Session 2 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

2 GENTLE (1 THESS. 2:3-7)

note one word (besides the word gentle)
that you think describes how Paul and the other missionaries shared the gospel.

3 For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity
or an intent to deceive.
4 Instead, just as we have been approved by God
to be entrusted with the gospel,
so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts.

5 For we never used flattering speech, as you know,
or had greedy motives — God is our witness —
6 and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others.

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

DISCUSS:

• Where is the balance between being gentle and being bold?
  Can a person be both at the same time? Explain. (p. 23)

EMPHASIZE:

The word gentle indicates the act of showing compassion, tenderness, and kindness
on a regular basis. This was not a one-time event,
it was a lifestyle.

TRANSITION:

Paul and the other missionaries set an example.
Their Christlike character allowed them to influence others.