1 Thessalonians 2:8 – Our Own Souls

8 Thus being ardently attached to you, we are delighting to share with you not only the evangel of God, but our own souls also, because you came to be beloved by us.

The image of the nurse from the previous verse echoes here. Paul and his coworkers were “deeply attached to you.” Their dealings with the Thessalonians were not distant or businesslike. They had become dear to them. That is why they delighted in sharing something with them. First of all, “God’s evangel.” That was the precious message entrusted to them.

But it did not stop there: “our own souls.” Paul does not say that they were willing to give their lives for them. It is about sharing their soul: their own living person. They did not come merely to deliver a message and then disappear again. Along with the evangel, they also shared themselves. Their involvement was as personal as the care of a nurse for her children.

The closing words explain why: “because you had become beloved to us.” Sharing their own souls was not a method for winning people. It flowed from love. This again shows how far removed Paul was from flattery, greed, or seeking human glory. They shared not only God’s good message, but with that message they also gave themselves.

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