In our study of 1 Thessalonians chapter three, we continue our look at the letter that Paul wrote to the "church" that he started in Thessalonica (modern Greece). This chapter shows us how Paul taught them to be disciples and not just converts.
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So when we could no longer stand it, we agreed to be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker for the Good News of the Messiah, to make you solid and encourage you in your trust; so that none of you would let these persecutions unsettle him. For you yourselves know that these are bound to come to us;
The trials that Paul speaks of are described in Acts 17 where things got so bad in Thessalonica that Paul had to leave the city in the middle of the night. Now, he is saying that they could not stand it any longer but just had to know how the believers there were doing. He sent Timothy to check out the situation in Thessalonica and to bring back a report of the body of believers. Paul also says that the trials that they had experienced there had not taken God by surprise.
even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were about to be persecuted; and indeed it has happened, as you know.
Paul is reminding them that he knew that the persecution was going to happen because that is what happens when you follow Christ. The same is true for us today as Jesus said that we would be persecuted as well.
That is the reason why, after I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your trust. I was afraid that somehow the Tempter had tempted you, and our hard work had been wasted.
Paul knew that persecution was coming and that the new believers in Thessalonica would face trials. He was concerned that the devil would snatch away their seeds of faith as described by Jesus in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew chapter 13).
But now Timothy has come to us from you, bringing good news about your trust and love, and telling us that you remember us well and are always longing to see us, just as we long to see you.
Paul is rejoicing in the good report of Timothy concerning the Christians in Thessalonica. As a body of believers, we can rejoice at the triumphs of the other parts of the Body and hurt with and for the parts that are struggling.
Because of this, brothers, in spite of all our trouble and distress, we were comforted over you - because of your trust;
Nobody wants to work day after day and year after year without any sign of accomplishing something. Therefore, even when it was difficult, Paul and his team were encouraged by the fact that the efforts produced results (fruit). In John 15, Jesus said that if we remain in Him we will bear fruit. We do not always get to see that fruit immediately but when we do we can be encouraged just as Paul was in this verse. It can also remind us to ask ourselves if we are producing any fruit and if we are not to get back to Jesus as that is the only way that will produce a harvest.
so that now we are alive; since you continue to stand fast, united with the Lord. Indeed, how can we thank God enough for you or express to our God all the joy we feel because of you?
We truly live when we bring others to knowing and trusting in Jesus. Paul was filled with joy because of the fact that people's lives were changed and they were living by faith in God. It never gets old seeing people turn to God and being saved from hell. That, my friends, is really living!
Night and day we pray as hard as we can that we will be able to see you face to face and supply whatever shortcomings there may be in your trust.
At this time, they did not have a Bible like we do today and so it was harder for them to gain knowledge. Paul simply wanted to teach them more about their faith in Jesus Christ.
May God our Father and our Lord Yeshua direct our way to you.
Paul had learned that he could only go where God opened the door for them. He was able to listen and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in directing his steps. We need to understand the same thing in that we cannot do anything on our own but we can do all things through Christ. We are called to follow Jesus and that means we have to listen and go where he tells us. It may be a foreign country or a simple visit to a neighbor. Either way, we must listen to the prompting of the Spirit.
And as for you, may the Lord make you increase and overflow in love toward each other, indeed, toward everyone, just as we do toward you;
Paul's wish for the Thessalonian believers is quite simple and that is an increase in love. God is love and that is how His people will be made known. Paul wants them to draw closer to God so that they will love people more and that love will lead more people to accept Jesus.
so that he may give you the inner strength to be blameless, by reason of your holiness, when you stand before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all his angels.
Paul's final prayer for the believers here is for God to give them strength to follow Jesus. It is not easy to be holy but that is our calling and we cannot do so on our own. Paul knew that the ability comes from God through the working of the Holy Spirit.
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