1 Thessalonians 3

1. 1 Thessalonians 3 Grace Bible Church of Pullman Pastor-Teacher, Ron McMurray

2. 3:1 “Therefore, when we could endure it no longer, we through it best to be left behind at Athens alone,” • “endure no longer” is STEGO to endure as in 1 Cor 9:12, 13:7. PAPtc. • Reports had been coming through that there were difficulties at Thessalonica, and because of these difficulties Paul could only stand it so long and then he had to find out what was going on there. • Some of the Thessalonian believers are confused. One rumor which had come back and which was confirmed was the fact that due to the doctrine of the Rapture of the Church. • Some businessmen had decided to give up their businesses and wait for the Rapture by apparently doing nothing.

3. When people get into the do-nothing attitude they next get into trouble. Therefore there was some difficulty in Thessalonica. • However, the exact nature of the problem was not known to Paul when he was in Athens. • In order to determine what was going on Timothy was detached from the missionary team and sent back to Thessalonica to make a full report after a complete inspection (Acts 17:16-34 ) then later rejoin Paul in Corinth ( Acts 18:5). • “we thought it good” — apparently there were at least three people present at this conference: Luke, Timothy, and probably Silas.

4. God has ordained a number of Spiritual gifts among believers. • Some of these gifts have to do with leadership, some with administration, and some with discernment in order to determine that status quo of any given situation. • Notice that Paul met with the other members of his team, and together they evaluated over the situation and made a decision. • It is not contrary to the Word of God, for example, who have the proper gifts to gather themselves together in order to recommend or to determine a course of action.

5. “to be left at Athens alone” — in other words, even though Timothy is much loved by the missionary team and is fulfilling a very important function there at Athens, it becomes necessary now to send him back to Thessalonica to make an inspection. Therefore, as a result of this conference a decision was made. • 3:2 “and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,” • First of all, he is called a“brother” which means he is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. • PEMPO – Aor Act Indic – to send on a mission

6. He is also called a “minister of God.” This is the specialized use of the word. The word “minister” is found in three separate and distinct ways in the New Testament. - First of all, and very important, every believer is a minister in one sense of the word — in the sense of 2 Corinthians 3, 4:1; 5:17 where every believer has the ministry of reconciliation. • So first of all the word is used to designate every Christian, for every Christian is the representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. • During the absence of our Lord from the earth everyone who is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a minister. This is the doctrine of the universal ministry of the believer.

7. - Secondly, minister is used in another sense in Romans 13:4 for those who have leadership responsibilities within a national entity are also called “the ministers of God for good.” • They are called ministers in the sense that “they bear not the sword in vain.” The sword is a reference to capital punishment. • Within any national entity there are those who have positions of responsibilities in connection with justice and with administration, and they have the responsibility of authorizing the administration of capital punishment in order to enforce the law. • They are declared to be ministers doing good according to the divine plan.

8. - Third, minister refers to a pastor. In this particular case Timothy is not the pastor of a church, he is the inspector-general of the Pauline missionary team. • Therefore, under that concept he is being sent forth as a minister is a specialized way. • In other words, we gather that the word minister is also used for those who devote their time to special jobs within the framework of the local church.

9. “fellow worker in the gospel” — he is a member of the Pauline missionary team. • What is the purpose of sending Timothy back? “to establish you, and to comfort you”. • The word “establish” is STERIZO AAInfin – to establish, strengthen with Bible doctrine, The infinitive means to set someone firmly into a state of mind by reaffirming what they already knew. - The infinitive denotes purpose and it is the purpose of Timothy in returning to Thessalonica to stabilize the situation which has become unsettled. Principle: It is easy, even for a local church which is centered in the Word of God, to become unsettled at times. This is what had happened at Thessalonica.

10. - The first purpose of Timothy peeling off and going back to Thessalonica is to provide stability in a rather confusing situation which had developed. - The second reason was to comfort. This refers to that crowd who were all confused about physical death and thought that their loved ones who had died would miss out on the Rapture. • PARAKALEO AAInfin – to encourage them for their faithfulness and encourage them to endure the persecutions. • HUPER TES PISTEOS HUMON – on behalf of their doctrine is literally, “with reference to your faith.” Faith here means the whole body of doctrine, the whole body of truth. • Because they had some gaps in their understanding of the Word and because they had misconstrued certain events in life, they need some comfort as well.

11. 3:3 — the pressure in Thessalonica is now mentioned. “That no man should be moved” — here is the problem back at the local church. SAINO PPInfin – to be troubled or disheartened by afflictions, to cringe, or to wag the tail [ like a dog which is being disciplined ]. • This was the original use of the word. It eventually came to mean to be disturbed or discouraged. • Some of the people at Thessalonica are disturbed and therefore they are going to lose the purpose for which the Local church is established. • “by these afflictions” — means pressure. Affliction and pressure in the Christian way of life should never disturb the believer.

12. God has so designed the Christian and so provided for the Christian that he can have perfect peace, perfect stability, perfect comfort, perfect happiness in the midst of the pressures of life. • Timothy is going back to fill in on the necessary doctrines and principles in this particular factor. Every believer sooner or later faces the difficulties and the trials of life. • When he faces these difficulties and trials the big question is: Does he have inner happiness, peace, stability, or does he fall apart like any unbeliever in the midst of his troubles?

13. “These afflictions” is in the dative case, dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of believers to have pressure. In other words, this introduces that great doctrine, happiness and blessing in the midst of the pressures of life. • “for yourselves know that we have been destined for this” KEIMAI – PMIndic – to be appointed, destined. The Thessalonians knew that the Pauline team was appointed to take up the slack on many of these problems. • Trials are the hardest tests of our faith. • When the Laws of Establishment and the Gospel are ignored by a nation then persecution of believers increases.

14. During suffering believers may forget the principle of Undeserved Suffering and false teachers convince them that God has forsaken them so they must be in the Tribulation period. • Paul warned believers previously that they would suffer trials in the CWL, Acts 14:22, in order to make them strong. • Obnoxious, negative people we encounter who reject Christ and make fun of Christianity are designed to test our faith, strengthen our resolve, and motivate us to love and serve Christ. • 3:4 — Paul’s warning regarding suffering. Paul says here, “I told you so.” He told them that they would have trouble. Apparently it was quite a shock to the Thessalonian believers when the trouble came.

15. “for verily, when we were with you” — reminding them of the fact that Paul was once there and taught them the Word — “we told you before.” PROLEGO – Impf Act Indic – to say before, speak many times on the subject . • THLIBO – PPInfin – continually receive persecution, affliction from cosmos • GINOMAI – Aor Middle Subj – to happen, come to pass. It will come so believers need to be prepared for it with a soul full of sound doctrine. • If the believer has doctrine on the inside he has the equipment to be stable at all times, and since these Thessalonians are brand new Christians this is one lesson they haven’t learned yet. • In spite of all the doctrine that Paul taught them while he was there Timothy has to go back to teach them the secret of stability in the Christian life of phase two.

16. “that we [Paul, his party, and the Thessalonians] should suffer Tribulation; even as it came to pass, and now you know” — you know in the past with the result that you will understand the principle that Timothy is coming back to teach. • “You know” is the verb for inherent knowledge, now they have it in their frontal lobes, they know what Paul means when he said we all as Christians have tribulation. So Paul is concerned about them and he expresses his concern once more in verse 5. • 3:5 — “For this cause, when I could no longer hold out” — STEGO PAPtc – to not stand it any longer. • This is a repetition of what he started to say in verse 1. It was Paul who finally called the conference which decided to send Timothy. • “I sent to know your faith” —PEMPO – AAIndic –to send Timothy to discover how they were handling the affliction and if they were using the faith rest technique.

17. “lest by some means the tempter hath tempted you, and our labor be in vain” —PEIRAZO PAPtc – to be tempted by evil so as to forsake the CWL and adopt world value system. HO refers to ‘the one’ who tempts, Satan. • Satan has many ways of trying to get believers away from occupation with Christ, and then the great tragedy which apparently had happened enough for Paul to add this phrase: “our labor.” • The word for labor in the Greek means to the point of exhaustion. When Paul was in Thessalonica he worked day and night teaching the Word of God. • He labored to the point of exhaustion. He studied and taught until he was totally exhausted, and he said it was possible that this labor could become vain.

18. KENON GINOMAI – AMSubj – became vain. The word “vain” means empty or void, no purpose is accomplished. There is a principle here we should not miss: • It is possible for the Bible to be taught day after day, month after month, year after year, and that Bible teaching can be vain, to no purpose, when it is not used by believers in their daily lives. • That is the tragedy, that is why Paul was afraid, and that is why he sent Timothy. Pastors often face this when people peel off after they have taught hundreds of hours of sound doctrine, counseled, encouraged, and poured his life into them. They just walk away…

19. 3:6-9, Timothy has returned. Paul sent him from Athens and Timothy returns to Paul in Corinth, and in these verses we have the inspector’s report. Timothy came back with this report. • 3:6 — “and brought us good tidings.” EUAGGELIZO AMPtc – having announced good news about the Thess. church, their faith, love, and that they think kindly of Paul and his team. • Paul had probably been a bit down in the dumps. He could visualize, as seen in the last verse, that all of his teaching had been void and empty and useless, and that the whole church at Thessalonica was going to come unglued and fall apart. • This often happens to churches when leadership is absent.

20. “and brought us good tidings of your faith and love” — Paul sent Timothy down in hopes that they were still using the faith-rest technique, and when Timothy comes back he says it is not just the faith-rest technique but it is the filling of the Spirit. • “Faith” – PISTIN - stands for the faith-rest technique and the word “charity” here is the word for divine love and it stands for the filling of the Spirit. • So how were they weathering the storm? Most of them were doing a wonderful job for two reasons. Here is the secret to weathering the storms of life: a) The faith-rest technique b) The filling of the Spirit.

21. Note: The faith-rest technique has to do with the mind, with operation mental attitude — claiming the promises of God; the filling of the Spirit has to do with the inner life of the believer. The secret to weathering the storm is the inner life of the Christian — what goes on in the frontal lobe, what goes on with regard to the filling of the Spirit. • Paul was delighted that they had weathered the storm. • “and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you.” • The Thess church was more healthy than Paul realized. They had kept the faith, loved the Word, and longed to see Paul. Paul was relieved.

22. Three good things in the inspector’s report: a) Most of them were weathering the storm by using the techniques of the Christian life. Three techniques are involved. You can only be filled with the Spirit by rebound, so it is faith-rest, rebound, filling of the Spirit. b) They were remembering Paul in prayer. The Thessalonians in their time of difficulty not only were stabilized but at the same time they had a wonderful prayer life. They had entered into the ministry of Paul and his team in Athens, in Corinth, and wherever they went. c) They longed to have fellowship with Paul again. Paul was a Bible teacher and no one wants to have fellowship with a Bible teacher unless he is interested in the Bible, unless he is interested in the Word of God, unless the spiritual phenomena contained in the Word of God is the most important thing in his life.

23. 3:7 “for this reason,, brethern in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith.” • ANAGKE- distress due to physical privations, comforts of life due to travelling all the time. • THLIPSEI – afflictions from negative volition attacking your message and person. ( 2 Cor 1:3-6, 4:8, and 7:6-7 ). • PARAKALEO – APIndic – to be encouraged to receive good news about the Thessalonians ( Acts 18:6-13). • Paul’s reaction to the report. The report is given in one verse but Paul is so enthusiastic about hearing this good news that he responds immediately. • Paul’s response reminds us of a further doctrinal principle: No man lives to himself and no man dies to himself in CWL.

24. There is a very definite interrelationship between believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. • Whether you like it or not the relationship between believers is so close that their ups can be your ups and their downs can be your downs, so much so that Paul wrote to the Corinthians “weep with them that weep and rejoice with them that rejoice.” • Paul mentions this again to the Romans, so quite obviously it is a principle in the Word of God: the interrelationship of believers. • That is not surprising since we are all in the body of Christ. we are members one of another, and inasmuch as we are all members of the body of Christ there must be established an interrelationship.

25. Paul had been down when he thought things were down at Thessalonica, but now the inspector’s report indicates that things are going very well on the whole, and there are only one or two little gaps where the slack has to be taken up. • Notice three reactions on the part of Paul. - In verse 7 he is comforted; - in verse 8 he is animated; - in verse 9 he has inner happiness as a result of this report. • 3:8 — “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” - “We live” is actually a term for animation. We might even say, “Now we are enthusiastic, if ye stand fast.” - EAN – 3rd class condition, ZAO – PASubj – if they will continually live, depends on freewill.

26. Standing Fast in the CWL • Standing fast means to hold onto the doctrines you have learned regardless of the circumstances of your life. - Doctrine is the Word of God ( Heb 4:12), the mind of Christ, ( 1 Cor 2:16 ) and the voice of the Holy Spirit (Heb 3:7 ). - We must learn to stand on doctrine not our feelings when interpreting events of life 9 2 Peter 1;12-21 ). - God blesses us on basis of our understanding and application of doctrine to our lives. ( Isaiah 53:12 ) • Mandates to learn and apply doctrine for believers: - 2 John 1-6 love doctrine and avoid the Gnostics - Rev 2-3, Colossians 4:15 – Apostle John gives mandates to the seven churches of Revelation.

27. The standing believer develops genuine humility, love, virtue, wisdom, integrity, strength and happiness in Christ in the divine powersphere. - We build our lives upon the Character and Integrity of God rather than upon the world system and opinions of people. - Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. • The standing believer is motivated to obey God’s Word and this provides him a ministry and influence in society. ( Philippians 2:13 “God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”) 5. The standing believer has his priorities straight and his scale of values reflect God’s divine thinking.

28. Standing believer makes decisions by setting aside time to worship, study, and does not allow interruptions to hinder his spiritual growth. • Routine (enforced humility) is for our benefit because it helps us establish what is important to us: Worship, family, work. It separates the professionals from the disorganized non-professional thinkers. • An example of a disorganized believer is someone who asks a million questions and never remembers any of the answers, only want their emotions stimulated rather than their minds, and desire hours of counseling instead of Bible teaching. • Professional thinking believers are teachable because they have a routine in their lives and can concentrate. Examples of concentration: Acts 16:25 EPAKROAOMAI to listen attentively, Acts 3:22-23, 4:19, 15:12, James 2:5.

29. Standing believer uses the Faith Rest Drill: conquering fears with the promises of God. - Fear is the opposite of love, confidence, and courage. 1 Jn 4:18 - Promises of God are designed to give us courage. 1 Pt 5:6-7 - We are told not to be anxious – Philippians 4:6 - Promises regarding fear: Romans 8:28, Matt 6:24-34, Phil 4:19, Psalm 37:3-5, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 42:5, Isa 41:10, 2 Tim 1:7, 2 Sam 22:2-3, Deut 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Heb 13:5-6, 2 Cor 10;5, and Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Our perfect example of humility and faith rest: Jesus Christ, Heb 12:2-3

30. 3:9 “ For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account.” • DUNAMAI PMIndic – to be able, empowered • ANTAPODIDOMI AAInfin – to return as a result of their rejoicing at the Thess positive volition and standing in truth. • “joy” – CHARA means inner happiness or gate 8 of the divine powersphere. • Paul makes it very clear that first of all he is thankful, and this thanksgiving is an expression of his inner happiness, his inner joy at getting this wonderful report from Timothy. • “rejoice” CHAIRO PAIndic – to keep rejoicing

31. Verses 10-13 — the result of the inspector’s report. • 3:10 — “as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith.” • The persistence of prayer. “Night and day” — as a result of this report what is Paul going to do? He is going to pray as never before for the Thessalonians; “praying” — DEO – PMPtc – petitioning, praying, he is going to persist in prayer. • The middle voice is very important. The subject is benefited by the action of the verb. Paul will personally be benefited by praying for them. • “most earnestly” - HUPEREKPERISSOU – double compound word means overflowing all boundaries. • “that we might see your face” — here is the purpose of his prayer: First of all that he might have the opportunity of coming back to see them again, to be with them.

32. Paul is praying now, night and day, that God will open the door so that he can personally return to Thessalonica. • What is the point? When he gets a report like this, when he realizes; - that the majority of believers in Thessalonica in the midst of the storms and pressures of life are using the techniques, - that they continue to faith-rest it, that they continue to be filled with the Spirit, - that they rebound when necessary, - they want to see him, - that they are praying for him, he can’t wait to get back.

33. Why? because any Bible teacher in his right mind can’t help but want to be where there is a response to the Word of God. •  At the end of the verse he tells why he wants to teach the Word there, “and we may complete what is lacking in your faith” — here “faith” is the whole realm of doctrine, the whole realm of the Christian life. KATARTIZO AAInfin – infinitive of purpose to mend nets or to supply an army with equipment or to mend the lives of believers ( Gal 6:1), to repair damage done to them by false teachers, persecution, or their own fears. • TA HUSTEREMATA – what is lacking, BD not yet learned. He will write 2 Thessalonians to correct their thinking. Jesus Christ will mend your life as you do His will ( Hebrews 13:21 ).

34. Paul picked this word very specially for these people: “I was to give you information, provide doctrine, so that you can continue to be effective in combat as you have in the past.” He wants to equip them so that they can go throughout the entire world with the gospel. • With that, quite abruptly, he pronounces the benediction. • He is not through, we have two chapters yet. But he is so enthusiastic, he has just stated his prayer and therefore he just has to wind up with a benediction three verses long.

35. 3:11 — “Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you.” Why did he start there? • Because all prayer is addressed to the Father and because the Father is the author of the divine plan for the human race; • Because Paul is a part of that plan and because the Thessalonians are a part of that plan, • Because all believers are a part of that plan it is a good place to start a benediction. • “and our Lord Jesus Christ” — the Lord Jesus Christ is the executor of phase one, because it is the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and took our place and made it possible for a door to be opened in the divine plan for the human race. • The divine plan included angels but now the divine plan includes mankind because Jesus Christ went to the cross, because He provided redemption, because He propitiated the Father, because He reconciled man to God.

36. And there is a door, a breakthrough in the divine plan. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. We have actually broken into the divine plan. • “direct our way unto you” — KATEUTHUNO AAOptative – a wish or desire of Paul to make a straight path to the Thess church once again which he did five years later ( Acts 19:21, 20:1, 1 Cor 16:5, 2 Cor 2:13. • When a Bible teacher prays to go to a certain people you can be sure of one thing, those people love the Word of God. • 3:12 — “And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all men must as we also do for you.” The Trinity is included in this benediction because the Word “Lord” here refers to the Holy Spirit, not to the Lord Jesus Christ who has just been mentioned. • How is He going to do that? The Holy Spirit indwells them.

37. When they are filled with the Spirit they will increase and abound in divine love.“Increase” is PLEONAZO - AAOptative - increase in a point of time, the point of time when they received the Word of God. • The optative is an expression of a wish or desire. He wants to go to Thessalonica so that he can further teach them doctrine, so that in the point of time when he teaches them doctrine they will take it in and increase. And what will happen? • “abound in the sphere of divine love for one another” – PERISSEUO AAInfin – to abound in love which is the filling of the Holy Spirit. • John 13:34-35 and Romans 13:8, 1 Thess 4:9, 1 Pet 2:22, 1 n 3:11 and 23, all say for us to love one another.

38. Notice the direction of this divine love — “one toward another.” That means another of the same kind, another believer. They will love believers but it won’t stop there. • “and toward all” — the word “men” is in italics: all the rest of the human race, all unbelievers which refers to unbelievers. • And then he adds something — “even as we toward you.” We love you with a divine love. • We appreciate you, we recognize your intake of the Word of God and its significance, and we just pray that we can come back and further provide you equipment for the combat of life in phase two, and that we can have the joy of having a part in your ministry.

39. 3:13 – “so that He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” • STERIZO AAInfin – support, establish their hearts (minds or mental attitude). • “unblameable in holiness before God” - AMAMPTOUS – blameless in behavior towards God and man. • EN HAGIOSUNE – in the sphere of holiness, set apart from the world system by our behavior or actions. We separate from sin, human good, and evil and adhere to the holy standards of God. ( 1 Thess 3:13, 2 Cor 1:12, 2 Pet 3:14 ) • “ at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” — that is the second advent, after the judgment seat of Christ. • Mental stability in time will have eternal repercussions. What you think today will produce for all eternity. • END CHAPTER THREE