First Thessalonians 3:1-13
I Thessalonians 3:1-5:
3:1on-which-account no-longer
protectively-covering (you) we considered-it-good to be
left-down in Athens only .2and we sent Timothy, our
brother and worker-together with God in the good-message of Christ,
with-a-view to set you fast and to encourage (you) on behalf
of your belief .3(so-as-for) not-one-person to be
wheedled in these pressures, for you yourselves knew2
that we are laid into this .4for also when we used-to-be
with you we used-to say-beforehand to you that we are about to be
pressured, according as also it came-to-pass and you knew2,
.5because-of-this also I no-longer protectively-covering,
I sent with-a-view to know your belief lest-somehow the (one)
tempting tempted you and our labor became into emptiness.
Continuing on from chapter two, Paul writes:
wherefore because we are not any-longer presently and actively
protectively-covering you (no longer sheltering you Thessalonian
holy-people because we are physically away-from you at the moment, no
longer keeping or fending off anything which may hurt you, as the roof
of a house protectively covers the inside of that house which is
concealed by the roof, thereby sustaining and supporting it), we
supposed it well to be left behind in Athens alone without your
companionship at this time and we sent Timothy, our brother and
worker-together with God in the good-message of Christ, to you.
Paul describes Timothy as "our brother" – reminding the Thessalonian
holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God)
that Timothy, and Paul and they themselves were all brothers in the
spirit category because they all had received the same gift of holy
spirit which made them all children of God. And Paul also describes
Timothy as a "worker-together with God in the good-message of Christ" –
he was expending energy in conjunction with God, God's joint or co
worker within the sphere of action of the gospel (evangel) of or
pertaining-to Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed-one. [Instead of the
words "worker-together with God," some Greek texts have the words
"minister of God" and others have "minister of God and worker-together
with us."]
Why had Paul sent Timothy? He writes: With a view (for the purpose) to
set you fast (fix you firmly) and to encourage you (exhort you, call you
beside him as a concerned father or mother would call their children
close to them under their arms so as to help them to do that which is
right) on behalf of your belief (in the interests of your faith or trust
of what God has given us to believe regarding Himself and His son, the
Lord Jesus Christ) so as for none of you to be wheedled in these
pressures (to be fawned, like a dog wags its tail when it hears
'flattering' sounds being said to it, and thereby be deceived and
agitated or moved in varying directions off of the truth of God's Word
by supposed well-wishers or friends or assistants/helpers during these
pressures, the compressions, stress that afflicts you, whatever may be
pressing-upon or squeezing you, whether it be physical, mental or
spiritual).
In truth, you yourselves (emphatically you) knew and still know
(perceive, see) that we holy-people are presently laid into this (we lie
in a position directed-to this), for even at the time that we (myself,
Silvanus and Timothy) were with you we used-to actively say it
beforehand to you (foretell you, we laid it out for you in advance or
before these pressures occurred) that we are about to be pressured (on
the point of being caused pressure), according as also it came to pass
(it happened just as we told you) and you knew it at that time and you
still know now that this is true.
On account of this (for this reason) also since I am no longer
protectively-covering you at this time because I am physically away from
you, I sent Timothy for the purpose of personally knowing your belief
(what you are believing, the state of your faith) lest in some manner
the one who is presently and actively tempting (making trial of or
trying people in the bad sense of putting people to the test with evil
and ill-intent enticing people away from believing God's Word; the
devil/satan is the one who tempts with evil) has tempted you and so our
labor (the wearisome effort that myself and those with me exerted
previously with you) came to pass to be into, directed-to or resulted-in
emptiness (in-vain, empty of contents having no effect as regards your
behavior during your everyday living).
Paul was concerned for these Thessalonian Christians and did what he
could do at that time to help them to remain steadfast upon God's Word.
He was not 'thinking-evil' of them - he wanted to do his best to make
sure that they were not affected by the activities of the devil directly
or via his devil-spirits or those people who take their direction from
the devil and/or devil-spirits. Of course their sonship
relationship with God could not be changed because these holy-people had
previously received the gift of holy spirit and would remain sons of
God.
[Reference: Matthew 4:3 and 4; Acts chapter 17; Romans 16:25; I
Corinthians 3:9, 9:12; Philippians 1:16, 2:16; II Thessalonians 1:4.]
Verses 6-10:
.6But now Timothy having come towards us from
you and having good-messaged to us your belief and love1
and that you always have good remembrance of us earnestly-longing to
see us fully-as also we you, .7because-of-this we were
encouraged, brothers, on you, on all our constraint and pressure, by
means of your belief .8because now we live if-ever you
stand-firm in (the) Lord, .9for what thankfulness
are we able to repay to God concerning you on all the joy which we
joy because-of you in-front-of our God?, .10night and day
super-exceedingly supplicating with-a-view to see your face and to
fully-equip the lacking-things of your belief.
Paul writes: but at the immediately-past time
Timothy has come back from you and is now with us, and he has
good-messaged (gospelized, evangelized) to us your belief and love1
(the faith/trust you have relative-to God and the love1 you
manifest during the everyday living of life), and that you constantly
have good remembrance (memory) of us earnestly-longing (really longing
for, desiring on-top of what you already had) to see us (to perceive us,
see to the end of perceiving and knowing us with your minds) as much as
also we earnestly long to see you.
The word "love1" or the verb "to love1" comes from
the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with
His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love
towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus
Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God
tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us)
how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and
also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him
regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the
carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage
or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I
Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the
brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the
emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.
Now Timothy having come towards us from you and having good-messaged to
us your belief and Godly-love and that you always have good remembrance
of us earnestly-longing to see us fully-as also we you, it is on account
of this that we were encouraged (caused to be exhorted), brothers,
resting or based upon you – even though in addition we had all
constraint (every necessity forced upon us) and pressure – by means of
your belief (we were encouraged through your faith, trust relative to
God) because at the present time we live if you ever presently
stand-firm (not falling but actively stand fast) within the sphere of
action of the Lord/Master (the Lord Jesus Christ).
Again in verse 7 Paul calls these holy-people "brothers" and thus
acknowledges and reminds them that all holy-people are brothers
spiritually because of having received the same holy spirit-life within
us and God is our Father. Paul and those with him were alive both
spiritually and physically, whether the Thessalonian Christians behaved
themselves or not, but having heard what Timothy told them they were
able to live their everyday lives with vitality continuing-on in the
work that God and the Lord Jesus Christ had asked them to do. They were
all connected one-with-another via their holy spirit-life and this was
most helpful for Paul and those with him at that specific time-period.
Paul continues: for what thankfulness are we able to repay to God…. This
word "thankfulness" in Greek comes from the same root word as the word
"grace" plus the word "well" or "well-off." Therefore "thankfulness" is
the expression made by the freedom of will of the recipient expressing
well his gratitude to the giver of the grace (the bestowed unmerited or
undeserved favor) given-to and received-by him. It is not a forced or
obligated "thank you"!
For what thankfulness are we able (capable, do we have the able-power) to
repay to God (to give-back to God in place of what He has already given
us, to requite to God) concerning you resting or based upon all the joy
which we presently and actively joy (rejoice – emphasis made by
repetition of same root word for noun and verb - joy) because of you in
front of our God (before the God of us).
This is a rhetorical question and so no answer is given to it - neither
Paul nor those with him nor the Thessalonian holy-people could attain
the total degree of thankfulness needed if they were to repay God for
what they had graciously received from Him via these holy-people. Also,
God is referred to as "our God" emphasizing and remembering the truth
that they were all children of the only true God because they all had
holy spirit-life within them.
Paul continues with what he and those with him could do towards God
regarding this present situation: both during the night and the day (all
the time, not that we do nothing else besides this, but that during all
available times) super-exceedingly supplicating (superly out-from
excess, beyond and over the abundance which is above the number or
measure already attained we are expressing our lack of something
specific and our need of help from God, we are communicating our
needful-request to God) for the purpose of…
- seeing your face (to perceive you by being physically there with you)
and
- to
fully-equip the lacking-things of your belief (to put down in a fitting
straight/right order, to frame the pieces together, to fit-out the
things that you lack, the wants, deficiencies, the things that
fall-short or are behind on your part pertaining-to your faith, trust
relative-to God).
We should remember that Timothy had told Paul regarding their present
belief, etc, and this encouraged him, but Paul wanted to teach them
further information regarding God and the Lord Jesus Christ, etc - this
is the belief which they were currently lacking because they had not
heard it yet and therefore they did not have the opportunity to believe
it.
[Reference: Luke 1:19; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:1; I Thessalonians
2:17.]
Verses 11-13:
.11But may our God and Father Himself and our
Lord Jesus straighten-along our way towards you; .12but
may the Lord cause you to become more-and-more and to exceed with
love1 into one-another and into all-people, fully-as we
also into you, .13with-a-view to set-fast your hearts
without-blame in holiness in-front-of our God and Father in the
presence of our Lord Jesus with all of his holy-people.
Paul now expresses his prayerful desire: may God
Himself Who is also our Father (emphatically God and our Father because
we have holy spirit-life within us) and our Lord/Master Jesus
straighten-along our way towards you (cause our road to go straight down
in motion approaching you, direct our method of proceeding or manner of
action towards you); but may the Lord (Jesus Christ) cause you to become
more-and-more (more than previously, cause the amount to become
increased) and to exceed (abound over and above the number or measure
already attained) with Godly-love directed-to each other and directed-to
all-people, to the full extent that we also are becoming more-and-more
and exceeding with Godly-love directed-to you.
Why? The purpose being to set your hearts fast (to firmly-fix the center
of your beings, the core of your personal living)…
- without-blame (un-blamable, blameless, no fault to be found because of
any incompleteness on your part)
- in
holiness (within the sphere of action of sanctity, which is the
condition or state of God's having made you holy, sanctified, set-apart
from that-which is common being spiritually evidenced and demonstrated)…
…before our God Who is our Father at the time of the coming to be
present, the arrival of our Lord Jesus in company and association with
all of his holy-people (all the limbs of his one spiritual body, the
church).
[Reference: Luke 1:79; Romans 1:4; I Corinthians 15:23; I Thessalonians
2:19, 4:13-17; II Thessalonians 1:3, 3:5. Note: verbs with a superscript
2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense
- details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
Some translators translate the word "holy-people" as "saints." We have
learned already that all those who have received God's gift of holy
spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ are holy spiritually; we are
sanctified from God's point of view. Therefore whether one wants to use
the word "saints" or "Christians" or "holy-people" or
"sanctified-people" we must recognize and acknowledge that we are what
God says we are – holy, sanctified, set-apart from the state of being
common, defiled or unclean against God, having come into the state of
corresponding to the essence of God – no matter which English word is
used to translate one Greek word.
Now, let us consider more along these lines. Do we have to wait for a
certain number of years after we die to become
saints/holy-people/Christians? Or does a particular committee or
organization decide whether we become saints? No! It is up to each
individual in this day and time to decide to believe what God has given
us to believe - "that if-ever you may express-agreement in
your mouth (regarding the) Lord Jesus Christ and you
may believe in your heart that God raised him up out-from
dead-people you will be saved, for with (the) heart it is
believed into righteousness and with (the) mouth
agreement-is-expressed into salvation" - see Romans 10:9 and 10. At that
moment a person receives holy spirit and becomes a saint/a Christian/a
holy-person - NOW. Thanks be to God and the Lord Jesus Christ for all
they have accomplished for us and made available to us now, at the
present time!
