1
So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker[1] in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
Timothy's Encouraging Report
6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
The third chapter of 1 Thessalonians is only 13 verses in length. Let’s take a look:
1) V1-5 – 1So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker [or our fellow worker, or God’s servant] in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
Paul continues into chapter three detailing memoirs from his time with the Thessalonians, especially in regard to persecution. So as to further assure them of his sincerity, Paul chose to be left alone in his ministry rather than have them be left without comfort in their enduring persecution; so he sent Timothy, one likeminded and a great help to Paul (Philippians 2:20), to “strengthen and encourage” the Thessalonians in their faith. Calvin says, “The fellowship which ought to subsist between the saints and members of Christ extends even thus far – that the faith of one is the consolation of others. Thus, when the Thessalonians heard that Paul was going on with indefatigable zeal, and was by strength of faith surmounting all dangers and all difficulties, and that his faith continued everywhere victorious against Satan and the world, this brought them no small consolation.” Paul was confident that his faith, as well as his measure in sending Timothy to them, would keep them from being unsettled (v3).
Paul says in v3-4 that believers are “destined for” persecution (John 15:18-21; Mark 8:34). Vincent Cheung says, “God ordains persecution for believers, among other things, for their training and education, for His own honor, and to increase the punishment against unbelievers, who persecute His people. Thus when rightly perceived, the idea that we are ‘destined’ for persecution generates in us, not bitterness or despair, but great peace, strength, and consolation.” This message is not designed for the so-called “seekers” out there; the rich young ruler was a seeker, and when Jesus told him the hard truth, that he needed to give up his wealth, he went away disappointed (Matthew 19:16-22). Rather, Paul says that the Thessalonians knew they would be persecuted; his prophetic words were confirmed, bearing witness to his integrity and the truth of all that he spoke and wrote to them.
If you want to win followers to Christ, would you begin with, “How would you like to believe something and be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, imprisoned, and even killed for embracing?” There aren’t many who would jump at the opportunity. But Paul doesn’t shy away from the truth. Nevertheless, Cheung says, “Although [Paul] takes care to remove unnecessary offenses that might hinder people from considering the Christian faith, he makes no effort to make his message palatable to the sinful man. The sinful man is possessed by evil dispositions that render him naturally antagonistic to truth, repentance, and holiness. From this perspective, there is nothing that the preacher can do to make the Christian faith attractive or ‘friendly’ to the sinner without compromising the truth about what this religion teaches and produces.” He reminds the Thessalonians, “We kept telling you that we (believers) would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know” (v4).
Because Paul wanted reassurance that the Thessalonians were persevering through their trials, he sent Timothy back there. He had to stay alone in Athens (v1) for safety, but after claiming confidence that they would not be “unsettled” (v3), he now acknowledges his fear that Satan may have gotten the best of them and proven his efforts to build them up “useless.” Calvin comments, “He teaches us that temptations are always to be dreaded, because it is the proper office of Satan to tempt. As, however, he never ceases to place ambushes for us on all sides, and to lay snares for us all around, so we must be on our watch, eagerly taking heed. And now he says openly what in the outset he had avoided saying, as being too harsh – that he had felt concerned lest his labors should be vain, if, peradventure, Satan should prevail. And this he does that they may be carefully upon their watch, and may stir themselves up the more vigorously to resistance.”
2) V6-9 –6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
There is no doubt that Timothy’s arrival, as described in v6, served as the motive for Paul’s writing of this letter. With prayerful excitement, in the midst of his own “distress and persecution,” Paul must have waited and then listened as Timothy walked in the room and shared the “good news about [their] faith and love,” and that, in spite of Paul’s fear, the Thessalonians “always have pleasant memories” of he and his companions. Accordingly, he was “encouraged” because of the Thessalonians’ faith. V8 is staggering: “Now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.” There can be no doubt of Paul’s affection for this congregation! And he can’t thank God enough!
Furthermore, Paul’s declaration of consolation, or encouragement, and joy for the Thessalonians’ prosperous faith, is meant to urge them on to continued perseverance and edification. Paul’s very life was tied intimately to the spiritual condition of his newly founded flock; upon hearing of their steadfastness, Paul claimed to “really live.” In this light, Calvin has a word for shepherds, saying, “By this all pastors are admonished what sort of connection ought to subsist between them and the Church – that they reckon themselves happy when it goes well with the Church, although they should be in other respects encompassed with many miseries, and, on the other hand, that they pine away with grief and sorrow if they see the building which they have constructed in a state of decay, although matters otherwise should be joyful and prosperous.”
3) V10-13 –10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 11Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.
Paul, though hindered by Satan (1 Thessalonians 2:18), directs his prayer to return to Thessalonica in v10-13 to both the Father and Son, declaring Their equality. Calvin says, “We must take notice that he assigns the same office to God and to Christ, as, unquestionably, the Father confers no blessing upon us except through Christ’s hand. When, however, he thus speaks of both in the same terms, he teaches that Christ has divinity and power in common with the Father.”
Paul expresses strong desire (“most earnestly”) to visit them – by the will of God – for fellowship, but more importantly to “supply what is lacking in [their] faith.” Calvin notes, “Yet this is the faith which he had previously extolled marvelously. But from this we infer, that those who far surpass others are still far distant from the goal. Hence, whatever progress we may have made, let us always keep in view our deficiencies, that we may not be reluctant to aim at something farther.” Paul’s goal to edify the saints never ceases, and his prayer, by the way, was answered in Acts 20:1-4.
Paul ends this chapter (v12-13) with a lengthy benediction, asking for God first to make their love increase to overflowing, first for each other and then for everyone else (Galatians 6:10), just as Paul’s does for them (exhorting them to follow his example), and second to strengthen their hearts, confirming their consciences in holiness. Calvin says, “From this again we learn in what the perfection of the Christian life consists – in love and pure holiness of heart, flowing from faith” (1 Timothy 1:5); and God must work it in us. In other words, Paul is saying that sanctification has started in the Thessalonians and it will be completed at the second coming of Christ (Philippians 1:6). We’ll cover the second coming of Christ in much more detail in the next chapter. But in the meantime, we can see that the Thessalonians have learned about this from Paul and are familiar with the language he uses when writing about it (1 Thessalonians 2:19). And here we see that Jesus will not be coming alone; He will be with “all His holy ones,” speaking of either angels (Matthew 13:39,48-49; 16:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Jude 1:14) or humans (2 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 19:14), or even both.
Footnotes
- 3:2 Some manuscripts brother and fellow worker; other manuscripts brother and God's servant
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.