1 Thess 3 – The love that rejoices in the success of others.
Tuesday April 11, 2023
Summary of 1Th 1-2. [It’s been long enough for us to need a quick review of the book so far; chapters 1-2.]
Paul’s brief stay and ministry in Thessalonica was filled with persecution from the locals. Having to leave the new believers behind, most of them Gentiles now delivered from the pagan world, Paul was extremely concerned for them. Their pagan backgrounds were sources of temptation; their own countrymen would continue to persecute them, and their knowledge of the gospel and Christ was new and lacked maturity. Soon after departing, only a matter of months, Paul could take it no longer and he sent Timothy from Athens to Thessalonica to discover how things were. Timothy returned with great news that would have made Paul’s heart sing with joy.
In chapter one, Paul relates how they had already developed faithful work, loving deeds, and enduring hope. They had become imitators of Paul and his fellow workers for the gospel. Paul and his had proven faithful to Christ among them, with the full conviction of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul had discovered, so he writes in chapter one, that the fame of the faithful works and love and endurance of the Thessalonians had already spread throughout the area, and all heard that they did this in the midst of tribulation by the hands of their own people.
In chapter two, Paul encourages them further by modeling his own service of Christ, which they saw firsthand. In the midst of present suffering we can forget the work of the Lord we’ve seen in the past. So Paul reminds them of the not so distant past, which God did often to Israel in the Old Testament.
In chapter two Paul assures them that their suffering is not isolated. As they will remember, Paul suffered and was mistreated in Philippi as well as in Thessalonica. But they still spoke the gospel from the middle of persecution and sought not to please men, but to please God who alone examines the heart.
He then relates how he and his team were as they ministered among them while personally suffering. They were gentle children (humble servants), nursing mothers in tender loving care (divine love exercised to believer and unbeliever), and guiding fathers who exhorted, comforted, and implored them to walk the new and living way. He was never the imposter.
The imposter they were familiar with; especially after Paul described him – flattering speech, pretext (cloak) trying to hide their greed, seekers of glory from men.
In the roles of gentle child, nursing mother, and guiding father, Paul and his fellow ministers toiled night and day. Not 24 hours a day, but did what was necessary when it was necessary, even when it interrupted times of rest or even sleep in the middle of the night. Their top priority was serving God who examines their hearts. If your heart is in the right shape, you will exercise God’s will in all He asks of you. Paul also adds that in all roles that he and his were not a burden to them. Unlike the false teachers, they didn’t seek to be served or pampered but served. They did not seek to receive and thus be a burden, but they only sought to serve.
The Thessalonians also behaved righteously and blamelessly. In other words, they said no to the temptations of various sins; as in being angry and vengeful towards their oppressors, seeking solace from the hard work through worldly distraction (drugs, excessive alcohol, sexual sins, laziness, or other things that might take them away from the Lord’s work, i.e., they were not late or dawdling when it was time to serve God’s people).
The purpose of the letter is to encourage God’s people to continue to live godly, and to excel at it still more so, despite all persecution or tribulation (suffering).
A casual Christian can easily identify themselves. They have a casual relationship with God’s word. This can be seen concretely.
The Thessalonians, new believers [less than a year saved] are not casual Christians because they received God’s word not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God.
Chapter two concludes with Paul’s thanksgiving to God that they received the word of God as from God and not from men. And that they had done this while suffering at the hands of their own countrymen. By doing so they became imitators of the Lord, of Paul, and of the churches in Judea. We saw that the NT clearly states that suffering is necessary in the Christian life and it is guaranteed to come upon us all. We are blessed if we suffer for righteousness’ sake.
Main idea of chapter 3 – Joy on account of the spiritual success of others.
Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica and traveled to the next city, Berea (about 40 miles west). The Jewish opposition from Thessalonica followed him there and continued to cause trouble for him. Soon after he sailed to Athens; Silas and Timothy followed after.
Paul was so concerned for the Thessalonians that over time he could not take it any longer and sent Timothy. It would have been only about 2 months or so after he had left them.
1Th 3:1-5
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter [devil] might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
Subtheme: Paul states that no one should be disturbed by these afflictions.
“The tempter might have tempted you.” The devil is the one always somehow behind the persecution and suffering of righteousness. We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. This will help us not to be disturbed, or shaken from our faith, because others do evil things to us. It is not as though they can say, “The devil made me do it,” and so are not culpable. They do evil by choice. It is easier to give them to God while doing good to them and praying for them when you know that they’re not your real enemy. The real enemy is the devil. People are usually deceived and being used as pawns on his chessboard.
No believer should be disturbed (shaken or deluded) by afflictions of this kind.
There are two possible meanings to the word “disturbed.” 1) to be deluded into thinking that there is a way around suffering for the sake of Christ. Wagging is uncertainty and thus delusion. 2) to be shaken from your faith. Both interpretations have merit since both of these failures are addressed in multiple places in the Scripture.
We see again that all of us are called to suffer. It is our destiny.
Your NASB has it, “we have been destined for this,” meaning to suffer for the sake of righteousness. The word means to place, lie in place, and so, in this context, to appoint.
When Simeon blessed the 8 day old Jesus in the Temple, he said:
Luk 2:34
“Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel…”
More generally the word is used (only 24x) in the NT for lying something in place. We can cautiously extend this meaning. God has placed us in life to suffer for His name’s sake.
Subtheme: Paul did not send just anyone to get a report. He sent a fellow worker in the gospel of Christ. Timothy had laid down his life for the gospel as did Paul.
Those who will effectively minister with you have to be those who have given their lives to God.
1Th 3:6-13
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
Why was Paul “comforted” (encouraged) after hearing of their faith and love?
Paul’s life was bound up in theirs – “for now we really live.”
Paul was invigorated by his convert’s spiritual growth. Their faith inspired him to new heights. When they failed in faith, as we see in his letters to the Corinthians and Galatians, Paul was filled with anguish and sorrow.
2Co 7:3
I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.
There are a number of things we see in Paul that contribute to how successful his ministry was.
Christianity promises so much to each believer, and a believer can so easily focus on the blessings to himself alone. The Scripture enriches the soul, but is that all that it does, or is designed to do? Did Jesus or Paul learn all that they did for their own enrichment in their lives?
Some Christians want to be biblical scholars for their own enrichment, even financially and socially. The Scripture teaches us to be like Christ. That is its purpose to each of us. It teaches us to put others above ourselves.
Rom 15:32
I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.
Phm 7
For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Paul’s work was one of power and diligence. He had a fervent zeal and adventurous spirit based on faith. He was willing to undergo hardship. He built a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. He loved the mission God had given him. These qualities would have been of little use to Paul in the service of God without the power of the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Spirit comes from a conformity of soul to God alone. It is for this reason that Paul had such a tremendous love for others, so much so that their ups were his ups and their downs were his downs.
For example, we see in a few passages that Paul had power to do miracles. But we do not read of miracles converting great numbers of people. People were not converted by Paul’s miracles. The gospel alone converted the many in Paul’s ministry and the gospel was so effective through him because of his irreproachable conduct, his knowledge and love of God, his faith that did not fear the hardship that the ministry would bring, and his love of others because he loved God.
Paul was incredibly thankful to God for the faith and love of the Thessalonians, and because of that he felt alive. He still would have had a great life if they had not responded as they did, but his life was enhanced by seeing God work miracles in others. The same miracle that Paul saw God perform in himself.
Jesus brings this out so beautifully in the parable of the prodigal son.
Luk 15:25-32
"Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' 28 "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"
The older brother is used as a depiction of the Pharisees who are listening. Sinners are changing their lives because of Christ. They are being saved and delivered from sin, and the love from God is filling their hearts. But the Pharisees hate it because it didn’t come from them. And you can bet that if it did they would have congratulated themselves and not praised God for it.
If we find ourselves unable to rejoice and thank God that others are prospering spiritually then something is very wrong in our souls. If we find that we do not want to show mercy to everyone, something is off in our heart. Do not lie to yourself. The whole of Scripture tells us how we are to view others. Eat each word and metabolize it. For example:
Col 3:12-17
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.