Lots of us have goals in life. Things we would like to reach or attain. An achievement we would like to accomplish. Depending on how big the goal is, it can have a large impact on the way we live from day to day. We may also seek the views of mentors on how to help us achieve those goals, especially if they have accomplished it themselves.
For the Thessalonians, Paul and his comrades were mentors on their spiritual walk to the goal of glory with God. In previous verses, Paul has encouraged the church to love, care, and gentleness, following his own example in the Thessalonians’ midst. In these verses, Paul continues to encourage the church to pattern their life and outreach towards the end goal of the eternal kingdom and glory of the age to come.
In verses seven and eight, Paul described himself as being like a spiritual mother to the Thessalonian church, taking care of them, and showing them gentleness, love, and care. Paul had not taken advantage of the Thessalonian church as some wandering religious gurus did, but persisted in his message even though it came at a personal financial and bodily cost.
The Thessalonians had seen this with their own eyes. “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” (v.9).
Paul had commonly worked for a living while on his missionary journeys, sometimes receiving financial support from other churches. It appears that in Thessalonica Paul had resumed his tentmaker trade, toiling away for many hours in a relatively lowly paid profession. Given the long hours, much of his teaching and outreach may have been done in the shop while sewing together leather skins.
The Thessalonians literally saw Paul working to avoid taking a wage from them; a wage that he was fully entitled to (1 Cor 9:8-14). They saw Paul’s hard work for them, and for the Gospel. It might have involved sewing leather, but it was still work for the kingdom.
The Thessalonians could also attest to Paul’s personal holiness. “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers” (v.10). Paul did not mistreat the Thessalonian church but was blameless in the way he behaved with and to them. And as his labours showed, his whole life was holy or set apart for the service of God, whatever he put his hand to.
These two examples were ways in which Paul was a kind of spiritual mentor to the Thessalonians, showing them how they should live in a way which reflected the realities revealed to them and believed by them. His actions backed up his words.
Paul described this as similar to how “like a father with his children” he “exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God” (vv.11-12).
In the ancient world, children usually took their father’s career, and so fathers were responsible for teaching the child the ropes of the trade. In the same way, Paul through commands and encouragement called the Thessalonians to live in a way which would please God.
That is, while there was plenty of good news, there were also plenty of reminders about how to live as a result of that good news (not to earn it but to say thanks). The purpose of this was to encourage perseverance and persistence towards the end goal, which was entering into God’s “kingdom and glory” into which he called each of them (v.12). Paul was training them up for a career, so to speak, as servants of God in his kingdom.
So too the work starts now for us. We are also called, as the Thessalonians did, to live in a way which pleases God who is calling us into his kingdom and glory. We have the end goal in sight – eternity with God. In the meantime, we need to learn the ropes to ensure we are fit to serve God in his kingdom.
More than just words, actions must match rhetoric. Paul’s long hours of work, his blameless lifestyle towards his fellow believers, and how his whole life demonstrated he was set apart for God’s service showed that he had his eye on the goal. The Thessalonians could do well to follow his example. We would do well, too.
It does not matter what we are called to with our work. Whether in the pulpit (as Paul was), in the mines, at the office, in the home, or in a store, these are all opportunities to work unto the Lord. If your work is focused on enabling you to serve God in some way, whether in your example or your activities in spare hours, it is work for the kingdom.
Paul’s example reminds us to keep our eyes firmly on the end goal of eternity with Jesus, and live lives of thankfulness which are pleasing to God.
