Paul founded the church in Thessalonica but was kicked out of the city after only a short time (Acts 17). 1 Thessalonians is the first of Paul’s letters and was probably written because he was concerned for a church he had started but had little time to establish. A recurring subject in the book is the return of Jesus. Even at this very early stage, this was something to which they were looking forward.
Here Paul defends the work he did in Thessalonica. Having been there only a short time, he was able to preach, but they hadn’t had time to understand his character. Apparently, some were saying he was only in it for the money and respect he would get. Nothing was further from the truth, and he could point to his actual behavior to prove it.
It’s interesting that people’s motives for ministry were already being questioned. That’s why it is important for ministries to be open about how they operate, so that they can point to their behavior and prove they are not in it for themselves. It’s important for all of us to conduct ourselves well so no one can question our character.