Prayers for the Thessalonians
Chapter
5
1
Thessalonians 3:6-3:13 (ESV)
6 But now that
Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith
and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as
we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and
affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now
we live, if you rare standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving
can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before
our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you
face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our
God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and
may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,
as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in
holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all
his saints.
Commentary:
In verse 6 the letter makes a turn
of 180 degrees. No more pining in anxiety. Timothy has returned and he brings
good news. The Greek word for “good news” is the same word used in the rest of the
New Testament for “Gospel”. Many commentators
claim that this is the only use of the word in this way.” Beginning
with 3:6 both the mood and the direction of the letter change. English
translators face a challenge when trying to do justice to Paul’s rush of words
here.1 Paul is almost breathless describing how the Thessalonian
Church desires to have Paul come to them again.
Paul continues to rain his praise
and thanksgiving down on the reader is verses 7 and 8. Although Paul was
discouraged and suffering, it was news about the ongoing faithfulness of the
Thessalonians that strengthened him. In an ironic twist, the very people about
whom Paul was concerned ended up being the source of his encouragement to such
a degree that he makes the statement: “For now we really live, since you are
standing firm” (3:8). The faithfulness of the Thessalonians brought life and
joy to Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
__________________________________
1Byron,
John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p. 107).
Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
2
Byron, John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p.
112). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
In
verses 9-10 Paul begins a prayer of thanksgiving. Beginning with an earnest plea
to God that Paul and company would be allowed to return to Thessalonica to
supply what is lacking in their faith. Apparently, Paul thought that although
they were doing well, they could be doing even better with more instruction
from the apostle.
Paul
begins to pray again in verse 11. This time he is praying that he might see the
Thessalonians in person soon. Verse 12 is a plea for God to make them greatly
increase in love for each other and the prayer concludes in verse 13 with a
petition that the Thessalonians be pure and spotless before the Lord at His
return from heaven with His heavenly hosts.
In other words,
Paul has been about making disciples among the Thessalonians. Lest we be to be
concerned as to whether we are disciples or not. I like the way Tim Morey puts
in his book Embodying the faith:
“A
disciple is a Christian — not the supercharged version of a Christian, one that
is more mature than “ordinary” Christians or one that has been through a
certain curriculum. A disciple is a person who has trusted in Jesus for
salvation and consequently has enlisted as his apprentice, learning from him
how to live, and becoming like him in the process. Discipleship is the
Christian life. And the goal of the Christian life is to become like Jesus.”4
May
we walk worthy of the name Christian! Next time we begin to look at chapter 4
and some practical advise for the Thessalonians.
4Byron,
John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (p. 114).
Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
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