First Thessalonians Chapter 3

1 Thessalonians Chapter THREE

1 Thes. 3:1-5, Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

Verse 1, Remember, Paul had left Thessalonica, went to Berea, was forced to leave Berea and went to Athens. At Athens Paul sends for Timothy who is in Thessalonica to come down there with Him. Timothy then goes to Athens to join Paul.

Realizing that there was no one at Thessalonica that could help the new believers, Paul could not stand the idea of them being left alone any longer. Paul's concern for these people weighed heavily upon him. He knew very well that the religious people who had pursued Him to Berea would not cease putting pressure on the Christians in their own city. In those days there was no question about it. Those who became believers were to suffer; they were persecuted; they were attacked by Satan and by his willing agents. This caused him to think that it would be good to be left in Athens alone. Even though Paul needed Timothy in Athens he taught it more important to send him all the way back to Thessalonica to see how things were going with them, that's how concerned he was about them. He didn't cop out, he didn't abandon them, he was driven out but he wanted to go back. He was so concerned he sent Timothy back to see if he could be of some help.

Verse 2, Paul sends Timothy to establish, confirm, and strengthen them by thoroughly grounding them in the Word of God. He was to also challenge them to strengthen their faith.

Verse 3, Timothy's purpose was to strengthen them so none of them would be moved (shaken, disturbed) by those afflictions (trouble, tribulation, persecution) that the religious people were giving them. Paul knew what the religious people were like, he knew the trouble they would cause for the new believers. Not only that, the Thessalonian believers themselves, knew that the followers of Christ are appointed to suffer for the Lord's sake. Paul told them of this when he was there.

Verse 4, When they were first converted, Paul warned them in advance that they were going to suffer tribulation because of their loyalty to Christ. Even while Paul was there the persecution began to take place. Again and again the Bible foretells that suffering, testing and persecution will become the lot of true believers. In light of what the Bible, as a whole, says about the end times, we should prepare ourselves spiritually so that we can prosper spiritually in spite of suffering and persecution. We need to understand the end times realizing that in order to enter the Kingdom we must go through much tribulation (Acts 14:22).

These people were under so much tribulation some of the Thessalonians thought the Day of the Lord had already started, which is going to be the major theme of 2 Thessalonians. They had no concept of the length of the Church age. Because of the severe persecution they thought the Day of the Lord had started. They were perplexed because they knew that they were to be raptured before it began, because they were not appointed unto wrath. So what is going on? We will deal with this more as we study 2 Thessalonians.

Verse 5, Paul could not stand it any longer, he had to know how they were doing. Paul's anxiety was because he was not sure the new believers would ward off something that was dependent on their will. Paul recognized that while a peril existed, apostasy was possible. The will of the believer was the determining factor. Paul knew that the tempter (Satan) would use persecution and tribulation to tempt them to fall away. Should Satan succeed, all the work Paul and his helpers had done in Thessalonica would be of no avail. Paul did not really expect this, yet he could not bear the thought of it happening. Thus he sent Timothy to see how they were doing.

1 Thes. 3:6-10, But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you--therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Verse 6, Timothy has now returned from Thessalonica to give Paul an update on the believers there. Paul, by this time is in Corinth facing more difficulty. What joy it was, then, when Timothy returned and brought good news of the Thessalonians' faith and love. He was also overjoyed by the fact that they did not believe the religious teachers who were falsely accusing him. They had not believed that Paul was a shyster, or a rip off artist, or that they took advantage of them. No, no, they had good remembrance (including warm, kindly feelings) of Paul, and their desire, longing and yearning to see Him as He was to see them.

Verse 7, After months of concern about what Satan might do to the Thessalonians by the religious people through persecution and temptation, Paul is encouraged by the report that he receives from Timothy. The enemies of the gospel had not been able to turn the believers from the Lord or from Paul. In the midst of much affliction, with painful circumstances and distress caused by persecution (pressure and crushing trouble), not only cheered Paul and relieved the pressure of His passionate concern, it gave him new courage to go on.

Verse 8, What Paul is saying is, their faith, their steadfastness is like life giving breath to him. The assurance that they were standing firm in the Lord gave Paul a new burst of life. Paul could now turn his full attention to the work at Corinth with new energy.

Verse 9, Paul's troubles and sufferings for the gospel's sake were not even worth considering in comparison to the joy the good news of the Thessalonian's faith brought to him. His rejoicing in God's presence was pure and unselfish. Joyfully, he recognized what God had done and cried out, "What thanks we can render to God."

Verse 10, Paul realizing they were doing well, they were on the right path, their faith was strong, still recognizes that they are still only a young Church. This makes him to want to see them all the more so he can teach them to become mature, and complete what was lacking in their faith, that is what they still needed to add to their knowledge and understanding of the gospel.

Paul is not saying here that there was something lacking in their personal faith in the Lord. Paul simply recognized that the new converts needed more teaching. While rejoicing in what God had done, he knew that God had much more for them. Paul wanted to supply these new believers with spiritual food that would help them march on to greater and greater victories.

So intense was Paul's desire to do this that night and day he was praying fervently for God to permit him to minister to the Thessalonians again in person.

1 Thes. 3:11-13, Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Verse 11, Paul as he is remembering these things just breaks out in prayer. This seems to be a trait of Paul, for throughout this book he breaks out into prayer right in the middle of what he is saying. "Direct" includes the idea of making a straight path and removing obstacles. Satan had at least twice hindered Paul from coming. God alone could clear the Way.

Verse 12, Paul's prayer is for the believers. He could teach them, but only God through Christ could cause them to increase and abound (excel and overflow) in love. "Love" here is AGAPE love, the God kind of love, the love that allows the fullness of the Godhead to be manifested in our lives. No one can work up this kind of love by his own efforts or reasoning. It comes only as Christ fills our hearts and His love in us overflows. This is nothing less than the work of the Holy Spirit. We are to love one another with this kind of love and manifest this kind of love toward all men even as Paul had this divine love for the Thessalonians.

Verse 13, The overflow of this divine love is the key to spiritual advancement and holiness. There may be a place for creeds, doctrines, and rules, yet they are deadly if they are not in line with scripture and applied without the love of God manifested.

To live in the expectation of the Lord's return is to seek to be blameless and to be holy. There is no greater catalyst for commitment to Christ and to holiness than a genuine belief in the lateness of the hour and the soon return of Christ. If we really believed in the lateness of the hour, would we be living the way we are living? Would we have the same priorities as we have now. When He comes will He find us blameless because we have been true to His Word, or will we be ashamed because we adhere to doctrines of men and denominations.

"With all His saints", let me suggest to you, that is not a reference to His coming back with the saints who have been raptured. "Saints" in this verse does not refer to living believers. It is translated from the Greek Word HAGIOS (hag'-ee-os); which means holy ones and is a reference to angelic beings or men. We know that angelic beings will accompany Christ at His coming (PAROUSIA) [cf. Matt. 25:31; 2 Thes. 1:7-8; Rev. 19:14].

You may want to argue that, the word could refer both to angels and men. Okay, that does not mean that it is the raptured Church that comes back with Him. Where are believers immediately after death? To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. They are with the Lord. The ones who have died and gone on he will bring with Himself, raising them before the rapture of the living, therefore, they are be described as coming with Him.