“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” (1 Thessalonians 2:2 ESV).
After Paul the Apostle departed from the town of Philippi on the way to Thessalonica, it may have seemed as if history had repeated itself. You see, Paul had been the victim of a mob action in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and shortly after he arrived in Thessalonica, a similar incident took place: “But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city” (Acts 17:5 NIV).
Its been said that we can often tell a lot about our adversaries by looking at their character, and this was certainly true of Paul’s experience in Thessalonica. Given that Paul’s opposition consisted of “…some troublemakers from the marketplace” (NIV), the accusations of treason (Acts 17:7) and civil unrest (Acts 17:5-6) against him should have been dismissed. Unfortunately they weren’t, and that provided Paul’s religious opponents with a political tool to use against him…
“There were, no doubt, those in Thessalonica who said that this man Paul had a police record, that he was nothing less than a criminal on the run from justice and that obviously no one should listen to a man like that. A really malignant mind will twist anything into a slander.” (1)
So Paul was dealing with more than just an attack upon his character. As another commentator observes…
“Part of the purpose of the letter is to show that the allegations were far from the truth. This is important, not just for Paul personally, but for the growth and development of the Thessalonians themselves. If they had begun to believe that Paul’s gospel was just another philosophical dream, and that Paul was just ‘in it for the money,’ they could not have continued to grow in Christ. It was not that Paul’s reputation alone was at stake, but that their Christian faith was in danger.” (2)
Finally, we should also note Paul’s common-sense response here in 1 Thessalonians 2:2. No reasonable person would seek to duplicate Paul’s experience in Philippi or Thessalonica if he or she were only seeking personal gain. Being held by a riotous mob is not a mark of self-glorification. However, a person who is sincere in his or her service to God (like Paul) might accept such opposition in the course of fulfilling his or her calling.
(1) Barclay, William. “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:4”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-thessalonians-2.html. 1956-1959.
(2) Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2472). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.