Ministry of Grace Church

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

Truth to Learn

Difficult times help our faith to grow.

Behind the Words

The words “we are bound” are translated from the Greek verb opheilō. This word means “to be indebted to someone” or “to owe a debt to someone.”

“Always” is from the Greek word pantote, which is made up of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “at the time” or “the when.” Thus, pantote means “all the time.”

Axion is the word translated “fitting.” This Greek word is based on the verb agō, meaning “to lead” or “to bring.” Axion is a picture of a weight being placed on a set of scales, bringing it to a level position. Thus, axion is a reference to the value or worth of something.

The words “grows exceedingly” are from the verb huperauxanō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning “above” or “over” and auxanō, meaning “to grow” or “to increase.” Thus, huperauxanō means “to increase greatly.”

“Abounds” is translated from the verb pleonadzō, which means “to cause to have much, or more than enough.”

Meaning Explained

Why do you think the Apostle Paul felt compelled to thank God for the Thessalonian Christians? Could it be because God had answered his previous prayers? In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 he prayed:

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

As evidenced by Paul’s comments in today’s verse, God had answered his prayer, specifically regarding their growth in love. Apparently, the person who had delivered Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians had returned and informed him, among other things, that the Christians there were growing in their love for one another. And, notice that it is not just a few of them; Paul says that “the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.”

Notice that it was not just their love which made Paul thankful. He says that their faith was growing exceedingly. So, how does a Christian grow in faith? Faith doesn’t grow all by itself just because you’re a Christian. In fact, there are many Christians whose faith is not very strong at all. Our faith grows when we see God at work in our lives. That usually means that we have to go through times of trials and testing. These are the things that cause us to fall on our knees seeking God’s help.

The Thessalonian Christians were under attack from the Jews and from their fellow countrymen as we learned from 1 Thessalonians 2:14. However, they didn’t just give up; instead, they stood up. They endured the difficult times, bowing before our Lord and seeking His face.

Application

Are you undergoing difficulties in your life right now? If so, you should be thankful to God for loving you enough to bring things into your life that will make your faith grow. Take some time to thank God for helping your faith to get stronger.