Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Thessalonians 2:3

"For our exhortation [is] not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:" — 1 Thessalonians 2:3 (ASV)

For our exhortation. That is, the exhortation to embrace the gospel. The word seems to be used here so as to include preaching in general. The sense is that the means they used to induce them to become Christians were not such as to delude them.

Was not of deceit. It was not founded on sophistry. The apostle means to say that the Thessalonians knew that his manner of preaching was not such as was adopted by the advocates of error.

Nor of uncleanness—that is, not such as to lead to an impure life. It was such as to lead to holiness and purity. The apostle appeals to what they knew to be the tendency of his doctrine as evidence that it was true. Most of the teaching of the heathen philosophers led to a life of licentiousness and corruption. The tendency of the gospel was just the reverse.

Nor in guile. That is, not by the arts of deceit. There was no craftiness or trick that could not bear severe scrutiny. No point was carried by art, cunning, or stratagem. Everything was done on the most honourable and fair principles.

It is a great thing when a man can say that he has never endeavoured to accomplish anything by mere trick, craft, or cunning. Sagacity and shrewdness are always allowable in ministers as well as others; trick and cunning never are. Yet stratagem often takes the place of sagacity, and trick is often miscalled shrewdness. Guile, craft, and cunning imply deception and can never be reconciled with the entire honesty that a minister of the gospel, and all other Christians, should possess. (See Barnes on 2 Corinthians 12:16).

Compare Psalm 32:2; Psalms 34:13; John 1:47; 1 Peter 2:1, 22; Revelation 14:5.