EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Thessalonians 2:4
4Instead, we say what God wants us to say. He has chosen us to tell his good news to people. So we do not do it to make people happy. We do it to make God happy. He is the one who knows what we are really like.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Context of 1 Thessalonians 2:4
2You know what happened to us before we came to you. The people at Philippi had done bad things to us. They had caused us to have trouble. When we came to you, our God helped us to be brave. We were not afraid to tell you his good news. Many people tried to stop us, but we told you God's message. 3When we tell people to obey God's message, we are not saying anything that is not true. We do not have a wrong purpose. We are not trying to deceive anyone. Instead, we say what God wants us to say. He has chosen us to tell his good news to people. So we do not do it to make people happy. We do it to make God happy. He is the one who knows what we are really like. 5When we came to you, we spoke what was true. We did not just say nice things to make you feel good. You yourselves know that. We did not try to make you give things to us. We never had a secret purpose like that. God knows that this is true. 6We did not want anyone to say that we are great people. We did not want you to do that, or anyone else.
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 21 Thessalonians 2:4 word by word
ἀλλὰ καθὼς δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, οὕτως λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες ἀλλὰ θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butἀλλάalla · butG235
- asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
- we were allowedδοκιμάζωdokimazō · to testG1381
- ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- to be put in trust withπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- the gospelεὐαγγέλιονeuaggelion · gospelG2098
- even soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- we speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- notοὐou · noG3756
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- pleasingἀρέσκωareskō · to pleaseG700
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 2:4
- 1 Corinthians 7:25You asked me a question about people who have not yet married. The Lord has not told me any special rule about this. But I will tell you what I myself think about it. The Lord has been very kind to me. You know that you can believe what I say.
- Ephesians 3:8I am the least important of all God's people. But God has given this special work to me because he is so kind. He has sent me to tell his good news to the Gentiles. Then they know about the many valuable things that Christ has prepared for us.
- 1 Timothy 1:11That true message is the good news that comes from our great God. We praise him for it. He has chosen me to tell this good news to people.
- Luke 12:42Jesus replied, ‘Be a wise servant. Be someone that the master can trust. The master will choose a man like that. He will say to him, “I want you to rule my house and the other servants. Give them the food that they need at the right time.”
- Luke 16:11So if people cannot trust you with money in this world, nobody will trust you with really valuable things.
- 1 Corinthians 4:1This is how you should think about us, who are leaders in the church. We are Christ's servants. God has also given a special job to us. We must explain his message to people so that they understand it.
- 1 Corinthians 9:17If I were doing this work because I chose to do it, I would receive my pay. But I myself did not choose to do it. God has given me this work, so I have to do it.
- Galatians 2:7Instead they saw that God had given a special job to me. God wanted me to tell the good news about Christ to the Gentiles. In the same way, he had told Peter to tell the good news to the Jews.
- 1 Timothy 6:20Timothy, God has given you his true message to tell people. You must keep that message safe. Do not listen to people who say a lot of silly things that are not important to God. Those people think that they have special knowledge. But their ideas are against God's true message.
- 2 Timothy 1:14God has given you his good message to keep safe. God's Holy Spirit, who lives in us, will help you to keep it safe.
- 2 Timothy 2:2You have heard the message that I have taught. Many other people also heard it and they agree that it is true. Now you must tell the same message to other people who will be able to teach it to even more people. They should be people that you can trust as honest people and who can teach well.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4When I spoke to you and when I taught you God's message, I did not use clever words. I did not want you to believe me because you thought I was wise. Instead, it was the power of God's Holy Spirit that showed you that my message was true.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2We refuse to do anything secretly that we might be ashamed of. We do not tell lies. We do not change God's message to deceive people. No. We tell God's true message clearly. God himself sees that we teach people in an honest way. Everyone should understand that we only do what is right.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11We know that the Lord will judge us, so we are careful to obey him. Because of that, we tell God's message to people. We want them to believe in God. And God himself knows that we try to do what is right. I hope that you know that also, when you think about it.
- Galatians 1:10When I say these things, I am not trying to please people. No, it is God that I want to please. If I only wanted to make people happy, then I would not be a servant of Christ.
- Ephesians 6:6Do not do good work only when they can see you. Some people only work to make other people like them. Instead, work well all the time, as slaves who serve Christ. Work in the way that God wants you to work.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4But as we were allowed of God - · As we were accounted worthy to be put in trust - as God put confidence in us, and sent us on his most especial message to mankind, even so we speak, keeping the dignity of our high calling continually in view; and, acting as in the sight of God, we speak not to please or flatter men, though our doctrine is the most consolatory that can be conceived, but to please that God who searcheth the heart, and before whom all our…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel - Compare 1 Timothy 1:11-12. Since there had been committed to us an office so high and holy, and so much demanding sincerity, fidelity, and honesty, we endeavored to act in all respects in conformity to the trust reposed in us. The gospel is a system of truth and sincerity, and we evinced the same. The gospel is concerned with great realities, and we did not resort to trick and illusion…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4In the ancient world, people in public office were publicly tested and approved for their work. The Thessalonians and God served as two witnesses to the purity of Paul’s motives. (2:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. as--according as; even as. allowed--Greek, "We have been approved on trial," "deemed fit." This word corresponds to "God which trieth our hearts" below. This approval as to sincerity depends solely on the grace and mercy of God (Ac 9:15; 1Co 7:25; 2Co 3:5; 1Ti 1:11, 12). not as pleasing--not as persons who seek to please men; characteristic of false teachers (Ga 1:10).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 2:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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