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
As mentioned, the Church in Thessalonica faced persecution. Surrounded by idolatry and cultures from which they turned away, Paul praised the Church in Thessalonica for staying true to their faith and representing Christ well (see One Step Daily Devotionals for 1 Thessalonians 1).
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, Paul tells the Church that he, Silas, and Timothy shared the Gospel boldly in Thessalonica despite their suffering in Philippi. It’s easy to skip over verses that we don’t understand. A verse like this can be interesting to read, but cause little pause or thought. With a little context, however, we realize that there’s a lot more that we can appreciate in what Paul and his team overcame.
The persecution that Paul refers to in Philippi is recounted in Acts 16.* In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were on their way to a place of prayer when they ran into a woman in need of freedom and deliverance. Naturally, they set the woman free (They’re nice guys, but honestly, the evil spirit inside of her was taunting them for many days, and they had enough). The men who used her demonic ability to tell the future for financial gain lost their business in this freedom-act, so they drug them to the public square for an on-the-spot trial. Without even a trial (which Roman citizens like Paul were due), Paul and Silas were stripped naked in public, beaten severely, and thrown into prison. The trauma, injustice, and shame were indescribable!
The modern day version of being falsely accused, stripped naked, beaten within an inch of your life, and then imprisoned all all while in the public square during the time of Paul and Silas would be like all of these things happening to someone on social media today for all to see.
I cannot even imagine.
Now, the story ends well as God sets Paul and Silas free (you should read it; it’s incredible), but Paul points out: despite all of that, they shared the Gospel boldly in Thessalonica (a place where their experience in Philippi could very well have been repeated). Surely, in Thessalonica, they would shrink back, be more careful, or attempt to be sensitive to the cultural climate into which they were stepping? Nope. They preached boldly. That’s amazing!
How many times have you felt the tug of the Holy Spirit or been invited to share your faith? Did you allow past experiences to stop you or slow you down? Did a fear of “what could happen” stop you from obeying God? Has the fear of the rejection of people prevented you from living a life that brings Him glory in all that you do?
Paul and Silas challenge me. They inspire me. The humble me. I am not confident that I would respond to their situation in the same way if it happened to me. As the phrase “the gospel of God” as well as the subsequent verses clue us, Paul and Silas did not work in their own strength and power, but by the power of God at work inside of them. I pray that I allow God to work similarly in me.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to receive HIs power to be a witness. Perhaps today God wants to show You His redemptive work in your life by calling you to minister in places similar to ones in which you have been hurt before. Maybe today God is calling you to set others free no matter the cost. Perhaps today God wants you to take a step toward singing His praises even in the prisons of life (see Acts 16:25-26).
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 61–62). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 90–96). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 114–117). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 190–194). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 51–53). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 63–65). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 130–133). Baker Academic.