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Paul had the right of financial support (see 1Co 9:14; Mk 6:7-13) but never exercised it. Rather, he desired to proclaim the Gospel without even the hint of offense. Instead of using their authority and status, the missionaries were gentle, sharing the Gospel and their very lives (v.8). Their lives were holy, righteous, and blameless examples. A holy life is patterned after the holiness of God. As Airhart observes, “The Christian ethic is related to the nature of God” (p. 457). Righteous actions do not exploit others.
The present and future dimensions of God’s kingdom and our salvation are evident throughout 1Th. Christians are called into his kingdom now and are to walk worthy of it now. But the call has a future dimension as well. Paul here draws attention to the goal of salvation: God’s kingdom and glory.
The missionaries acted as mother (v.7) and father (v.8), two similes that describe God’s relationship to his people (see Ps 103:13; Isa 66:13). The proper care of a leader for his people combines the nourishment and tenderness of a mother with the example and instruction of a father. This care produces lives that are a worthy response to God’s present call into acceptance of that future kingdom.