1 Thessalonians 2:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

NIV: Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,

NASB: But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children,

CSB: Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children.

NLT: As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

KJV: But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

NKJV: But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

Paul compares the care he and his missionary companions gave the young believers at Thessalonica to the care a nursing mother gives her own babies. They had fed the newborn Christians wholesome spiritual food so they would develop well. By using the words "own children" in this verse, Paul was showing how closely he identified with the Thessalonian believers. This demonstrates how much personal responsibility he assumed for their spiritual wellness.

Paul's love for the newborn Christians at Thessalonica reminds us of the tender care Moses' mother gave him in Egypt. By faith, she and her husband hid him for three months from Pharaoh, who had ruled that all the Hebrew male infants should be thrown into the Nile (Exodus 1:22; Hebrews 11:23). Finally, when she could not conceal Moses any longer, she put him in a waterproof basket, placed him among the river's reeds at a strategic location where Pharaoh's daughter bathed, and positioned Moses' adult sister on the riverbank to watch over baby Moses. When Pharaoh's daughter saw little Moses, she sent her maid to rescue him. Moses' sister suggested getting a nurse from the Hebrew women to take care of Moses. When the princess agreed, Moses' sister introduced Moses' mother as the prospective nurse, and the princess hired Moses' mother to care for him until he was weaned (Exodus 2:1–10). So Moses' mother continued to lovingly care for him.

No one can measure a faithful mother's love for her children, nor can anyone measure Paul's love for his spiritual children at Thessalonica.

First Thessalonians 2:1–8 recalls Paul's brief three-Sabbaths visit to Thessalonica (Acts 17:2). He had served the Lord there honorably in the face of strong opposition. His message at Thessalonica was the pure gospel of God, and the Thessalonian believers had witnessed his holy, righteous, and blameless conduct. Here, Paul testifies that his intent was only to please God, not men, and that he strove to care for the Thessalonian believers as a mother would care for a child.

Paul begins to flesh out the general ideas he mentioned in chapter 1. Here in chapters 2 and 3, he further explains how he came to preach to the Thessalonian people. Paul particularly notes that his good conduct, proving his unselfish motivations, was instrumental in his success. The warm response of the people also endeared them to Paul, making him long to visit them again. Unfortunately, Paul was prevented from doing so, a struggle he attributes to Satan. Paul once again expresses his gratitude for the Thessalonian Christians' ability to honor God despite persecution.

Chapter 1 briefly introduced the relationship between Paul and the Christians at Thessalonica. This introduction is expanded in chapter 2, where Paul gives additional details about how he came to preach there, why he left, and what he has heard of their spiritual progress. Chapter 3 will round out this glowing report with a reference to a visit from Paul's friend and student, Timothy.

The apostle Paul's second missionary journey included a visit to the prominent Greek city of Thessalonica. This stood alongside a major land route and boasted a busy seaport. A number of individuals believed Paul's message (Acts 17:1–4), but an angry mob forced Paul to leave the city after his brief stay. Later, while in Athens, Paul received a glowing report: the believers at Thessalonica were growing spiritually and serving God fervently. However, they had questions about the Lord's return, including what happens to a believer who dies before that day. And, as all churches do, they had some areas in which they were falling short. In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, written about AD 51, he addresses these developments. Paul expresses gratitude for the Thessalonian believers' spiritual progress, and frequently makes references to Christ's impending return.