Jump Start # 3802
2 Thessalonians 1:4 “therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”
Our verse today presents a difficult dilemma for many Bible students. Here, the apostle was speaking “proudly” about the Thessalonians. The problem is we have always heard that pride was wrong. Even when talking about our children, we shuffle words around so no one will hear us say, “I’m proud of you.” The moment those words come out, there is always someone who is quick to announce that pride is a sin and God hates haughty eyes and that pride comes before a destruction. We are shamed with guilt for using the word “proud.”
Some are not familiar with this verse. Some don’t know what to do with this verse. How can pride be wrong and yet we have an apostle boasting that he was proud of the Thessalonians? Other translations duck around the word proudly:
ESV/CSB/NIV/Phillips: Boast
CEB: Bragging
KJV: Glory
Maybe it’s not the actual word “pride/proud,” but the manner in which we use that word and our purpose and motives behind that. It doesn’t take much of a deep dive into the Scriptures to learn that pride is a problem. Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” John wrote, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 Jn 2:16).
Here are a few thoughts:
First, it seems when pride is directed from us towards us, it becomes wrong. Pride has a way of swelling the head and making a person think he is more special that what he really is. Pride can make a person believe that he doesn’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else. Pride quickly turns to self righteousness and creates a judgmental spirit towards others. I’m better than you, is the song that pride loves to sing. The proud person doesn’t listen. He doesn’t think he has to. He believes he knows and he doesn’t need to change, improve or do any more than what he already is.
Second, pride directed towards others, as I see it used by Paul in Thessalonians, is intended to acknowledge that someone is doing well. In this way, it is a form of encouragement and compliment. It is not intended to make some believe that they are better than others. This is not picking favorites.
Third, this proudly speaking did not keep the apostle from also pointing out things that they needed to improve on. Paul is not using the Thessalonians as a poster child of perfection. These young believers had overcome much. They had forsaken idols and had endured suffering. Yet, within this same letter, Paul warns those who were living an undisciplined life. Doing one thing right doesn’t mean that a person is doing everything right.
There is a very thin line between compliments and flattery. One is good and the other is not good. Flattery has a way of puffing someone up, like filling a balloon with air. Some balloons, like some people, pop because they have too much hot air in them. Flattery is often used as a tool to take advantage of someone or to get favors from someone. I’ve known some men who wanted to be elders so bad that they went around doing favors for others with the intention that those very people would speak favorably of them when it came time to select elders. In essence, they were trying to buy their way into the eldership through favors and flattery.
In the judgment parable of the talents, when the five and two talent men showed what they had done, their master said, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Mt 25:21). It sure seems like the master was proud of those two for what they did. Although the specific word “pride/proud” is not used in that setting, one can sure feel it coming from the lips of the master. Good job. Well done. Thank you. All are expressions of a heart that recognizes good done. This is what Paul was doing in our verse today.
Some are trying to stand so straight that they often fall over backwards. We ought to appreciate good that is done. We ought to be thankful for those who serve and serve well in the kingdom. But, let’s keep the arrow pointed at others and not ourselves. When we start talking about how we built this congregation, or the great work we have done, the head expands, and both double doors of the church building will need to be opened so we can walk through. Let God recognize the good that you are doing and that’s more than enough.
Pride—it’s a tough one to understand.
Roger