“You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;” (1 Thessalonians 2:10).
Paul the Apostle was a teacher who was extremely well versed in the Old Testament Law. For instance, Paul studied under a respected Rabbi named Gamaliel and “…was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors…” according to Acts 22:3 (NIV). By his own admission, Paul was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) and “…was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14).
Because of this, Paul was undoubtedly familiar with the Old Testament Law concerning witness testimony: “One witness is not enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary to prove that someone is guilty” (Deuteronomy 19:15 GNT). This makes it easier to understand why Paul called upon two witnesses to verify his conduct among the Thessalonians.
First among those witnesses were the Thessalonians themselves. They could easily verify Paul’s external commitment to hard work, devotion, and integrity. The second witness was God Himself. He was the One who could verify Paul’s internal commitment to those qualities. The presence of these witnesses helped support Paul’s claim that his conduct was above reproach during his stay in Thessalonica.
You see, Paul was not the type of person to say, “do as I say, not as I do.” Instead, he turned to the testimony of those who could verify the fact that his actions were “…honest, straightforward and above criticism” (Phillips). This is one reason why Paul could make the following statement in the Biblical letter of 1 Timothy: “…never let it be said that Christ’s people are poor workers. Don’t let the name of God or his teaching be laughed at because of this” (1 Timothy 6:1 TLB).
With this in mind, we would do well to follow a similar path and take an outsider’s perspective in evaluating our conduct. As we examine our financial transactions, leisure activities, personal interactions, entertainment choices, online activities, and other aspects of daily life, it might be helpful to ask this question: “Would others be willing to endorse my conduct if they witnessed my choices in these areas?”
Above all, we should work to ensure that no one would ever think to offer the following testimony regarding our conduct…
“You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you” (Romans 2:23-24 TLB).