Paul was writing to the church of Thessalonica. Before I try and understand anything in Thessalonians, I reread Acts 17, which describes this trip to Thessalonica. This town was one where Paul, Silas and Timothy were driven out by riots and violence. Unlike the imprisonment in the prior town, Philippi, an imprisonment which was motivated by loss of business, the events in Thessalonica were motivated by a group of Jews who rejected the message. These Jews may have obviously disagreed with theology, and they were intent to hinder the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. Reading Acts 17, in particular Acts 17:5 explains that the Jews who didn’t follow Paul and Silas and Timothy were motivated more by jealousy than anything else. Piecing details together, they were jealous because Paul’s team had success in changing people’s heart. Whether he was preaching Christ or something else, it probably didn’t matter, because the oppositional Jews were jealous. But as it was, they rejected Paul, and rejected Christ, maybe not from any serious consideration about what Paul was preaching and what the gospel meant. From the first chapter of Thessalonians, we read that Paul is telling this remarkable story about how these sinners and idolaters turned away from their idols and gave Paul and his team a reception that was known throughout the region and that their faith will be known everywhere. More than anything else, the success of Paul’s team in preaching the Gospel and changing the hearts and behavior of people who the Jews had given up on was the primary motivator for the persecution. They had to flee the area, and even then they were followed into the next town over, Berea. From the book of Acts we read that the Barean Jews were more noble and scholarly and thought about what Paul was preaching and tested it with what was written in the Scriptures. The town after Barea was Athens, and as we read this next chapter of Thessalonians, Paul’s thoughts were still in Thessalonica.

3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

So Paul writes, “We thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.” That sounds like he’s saying he hid or avoided people and sought isolation. If I were to say, “I thought it was best to be left by myself” it’s probably because I would do something or say something that I regret. “I was really stressed out, and everyone was approaching me with questions, I was ready to snap, so I thought it was best to be by myself for a bit.” But his context here is different. What really happened was Paul and Silas decided to break the team up, and send Timothy back to Thessalonica. They didn’t need time alone. In fact, they had to sacrifice someone who was very useful, Timothy, and send him back to make sure the church was ok. This wasn’t a decision Paul made lightly. Remember, they didn’t leave Thessalonica in an orderly way, there was little to no planning or a strategic roadmap to give guidance and direction for the church to grow and mature. Since many of the people in this church were new to the faith, there may not have been established elders or overseers and pastors. Members of the church who knew scripture the best were probably Jewish converts, who especially were being persecuted by the Jewish establishment. Paul refers to Timothy as a brother and a co-worker, which demonstrates the trust and esteem he felt for Timothy. In his letters to Timothy, he calls him his beloved son, but to the Thessalonians, he seems to elevate the title to something more equal. Brother, which is kind of an endorsement of Timothy’s abilities. He sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them in their faith. Older translations say to “Confirm and Comfort” or “Establish and Comfort” them in their faith. The Thessalonians needed to be strengthened, they needed to be established, and they needed confirmation. The growth of our faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit, but that doesn’t mean that as redeemed humans we have nothing to do, and Christian growth is hands off! It’s kind of easy to say, “well establishing faith is God’s job, not mine,” but that’s not really Biblical. Ministers and laborers in Christ play a vital role in encouragement and comfort. I say this to remind myself, as a pastor, but every Christian can build up the church in this way. Give Encouragement and comfort! We need to be there for each other to say, “great job”, or “hang in there; this is temporary”, or “I know that wasn’t easy to do, but it honored God to hold your tongue and forgive them”. The Thessalonians needed to be comforted and encouraged in their faith– especially since they were in a place where their faith had alienated them from friends, where their faith had caused them to be mistreated and thrown out of the synagogues. The Thessalonians needed confirmation that their actions and changed behavior were right and consistent with a Christian faith and belief in God. When your faith causes pain, it’s easy to lose heart and it’s easy to fall into temptation to give up that faith. As Christians, our job is to make disciples of the nations, and that means not just preaching the word, but giving the word a chance to grow. It means teaching each other how to live the Word in Faith. It takes faith to trust that the Bible is relevant and useful when common sense and conventional wisdom might have an easier solution. Making disciples means correcting each other sometimes. It means forgoing the option to take offense at something, and instead having faith that your own feelings aren’t as important as God’s will being done. Sometimes faith means saying in love, “you know, that thing you said to me, it kind of hurt, and I don’t understand why you said that” and being ready to forgive, instead of holding grudges and hanging onto pain. We should be ready to help each other establish their faith, confirm their conduct, comfort each other when faith results in suffering, or suffering causes our faith to be unsettled. This is how Paul continues:

3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

 

Verse 3 tells us that Trials and persecution have a way of unsettling our beliefs and our faith. So we need Timothy’s and Paul’s to confirm our faith, and comfort us, and strengthen and encourage us to follow Scripture. Paul says instead of being unsettled by trials, we should understand that we are destined for trials. Going through trials isn’t bad luck, or unfavorable circumstance, Trials aren’t a sign that God’s favor has left our spirit. Paul says that we are destined for trials. Does the “we” here just mean Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the Thessalonians, or is that “we” a universal group? I think the context might just mean Paul, Silas, and the people who Paul was writing to. However, All Christians will face Trials. Jesus said “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.” Jesus also said If they Persecuted me, they will persecute you also” Peter said “Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening, but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.” and here in Verse 4, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that when they were together, he warned them that they would be persecuted. In fact he writes, “We Kept Telling you” so it wasn’t just something he said in passing. He reminded them. Contrast this with the modern prosperity gospel that blames not being rich or being sick, or having a problem on a lack of faith.

5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

Paul started in chapter 3 verse 1 saying, when we could stand it no longer, we were left by ourselves in Athens. When we could stand it no longer. Now verse 5 ,when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. He repeated this being unable to stand it. I like that Paul wrestles with God’s sovereignty and God’s plans sometimes! I like that Paul is human like me and I know that when I can’t stand a situation, or it seems unbearable, or I think “I can’t stand this any longer” it isn’t something that condemns me. Yes, it might be a sign that I am not in a situation where I am trusting God as much as I should. But Paul also wrestled with that feeling. “I don’t think this is God’s will. I don’t like this. I can’t stand this!” Paul was so concerned with leaving the Thessalonians in a rush, that he sent Timothy back. To find out about their faith. Paul was scared that the tempter had tempted them, and his labors had been in vain. Is this Paul talking about the devil? Yes, there’s definitely the potential for Satan to deceive these new believers into thinking that their conversion had been a mistake. Things weren’t easy, they had come from an idolatrous past that was so far away from God, and now maybe in this persecution there’s a sign, it looks like God’s favor wasn’t on them anymore. That’s what is so dangerous about trusting your feelings or your interpretation about what you think is a sign from God. It’s easy to be tempted to abandon faith, and there’s a tempter out there.

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

Timothy returned with good news, that their faith and love are still present in abundance. That the Thessalonians have pleasant memories of Paul’s visit. This could have gone the other way. If I were a Thessalonian, I am sure I would have felt tempted to feel bitter. To remember Paul’s and Silas’s first trip unfavorably. I kind of recall it was a bit of a disaster that brought about persecution and hard times. I would be tempted to focus on the unpleasant memories of Paul’s visit, the dangerous aftermath, and I would be tempted to be perfectly happy never to see Paul or Silas again. Things were so easy before those guys came. Now I have enemies. I could imagine the Tempter spinning things to place blame on Paul, but look at reality. The Thessalonians weren’t alone in their struggle. Paul and Silas and Timothy bore a large share of the distress and persecution. They were beaten too, and run out of town, and this letter explains that they remained encouraged because of the church’s faith.

8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 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?

Now we really live! This is living. When do you say things like that? When you get a massage, or have a fancy dinner, or go on a fun vacation. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but it is easy to associate them with good living, or living the life. For Paul, his life is good when he knows that the Thessalonians stand firm and persevere in the Lord. I pray that I can derive my purpose and my life’s motivation is to see others standing firm in their Relationship with God! All the other comforts that I retreat to, all the other luxuries that would make me say, Now I really live; Those things are vanishing and fleeting. Those things are distractions! I love Paul’s focus here and pray that God can help me to have a similar joy in seeing people stand firm in the Lord. It’s so much easier for me to rejoice in a situation where someone is prospering materially or physically. Wow you got a raise, congrats! Or wow, you lost 15 pounds you look great, and must have so much more energy. Again, these things aren’t a problem to enjoy or even rejoice over. But, Paul explains that the spiritual growth and their standing firm in the Lord is what makes him say, “For Now we really live!” Look what he says in verse 9. How can we thank God enough for you! Wow. This level of gratitude is amazing. And his thanks is in return for all the future joy he knows he will have in the Presence of God because of them. Paul expects to see God return. He expects to have an exceeding amount of Joy in God’s presence, and that Joy is magnified because of the faith in the Thessalonian church.

10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.

Then he says in verse 10, Night and Day we pray most earnestly. Some translations say night and day we pray exceedingly. He is expressing how much he is praying to see them face to face again. He wants to supply what’s lacking in their faith. This is a clause that may cause some error of doctrine if misunderstood. Especially since some translations say perfect their faith or complete their faith, instead of supply. Because of the confusion, for this reason, some denominations and theologians make a distinction between faith and saving faith. The Thessalonians do not need Paul to be present to get to Heaven. They have saving faith, and if you have the faith to believe that Jesus died for your sins, you shall receive eternal life. But Paul is saying here that their faith is lacking and his presence or the presence of one on one instruction will serve to supply what’s short or lacking. No human besides Jesus has perfect faith. Nobody has a perfect understanding of God and God’s plans. Nobody has a full trust and belief that God’s plans are right and whatever he has ordained to happen in his sovereignty is for our good. People might say that God is Good all the time, and He is sovereign and He has a plan, but when we actually don’t get our way, all of us get antsy, or worry, or get frustrated, or angry, or sad, or regretful. Those things, those trials, are unsettling, and cause doubt, distrust, or lack of faith. You need someone there to notice, to see and correct that. There are areas of life, there are seasons, there are circumstances in all of our lives that cause us to doubt. But to continue growing and maturing, it’s very helpful to have regular instruction that explains scripture and gives regular encouragement and sees what things cause our trust in God to diminish. Paul wanted to be that Guy that helped the Thessalonians, and he Prayed to God that the way for his return would be reopened. Until then he prayed continually, and in verse 12 he writes some of the types of things he was praying for. Let’s finish by reading this prayer in vs 12 and 13

12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Paul prayed that he could be reunited, but he is also praying for God and His Holy Spirit to make the love of the Thessalonians increase. This love is paramount. Jesus taught in John 13 This was how all will know who are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John wrote in 1st John 4, if you say you love God, but hate your brother you’re lying. How can you love a God you can’t see if you don’t love the brother that you do see? It’s good to love everyone, but this is more than just tolerating each other. He wants their love to overflow for each other and for everyone else. He loves the church in an overflowing manner. He prays for them day and night, his love for this church is obsessive, and if they love like that, they will continue to stand firm in the Lord. Loving each other the way God loves us isn’t easy. It means forgiving, and being patient, it means overlooking each others’ shortcomings. It means wanting the best for the other person, even when that doesn’t necessarily feel like the best thing for us. Doing unto others what you would want them to do for you, not doing for them what they’ve done to you. Loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself. When your love abounds, it’s because God has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell inside you and strengthen your heart. The more love you feel and experience, the more you understand and appreciate God’s love for you. When you feel emotional pain, you understand what type of pain our sin and disobedience cause God. When you feel physical pain, you understand what Jesus did when he reconciled you. When you forgive little offenses (and those are usually offenses that feel big to you), you understand God’s forgiveness. As you grow in living your own version of the Gospel with one another, loving one another the way God loves us, you will treasure the truth of Salvation and Forgiveness and Reconciliation. You will experience what it means to be born again. Paul wanted this Gospel life for the Thessalonians, so they will be blameless and holy in the presence of God the Father. Let’s talk about blameless and holy. We are not truly blameless and holy on our own. We can and should live with growth of those qualities in the process of sanctification. But there will be a time when we are in the presence of God our Father and Jesus Christ our lord, and that time we will be made fully blameless and Holy, perfected with an imputed righteousness because of Jesus’s work. Paul says, “when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones”, which might raise questions. How will he come, when does this happen. What’s a second coming? There will be a return of Christ, or a return or to Christ. Paul anticipated these questions and he expands on it in the next chapter, so I will talk abut that another day!