1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 

형제들아 우리가 너희 가운데 들어감이 헛되지 않은 줄을 너희가 친히 아나니

Not in vain: the Thessalonians turned from idol worshipping of self, rejecting God, false witnessing God, being jealous of God (Acts 17:5-10) to worshipping the true God and having a new hope of waiting for the coming back of Christ Jesus (1 Thess 1:9,10).

² We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 

너희 아는 바와 같이 우리가 먼저 빌립보에서 고난과 능욕을 당하였으나 우리 하나님을 힘입어 많은 싸움 중에 하나님의 복음을 너희에게 말하였노라

Philippi is the place where Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned effectively for driving out a spirit from a fortune telling slave girl, and later released by God-sent earthquake, and where also the prison keeper and his whole household believed in Jesus and were saved (Acts 16:11-40). Paul had famously said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household’ (v.31).   This is ‘the help of God’ Paul talks about here. It is more than a helping hand on the side, but the driving force that moves Paul. ‘Strong opposition’ is the angry mobs in Thessalonica enticed by the jealous Jews. They eventually drove Paul out of their city. (Acts 17:5-10)

³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 

우리의 권면은 간사에서나 부정에서 난 것도 아니요 궤계에 있는 것도 아니라

Which was the case for the owners of the fortune-telling slave girl in Philippi. They operated from ‘their hope of making money’ (Acts 16:19). In Thessalonica people were triggered by jealousy (Acts 17:5).

⁴ On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 

오직 하나님의 옳게 여기심을 입어 복음 전할 부탁을 받았으니 우리가 이와 같이 말함은 사람을 기쁘게 하려 함이 아니요 오직 우리 마음을 감찰하시는 하나님을 기쁘시게 하려 함이라

In contrast, Paul’s appeal was- the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah” (Acts 17:3).

God had said to the prophet Ananias, ‘This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel’ (Acts 9:15).

‘Approved’ by God and ‘test’ our hearts are the same word. To ‘test the heart’ therefore here does not mean to see what is really in our mind, but to make the whole person (the OT understanding of the heart) appropriate and approvable for the purpose He set. Specifically, by giving his Spirit – which is the only source that ‘pleases’ and is one with God.  

⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. 

너희도 알거니와 우리가 아무 때에도 아첨의 말이나 탐심의 탈을 쓰지 아니한 것을 하나님이 증거하시느니라

Flattery surely not to be confused with kindness. But flattery, only used once here in the NT, has to be understood in line with ‘greed’, seeking something else than said, ‘hope of making money’ as the owners of the fortune teller. Luke described the Pharisees as lovers of money (Luke 16:14) at the end of the parable of dishonest manager. In light of the parable, they are the kind of people who want the debtor to pay the full charge and more, and cancellation of a debt or not accruing interest on a debt is disgraceful. When the Master himself does not charge it!

Lord we say we are your people but discover that we operate by our own standard. We use words of flattery and pretext of greed to manipulate and negotiate your love and power whenever possible. For that reason Lord we need your Spirit who is one with you and pleasing to you all the time with out error. We have him through Christ. Let us live him and display him and positively and actively drive away our ‘love for money’! Let us appreciate fully your heart and power of cancelling debts to null. Glory be to our Lord our Wisdom, Power and Love. Amen.