TRANSLATION
2.17But we, brothers, were torn from you for a moment of time (face to face, not in heart); we worked harder than ever with great desire to see your face. 18For this reason we have determined to come to you – I, Paul again and again[1] – but we were hindered by Satan. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus in his appearing?[2] Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.
3.1For this reason, we could no longer endure and were pleased with being left behind in Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker of God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith 3that no one be shaken by this affliction (for you yourselves know that we were destined for this). 4For indeed when we were with you, we were warning you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction and you know that it has happened as we said. 5For this reason, I could no longer endure, [so] I sent to learn of your faithfulness, for fear that in some way you were tempted by the Tempter and our work was done in vain.
NOTES
This passage can be divided into two parts: Paul’s longing to go to Thessalonica (2.17-20) and the reasons Paul sent Timothy (3.1-5). This passage gives us insight on the development of a new Pauline church and also how we can encourage one another today in the midst of trials.
We were torn from you… (2.17)
In this passage we see Paul’s method for keeping watch over his new churches: 1) personal presence (2.18; cf. Phil 1.27; 2.12), 2) writing letters (cf. 2 Cor 10.9-10, and 3) sending emissaries (3.1-3; 1 Cor 4.17; 2 Cor 8.17-24; 9.3; Eph 6.21-22; Phil 2.19-30; Col 4.7-9; 2 Tim 4.12; Titus 3.12). Paul took seriously the charge given to him and all of the church to make disciples (Matt 28.18-20). In this charge was a desire to keep in touch with his churches in order to encourage, strengthen, and rebuke them in order that they might be saved on the last day.
The verb Paul uses for being torn away (απορφανιζω, aporphanidzō) connotes the idea of a mother being ripped away from her child. Paul is being torn away from his family because of the Jews in Thessalonica (again, see Acts 17). This aggressive verb describes the forceful removal of the missionaries from Thessalonica and Berea. For Paul it was not time to leave the new believers, but the opposition was overwhelming, forcing them to leave. This separation has come to an end because of the sending of Timothy. Sending him is almost as good as Paul being there himself and in some sense he is with them “in heart.”
This untimely separation has developed a great desire and work to see the Thessalonians again. The missionaries “worked harder than ever” with “great desire” to restore the face to face relationship. The phrase translated “worked harder than ever” is περισσοτερως εσπουδασαμεν (perissoterōs espoudasamen), which literally means “doing the best beyond the regular means.” Paul and his comrades are trying the hardest they can to reunite with the Thessalonian church.
We were hindered… (2.18)
The desire of the missionaries is again stated. It is clear that Paul is trying to convey their affection in order create an environment in which gentle parent-like correction can occur. This is made clear by the zeal Paul has to see them again. The word translated “determined” is also used for the will of God in the LXX.[3] It is not merely a “wish” as it is sometimes translated, but connotes a wish that will be resolved. This is confirmed by Paul’s interjection into the letter[4]: “I, Paul, again and again.”
In v. 18 we have the first of two references to Satan in this passage. Satan comes from the Hebrew word hasatan, or “the adversary.” Satan is the enemy of God (Rom 16.20) and the tempter of Jesus and his people (3.5; Mark 1.13; 1 Cor 7.5). It is always a danger for the Christian to be tempted or tricked by the devil (2 Cor 2.11; 11.13-15). His tempting power is not discussed here, however. Paul says Satan hindered him from coming to visit the church. How did Satan do such a thing? Some scholars think that this is Paul’s “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan” (2 Cor 12.7). These scholars say this thorn is bodily sickness that kept Paul from doing ministry and here left him unable to visit Thessalonica. This is speculative at best, but may give some kind of insight into what kept Paul from visiting the church. The most we can say is that Paul was encouraging the church that he was not at fault for not being able to come to them; in fact, the blame belongs to Satan, the enemy of God.
What is our hope and joy… (2.19)
Paul finishes his reasoning of the desire to see the church by describing to them their value to him and his comrades. Paul mentions three things that the Thessalonian converts represent: hope, joy, and a crown of boasting. Paul’s disciples are proof of his faithfulness to the mission Christ gave him on Damascus Road: I am sending you to the gentiles “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26.18). In 1 Cor 9.2 Paul calls the believers there the “seal” of his apostleship. The seal is “a visible token of something that already exists; thus the Corinthian church does not make Paul an apostle, and his apostleship does not depend on it, but its existence is a visible sign of his apostleship.”[5] In a similar way, the hope, joy and crown Paul possesses is found in them because it is evidence that Paul is God’s messenger to the gentiles.
The believers are Paul’s hope because they have not fallen away due to affliction and tribulation. Their faithfulness proves the effectiveness of Christ’s work through Paul and gives Paul assurance that he will be saved on the last day. This is also the source of Paul’s joy. Joy in Paul is typically tied to salvation as its product (Rom 14.17; 15.13; 2 Cor 7.4; Gal 5.22; Phil 2.2; Col 1.11). Here, as well as in Phil 4.1, Paul says that the believers are his joy. “In the context of 1 Thessalonians 2, the image of the parent who speaks of his or her child as ‘my joy’ is perhaps suggested.”[6] Lastly, Paul says the believers are his crown of boasting. It is clear that Paul does not mean human boasting in the sense that God had nothing to do with the fruit of his ministry (see 1 Cor 3.7). At the same time, Paul does boast in the Lord for the ministry he has given him and the spiritual children that have come from his labor (2 Cor 8.24; 9.3). “For Paul the Thessalonians were like a victory wreath of which he could be proud at the coming of Christ. They were a proof of his toil and achievement for Christ as a missionary to the Gentiles.”[7]
These believers are Paul’s hope, joy, and crown at the appearing of Christ. Παρουσια, parousia, is a technical term for the second coming of the Lord Jesus in the NT. The biblical view of this event is that this is the time when Christ will judge the rebellious sinners and save the holy believers. This is the fulfillment of the prophetic “day of the Lord” (see Isa 2.6-22; 13; Jer 46.10; Ezek 30.2-4; Joel 2-3; Amos 5.18-20; Obad 15-21; Zeph 1.7-18; Zech 9.14-17; Mal 4.1-3). At this time Paul’s reward will be his disciples from all the churches he has founded and ministered in. This is shown in Paul’s rhetorical question, “Is it not you?” and his answer, “you are our glory and joy.”
Part one of our passage is written to encourage the Thessalonian believers to continue in the faith. They are significant to Paul’s ministry and faith; so much so, that Paul is filled with great desire to see them again before the parousia of the Lord. They are indeed his hope, joy, and crown and if they do not prove faithful, they will hurt Paul. Therefore, this exhortation and encouragement is placed before the correctives in eschatology later in the letter.
When we could bear it no longer… (3.1-5)
The “great desire” and “hard work” began to be too much for Paul, so he and his comrades decided to stay in Athens and send Timothy to receive a report of the Thessalonians’ condition in the face of affliction (see 3.6-13). One thing that is clear is that Paul’s anxiety to see the status of the Thessalonian church was great. In Acts 17 we see that Paul is sent to Athens shortly after the Thessalonian conversion while Timothy and Silas stayed in Macedonia. This shows that Paul was overwhelmed with the thought of the Thessalonians’ faithfulness to Jesus in suffering affliction.
Timothy is sent as Paul’s apostolic presence (cf. 1 Cor 4.17; 16.10; Phil 2.19). Paul says that Timothy is a “brother” and a “co-worker of God.” “Brother” was probably a technical term for a co-worker of Paul (e.g. 1 Cor 1.1; 16.12; et al). In addition to functioning as Paul’s apostolic presence, these brothers also were teachers of the word (Acts 18.24; cf. 1 Cor 16.12; 2 Tim 4.2). That Timothy was seen as God’s co-worker was controversial to the scribes of the NT. So much so that they made some adjustments to some manuscripts, either deleting “of God” or changing συνεργον (synergon, co-worker) to διακονος (diaconos, servant). The language is a bold claim for a half-gentile boy from Lystra, but is still original to Paul. In fact, Paul calls himself and Apollos God’s co-workers (1 Cor 3.9). Paul explains the nature of a co-worker of God: they are working in the gospel of Christ. That is, they are ministers of the gospel. Apostles (αποστολοι, lit. messengers) are messengers of God to the world who proclaim the gospel; they are working for God and with God through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1.6-8). The gospel that is preached is about Jesus’ death and resurrection (found in simplest form in 1 Cor 15.1-5).
Paul has sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to strengthen (ESV: establish) and encourage (ESV: exhort) them. This strengthening and encouragement is in relation to their faith. The Thessalonians’ faith needed to be bolstered in order to endure increased persecution. The comfort and encouragement in the faith that Timothy brings may be similar to Paul’s comments in 4.1 and 4.10: something to the effect of, “You have done so well up to this point, keep going!” Paul was concerned for the new church like a father is concerned for a child who leaves for a period of time. He did not want his work to be empty, but for the Thessalonians to grow in the knowledge and confidence of the gospel.
Timothy’s twofold ministry was intended to make sure “that no one be shaken[8] by this affliction.” Jesus himself warned that people would hear the message of the gospel, accept it, and when affliction comes, would fall away (Mark 4.17). Paul does not want this to happen. It has been a staple in his proclamation to prepare new converts to face persecution: “Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14.22). This type of statement is what Paul refers to in saying, “you know we were destined for this” and “we were warning you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction.” In 2 Thess 1.3-12, Paul actually encourages the church in claiming that the endurance of suffering is a sign of their acceptance into the Kingdom.[9] In this passage we probably find something similar to what Timothy was speaking to the Thessalonians to encourage them. As Charles Wanamaker puts it, “God has destined Christians for affliction as part of the process that leads to their salvation.”[10]
It is possible that Paul is getting his doctrine of eschatological suffering from Jesus. For instance, in Mark 13.9-13 (cf. Matt 24.1-51; Luke 21.5-36) Jesus warns his disciples:
But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Even from before the apostolic age it was known that to be a part of God’s kingdom, followers of Jesus must endure persecution before Christ’s parousia. Therefore, Paul’s words that the Thessalonians’ end time suffering has come is good news: the end of the age has come.
Along with v. 1 v. 5 functions as an inclusio,[11] setting apart his reasoning for sending Timothy (“for this reason”). The first reason Paul mentions for sending Timothy is to make sure no one is shaken from the persecution that they have had to endure. The second reason in this verse is to “learn of [your] faithfulness.”[12] Paul was concerned that the church may not have endured through the persecution they have endured. This apostasy would have been brought about by the Tempter, Satan. “Paul portrayed Satan as seeking to destroy the fruits of the Christian mission (cf. 1 Cor 7.5; 2 Cor 2.10ff; 11.13-15; 1 Thess 2.18). In the context of 1 Thess 3.5, Paul implicitly demonizes those who afflict the Thessalonians because they are by implication the agents of Satan’s temptation.”[13]
If the Tempter had succeeded, then the work of the apostles was done in vain, or literally, found empty. The phrase “in vain” is mentioned 12 times in Paul’s letters. One intriguing mention is Phil 2.14-16:
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
If the Philippian church does not obey the command of Paul to hold fast to the gospel, Paul will not be proud and his work would be in vain. Paul’s work is his missionary task: preaching the gospel to the gentiles. This is a good comparison to Paul’s idea in v. 5. If the Tempter has been succeeded, on “the day of Christ” (cf. day of Lord above) Paul’s work would be shown to be in vain. There will be one day when Paul will no longer have to worry about his work being in vain, for “they will not labor in vain” (Is 65.23).
APPLICATION POINTS
- Passion for making disciples.
- Working together with God in gospel ministry.
- Standing in the midst of affliction.
- Persevering to the end to be saved.
- Dwelling in the gospel as the strength and encouragement during trials.
[1] Literally, “once and twice.”
[2] I have translated παρουσια, parousia, “appearing” instead of “coming” because of the modern idea of what N. T. Wright calls “Spaceman Jesus” who seems to come from the moon or the Heaven planet to earth to get his people, instead of what the word connotes primarily, which is an imminent arrival or presence.
[3] Septuagint: Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Was influential in the days of Paul and is still used today in academia.
[4] This reveals that Paul is the one actually writing the letter (see 3.5; 5.27). Because Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was shared with his emissaries he attached their names to the letter. Timothy and Silas agreed with the content of the letter and throughout it Paul speaks as if all three are in one voice.
[5] Barrett, Corinthians, 201.
[6] Wanamaker, Thessalonians, 123.
[7] Ibid, 124.
[8] The verb for “shaken” (σαινεσθαι, sainesthai) appears only here in the NT and the LXX. It literally means “to wag a dog’s tail,” but has come to mean be agitated, disturbed, or shaken.
[9] This is a theme of Paul (Acts 14.22; Rom 8.17; 2 Tim 1.8-14) which he probably developed from Judaism (Dan 12.1; cf. 2 Esd 13.30ff) and the teaching of Jesus.
[10] Wanamaker, Thessalonians, 130.
[11] Inclusio sets apart a section by its beginning and ending, e.g. “we/I could no longer endure” and “we/I sent” in v.1-2/5.
[12] I have translated πιστις, pistis, “faithfulness” instead of “faith” because of its cotext (a verse’s relation to the text surrounding it – see John T. Carroll and Joel B. Green The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity (Hendrickson: Peabody, MA), 2007, 25, n. 5, for a definition), namely, the continuation of the Thessalonians faith in the midst of trouble.
[13] Wanamaker, Thessalonians, 132.
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