1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. – 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3
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Acts 17 tells us that after Paul left Thessalonica, he went on to Berea (Acts 17:10). However, when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they followed him there and stirred up trouble among the crowds (Acts 17:13). As a result, Paul went on to Athens, where he waited for Silas and Timothy.
Paul writes, “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 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” (vv. 1–2). The simple phrase “we could stand it no longer” reveals the deep pastoral heart Paul and his co-workers had. The people of God whom they shepherded were constantly on their minds.
Paul and his companions were deeply concerned for the believers in the young Thessalonian church. They worried that the persecution these believers faced might cause their faith to waver. Eventually, both emotionally and in their ministry, they reached a point where they could no longer endure the waiting. Out of deep love and responsibility, they urgently sent Timothy to visit, strengthen, and encourage them. This “we could stand it no longer” reflects an intensity born of genuine love, seeing the believers as their own flesh and blood, and a longing to know whether they were standing firm in their faith. It also reveals their desire for God to fulfil His purposes through their gospel ministry and church planting.
Indeed, a servant of God with a parent’s heart will also be a responsible shepherd. Such leaders do not only bring people to Christ, but continue, “with all wisdom, to admonish and teach everyone, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). They pray for every person brought into the flock of Jesus and actively seek to strengthen and encourage them. Their longing is to see believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, move toward maturity, and live lives that please the Lord. God’s church must have this same heart, so that it may be firmly rooted in both faith and love, bear much fruit for the Lord, and bring glory to the Father.
This passage also reminds us to treasure every person who comes to church. For brothers and sisters who already believe, we encourage them not only to be faithful in Sunday worship and join the congregation in glorifying God, but also to be part of a small group, to receive pastoral care, and to be integrated into the church family. For new friends and seekers among us, we pray that in God’s time they will receive the saving grace of the Lord Jesus, and that the church will walk patiently with them, helping them grow in their knowledge of Christ. May the Lord have mercy on us, that we do not produce Christians who have no desire to continue growing in their knowledge of Christ.
The apostles sent Timothy to strengthen the Thessalonians “so that no one would be unsettled by these trials” (v. 3a). Although these new believers had already been warned (v. 4), facing suffering in reality is very different from being prepared in theory. Truth may be simple, but the human heart is deceptive, life is complex, and the enemy is cunning. There is often a long distance between knowing the truth and living it, between understanding it in the mind and embracing it in the heart.
Whenever Paul proclaimed the good news of the gospel, he also made clear that suffering would come (Philippians 1:29). He taught the truth fully and clearly, allowing God’s Word to do its work in the hearts of believers. He never limited his message to only “positive” or “uplifting” words, nor did he attribute believers’ struggles and suffering to a lack of faith or to God’s punishment. Instead, he prepared them for suffering. For after being born again, life does not suddenly become easy or smooth. On the contrary, believers often find themselves misunderstood, slandered, or rejected by the world (1 Peter 4:4). Yet the key truth remains this: when storms come, Satan seeks to blow us away, but God uses them to help us stand more firmly.
Reflection:
“God’s church must be firmly rooted in faith and love, bearing much fruit for the Lord and bringing glory to the Father.” What is your role in this glorious vision?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us faithful servants like Paul and his co-workers as examples to follow. They loved those they served deeply and kept the flock entrusted to them constantly in their hearts. They paid attention to the condition of the sheep and responded with appropriate action. Forgive us for the many times our concern remains only in words. Help us remember the exhortation of the apostle John, that we should love not only with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. Grant us the grace and strength to express genuine care through our actions. We pray in the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Cick to read passage
Acts 17 tells us that after Paul left Thessalonica, he went on to Berea (Acts 17:10). However, when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they followed him there and stirred up trouble among the crowds (Acts 17:13). As a result, Paul went on to Athens, where he waited for Silas and Timothy.
Paul writes, “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 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” (vv. 1–2). The simple phrase “we could stand it no longer” reveals the deep pastoral heart Paul and his co-workers had. The people of God whom they shepherded were constantly on their minds.
Paul and his companions were deeply concerned for the believers in the young Thessalonian church. They worried that the persecution these believers faced might cause their faith to waver. Eventually, both emotionally and in their ministry, they reached a point where they could no longer endure the waiting. Out of deep love and responsibility, they urgently sent Timothy to visit, strengthen, and encourage them. This “we could stand it no longer” reflects an intensity born of genuine love, seeing the believers as their own flesh and blood, and a longing to know whether they were standing firm in their faith. It also reveals their desire for God to fulfil His purposes through their gospel ministry and church planting.
Indeed, a servant of God with a parent’s heart will also be a responsible shepherd. Such leaders do not only bring people to Christ, but continue, “with all wisdom, to admonish and teach everyone, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). They pray for every person brought into the flock of Jesus and actively seek to strengthen and encourage them. Their longing is to see believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, move toward maturity, and live lives that please the Lord. God’s church must have this same heart, so that it may be firmly rooted in both faith and love, bear much fruit for the Lord, and bring glory to the Father.
This passage also reminds us to treasure every person who comes to church. For brothers and sisters who already believe, we encourage them not only to be faithful in Sunday worship and join the congregation in glorifying God, but also to be part of a small group, to receive pastoral care, and to be integrated into the church family. For new friends and seekers among us, we pray that in God’s time they will receive the saving grace of the Lord Jesus, and that the church will walk patiently with them, helping them grow in their knowledge of Christ. May the Lord have mercy on us, that we do not produce Christians who have no desire to continue growing in their knowledge of Christ.
The apostles sent Timothy to strengthen the Thessalonians “so that no one would be unsettled by these trials” (v. 3a). Although these new believers had already been warned (v. 4), facing suffering in reality is very different from being prepared in theory. Truth may be simple, but the human heart is deceptive, life is complex, and the enemy is cunning. There is often a long distance between knowing the truth and living it, between understanding it in the mind and embracing it in the heart.
Whenever Paul proclaimed the good news of the gospel, he also made clear that suffering would come (Philippians 1:29). He taught the truth fully and clearly, allowing God’s Word to do its work in the hearts of believers. He never limited his message to only “positive” or “uplifting” words, nor did he attribute believers’ struggles and suffering to a lack of faith or to God’s punishment. Instead, he prepared them for suffering. For after being born again, life does not suddenly become easy or smooth. On the contrary, believers often find themselves misunderstood, slandered, or rejected by the world (1 Peter 4:4). Yet the key truth remains this: when storms come, Satan seeks to blow us away, but God uses them to help us stand more firmly.
Reflection:
“God’s church must be firmly rooted in faith and love, bearing much fruit for the Lord and bringing glory to the Father.” What is your role in this glorious vision?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us faithful servants like Paul and his co-workers as examples to follow. They loved those they served deeply and kept the flock entrusted to them constantly in their hearts. They paid attention to the condition of the sheep and responded with appropriate action. Forgive us for the many times our concern remains only in words. Help us remember the exhortation of the apostle John, that we should love not only with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. Grant us the grace and strength to express genuine care through our actions. We pray in the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.