SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:2
pues aun habiendo padecido antes, y sido afrentados en Filipos, como sabis, tuvimos denuedo en nuestro Dios para anunciaros el Evangelio de Dios con mucha diligencia.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 2:2
Verse 2. Shamefully entreated-at Philippi] There Paul and Silas had been beaten with many stripes, shut up in the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks. See Acts xvi. 23, &c.; and the notes there. With much contention.] The words en pollw agwni not only signify, with intense labour and earnestness, but may here mean, exposed to the greatest danger; at the peril of our lives. The Greek phrase quoted by Rosenmuller is to the point, agwn profasin ouk anamenei, in danger we must not delay - activity and despatch are then indispensably necessary.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. But even after that we had suffered before , etc.] Before they came to Thessalonica, which they would not have done, had their ministry been a light and empty one in itself, and unprofitable to others; and especially had this been the case, they would never have rashly engaged in it again, and exposed themselves to fresh sufferings and dangers, as they did: and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi ; being beaten with many stripes, and put into prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks, at the instigation of the masters of the damsel that had a spirit of divination, by whom they got much gain, and which Paul dispossessed; (see Acts 16:16-24) we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention : and which still made it more manifestly appear, that the errand they came upon was a matter of importance, and that they did not proceed on a slight foundation: what they spoke was the Gospel, salvation by Christ, and not by the works of the law; the pure Gospel, and not a mixed one, free from the mixture of all human doctrines and inventions of men, without any adulteration and inconsistency; the whole of the Gospel, and not a part of it only; they declared the whole counsel of God, and kept back nothing that might be profitable: and this is styled the Gospel of God, to distinguish it from the Gospel of men, or that which the false teachers taught, and which was called the Gospel, though it was not so; and to express the excellency of it, from the author of it, who is God, it being the produce of his wisdom and grace; and from the matter of it, it containing the good will of God to men, setting forth the grace of God in election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and glorification, and expressing things relating to the kingdom of God, a meetness for it, and a right unto it; and it being so called shows it to be something divine, a message sent from God to sinful men; and gives a reason why the apostles were so bold to speak it, because it was not of men, but God. The Syriac version renders it the Gospel of Christ; (see Romans 1:16) and it being so, they were bold to speak it; or they spoke it both with liberty of mind, the Spirit of God being with them, and with freedom of speech, a door of utterance being opened for them; as also with great courage and intrepidity, notwithstanding what they had suffered before, and the ill treatment they had met with at Philippi; and though they knew that the Gospel they spoke was contrary to the Jews, was a stumblingblock to them, and they had an inveterate prejudice against it; and was foolishness to the Greeks, and was derided by them, and they were sure to meet with reproach and persecution on account of it: yet they boldly and faithfully preached it, fearing not the face of men, nor their revilings: though it was with much contention ; referring to the tumult raised by the baser sort, who, instigated by others, assaulted Jason and the brethren, where the apostles were, ( Acts 18:5,6) or to the disputes which they had with the unbelieving Jews, who contradicted and blasphemed what they said; or to the division the Gospel made, as through the corruption of nature it makes wherever it comes, between the nearest relations and friends, some being for it, and others against it; or this may be expressive of the zeal with which the apostles preached, who earnestly contended for it, as persons in a combat or agony; they fought the good fight of faith valiantly, they endured hardness as good soldiers of Christ, and gave not way to the enemy, no, not for an hour: and all this was in our God; or by the confidence of our God, as the Syriac version renders it; trusting in him and relying upon him, being assisted by his grace, and strengthened by his power, and receiving much encouragement from a view of him as a covenant God; faith in God as a covenant God, will make a man bold in his cause; (see Daniel 3:17).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - The apostle had no wordly design in his preaching. Suffering in a goo cause should sharpen holy resolution. The gospel of Christ at first me with much opposition; and it was preached with contention, with striving in preaching, and against opposition. And as the matter of the apostle's exhortation was true and pure, the manner of his speaking wa without guile. The gospel of Christ is designed for mortifying corrup affections, and that men may be brought under the power of faith. Thi is the great motive to sincerity, to consider that God not only see all we do, but knows our thoughts afar off, and searches the heart. An it is from this God who trieth our hearts, that we must receive ou reward. The evidences of the apostle's sincerity were, that he avoide flattery and covetousness. He avoided ambition and vain-glory.
Greek Textus Receptus
αλλα 235 και 2532 προπαθοντες 4310 5631 και 2532 υβρισθεντες 5195 5685 καθως 2531 οιδατε 1492 5758 εν 1722 φιλιπποις 5375 επαρρησιασαμεθα 3955 5662 εν 1722 τω 3588 θεω 2316 ημων 2257 λαλησαι 2980 5658 προς 4314 υμας 5209 το 3588 ευαγγελιον 2098 του 3588 θεου 2316 εν 1722 πολλω 4183 αγωνι 73
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Having suffered before (propaqontev). N.T.o . Although we had suffered.
Having been shamefully entreated (ubrisqentev). Comp. Matthew xxii. lxviii. 32; Acts xiv. 5. This may have been added because propaqontev alone might denote the experience of something good; but it is more probably intended as an expansion and illustration of that word. Paul's sensitiveness to personal indignity appears in the narrative in Acts 16, which gives the historical explanation of the two words. It appears frequently in 2nd Corinthians.
As ye know (kaqwv oidate). One of the many characteristic expressions of these Epistles which indicate community of experience and sentiment on the part of Paul and his readers. See 1 Thess. i. 5, 8; ii. 1, 5, 10, 11; iii. 3, 4, 12; iv. 1, 2, 6, 11; v. 1, 11; 2 Thess. ii. 16; iii. 1, 2. 16 Philippi. See Acts xvi. 19-40; Philippians 1, 30.
We waxed bold (eparrhsiasameqa). Only once elsewhere in Paul, Eph. vi. 20. Frequent in Acts. Always in N.T. in connection with speaking. Derived from pan every, and rJhsiv speaking. Hence parrhsia boldness, bold speaking out of every word. The noun is very often used adverbially, as parrhsia boldly or openly, Mark viii. 32; see also John xviii. 20. In Acts always meta parrhsiav with boldness, comp. Hebrews iv. 16. En parrhsia in boldness, John vii. 4; xvi. 29; Eph. vi. 19; Philip. i. 20. Both the verb and the noun are found in LXX. See Lev. xxvi. 13; Prov. x. 10; Wisd. v. 1; 1 Macc. iv. 18; Sir. vi. 11. In our God (en tw qew hmwn). Const. with we waxed bold. Their boldness was not mere natural courage, but was inspired by God. There is a slight emphasis on our God, as contrasted with the idols from which they had turned (ch i. 9). The phrase only here in N.T.
Gospel of God (eujaggelion tou Qeou). For the phrase see Mk.i. 14; Rom. i. 1; xv. 16; 2 Cor. xi. 7; 1 Thess. ii. 8, 9; 1 Peter iv. 17. It points to the monotheistic character of the gospel.
In much contention (en pollw agwni). Better conflict. Comp. Col. ii. 1; Philip. i. 27; 1 Tim. vi. 12; Heb. xii. 1. Agwn originally of a contest in the arena; but it is used of any struggle, outward or inward.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:2 {But having suffered before} (alla propaqontes). Strong adversative alla, antithesis to kene. Appeal to his personal experiences in Thessalonica known to them ({as ye know}, kaqws oidate). Second aorist active participle of propascw, old compound verb, but here alone in the N.T. The force of pro- (before) is carried over to the next verb. The participle may be regarded as temporal (Ellicott) or concessive (Moffatt). {And been shamefully entreated in Philippi} (kai hubrisqentes en filippois). First aorist passive participle of hubrizw, old verb, to treat insolently. "More than the bodily suffering it was the personal indignity that had been offered to him as a Roman citizen" (Milligan), for which account see #Ac 16:16-40, an interesting example of how Acts and the Epistles throw light on each other. Luke tells how Paul resented the treatment accorded to him as a Roman citizen and here Paul shows that the memory still rankled in his bosom. {We waxed bold in our God} (eparresiasameqa en twi qewi hemwn). Ingressive first aorist middle of parresiazomai, old deponent verb from parresia (full story, pan-, resia). In his reply to Festus (#Ac 26:26) Paul uses parresiazomenos lalw, {being bold I speak}, while here he has {we waxed bold to speak} (eparresiasameqa lalesai). The insult in Philippi did not close Paul's mouth, but had precisely the opposite effect "in our God." It was not wild fanaticism, but determined courage and confidence in God that spurred Paul to still greater boldness in Thessalonica, {unto you} (pros humas), be the consequences what they might, {the gospel of God in much conflict}, (to euaggelion tou qeou en pollwi agwni). this figure of the athletic games (agwn) may refer to outward conflict like #Php 1:30 or inward anxiety (#Col 2:1). He had both in Thessalonica.
