Christian teaching

Their desire to see the Thessalonians

A. Their desire to see them: ¹⁷But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, ¹⁸because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

B. Sending Timothy: ^3:1Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, ²and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³that no one be moved by these afflictions.

C. Their suffering: For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

B¹. Sending Timothy: ⁵For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

A¹. Their desire to see them: ⁶But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— ⁷for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. ⁹For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

A prayer to see them:  ¹¹Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at  the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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– A and A¹ focus on their desire to see the Thessalonians “face to face”- 2:17-18 – “We endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you”/ 3:6 -“we long to see you,” 3:10 – “that we may see you face to face.” Both have a “joy” theme. Both speak of “before” God  – “before our Lord Jesus at his coming”/ “before our God” in prayer. Both have “brother” language. (The prayer in v. 13 uses both at the coming of Jesus from A and before our God from A¹).

– B and B1 speak of sending Timothy. Both have concerns about their faith – “moved by these afflictions”/ “the tempter has tempted you.” B speaks in “we” language, B1 in “I” language.

– C is focused on suffering. It begins and ends with “you know.”

– v. 10 transitions to the prayer – “that we may supply what is lacking in your faith.” Vs. 11-13 – the prayer previews the coming topics in chapters 4 and 5 – love for one another, blameless in holiness, Jesus’ second coming, what is lacking in your faith.

– The phrase “before our God and Father” is used in both 1:3 and 3:13 bookending chapters 1-3.