1 Thessalonians 2:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“We never,” he says, “had words of flattery before you.” That is, we did not flatter, as deceivers do, men who seek profit or power. One cannot say that we flattered in order to gain power, or that we undertook this for money. As witnesses to the first point, though it was obvious, he finally calls upon them themselves. Whether we flattered, he says, you know. But as witness to what was not obvious, namely whether he preached for the sake of covetousness, he calls upon God Himself.

“For we never came among you with words of flattery, as you know.” Since he had just praised them, he says this so that the praise would not become suspect. I never flattered you, which belongs to deceivers, and I do not flatter you now. “Nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness.” We did not preach from love of money. That I did not flatter you, you yourselves witness. But that I am not covetous, God is witness, for this is not known to you.

You know, brethren, that we never had words of flattery, for we did not approach any of you with a view to greed.

Regarding flattery, he named them themselves as witnesses, because flattering speeches are plain to the hearers. Regarding greed, he called not only them, but also Him who oversees the whole universe, because the aim of what is done is often hidden from men. By “greed” he meant preaching for money.

“Nor under a pretext of greed.” The second lofty mark is disinterestedness. Whatever form the preacher’s mercenary calculations may take, whether the desire for fame or the acquisition of property, they always demean the work of preaching and the preacher himself.

Here the Apostle twice shows us an example of a pious oath, saying, “God is witness.”

b) The Apostle's manner of acting among the Thessalonians was as fearless and direct as it was tender and quiet. "Having previously suffered and been shamefully treated in Philippi," the Apostle writes, "we were bold in our God to preach to you the Gospel of God with great struggle."

"We never had before you words of flattery, ... nor a pretext for greed. ... We might have appeared with weight, as Apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, as a nurse tenderly cares for her own children."

"Working night and day, so that we might not burden any of you, we ... exhorted, encouraged, and implored each one of you, as a father does his children, to walk worthily of God" (1 Thess 2:2, 5, 7, 9, 11-12).

Having rejected every possible unworthy motive in preaching the Gospel, the Apostle calls God Himself and the Thessalonians as witnesses that the Apostles had no unworthy aims or methods, such as flattery, greed, or vainglory.

According to Saint Chrysostom, the Apostle speaks as if saying: "We did not flatter, as men do who seek profit or power."

"With respect to flattery, the Apostle named them themselves, the Thessalonians, as witnesses, because flattering words are evident to those who hear them. With respect to greed, he named not only them, but Him Who watches over the whole universe."

"For the purpose for which something is done is often hidden from men." According to Bishop Theophan, "the calling of God as witness also extends to assurance of purity from vainglory."

No, his preaching is not the product of any self-deception, nor is it caused by any impure motives, such as greed. Likewise, its spread is not accomplished by any evil means, έν δόλω.

The Apostle acts in accordance with his high calling (vv. 3-4). The Thessalonians had full opportunity to be convinced for themselves that he never wished to flatter them.

As for greed, from which various teachers of religion so often suffered, the Apostle calls God as witness that he said nothing to the Thessalonians as though he wished to receive money from them, έν προφάαει πλεονεξίας.

The Apostle seeks neither earthly nor human glory, whether from the Thessalonians or from others who might praise him for the conversion of the Thessalonians.

Saint Paul now passes to indicating the spirit, aims, and methods of his preaching. Here Saint Paul rejects three reproaches, whether possible or actual: flattery, greed, and vainglory.

This is also marked by the structure of the speech: "never ... nor ... nor seeking." In Greek it is ουτε ... ουτε ... ουτε.

First of all Saint Paul rejects the reproach of flattery: "Never were we among you with a word of flattery." This flattery, or adulation, is an extremely repellent manner of acting.

It is not only unpleasant to deal face to face with a flatterer. Even one who did not appear a flatterer in personal intercourse loses much as soon as suspicion or reproach of this kind is raised against him.