1 Thessalonians 3:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.

NIV: Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

NASB: for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;

CSB: Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction, we were encouraged about you through your faith.

NLT: So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.

KJV: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

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

Timothy's report encouraged Paul and his coworkers. Knowing that the Thessalonians were doing well spiritually lifted their spirits in the midst of the persecution they were encountering. They and the Thessalonian believers were brothers, members of God's family by faith in Jesus Christ. At the beginning of his letter, Paul had called his readers "brothers loved of God" (1 Thessalonians 1:4). Now the love of God was flowing from the Thessalonian brothers to Paul and his missionary team.

Jesus said, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). To love one another as Jesus loved us involves sincerity, compassion, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. It also means to never stop loving our fellow Christians. John 13:1 tells us that, "… having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." The apostle John reflected on Christian love as evidence of one's salvation. He wrote: "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers…" (1 John 3:14).

First Thessalonians 3:6–10 expresses Paul's thanks for Timothy's good news regarding the Thessalonian believers. They showed faith and love and remembered Paul kindly. Also, they wanted to see him again, just as he wanted to see them. This good report cheered Paul in the midst of his trials. The fact that the believers were standing firm in the Lord gave Paul a new lease on life. He felt that he could not thank God enough for all the joy news of the Thessalonians' resolute faith and love had brought him. He was praying consistently both night and day that God would enable him to see the Thessalonians again. He was sure his visit would make it possible for him to nurture their young faith.

In chapter 3, Paul completes his discussion of the current state of the church in Thessalonica. After sending Timothy, Paul has received confirmation that the believers there are standing firm in their faith. Their devotion to the gospel is surviving, despite the persecutions which Paul predicted would arise. Paul once again thanks the Thessalonians for their faithfulness and prays for their continual growth.

Chapter 3 concludes Paul's comments about the condition of the Thessalonian church. These began in chapter 1 and were given more details in chapters 2 and 3. Here, Paul expresses his joy that the Thessalonians are enduring persecution faithfully, and he prays that they will continue to grow. In the following chapters, Paul will address some of the concerns plaguing the Thessalonians, including worries about the end times.

The apostle Paul's second missionary journey included a visit to the prominent Greek city of Thessalonica. This stood alongside a major land route and boasted a busy seaport. A number of individuals believed Paul's message (Acts 17:1–4), but an angry mob forced Paul to leave the city after his brief stay. Later, while in Athens, Paul received a glowing report: the believers at Thessalonica were growing spiritually and serving God fervently. However, they had questions about the Lord's return, including what happens to a believer who dies before that day. And, as all churches do, they had some areas in which they were falling short. In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, written about AD 51, he addresses these developments. Paul expresses gratitude for the Thessalonian believers' spiritual progress, and frequently makes references to Christ's impending return.

Accessed 11/23/2024 6:58:47 AM