What does 1 Thessalonians 2:20 mean?

In this verse Paul answers the question he posed in verse 19, asking what his ultimate reward was for his service to Christ. He replies that the Thessalonian believers—the people, themselves—were his joy and glory. This declaration would encourage the believers immensely and assure them that Paul's absence from them had not dimmed his love for them.

What Paul writes in this verse assures us that eternal value resides in work done in the name of Christ, not in material possessions (1 John 2:15–17). Jesus warned against materialism. He said: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19). He instructed His followers to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:20–21). The Thessalonian believers were Paul's treasure, and they were dear to his heart!