First Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Became Like Little Children with the Thessalonians Lesson # 24
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1 Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 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. 3 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. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness, 6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others, 7 although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children. (NET)
1 Thessalonians 2:5 So therefore, each one of us never at any time conducted ourselves with flattering speech as each one of you are well aware of, in fact, nor motivated by greed-God is a witness. 6 Indeed, nor by seeking at any time honor from people, whether from any one of you or from others, 7 although each one of us for our own benefit possess the power to impose our authority as Christ’s apostles. However, on the contrary, each of us conducted ourselves as little children in the midst of each of you. Like a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (My translation)
1 Thessalonians 2:7 continues the thought which began in 1 Thessalonians 2:5.
As we noted, verse 5 asserts that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy never at any time conducted themselves with flattering speech, nor motivated by greed.
1 Thessalonians 2:6 asserts that they never conducted themselves by seeking honor from people whether from the non-Christian community in Thessalonica or from the Thessalonian Christian community.
Now, 1 Thessalonians 2:7 continues this thought with a concessive clause followed by a strong adversative clause.
The concessive clause asserts that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy possessed the power to impose their authority over the Thessalonians as apostles of Christ.
Thus, they never imposed their authority over the Thessalonians as apostles of Jesus Christ when interacting with them although they possessed the power to do so.
This concessive clause is thus describing or identifying for the reader another means by which Paul, Silvanus and Timothy never conducted themselves when interacting with the Thessalonians.
Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 2:5-7 is teaching that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy never at any time conducted themselves with flatting speech or motivated by greed, and never sought honor from people whether from non-Christian community or the Thessalonian Christian community even though they had the power to impose their authority over them as apostles of Christ.
Now, as we noted, the concessive clause in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 is followed by a strong adversative clause, which presents an emphatic contrast with this concessive clause.
Again, the latter asserts that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy for their own benefit possessed the power to impose their authority over the Thessalonians as Christ’s apostles.
When compared with the statements in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6, this concessive clause in verse 7 reveals that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy never demanded the Thessalonians honor them even though they had the power to impose their authority over them as Christ’s apostles.
This strong adversative clause states that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy conducted themselves as little children in the midst of the Thessalonians.
Therefore, the emphatic contrast is between Paul, Silvanus and Timothy imposing their delegated authority from the Lord over the Thessalonians and these three conducting themselves as little children in the midst of the Thessalonians.
What does it mean that these three conducted themselves as “little children” when interacting with the Thessalonians?
It is used to emphasize the innocence of these three men.
Little children are incapable of using deceptive speech and having ulterior motives and being concerned with receiving approbation from people.
Thus, this word describes these men as not using deceptive speech and not having ulterior motives and not concerned with receiving honor from people.
1 Thessalonians 2:5-7a indicates that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy conducted themselves like innocent children by never using flattering speech when speaking to the Thessalonians.
They acted like innocent children by never conducting themselves motivated by greed when interacting with them.
Lastly, they acted like innocent children with the Thessalonians by never imposing their authority from the Lord Jesus Christ when interacting with them.
Little children don’t flatter people and are not motivated by greed and they don’t possess any authority over anyone.
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy demonstrated all three of these characteristics when interacting with the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 2:7 comes to an end with the protasis of a comparative clause.
The apodosis is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:8.
The former speaks of a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children while on the other hand the latter asserts that because Paul, Silvanus and Timothy possessed great affection for the Thessalonians, they were more than happy to share not only the gospel with them but also their very own lives.
This comparative clause is therefore, marking a comparison between the conduct of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy when interacting with the Thessalonians and the behavior of a nursing mother with her child.
Specifically, it is marking the correlation between Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s great affection for the Thessalonians and the care a nursing mother has for her own children.
In other words, it is marking a nursing mother’s tender care for her own children as the perspective from which to compare Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s great affection for the Thessalonian Christian community.