1 Thessalonians 2:1 Commentary and Bible Study

When we came to you, our entrance was not empty, futile, says the original Greek. Oh, you may say, that is straightforward enough, but the words conceal a great sense. As the sentence stands, we might tend to think the important part is that the result of Paul’s mission to the city was many conversions. But that is actually not what he says. He is saying, our grand entrance, our manner of coming in, our visible entering into the town, was not empty, futile. What is the difference? Supposing he had said, ‘Our convoy in to you was not empty, was not in vain.’ Let us suppose it was a city in need, and there was a convey, there was food, there were things that they would desire and require and need for survival. We did not come empty handed, we came laden with things. That is the way he is using the language.But actually, physically his entrance in unto them was very uninspiring. They had come a hundred miles on the road from Philippi. Paul and Silas would have looked fairly ashen and exhausted. They were old men who had been most cruelly and terribly beaten at Philippi and imprisoned. It would have been an unimpressive entrance, tired, elderly, possibly sick looking, exhausted men, and then Timothy. Nobody would have ever have heard of them, nobody knew who they were. But viewed spiritually, it was a massive convey. ‘You know, brethren, our entrance, our grand entry.’ Paul would never have said that of course, but that is the sense. We came with treasures of grace. We came with a message of Christ. We came with a message that would convict people, and they would see their need of salvation. And there would be formed by the Holy Spirit in their hearts a deep desire for Christ’s salvation, and to have him and walk with him. We brought eternal life, we brought a life of happiness and meaning and purpose and hope.