Chapter 3

Chapter Three

¹ Wherefore, no longer forbearing, we were well pleased to be left at Athens alone. In the sense of, “We chose, and judged it better.”

² And we sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellow worker in the Gospel of Christ. So great was this holy man’s care for the disciples, that whenever he himself was necessarily prevented by certain circumstances, he sent others to visit the disciples. And this he then did, by sending Timothy. And he says so many words of praise about him, not so much exalting him, as honoring them, because he tore away from the work of his ministry, on their account, a fellow worker of the Gospel so necessary at such a time.[1]

³ To establish you and to exhort you concerning your faith. For since they were shaken at their teacher’s being tried, they had need of strengthening and exhortation, lest they fall away from the faith. For no small disturbance to the disciples are the trials of the teacher, just as it is to soldiers that their general be wounded.

⁴ That no one be moved amid these afflictions. He now explains what the strengthening from Timothy was to profit them; and he says, “That no one be moved”—that is, be troubled or grow slack amid my trials. For the devil, whenever he finds an occasion of trial, fawns upon the unstable by the reminder of relief, that they may leap away from what grieves them. But some said that “be moved” (sainesthai) was set down for “be disturbed,” from the metaphor of dogs wagging their tails when they fawn.

⁵ For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. Let us hear that Christians are appointed to be afflicted; for these things are not about the apostles alone. Being appointed to this, then, what is strange if we are afflicted? So that we must remain untroubled not only at the trials past, but also at those to come; for this is more proper to us.

⁶ For indeed, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to be afflicted, even as it came to pass, and you know. Great is the consolation to the disciples, that the teacher foretold them the afflictions. For thereafter they were not troubled as at things unexpected. Therefore Christ also said to the apostles, I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass you may believe. And Paul said to them not this only, but foretold other things as well, and it came out so.[2]

⁷ Wherefore I also, no longer forbearing, sent. If you foretold them, O Paul, that you would be afflicted, and that they ought not to be troubled in the affliction, why do you send again? For it seems that you do not greatly trust them. Out of much love, he says, I do this. For those who love are suspicious even of what is safe. And at the same time the trials were many, and the excess of the evils impelled me. Therefore he did not say, “Condemning you, I sent,” but, “No longer forbearing”—which was a mark of friendship.

⁸ To know your faith. Here some inquire why he who ascended to the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words, does not know the affairs of the Thessalonians, but sends Timothy to learn their faith. One may say, then, that the saints did not know all things, neither those before Christ nor those after Christ. For Elisha too was ignorant of the matter of the Shunammite woman. And Elijah thought he alone was left, though there were seven thousand. And Samuel is taught about these very men not to look to the appearance of David’s eldest brother. So then it was with the apostles also. And this came to pass, that neither might they themselves be lifted up, nor others imagine great things about them, and that we who come after might not be able to say, “Since those men were above human nature, they achieved virtue, and therefore we grow slothful”; but that we might learn that not even they enjoyed the divine help continually, but achieved their good deeds by their own labors.[3][4][5][6]

⁹ Lest by some means the tempter had tempted you. I did not suspect, he says, that you had been shaken, but only this much, that you had been tempted. And you see that to be troubled amid afflictions is devilish, and especially when some are scandalized by reason of others who are ill-disposed—which is just what the devil did in Job’s case, tempting the wife through the things that man was suffering. And the devil tempts as one who, knowing whether he will cast a man down—which is plain from Job—yet, being shameless, makes the attempt; and if he sees anything weak, he persists; but if strong, he withdraws.

¹⁰ And our labor be in vain. For if they were turned aside, O Paul, what is that to you? Your labor is fully rewarded with God. Yet out of much love, he says, I count the labor to have been emptied out for me.

¹¹ But now when Timothy came to us from you, and brought us good tidings of your faith and love. These things I expected, he says, but the contrary came out. And see his exceeding joy: he did not say, “When he reported,” but, “When he brought good tidings”—so great a good did he count their confirmation in the faith. And he rejoiced at their love also, because it was a sign of faith.

¹² And that you have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also you. That is, you remember us with praises and good words. Hear, you disciples, and be taught to remember your teachers always with good words. For you will benefit yourselves, not them. And it was the greatest consolation and gladness to the Thessalonians to learn that Paul knew they loved him; for thereby the bond of affection is the more increased.

¹³ For this cause we were comforted, brethren, over you, in all our affliction and distress. Ah! He was grateful to them, that they were not shaken. For we do not even feel, he says, our sorrows, but we were comforted—not over one affliction, but over all. For the joy over you became a counterweight to all our distresses.

¹⁴ Through your faith. You strengthened me, he says. And yet the contrary was the case; for he himself, by not yielding to the trials, strengthened them; nevertheless he turns the encomium over upon them. For you, he says, did not allow me to feel the trials.

¹⁵ For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. He did not say, “We were comforted,” but, “We live”—showing that he counts their scandal as death, and as life their progress, and stability, and confirmation in Christ.

¹⁶ For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God? So great, he says, is the joy on your account, that we are not even able to thank God worthily on your behalf. For we count your good achievement a gift of God. For such a high resolve is not of human zeal or of the soul. Therefore, though we owe thanks to Him, we do not find the worthy thanksgiving.

¹⁷ Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face. See the excess: he prayed exceedingly that he might see them, as a farmer who, hearing that the land he toiled over is heavy with fruit, longs to see it with his own eyes.

¹⁸ And might perfect what is lacking in your faith. And yet above he testified that they stood firm; how then does he say, “what is lacking in your faith”? They had not enjoyed the whole of the teaching, but perhaps there was wanting to them the doctrine concerning the resurrection, and other such things. And there were many false teachers; therefore he said, “what is lacking.” Where, then, he had feared concerning the faith itself, he said, “I sent to establish you”; but here, “to perfect,” he says—which belongs to teaching rather than to confirmation. For we say a thing is being perfected when something small is lacking to it.

¹⁹ Now may God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. He shows that on his own part too he prayed to see them, seeing that he even sets the prayer within the Epistle; and at the same time he makes a defense, that it is not through sloth that he is parted from them, as if he said: May God Himself cut off the trials that drag us about everywhere, that we may come to you by a straight road.

²⁰ And may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all. Do you see the unrestrainable madness of love, that he prays they may both increase and abound in love? And not toward one another only, but toward all. For this is proper to love that is according to God: to embrace all; but if one love this man and not that, the friendship is according to man.

²¹ Even as we also toward you. Our part, he says, is already done; but yours we ask still to be done. For you have us as a measure and example of love.

²² To establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. He shows that love brings gain to them, not to those who are loved. For may the Lord make you to abound in love, he says, so as to establish your hearts. And if you understand the Spirit—as Basil also maintained—for who else will establish men blameless before God and the Father at the coming of Christ but the Spirit altogether? And he did not say, “establish you,” but, “your hearts.” For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts. And it is possible, while doing nothing evil, nevertheless to be evil—for instance, envying, dealing deceitfully, bearing grudges, holding perverse doctrines. A man, then, is truly blameless when he is pure in heart; then also he has holiness. For holiness is properly said of chastity, just as uncleanness of fornication and adultery; but in the general sense, every sin is uncleanness, and every virtue holiness. And he wishes them to be blameless before God and the Father, both now (for this is sincere virtue, that which is in the sight of God, not in the sight of men, since human judgment is fallible), and at the coming of Christ as well; for by Him we are judged before the Father. That you may be blameless, then, he says, even as all the saints.