but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Gospel of God in much conflict.

 (i) He speaks of Satan blocking his way when he desired to come to Thessalonica. The word he uses (egkoptein, G1465) is the technical word for putting up a road-block calculated to stop an expedition on the march. It is Satan's work to throw obstacles into the Christian's way--and it is our work to surmount them. 