean that motivations are unimportant or that we can never know.

God knows our hearts. We all answer to Him. Yet it is possible to make our intentions known to other men by what we do and how we do it. In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul takes a walk down Motivation Lane and reminds the church about what they know—verse 1: “you yourselves know,” verse 2: “as you know,” verse 5: “as you know,” verse 9: “you remember,” verse 10: “you are witnesses,” verse 11: “you know.” Verses 1-12 recount the integrity of the missionary team.

We should ask why Paul goes over this ground. If any group outside the church was criticizing he and Silvanus or Timothy, too, he doesn’t name “them.” Likewise, if any faction within the church had become critical or even suspicious, Paul doesn’t identify “them” either. When the believers were arrested he had run and not returned (Acts 17:5-10). Maybe people started to wonder if he really cared (he’ll address that specifically in 2:17-20). Or maybe it was so typical for itinerant philosophers to take advantage of their hearers that Paul wanted to distance himself from any association. Or maybe he missed them and wanted to encourage them by going over their mutual history, including the integrity and example of their spiritual parents.

Whether he was defending or reflecting, Paul writes that motivations matter. He explains that his motivations were honorable, humble, and knowable. He recognized that his intensions and behavior were part of confirming the Thessalonians’ belief in the truth. He already said, “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake” (1:5b). Now he walks with them down a familiar street.

In chapter 2:17 Paul turns to a new subject, namely, his concern for their faith amidst afflictions and how he sent Timothy to check on them. That theme continues through the end of chapter 3. We’ll consider 2:17-20 along with chapter 3 (since the chapter divisions were added later anyway). So for 2:1-16 we’ll see three trees (I’m using that illustration because it includes both roots and fruits) related to the motivations of the missionaries (verses 1-12) and one tree about the motivation of the Thessalonians who received the word (verses 13-16).

As for the first three motivations of the missionaries, note the pattern of “for…but.” “For” in verse 1 and “but” in verse 2. Then “For” in verse 3 and “but” in verse 4. And again, “For” in verse 5 and “but” in verse 7. These contrasts encourage those who received the gospel and set an example of what should be known about all those involved in gospel ministry.

They weren’t motivated to minister because it was easy, they had courage. (verses 1-2)

Paul and Silvanus weren’t on a cross-country celebrity book signing tour where adoring, applauding crowds awaited their arrival. They hadn’t come to Thessalonica expecting it to be easy even based on their last stop.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 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. (1 Thessalonians 2:1–2)

In both parts of the statement Paul says you know, and you yourselves know at first. It was common understanding that the coming or “visit” was not in vain. Vain could mean fruitless or ineffective, but that doesn’t fit with how thankful he was for plain fruit in 1:2-10 or with the contrast in verse 2, as if he had said, “we saw God’s work but we were still bold.” He’s speaking about motivation. The coming to Thessalonica wasn’t pointless or proud.

Instead of boastfulness they came with boldness because of the good news, not because of a good response. We had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi. For whatever success they saw, they also were persecuted (as the Thessalonians themselves experienced, 2:14). When they preached in Thessalonica it was also in the midst of much conflict. They weren’t motivated by convenience or the cushy perks of a 9-5 indoor desk job. It wasn’t that they had nothing better to do. There are lots of things are better than being stripped and beaten and thrown in prison (see Acts 16:19-24). As the old proverb says, Flog me once, shame on you. Flog me twice, shame on me. The value of the gospel to turn men from idols to the living and true God motivated them to face opposition.

They weren’t motivated to minister because they were mislead, they were stewards. (verses 3-4)

The second tree on Motivation Lane concerns where their message came from and who they were seeking to please.

For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 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. (1 Thessalonians 2:3–4)

The “for…but” formula are here, but no “you know” in this part of the argument. Some things men can see, and what men can’t God does. It’s possible to be so deluded that a man would keep on selling his message even if it brought him pain. But the missionaries kept on proclaiming their message because they answered to a higher authority.

He said, our appeal or ministry of urging does not spring or originate from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive. They were not driven by a delusion or by lust or by trickery. They hadn’t concocted some “new” fantasy that they could market as so many traveling teachers. They had qualifications and stricter job requirements. They weren’t just any nuts falling from a tree.

Instead, we have been approved by God, tested and qualified to be entrusted, stewarding a precious thing, the gospel, and that affected their aim. So we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts.

Since we are talking about motivations, and since we are talking about God testing hearts, let’s note that pleasing God requires serving men. Some prophets, say…Jeremiah, saw no fruit among men, but he still served men. It is wrong, so says Paul, to make men’s pleasure the highest goal and claim that we are serving God. God is judge, so getting Him to approve may mean that men don’t. Compromise for sake of a spot at the unbeliever’s table is no good.

But too may pastors use the “please God, not man” against their sheep as an argument for being aloof, for isolating themselves, and for domineering governance. What about verse 7 and acting as a nursing mother? Or verse 8 and sharing our own selves? Or verse 11 as a father with his children? We need wisdom to watch for wolves in sheep’s clothing, but there are sheep in sheep’s clothing, too. We’re throwing the sheep out with the sheering clippers. God knows.

They weren’t motivated to minister because they were greedy, they had affection. (verses 5-12)

The third tree down Motivation Lane shows from root to fruit that the missionaries were not serving for themselves but for others. The Thessalonians knew it from how Paul and his men gave rather than grabbed.

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 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. (1 Thessalonians 2:5–8)

There was no flattery, no buttering up in order to get the better side of the bread. They did not flatter with a pretext for greed. Again, God is witness since avarice puts on a lot of makeup. It wasn’t only money that the missionaries left on the table, they didn’t seize prestige either. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or others. Their ambition was not for positions of prominence though they did have actual authority: we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. They did have glory, they just didn’t demand that anyone kiss the ring.

Instead of self-seeking and self-promotion, instead of harsh or authoritarian motivation, the but comes in verse 7. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. As if the analogy isn’t intimate and sensitive enough, Paul goes out of his way to stress the familial connection, her own children. A nursing mother plans her day around giving and she does so without demanding immediate recognition. She does it because she loves her kid.

Verse 8 generalizes the but brings the giving motivation to its peak. So, being affectionately desires 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. Even though Paul had left and not returned, it didn’t change his investment interests. He describes that and adds another analogy in verses 9-12.

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. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, 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. (1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, ESV)

He is still reminding them ( you remember) of his motivation to give rather than grab. This giving tree is large. One branch of his example was that he wore himself out, 24-7, in his (double, double) “toil and trouble” (Hiebert) for them and instead of them. We worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you, financially speaking. Though he received gifts from the Philippian church, and though he taught that those who labor in the gospel are worthy of wages (1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18), he did not think his missionary platform would be the same if he started asking for money from them at this point. He made tents (if that’s what Paul did) to make ends meet, literally for figuratively.

His body of work demonstrated blameless character and with fatherly intentions he exhorted them to walk in a manner worthy of God. Habitually behave in a consistent way with the characteristics of God’s own kingdom and glory. Paul taught and trained them how not to live like pagans, not so that he could be famous or have it easy. He wanted something great and holy for his spiritual children. He writes more specifics in chapters 4 and 5.

The Thessalonians weren’t motivated because they were naïve, they were convinced. (verses 13-16)

The fourth tree down Motivation Lane concerned the church, not the planters.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! (1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, ESV)

Paul spent nine verses in chapter one expressing thanks for how the Thessalonians worked and labored and endured, even becoming examples to churches throughout their region (1:2-10). Here Paul returns to the motivation. They accepted the message of the missionaries as the Word of God.

He couldn’t stop ( constantly) thanking God for the spiritual reception the message got. The Thessalonian believers heard through men something that was much bigger than the men. They could trust the men, but they received God’s Word from men.

Because the Word of God worked among them they endured affliction. Previously they imitated Paul and his co-workers and the Lord, here they imitated the Judean churches that were persecuted, meaning that they were also willing to suffer. Their own countrymen attacked them, meaning fellow Gentiles, as did the Jews. The Thessalonians weren’t the first or only ones to be attacked. Paul knew about some of the attacks because he lead them. Paul criticizes the evil pattern of Jewish sin, not because he was anti-semitic, but because they—of all nations—should have known better. “Paul’s expression ‘displease God’ is a deliberate understatement” (Hiebert).

As they hated the spread of the gospel it was to fill up the measure of their sins. According to whom? God. God determined how much they would sin before they were ripe for judgment. That judgment has come upon them at last. In rejecting their Messiah their turned away from their only hope of salvation. Judgment had come and more was coming.

Conclusion

Telling people that they should drink milk because it’s good for them is fine, but don’t be surprised if they start refusing because every time they take a sip of what you’re giving it’s sour. Even honey becomes loathsome if force-fed.

Believers should expect their leaders to represent Christ. The integrity and giving nature of leaders should be knowable. Those who are leaders should imitate the character and affection and sacrificing until it is obvious. When Paul tells the church to respect and esteem their leaders in chapter five (verses 12-13), he has in mind leaders who labored like he did. You ought to want leaders who are like parents, nurturing and exhorting for your good, not theirs.

Speaking of which, good leaders, while modeling a blameless behavior, will also urge their spiritual children to grow up. Look for and expect godly leaders. But do not expect leaders to be godly and growing in your place. You are exhorted to walk worthy of the kingdom and glory of God. You don’t need to become a leader in the church to do that, but leaders will expect everyone in the church to be growing in that direction.

If they tell you to go first, or to do something instead of them, be wary. If they go first and urge you to come along, you should join them.

We pray for God’s kingdom to come, and when we walk worthy then we see the character of His kingdom more clearly even if we don’t bring the Kingdom more quickly.