1 Thessalonians 1:5
…because our gospel came to you not only in word...

When Paul, Silas, and Timothy taught in Thessolonica, they didn’t simply rattle off empty words or make bold claims that could never be substantiated. Instead, they taught the message of Jesus Christ. As this verse says, the gospel was authenticated by the way it was both taught and received. As we participate in the work of the gospel today, the same test of authenticity holds true for us:

First, the gospel must come in word. And while Paul is quick to point out that is does not come only in word, it must in fact come in word initially. How can one respond to what they do not know? Or, as Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: "But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" So the gospel must come in word.

We see that this message is affectionately referred to as “our” gospel by Paul. This reminds us that the message of Jesus Christ is a gospel open to all who would trust in Him. It’s not a gospel reserved for the elite or academic. It has no special privileges for people of different social classes or tax brackets. Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female...the message of Christ is for all. And to all who receive it, it becomes "our" gospel. Not in the sense of possession or ownership, but of belonging to it, being purchased by it, and enjoying adoption into it.

(It is worth noting, as we remember from 1 Thessalonians 1:4, that these men held a firm belief in God's sovereign election. Yet this doctrine did nothing to discourage or deter their evangelistic efforts, as many wrongly assume a belief in election would.)

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were up front and vocal about their purpose: they clearly, boldly, and repeatedly shared the message of Jesus Christ. While it is important to share the gospel with our lives, we must never assume that speaking it is optional. The gospel must come in word.