From the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians...
Paul is describing the cellular building block of the Kingdom of God ‘on earth’(I.E. The Church). Namely, “Follow our pure example of sacrificial love to the lost world. Then, ‘be’ that example to the lost world.”
Paul describes subtle details of how they, as leaders, behaved among the new believers.
Paul highlights 3 things they WERE NOT:
1) DID NOT USE FLATTERY AS A CLOAK FOR GREED “For as you well know, we never came with words of flattery nor with a cloak for greed—God is our witness—“
2) WERE NOT GUILTY OF VAIN GLORY “nor did we seek glory and honor from people, neither from you nor from anyone else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power to assert our authority.”
3) DID NOT FLEECE THE FLOCK WEEKLY FOR ‘TITHE’($$$) “For you remember, believers, our labor and hardship. We worked night and day [practicing our trade] in order not to be a [financial] burden to any of you while we proclaimed the gospel of God to you.”
The truth is in the subtle details given in scripture.
Beautiful example to follow!! ✞
[Troi Nelson Cockayne]
