What NOT To Do in Soul Winning
In I Thessalonians, Paul speaks to the Thessalonian people regarding the work of God. In the second chapter, Paul deals with the work that God DID. He expounds upon how he gave them the gospel, and how they received it. From Paul’s experience, we can learn a few principles of good soul winning practices.
What Paul Did NOT Do in Soul Winning
1) “Our exhortation was NOT in deceit (verse 3)…” Noah Webster defines “deceit” this way: “Literally, a catching or ensnaring. Hence, the misleading of a person; the leading of another person to believe what is false.” Paul could say with confidence that he gave the Thessalonians the truth. Successful soul winning hinges on this. We must not TRY to offend people, but we must tell them the truth, even if it offends them.
2) “…nor of uncleanness (verse 3)…” Webster defines “uncleanness” as being “moral impurity, defilement by sin, sinfulness.” Uncleanness is a lifestyle. Nothing hinders soul winning like a filthy soul winner. Don’t just tell someone how salvation can change them; show them with a clean lifestyle that salvation changed you!
3) “…nor in guile (verse 3).” Webster tells us that “guile” is “craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense.” Guile is cousin to deceit. When Paul said that his exhortation was not in deceit, he was claiming that every word he gave them was TRUE. Now he goes further than that. Not only was his message true, but his methods were just a true. He was not being crafty nor cunning. He was giving the gospel to them in hopes of receiving an offering. He gave them the gospel for one purpose – that they might be saved! There was no underlying motive. Paul’s motives were free from guile.
4) “…not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts (verse 4).” Paul’s cause in soul winning was the commission he received from his Lord. When on the road to Damascus, Paul saw the resurrected Saviour, and received a commission from Him to testify to many people. Because of this, Paul wasn’t worried about whether or not I liked his methods. He was concerned with whether or not you approve of HOW he won souls. He had only One to whom to answer, and was only worried about pleasing Him.
5) “For neither at any time used we flattering words (verse 5)…” Like a reputable physician, Paul’s desire was to diagnose their lost condition that they might accept the remedy and be saved. He did not tell them what they WANTED to hear; he told them what they NEEDED to hear. What would you think of a physician who knew your mother had cancer, but refused to tell her or the family to keep from hurting her feelings? Yet, preachers and Christians and preachers keep the gospel silent and the flatteries foremost to keep from “rocking the boat.” Dear reader, if your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors die lost, you and I will wish we’d spent more time giving them what they needed instead of flattering them! Paul could truthfully say that he never used flattering words with the Thessalonians.
6) “…nor a cloak of covetousness (verse 5)…” Many preachers (especially television preachers) use the precious message of the gospel as a cloak of covetousness. To put it in plain English, there are preachers to use the message of Jesus Christ to gain from it materialistically. The only reason some of them have a ministry is so they can give their address at the end of the broadcast so people can send them money. Not so with Paul! He never gave them the gospel to receive anything!
7) “Nor of men sought we glory (verse 6)…” Paul did not win the Thessalonians to Christ so he could brag about whom he won to Christ. He was not a soul winner in order to gain recognition of men. He wasn’t worried about “getting the credit” for winning souls; he was simply interested in seeing them turn from the path to hell to the path to heaven.
