Author: Will

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – It’s Very Clear

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For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

Truth to Learn

Christians are to avoid all sexual impurity.

Behind the Words

“Will” is translated from the Greek noun thelēma, which is one of two Greek words translated “will.” The other word is boulēma. Both words indicate a desire or intent to do something, but thelēma also implies combining the desire with action. Thus, we often refer to thelēma as God’s determined will and to boulēma as God’s desirous will.

The word translated “sanctification” is hagiasmos, which is based on the verb hagiadzō, meaning “to sanctify.” To sanctify something means to set it apart from common usage to usage devoted to God. Thus, sanctification carries the meaning of being set apart or separated. Sanctification and holiness are often used interchangeably, both indicating separation from sin and dedication to God.

The words “should abstain” are from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echo, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, apechomai means “to hold off from” or “to hold oneself back from.”

“Sexual immorality” is translated from porneia (from which we get our English word pornography). This word is based on the verb porneuō meaning “to commit any sexual sin” or “sexual immorality.”

Meaning Explained

“What is God’s will for my life?” This is a question that many Christians ask early in their walk with God. While attending a Christian college years ago, I encountered many students asking that same question. I remember one student, not knowing which direction to turn, stating that he was going to just sit and “wait on the Lord,” not making any decision until he knew for sure what God wanted him to do. Fortunately, a wise professor said to him, “It is much easier to turn a ship that is moving than one that is sitting still.” In other words, “Step out on faith and God will guide you by His spirit.”

Sometimes our Father-Guide makes His will very clear, while at other times we have to seek His face in prayer, not knowing if we are going the right direction, but trusting that He will tell us if we are going the wrong way. In today’s verse we are told that God’s determined will is that we be sanctified (set-apart). God has determined that we will be set apart from sin and from the world system. Ultimately He will accomplish that determination when we are glorified in His presence. Until then, however, we are told that there are certain things He desires us to do as we walk the pathway of Christian life. We have a responsibility to be obedient and take the right path.

One of those paths is made very clear in today’s verse. We are to hold ourselves back (separate ourselves) from sexual impurity. The Christian walk is composed of many choices. When we choose, we have to decide whether we will follow our own desires, or take the path He desires for us.

Application

God is very clear on this one. If you are unmarried, stay away from all sexual activity. If you are married, enjoy it, but only with your husband or wife. No if’s, and’s, or but’s!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:2 – God, our Father

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for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Truth to Learn

Christians are God’s children, not just His subjects.

Behind the Words

“You know” is translated from the verb eido, which means “to see with perception.” As in English, this verb can refer to visibly seeing something and perceiving what it is, or it can mean “to see with the mind,” that is, “to know.”

The word “commandments” is from the Greek noun parangelia. This word is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” and a form of angellō, meaning “to deliver a message.” The picture is of a soldier passing on a message to the soldier beside him. In the strictest sense, parangelia refers to a command given by a superior to those under him.

The words “we gave” are from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give of one’s one accord.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating past, completed action.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, we noted that Paul has now switched from a message of comfort and encouragement to doctrinal teaching. Many Christians today bristle at the word “doctrine.” They see doctrine as cold, dogmatic, restrictive rules that are hard to follow and, quite honestly, are no fun at all. If we approach Christianity from a legalistic viewpoint, that’s what doctrine often becomes. Doctrine, however, simply means “teaching.” That which your church teaches you is its doctrine.

The problem with most legalistic doctrine is that it teaches us “rules” instead of principles. It teaches us that our relationship with God is strictly one of Master/slave. “Now that you are a Christian, you must follow these rules!” Don’t get me wrong, God is our Lord and Master, and a fulfilled Christian life must be based on our complete submission to His will. However, our relationship to God is much more than simply being His slave. He has adopted us into His family and calls us His children. This is a significant distinction between Christianity and religion. We are God’s children and He is our loving Father.

The Apostle Paul frequently uses the metaphor of “walking the pathway of life” in depicting our life as a Christian. He often pictures God as our guide or coach, advising us in which pathways to take and which to avoid. He sometimes pictures God as our rescuer who saves us when we take a wrong path and get mired in the muck of sin. He also pictures God as our Commander in Chief, who prepares us for those times when our enemy attacks. But more than anything, Paul pictures God as our Father, who is all of these things and so much more.

Our Heavenly Father knows us more deeply than we know ourselves and, in spite of what we see in ourselves, He loves us with an everlasting love. His love is so great that he sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we can have a Father/child relationship with Him. But God did not send his Son only to die for our sins, He also sent Jesus to teach us about the Father/child relationship He wants to have with us. Paul is about to teach us this doctrine from our Master/Teacher Jesus.

Application

As you walk the pathway of life, keep in mind that God wants you to walk with Him instead of wandering off on your own. And, He wants a relationship with you because He loves you!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:1 – Love Others!

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Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;

Truth to Learn

Being more loving is our responsibility.

Behind the Words

“Finally” is translated from the Greek word loipon, which refers to “something remaining.” In regard to time, it can be translated as “henceforth” In regard to other things, it can be translated “as to the rest” of “for the remainder.”

The word translated “urge” is erotaō, which means “to ask, to inquire, or to urge.”

The word “exhort” is from parakaleō, which is made up of para, meaning “near, beside, or alongside” and kaleō, meaning “to call.” Thus parakaleō literally means “to call near” or “to call alongside.” Metaphorically, it means “to encourage, to challenge, or to coach.”

Perisueuō is the word translated “should abound.” It means “to be in excess” or “to have more than enough.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of something happening. So, we see that it means “you may abound” or “you might abound.”

“You received” is from paralambanō. This word means “to take near” or “to receive.”

The word “walk” is translated from peripateō, which literally means “to walk around.” Metaphorically, it refers to the manner in which one lives one’s life.

“Please” is from areskō, meaning “to soften one’s heart toward another” or “to please.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter Paul explained why he sent Timothy to the Thessalonian church: to strengthen and encourage them. His concern was that the afflictions and suffering that Paul and his companions were enduring might have caused the faith of the Thessalonians to grow weak. Having learned that their faith remained strong, Paul then offered up a prayer for them.

Paul now switches gears and goes into preaching mode in this chapter and most of the next. He has been expressing his love and concern for the Thessalonians, but now he needs to get down to some serious teaching. Therefore, he starts out his sermon with “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort …” His challenge is that the Christians there might abound even more. But what are they supposed to abound in? If we look back two verses, we see that Paul prayed that God would cause them to increase and abound in love for others. Now Paul is telling the Thessalonian Christians that they need to abound (in love) more and more. On the surface, this may sound contradictory. Is it God who causes us to abound in love, or is it our responsibility to actively pursue being more loving of others? The answer is both. We can’t understand the Trinity (how God can be one and still be three persons.) We also can’t understand how we have the responsibility for being more loving toward others and yet God is the one who enables such love.

Application

God is all powerful, but Christians can’t just sit back and let Him make us more loving of others. We have to put effort into demonstrating the love of God to everyone around us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:13 – Blameless Saints

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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.

Truth to Learn

God will declare all genuine Christians to be blameless.

Behind the Words

“Establish” is translated from stēridzō, which is a derivative of histemi, meaning “to stand.” Stēridzō means “to set firmly in place.”

The word translated “blameless” is amemptos, which is composed of the privative a, meaning “without” and a form of the verb memphomai, meaning “to find fault.” Thus, amemptos means “without fault” or “blameless.”

Hagiosunē is the Greek word translated “holiness.” It is derived from the noun hagios, meaning “set apart” or “holy.” Holiness means to be completely set apart from sin and its consequence.

Back in verse nine we learned that the word translated “before” is emprosthen, which means “in the presence of” or “before.”

The word “coming” is from parousia. This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Parousia can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

Meaning Explained

We are in the midst of a prayer by the Apostle Paul in behalf of the Christians in Thessalonica. In yesterday’s verse he prayed that God would increase the love that these Christians have for one another and for all people. The reason Paul gives for this growing and strengthening of their love for all is “so that He may establish (make firm) your hearts [as] without fault …”

Some people have used this as an indication that some may lose their salvation if they don’t properly show their love to others. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In the Apostle John’s first letter he said,

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7, 8)

In other words, John tells us that showing love for others is the evidence of salvation, not a condition of salvation. If you are saved, you will love others. If you don’t have a genuine love for others, you are not born of God.

Now Paul tells us that God will establish us blameless “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” This coming of the Lord may be a reference to the rapture or to His coming at the end of the Tribulation. It is more likely, however, that it refers to both events. Either way, it is when all believers will be judicially declared to have the righteousness of Christ. In God’s eyes (since He is not bound by time) this has already occurred, but for us (who are bound by time) it will occur at His coming.

Application

Periodically, each of us needs to calibrate our own salvation. One of the signs that we are genuinely a child of God is that we have love for the brethren and for all people. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of the sinful actions of others. We are supposed to hate the sin but love the sinner. Do you regularly show love to others?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:12 – Growing, Overflowing Love

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And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

Truth to Learn

All Christians need to grow in our love for others.

Behind the Words

Kurios is the Greek word translated “Lord.” It is derived from kuros, meaning “might” or “power.” Thus, kurios refers to “someone who has legal power or supreme authority over you.” When accompanied by the definite article as it is here, it is a reference to “the Lord,” that is to God, who has supreme authority over us. He is our King, our Lord, and our Master.

The words “may … make you increase” are translated from the Greek verb pleonadzō, which means “to have, or to cause to have a lot, or more than enough.” The verb is expressed here in the rare optative mood, which is used to express a wish or a desire as used in a prayer to God.

“Abound” is from the Greek verb perisseuō, which means “to be in excess in number or measure.” The meaning of this word is really more than just “to abound.” It means to super abound. It, too, is expressed in the optative mood, indicating a wish or a prayer request.

Meaning Explained

In the New Testament we are instructed more than thirty times either to do something or not to do something to one another. In virtually all cases it is a reference to how we are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. And, by far the most frequent of these is for us to love one another. (1Thessalonians 4:9; Romans 12:10; Romand13:8; 2Thessalonians 1:3; 1Peter 1:22; 1John 3:11, 1John 3:23; 1John 4:7, 1Jn_4:11; 2John 1:5)

Paul’s prayer request here does not just include an increase in, and abundance of, love for the brethren, he prays that Christian love might abound to all people.

In yesterday’s verse we noted that Paul expressed this prayer to the Father and the Son. There are some scholars who believe that “the Lord” expressed in this verse is a reference to the Holy Spirit. If that is the case, then this is the only prayer in the Bible addressed to the third person of the Trinity. In this case, it might be appropriate, since Paul tells us in Romans 15:13 that it is the Holy Spirit who causes us to abound in hope, and he tells us in Romans 15:16 that it is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us (makes us holy, as in the next verse). Other scholars, however, point out that the instructions that we have been given in the New Testament are to pray “to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit,” not to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

One more thing to note here: Paul has written this letter to a church undergoing severe persecution. Under such difficult circumstances, it is easy to take our eyes off those around us and focus instead on our fears. Therefore, it is significant that he should pray for an increasing and overflowing love for the Thessalonian Christians. Do you recall what John said in his first epistle? “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear …” (1 John 4:18a)

Application

Let us all commit ourselves to exercising love for others, both within and outside the church. Doing so will make the persecutions we face easier to bear.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:11 – Our Constant Guide

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Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

Truth to Learn

God is involved in the details of the life of every Christian.

Behind the Words

The word “now” is from the particle de, which can be used to indicate a continuance of a thought (and, also, namely, now) or a contrasting of, or a transition between, two thoughts (but, on the other hand). In today’s verse it is continuing a thought.

“Himself” is translated from autos, which is used for emphasis to set the subject apart from everyone else.

The word translated “direct” is from the Greek verb kateuthunō. This is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “down” but used here as an intensifier and euthunō, which means “to straighten or flatten,” and by implication “to guide or direct.” Thus, kateuthunō means “to guide someone directly toward a specific goal.” The verb is expressed here in the singular, not the plural.

Hodos is the word translated “way.” It refers to “a pathway, a road, or a street.” Metaphorically, it refers to a journey or a course toward something.

Meaning Explained

In this chapter of his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul has been explaining why he sent Timothy to minister personally to the Christians in Thessalonica. He has previously expressed his own strong affection for them and his desire to personally be with them. Not having heard from them in a while, he was concerned that their faith may have waivered in the face of the opposition and tribulation that Paul and his companions had been experiencing.

However, having received a report from Timothy that the Thessalonian believers had remained strong in their faith and love, he repeats his desire to personally return to them. In the previous two verses we learned of Paul’s strong and persistent prayer life. We even noted that to Paul prayer had become something that he didn’t have to consciously remind himself to do. To him, praying was just as natural and automatic as breathing. In today’s verse we see an example of this. In the midst of his telling about his incessant prayers for the Thessalonians, Paul expresses his own prayer to God.

For this Apostle to the Gentiles, teaching and prayer were so intertwined that we can even learn about his doctrinal beliefs from the content of this prayer. He expresses this prayer to “our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Even though he expresses his prayer to two of the three persons of the Godhead (plural subject), he uses the singular form of the verb kateuthunō (to direct or guide). In this we see that Paul considers these two persons of the Godhead as one being. We also see here that Paul believed that God was intimately involved in his everyday life.

Application

Some Christians today do not believe, or do not realize, that God is involved in the details of their everyday lives. They may believe that He is involved in the affairs of mankind as a whole, but not in their own personal lives. Throughout the Bible we see God’s direct involvement in individuals who recognize His sovereignty. Let Him in, my friend, and He will guide your footsteps each and every day.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:10 – Improve Your Prayer Life

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night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Truth to Learn

All Christians should work on improving their prayer lives. We need to thank God more and pray more for others.

Behind the Words

“Praying” is translated from deomai, meaning “to ask, plead, or beg.” Between this word and huperekperissou, Paul could hardly have used a stronger or more extreme expression of how often and how much he pleaded with God regarding his desire to see the Thessalonians in person.

The word “exceedingly” is from the Greek word huperekperissou. This is a double compound word made up of huper (or hyper) meaning “above” or “over,” ek, meaning “out of” but used here as an intensifier, and perissoteros, meaning “excessively.” This word means “exceeding all bounds” or “more than excessively.”

Katartidzō is the Greek verb translated “perfect.” It means “to put a thing in its appropriate condition,” that is “to bring something to completeness or perfection.” It is used in Matthew 4:21 of fishermen mending (putting back to completeness and full usefulness) their nets.

The word “lacking” is translated from husterema, which is based on the verb hystereō, meaning “to lack” or “to fall behind.” The basic meaning of husterema is “that which is lacking or missing.”

Meaning Explained

We noted in yesterday’s verse that the Apostle Paul was a prayer warrior, praying incessantly for all Christians, especially for those to whom he ministered. Here we get another sense of how often he prayed. He says that he prayed “night and day.” To Paul, prayer was such a necessity in the Christian life that he did it at all times. He didn’t simply “throw a prayer God’s direction” when he first got up in the morning. He didn’t just give God thanks when he sat down to eat. He didn’t just think of others and pray for them when he was about to lay his head down at night. Paul prayed to God throughout the entire day.

We get a picture of the Apostle to the Gentiles communicating with and communing with God whenever he was not actively engaged in any other activity. If fact, he was probably talking with God even while engaged in other activities. To him it was sort of like breathing. No matter what he was or wasn’t doing, Paul was praying.

But notice that even the prayers of Paul were not always answered in the affirmative. One of his frequent prayer requests was that he might be able to be in the presence of the Thessalonian Christians, to see their faces. As far as we know, this never happened throughout the remainder of Paul’s life. And this was not a selfish prayer; he wanted to see them so that he could continue their Christian education, to personally instruct them in the maturing of their faith.

Application

If you are like me, you feel woefully inadequate in your prayer life compared to Paul. But this is not cause to give up and quit trying. It should inspire each of us to redouble our efforts to pray more frequently and consistently. Give thanks and praise to our God continually and let Him use you for His glory.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:9 – Thanks To God

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For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,

Truth to Learn

It’s important to give thanks to God for His fruit.

Behind the Words

“Thanks” is from the Greek word eucharistia, which is composed of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of charidzomai, meaning “to grant” or “to give.” Its basic meaning is “gratitude” or “giving of thanks.”

The word translated “render” is antapodidōmi. This is a double compound word made up of anti, meaning “against” or “in turn,” apo, meaning “from,” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” The meaning of antapodidōmi is “to give back in return for something received,” or “to repay.”

Both the words “joy” and “rejoice” are based on the word chairō, meaning “to rejoice” or “to express gladness.”

“Before” is translated from the Greek preposition emprosthen. This word is made up of en, meaning “in” or “in a place” and prosthen, meaning “facing toward something.” Therefore, emprosthen could be translated as “in the presence of” or “before.”

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul was not just a great evangelist and teacher of Christian doctrine, he was also a mighty prayer warrior. Not only did Paul pray constantly (Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:11, 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:3) for every Christian he came in contact with, he prayed especially for those to whom he ministered (2 Corinthians 13:7, 9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Also note how often he thanked God for the fruit of his ministry (Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4, 14, 14:18; Philippians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2:13, 3:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:3; Philemon 1:4).

In today’s verse we see that his prayers of thankfulness were a kind of payback to God for what had been accomplished in his ministry. He did not take credit for the result of his tireless labor; he recognized that God was the source of all his success. He also recognized that he could never repay God with enough thanks for what God had accomplished through him.

It’s interesting to note that Paul also gave God the credit for the joy he felt in seeing the work of his ministry bearing fruit. And that joy was not for what God had done to or for him, it was for what God had done for others. Remember that Paul has frequently mentioned the persecution and anguish that he and others had experienced as a result of his ministry. Nonetheless, he was thankful and filled with joy.

Application

We need to get the focus of our ministry off of ourselves and onto God and those to whom we minister. The next time you are praying with a group of Christians, especially when you are with your ministry team, take note of how much time people spend in thanksgiving versus how much time is spent asking for things. We owe it to God to give Him thanks for the work He has accomplished. Remember, in ministry we are His ambassadors and His servants. Also remember that it is the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit that produces fruit, not our brilliant planning and hard work. Give thanks to God for every seed that produces fruit. We owe it to Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:8 – Stand Firm!

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For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Christians must learn to stand firm in the midst of battle.

Behind the Words

The word translated “now” is nun, meaning “the present time.”

“Live” is from the Greek verb dzaō, meaning “to live” or “to have life.” By implication, it means “to live and prosper,” “to be blessed,” or “feel satisfied.”

There are three classes of conditional clauses (if clauses) expressed in New Testament Greek. The first class condition assumes the if statement to be true. The if is sometimes expressed as since in a first class conditional statement. The second class condition assumes the if statement to be false. The third class condition is a true conditional statement, making no assumption about the if statement. “If you stand fast” is expressed here as a third class conditional clause.

“Stand fast” is translated from the Greek verb stēkō, meaning “to stand.” Figuratively, it means “to stand firm in the faith.” It is a picture of an army that refuses to retreat even though it is being attacked by the enemy.

Meaning Explained

After some length of time, the Apostle Paul had not heard word about how the Christians in Thessalonica were doing in their walk with the Lord. Finally, he sent Timothy there to help them get further grounding in the basics of Christianity and coach them in their walk. In the previous two verses we learned that Timothy had returned, bringing good news about the welfare and spiritual growth of the Thessalonians. This news was a great comfort to Paul, who had been concerned that the persecution that he and his fellow workers had been experiencing might have weakened the faith of his spiritual children.

Now, having learned that their faith remained solid, Paul expresses a further word of encouragement and challenge to them. The encouragement is that Paul and his helpers feel good about the news they heard. The expression, “now we live” does not mean that life and death depend on the condition of the Thessalonian Christians; rather, it means that the quality of their sense of living is improved. This is similar to an expression that we use when we feel particularly good. We say, “I feel really alive today.” It means that we have a really good sense of well-being as a result of good circumstances.

Paul’s challenge to them is that he and his co-workers will continue to feel good as long as these new Christians continue to stand firm in their faith. Paul knows that all Christians are engaged in a battle against our own sin nature and against the forces of evil. The Christian life is not an easy one, especially when the enemy is on the attack. When that happens, however, we need to stand firm against our attackers so as not to let them get the upper hand. As God’s soldiers and ambassadors, we are not to run from the battles, but to “stand fast,” using the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17) to battle effectively.

Application

One of the problems we face when we are under attack for our Christian witness is that we feel alone and deserted. Be encouraged, my friend, for God will never leave you nor forsake you. Also remember that your brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing the same challenges. We must stand firm and support one another at times like this.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:7 – Focusing On Others

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therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.

Truth to Learn

Paul was concerned about how his own persecution was affecting the faith of others.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is from the Greek words dia touto. The word dia denotes the channel of action, that is, “on account of” or “by means of.” Touto means “this.” Therefore, dia touto literally translates as “on account of this” or “because of this.”

“Brethren” is the translation of adelphos, which is made up of a, indicating unity and delphus, which refers to the womb. Therefore, literally this word means “someone having the same birth origin.” Since all Christians are “born of the Spirit,” we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The word “affliction” is translated from thlipsis, which we saw back in verse three. It means “pressure, stress, trouble, or affliction.”

The word translated “distress” is anagkē, which can refer to “necessity” or to “an oppositional compelling force.”

“We were comforted” is from the Greek verb parakaleō, which we saw back in verse two where it was translated as “encourage.” It is a picture of someone being called alongside to challenge and encourage. In this verse it could be translated as “comforted” or “encouraged.”

Pistis is the Greek word translated “faith.” It is based on the verb peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to win over by persuasive discussion.” Pistis refers to the state of having been firmly convinced of a truth.

Meaning Explained

As we have mentioned before, word order is very important in Greek. The thought or idea expressed first is the most important. In today’s verse, the Greek word order says, “therefore, we were comforted, brothers, over you …” You may recall from verses one and five that Paul wanted to know about how the Thessalonians were doing, but he had not heard any word from them. He knew that he and his co-workers had only spent a brief time with these young Christians and he was concerned that the persecution that they were facing might have weakened their faith. So, Paul had sent Timothy to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage them and to see how strong their faith was.

But it was not just the persecution of the Thessalonians that Paul was uncomfortable about. Paul was concerned that the persecution and affliction that he and his companions were suffering might be affecting the faith of his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. This may be only a subtle distinction, but it demonstrates something significant about the Apostle. He was not focusing on himself and his own circumstances, but on how his circumstances might be affecting others.

Application

Part of human nature is to look-out for ourselves, to do all we can to ensure that we are safe and comfortable. Pure and undefiled faith in God, however, means trusting God and being concerned about the safety and wellbeing of others. What are you putting your trust in and whose wellbeing are you most concerned about?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved