The truth of the gospel must never be compromised. (1 Thessalonians 2:4-8)

1 Thessalonians 2:4-8

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

⁴ In fact, it is just the opposite. God has accepted us to preach. He has trusted us with the good news. We aren’t trying to please people. We want to please God. He puts our hearts to the test.
⁵ As you know, we never praised you if we didn’t mean it. We didn’t put on a mask to cover up any sinful longing. God is our witness that this is true. ⁶ We were not expecting people to praise us. We were not looking for praise from you or anyone else.

As Christ’s apostles, we could have caused you some expense. ⁷ But we were gentle among you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸ We loved you so much that we were happy to share with you God’s good news. We were also happy to share our lives with you. You had become very special to us.

 

In trying to persuade people, we may be tempted to alter our position just enough to make our message more palatable or to use flattery or praise. Paul never changed his message to make it more acceptable, but he did tailor his methods to each audience. Although our presentation must be altered to be appropriate to the situation, the truth of the gospel must never be compromised.

 

 

Joe