1 Thessalonians 2:19-3:13….Three ‘therefores’.

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 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. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Comment: The ‘therefores’ in scripture mean that what follows is based on the preceding thoughts. Sometimes we have to look back only one verse, other times the therefore is based on a whole chapter or the whole book! The concept of a therefore can be expressed in different words and here the translator has twice used the phrase ‘for this reason’ to get us thinking the same. What goes before the therefore here gives us the basis on which Paul acted. He was wanting to know for sure that his hope was built on fact therefore he sent Timothy away from where they were working, spreading the gospel, back to Thessalonica! But in addition earlier Paul writes, ‘For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen’, likening the suffering of the new believers to what Paul and his friends had suffered. This was a second excellent reason to send Timothy to see them, to encourage them and no doubt to bring back a report. Timothy brought back a very positive report as to how this church was progressing. And this led to further action! ‘for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.‘ Timothy’s report brought great comfort to those who by God’s Grace established this new church! But the report brought another result as well! A prayer! A Blessing! A doxology of great meaning and one that maybe we should be often praying for/over those with whom we work and with whom we love and pray for, even for our own fellowship of believers!

Prayer: May the Lord make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so that He may establish our hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen.