1 Thessalonians 3
Bro David Petersen
In chapter 3 Paul speaks of how he was encouraged to find out from Timothy that the church was still walking in Christ despite persecution.
3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
When Paul, Silas and Timothy could no longer stand not to know what was going on with the newly established church in Thessalonica, they sent Timothy back to strengthen and encourage the new believers in their faith.
New Christians need good teaching and fellowship with God's people in order to grow in Christ. The Christian life was designed to be lived in the fellowship of a New Testament church. Later in his ministry, Paul told the church at Corinth "I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Cor 3:1-2.
When someone becomes a Christian, they experience the new birth and become a babe in Christ. Then they need the sincere milk of the word to grow in Christ and become mature. But there's something else they need in order to grow up strong. Paul calls it "afflictions".
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should <would> suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Paul didn't want any of the Thessalonians to become unsettled or disturbed by the trials he was going through. I could just see someone's relative coming up one of the church members and saying "See what happened to that Paul? That's what is going to happen to YOU too if you keep it up!"
Paul said in verse 3 that they were "appointed unto" afflictions or trials. The word "appointed" here means to be destined for something. Literally it means to be set in place like you would set a lamp on a table. And who appointed Paul unto afflictions? God did. The truth is not that God has arranged things that we have to suffer, but that the sinful nature is such that it cannot tolerate godliness.Unsaved and wicked people are uncomfortable with and often outright antagonistic towards the truth.
These afflictions refer primarily to persecution. When Paul established the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17) some gangsters tried to get him. Some jealous Jews rounded up a gang and went after Paul and Silas. They were gangster thugs and hoodlums. When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other Thessalonian brothers before the city officials and made false accusations against them. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. Paul and Silas escaped by night to the next town of Berea. The gangsters even chased them down there and Paul had to flee to Athens. He was on the run from the gangsters.
First he says that he sent Timothy to encourage them, then right after that he tells them that they are destined for trials. Can you imagine how the young church might have reacted?
You don't hear many preachers preaching like that these days. You hear a lot about receive Jesus as your personal savior and he will make everything 'OHH-K'. They say Jesus will take away your pain, make you happy every day and make you rich. No you don't hear much these days about how "we are destined for trials".
We are blessed in the United States in that we have freedom of religion. We do now anyway and many anti-theistic groups like the radical homosexuals and the ACLU are trying to take it away bit by bit. But there is plenty of persecution available here for everyone if you just go out and get your fair share. You are not going to get any persecution sitting on your couch watching Survivor. Just come downtown with me next week and we will hand out some gospel pamphlets. There you will have opportunity to be ridiculed, to hear harsh words, to see how much people hate the gospel. Start telling people at your job about Jesus and see how they start to shun you. You won't be invited to those happy hours.
Yet affliction or tribulation is the God appointed way toward spiritual maturity. Without adversity God's people grow to be spiritually fat dumb and lazy. Jesus doesn't promise to take our troubles away. Instead he promises to give us strength and encouragement to get through them.
I wonder how Jason felt about being ? Maybe he was thinking, "Hey Lord, I did everything you said. I received Jesus as my Lord and savior. I got baptized and joined your church. And now look what I got for it: dragged before officials and had to post bond!"
What should our attitude be about these tribulations that I we destined for? Paul said "We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience" in Romans 5:3.
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience [perseverance, endurance]; And patience, experience [proven character]; and experience, hope [confident expectation]" (Romans 5:3-4).
Patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
Paul couldn't go back to Thessalonica and when he couldn't stand not knowing what had happened to them anymore, he sent Timothy back to strengthen them. They had been tested severely. Considering how they faced persecution right off the bat, it would have been easy for the new church to have quit. It was a good opportunity for Satan to get in there and snatch away the seed that was planted.
6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
Timothy went back to Paul and told him about the Thessalonians faith and love and so Paul was encouraged about them by this good news. They had joyful memories of his visit and wanted to see him just as much as he wanted to see them. They were established and the gospel had been successfully advanced in spite of intense resistance. The Thessalonians were mature in the faith beyond their chronilogial spiritual age.
8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
Knowing that the Thessalonians were established in the faith and were not moved; that they were standing true to the Lord, gave Paul strength to endure any trial. It was as if he got a new lease on life. Knowing this made all of his crushing afflictions worth it. He can go on knowing that they had been tested but were standing fast in the Lord.
In receiving all this good news, encouragement and strengthening there's only one thing that Paul can do: give thanks to God.
9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Paul acknowledges that God was at work in establishing the Thessalonian church. "How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?" "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith."
11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
Paul was still hoping that God would open the way for him to return to visit the Thessalonians. Despite Paul's absence from the church in Thessalonica, that body prospered spiritually which shows us that God knows best where and how we should serve him.
12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound <overflow>in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13 To the end he may establish your hearts unnamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
The phrase "to the end" in verse 13 expresses a goal. Verese 12 and 13 present a goals for spiritual growth. eis (ice); a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.).
Where do you want to be in 5 years spiritually? This isn't a stategy or a tactical plan. A strategy is a plan for how to achieve the goals. These are simply desired conditions to achieve; enpoints to arrive at.
- Increase love until it overflows.
- Note how there is a distinction between the church and the rest of the world. Jesus commanded his assembly to "love one another" John 15:17.
- Agape love, godly love is a commitment to the object of love expressed through action, not feelings or emotion.
- Agape love seeks the best for the one who is loved such through edification of believers and the salvation of unbelievers.
- How much love? To super-abound, carrying the idea of abundance.
- Gushing out, you can't contain it.
- Establish your hearts unblameable in holiness.
- Hearts to be strong, sinless, guiltless, blameless , holy.
- Holiness means separation, being consecrated for God's purpose.
- One is holy positionally when they trust Christ as their savior, but there is a progressive aspect as well as one grows in grace and becomes conformed to the image of Christ.
- The ultimate sense is when we receive our glorified sinless bodies at the coming of Christ.
- Ultimate goal: to have the right standing at the 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Note that references to the 2nd coming of Christ always emphasize his Lordship. Jesus wll not be coming as the lowly servant this time. He is coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
- "Before God," when you stand in front of Him at the judgment.
1 Thessalonians
Chapter 1 |
Chapter 2 |
Chapter 3 |
Chapter 4 |
Chapter 5