I Thessalonians 3:1-13
I would have let you find your own triads today, but there is one that shows up in the NKJV only. Whereas the ESV has …we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ… (v. 2), the NKJV has …Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ… Minor, but interesting…!
Paul shows his concern for the Thessalonians in today’s first five verses and his joy at Timothy’s good news in the next four verses. It’s especially touching to see that he longs to see them face to face (v. 10). That phrase hit me this morning, when I thought about someone in our lives. You may remember a Slovak couple and their four-year-old son, Vlado and Maria and Oliver. They attended St. Andrew’s irregularly (they lived about 100 miles away), but St. Andrew’s effectively became their home church. During a Pastor’s Briefing in December 2016 they said good-bye to the church, thanking us for our reception of them and the strengthening of their faith that had occurred in their times with us. Slightly built, small Maria was especially touching – near tears as to how Father David and St. Andrew’s had brought her back to faith.
We visited them in Poland in the summer of 2017 and baptized them with Mark Bruner in a public swimming pool in Czechia. Then we also visited them in Slovakia in 2019, always desiring to encourage them and strengthen their faith. They have really missed our worship services and had been in the early planning stages to visit us when the CV pandemic hit. HOWEVER, with our worship services videotaped we were able to forward those links to them and they have been with us online for the past three weeks. Then we SKYPE’d with them each day after the service. So, we have mirrored (and imitated) Paul, with our concern and love for them and finally seeing them “face to face”. It has been as touching for us as I’m sure it was for Paul!
I can’t help wondering about Silas. In Acts 18:5 Luke reports that Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia to Corinth where Paul was staying. But we only read about Timothy being sent on his round trip to Macedonia, to the Thessalonians – no word about Silas. Then I thought Silas might have been sent to Philippi, but only Timothy is mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Philippians (v. 1:1). Also, after the beating and jail time in Philippi I wondered about Silas’ desire to return!! But then I imagined, reading clearly outside the pages, that Silas might have been sent to Berea – I imagine a letter from Paul to the Bereans similar to I Thessalonians that has never been recovered. But I’m going too far afield…!! Please forgive…!
Slava Bohu!
What a great way to encourage and support, Fred and Carol!
I loved verse 12 today: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
I don’t remember noticing before how much 1 Thessalonians is a letter of love for the church, expressing how much joy Paul had to be in touch with them and to hear about them from Timothy when he came back with news.
Certainly in this time of isolation, I can feel my love and concern increased for the ones I love in my family, in my neighborhood, and in my church family of St. Andrew’s.