Passage

1 Thessalonians 2.5

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

3. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4. but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts.

5. For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness;

nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7. But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children: (1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, ASV)

WEB

3. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 4. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

5. For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. (1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, WEB)

KJV

3. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

5. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. ^{been: or, used authority} 7. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: (1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, KJV)

YLT

3. for our exhortation [is] not out of deceit, nor out of uncleanness, nor in guile, 4. but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who is proving our hearts,

5. for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God [is] witness!)

nor seeking of men glory, neither from you nor from others, being able to be burdensome, as Christ's apostles. 7. But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may cherish her own children, (1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

Speaker: Paul, writing with Silvanus and Timothy, who are named as co-senders (1 Thessalonians 1:1)
Audience: the church of the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:1), converts who "turned unto God from idols" (1:9)
Location: written from Corinth, after Timothy came back from Thessalonica with news of the church (1 Thessalonians 3:6; Acts 18:5)
Time period: c. AD 50-51, not long after the church was founded (1 Thessalonians 2:17; Acts 17:1-10)

Theological reading

Paul denies two motives a hostile observer might allege: "neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness." Each denial gets its own witness. Flattery would have been audible, so the Thessalonians can judge it: "as ye know." Covetousness hidden behind a pretext would be inward, so Paul calls on God: "God is witness."

The defense continues in 2:9, where he reminds them that he worked "night and day, that we might not burden any of you." A preacher supporting himself by manual labor is hard to charge with preaching for gain.

The verse belongs to the larger contrast of 2:3-6: "not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile." Paul's conduct is offered as evidence for his message, which assumes the two cannot be separated.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

G3056 - logos, logos, Strong's G3056
G1492 - oida, oida, Strong's G1492
G1096 - ginomai, ginomai, Strong's G1096
G2316 - theos, theos, Strong's G2316

Quoted in

Concepts:

Apostle, via 1 Thessalonians 2.3-12

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.