preaching for the right reasons

Good morning sisters and brothers, Paul reminds the Thessalonian church of his first visit to them, apparently after being persecuted in Phillipi. He writes about how much he and his partners in ministry care about the Thessalonians and how they worked gently with them. Paul is probably referring to the fact that in his ministry he worked on his own to support himself financially. He also contrasts his pure motives with the selfish motives of others. That probably means he has someone in mind who he thinks is teaching or living the wrong way, someone who is using the gospel for personal gain rather than as a ministry. We may find our more about this as the letter continues. blessings on your week, Sam 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 1You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.