Paul now takes his most general statement thus far concerning the commission he has received from God, and he associates his companions with this commission, even giving Silas and Timothy the title of apostles (v. 7).
Has judged … worthy means “approved after having been tested,” and the term is often applied to people being chosen after examination for a particular piece of work (cf. 1 Corinthians 16.3). The Greek tense indicates that this did not happen once and for all, but that both the testing and the approval continue. Both the judging worthy and the entrusting of the Good News are acts performed by God. Good News Translation therefore rightly turns the Greek passive verb of the former into an active verb which has God as its subject. The tense of to be entrusted, which is left in the passive voice, indicates that it happened once, at a particular point of time; but having once received the Good News, the evangelists must go on speaking (present tense) to pass it on (cf. Translator’s New Testament “God decided that he could trust us with the Good News, and we speak with his approval”). The first part of this verse contains a comparison (literally “as we have been approved … so we speak”), the point of which is probably “we speak as men (speak) whom God has found fit to have the Good News entrusted to them” (cf. Jerusalem Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bijbel in Gewone Taal). Good News Translation‘s as God wants us to is implied.
As God wants us to can be misunderstood as referring merely to the manner of speaking rather than to the content, but Paul is referring here to the nature of the message he was commissioned to proclaim. Accordingly, if one wishes to make explicit the expression as God wants us to, it may be necessary to render it as “say what God wants us to say.”
It is altogether appropriate in some languages to render has judged … worthy as involving two aspects of God’s activity: (1) the testing and (2) the statement of approval. This may be expressed in some languages as “because having tested us, he knew we could be trusted, and hence he gave to us the work of telling the Good News.” To be entrusted with the Good News does not mean that God gave the Good News to Paul and his associates, but that he gave to them the responsibility of proclaiming the Good News. This relation must be made clear.
To please translates a verb sometimes used in speaking of prominent citizens who, by their public service, have earned the good opinion and respect of the city or the state. The idea of service is therefore included. Try to is not in the Greek text, the form of which makes it clear that Paul is speaking not only of intentions but of facts: “we do not speak in such a way as to please men, but God….”
In this context it is not always easy to find an appropriate term to translate please men. An appropriate equivalent is sometimes found in “we do not try to make men like us,” or “we do not try to just do what people want us to do.” The latter expression provides a good contrast for the phrase which follows, but to please God, for example, “but to do what God wants us to do.”
The verb translated tests is the same as that translated has judged … worthy earlier in this verse, but now it is in the present tense, emphasizing the continuing aspect of God’s testing. The implication is still that Paul and his companions come through the test successfully, and so retain God’s approval.
Motives is literally “hearts” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy New English Bible as well as older translations). In Hebrew thought, the heart is not, as in English, primarily the center of the emotions, but of the whole of the inner life, especially the thoughts and the will. Good News Translation rightly avoids a metaphor which could be misleading in English, but motives is perhaps too narrow. Bible en français courant has “the intentions of our hearts” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “our most secret thoughts.” The context suggests that, linguistically, our still refers to the evangelists, even though theologically the statement could, of course, be applied to the readers as well. Who tests our motives is often rendered idiomatically “who sees into our hearts,” “who knows our insides,” or “who listens to our inner voice.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .