Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 2:4

"but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts." — 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ASV)

Not only was the preaching of Paul and his companions filled with power and earnestness when they evangelized Thessalonica (vv.1–2), but wherever they went it was above suspicion of any kind (vv.3–4). The boldness just described was possible because God, who tests a person’s motives, had approved their fitness to preach the Gospel.

“Appeal” (GK 4155) hints at the gently persuasive form of Paul’s preaching, which always addressed the will in quest of a favorable decision, but included the intellect as well. Persuasion, however, can be of various types, both wholesome and otherwise. Paul and his fellow workers had apparently been accused of appealing on wrong grounds. The damage from this accusation he was quite anxious to repair.

First to be corrected was the claim that his appeal arose from “error” (GK 4415). Paul maintains that his message agreed perfectly with truth. He next answers his opponents in the matter of “impure motives” (GK 174), a word that has connotations of sexual impurity. Doubtless, Paul’s enemies were attacking him on many fronts, including this sin so prevalent among traveling religious teachers. The apostle disclaims anything of this type as a motive for his missionary activities.

He further denies any attempt to use deceit so as to “trick” his listeners, even though he was accused of doing so on more occasions than this (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2; 12:16). In seeking intelligent decisions from his hearers, he presented facts in their true light. The missionaries were so open and honest that an omniscient God had found them worthy “to be entrusted with the gospel” (v.4). To be “approved [GK 1507] by God” entails a process of testing, success in completing the tests, and a consequent state of endorsement by God. After calling Paul on the Damascus road, God subjected him to necessary rigors in order to demonstrate his capability for his assigned task. Having thus prepared him, he committed to him the Gospel message to proclaim among Gentiles. On the basis of this commission, the missionary team spoke wherever they went. They did nothing superficial just “to please men.” Ultimately, they sought God’s approbation (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:2–5). This kind of goal excluded anything hidden from the eyes of him “who tests our hearts.” The scrutiny of a God who is able to sound the depths of every thought (cf. Romans 8:27) is Paul’s ultimate court of appeal to prove his absolute sincerity.