1 Thessalonians 2 verse 17 to 3 verse 5: Hope, Joy, Glory

 

Introduction

 

I wonder of there is someone you have been meaning to get in touch with lately but you keep forgetting to give them a call or send them a WhatsApp? Or is there someone you are waiting to hear from?

 

When we’ve been out of touch with someone for a length of time it is easy to wonder whether they really care. We may wonder if they are even bothered that we’ve been having a difficult time lately. We may wonder if they’ve quietly moved on and ‘ghosted’ us.

These are understandable thoughts. And these may have been thoughts that some of the Thessalonian Believers were beginning to have about Paul. Given Paul’s absence, did he really care about the Thessalonians at all? Was he bothered about the fact they were facing persecution for their faith in Christ?

So, Paul writes to answer such criticisms and provide assurance to the Thessalonians. In verses 1 to 12 he has already reminded them of his pastoral ministry while he was with them. Now he develops this by assuring them of his great concern for them while he is absent. Paul’s concern is to strengthen and encourage these young Believers as they face persecution- so he sends Timothy to encourage them and bring back a report about how things were going in Thessalonica.

So, the passage has a natural flow from the surrounding passages and a clear structure:

The depth of Paul’s love (verses 17 to 20)

The extent of Paul’s concern (verses 1 to 5)

Here we learn that ministry involves a depth of love and concern that leads to mutual encouragement and joy. Here we see the wonderful reality of what it means to belong to Christ and be part of His Family.

Let’s see this first as we turn to…

The depth of Paul’s love

 

We sometimes use the phrase, ‘out of sight, out of mind’. What we mean is that when someone is no longer in our immediate view, we quickly forget about them or stop worrying about them. So, if friends or loved ones live far away or aren’t seen frequently, they gradually slip from our thoughts.

But this was not the case for Paul when it came to the Thessalonians. Whether he was with them, or far from them, he wants them to be fully aware that they are always on his heart. And so, in verses 17 to 20 we hear the depth of Paul’s love for the Thessalonians as he writes to them. Perhaps we could say for Paul it was a case of, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’.

Paul communicates here not only his unsuccessful attempts to return to Thessalonica, but also his deep feeling for the Thessalonians. Here we see the depth of Paul’s love for these young Believers who he had ministered to with deep affection- as if they were his own family.

Notice, firstly, how Paul describes his departure with considerable depth of emotion. In your bibles in verse 17 he speaks of being ‘…torn away…’. In other translations Paul speaks of how he was ‘…orphaned by being separated from you…’.

In other words, his forced departure felt like a bereavement- he felt he had lost them and was lost without them. These people mattered to Paul. Paul was no detached ‘professional’- he was a Gospel pastor who loved like His Lord Jesus.

Remember, how Paul had earlier described himself as their father and mother, he now speaks of himself as an orphan ripped away from his parents. The emotional intensity of this word picture shows just how deeply Paul loved these Believers.

Having been ripped from their grasp, Paul then speaks of how he longed to see them again. In verse 18 Paul says:

For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 

Paul wants his friends in Thessalonica to be in no doubt about the strength of his feelings for them: he really, really wants to see them again and has made repeated efforts to return to them. Paul’s burning ambition- his fierce passion- was to see the Thessalonians again, but he constantly found his plans frustrated.

Notice, by the way, that he attributes this to Satan’s harmful influence. The word ‘…blocked…’ speaks of a road that has been cut up so badly that it has become impassable. In other words, Satan was doing all he could to stop Paul from getting to where he wanted to go. Satan often makes his presence felt among Christian workers- preventing them from doing the things they would dearly love to do.

Here, as elsewhere in the New Testament, we are alerted to a proper thinking about Satan. He is the one who opposes God and seeks to hinder the progress of the Gospel. He is a real and powerful enemy- we must not overlook him or ignore his schemes. But neither should we become fixated upon him or attribute every trouble to him. He is, remember, a defeated enemy who is doomed to be completely conquered in the end. For now, God’s People should be aware of his desire to attack God’s People- and the call to engage in Spiritual warfare with the spiritual weapons God provides: His Word and prayer.

Paul is aware of the spiritual battle Believers are engaged in, and he wants the Thessalonians to be aware of it also. Even though prevented from seeing them, he still wants them to know of his strenuous efforts to get to them, and his continued, intense desire to see them again. Such words demonstrate Paul’s deep affection for them in the present.

And, in verses 19 and 20 Paul turns his thoughts to the future:

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul brings this section to a climax with an excited outburst- he wants these Believers to know the high esteem in which he holds them.

Again, Paul sees everything in the light of the personal return of Jesus; Paul’s eternal perspective pervades his thinking about everything. Effectively Paul is saying that presenting the Thessalonians to Jesus at the second coming is central to his Christian hope and joy. Here again is proof of his intense love of them: he is longing for the day when he will see them alongside Christ.

But that joy was not unmixed with anxiety- as verses 1 to 5 of Chapter 3 indicate. And so, we turn to consider… The extent of Paul’s concern

 

If Paul had finished this section of the letter at verse 20, we could easily accuse him of being ‘all talk’. By themselves, words mean very little. But when backed up with action, especially actions that cost, then words have meaning and depth beyond themselves.

In verses 1 to 5 of Chapter 3, Paul shows that his love was not just words but costly action. Because he cared deeply for the Thessalonians, Paul sent Timothy, a highly valued fellow worker. Sending him meant losing a trusted companion and increasing his own burden and workload.

In these verses we learn of Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians both in what Paul had done, and in the reasons for doing so. So, let’s consider, firstly, Paul’s…

Motivation

The paragraph begins and ends in a similar way. In verse 1, and then in verse 5, it is clear Paul couldn’t stand the situation any longer. In other words, Paul simply couldn’t cope with the fact that hadn’t received any news about the Thessalonians since he had been torn away from them. Paul had expected to return, but that hadn’t worked out, and he was concerned about how they were faring.

We could picture Paul as a parent expecting to hear from their child, but they hadn’t received the text message yet. And so, Paul states he could stand it no longer- he simply had to find out how they were doing. Here we see his genuine concern- these folks were on his mind, even when they were out of his sight and he was busy with the demands of ministry.

So, Paul acts simply because he had to; such was his love for these Believers. He must act out of concern for them; he must know how they are doing.

So, then we learn of his… Main Concern

Paul understood they had faced hostility while he was with them- he himself had had to flee because of persecution. And, in verses 3 and 4, he remembers how, during his time with them, he had warned them that such difficulties would come:

For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

Here again Paul reminds Believers that such trials were part of God’s sovereign plan and woven into His eternal purposes. The difficulties Believers face are ordered by God and designed for the eternal benefit of His People.

Paul knew this to be true. Paul taught this a core truth to new Believers. But Paul’s concern is that these new Believers in Thessalonica would be sufficiently strong in their faith to cope with the difficulties he expected them to face.

Paul was concerned for their safety- as any parent would be when their child is facing danger. He wonders if they will succumb to the forces set against them. He fears that Satan will undo the good work already accomplished amongst them. He is anxious about how they will deal with the temptation to return to their old religions to escape persecution- a very appealing prospect given what they were facing day by day.

As Paul writes he is filled with joyful thanksgiving. But we can also imagine him crying out to God for them as he writes. He is deeply concerned about their safety and eternal security. He simply must act…

Major Action

In verses 1 and 2 we read:

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith…

Although it will mean being left alone in Athens, and bearing the increased burden of ministry, Paul is more concerned about the Thessalonians than his own needs. So, he sends Timothy with a particular mission: to strengthen and encourage the Believers.

Notice how Paul describes Timothy: a ‘brother’ and ‘co-worker’. Though Timothy’s task is to encourage the believers, Paul also wants to affirm him. So he gives him this wonderful title to show the Thessalonians how important Timothy’s mission is and how highly he values him.

Mutual encouragement is at the heart of the pastoral ministry pictured by Paul here. Paul sends Timothy to hear about the Thessalonians. But Timothy was also to continue the work that Paul had faithfully begun while he was in Thessalonica.

Paul had been a nursing mother, feeding her child to give it strength. Now Timothy was called to strengthen these Believers. And as Paul had been the father who had encouraged his children, now Timothy must continue this ministry.

What Timothy had observed first-hand under Paul’s leadership was now to be the pattern of his own ministry. Here we see the wisdom and value in teamwork and mentoring relationships as we seek to grow in the faith and strengthen the Church.

In verses 1 to 5 we see Paul’s pastoral concern for the new Believers. Paul is realistic about their situation- he recognises the danger posed by Satan and he takes decisive action. Paul’s desire is for these Believers to stand firm in the Lord in the face of difficulties. And so, he sends Timothy, at personal cost, so that they might be encouraged and strengthened to stand firm. These people mattered to Paul and so he loves them passionately and practically.

 

Conclusion

The Thessalonians were precious to Paul- being separated from them was unbearable. And so, in deep love and concern for them he acted. Out of concern for their spiritual welfare he sent Timothy, at personal cost, to continue his ministry of encouraging them and strengthening their faith.

Paul’s pastoral heart is on full display in these verses. We learn that Christian ministry is about deep love and practical concern that leads to mutual encouragement and joy in the Lord.

So, what can we ‘take away’ from our passage today? Well, let me suggest the following…

Firstly, living for Jesus is all about loving like Jesus. Being part of God’s Family will involve deep bonds of love for Him, for His family, and for the world around us.

Paul really loved the Thessalonians. He was not emotionally detached. Despite being physically absent he was completely engaged with them. His focus was on these people and their need for the Gospel- his desire was that they would be built up in Christ and enjoy fullness of life in Him. For Paul, it was all about relationships.

People mattered to Paul because people matter to God. And people should matter to us. So, are we seeking to love God more dearly and enjoy the wonder of His love for us? And is His love motivating us to love others and share God’s love with them? Do we really know and care for those in our church family here in Greystone? And if not, how can we get to know them better?

Secondly, living for Jesus means dealing with the Enemy. Being part of God’s Family means we have an enemy who hates us and wants to tear us away from God. But, like Paul, we must have a balanced view when it comes to thinking about Satan.

Paul doesn’t ignore the role of the evil one who tempts and seeks to knock Believers off course with all sorts of schemes and strategies. However, Paul doesn’t think Satan deserves a mention concerning every problem that the Christian faces. Paul recognises that all involved in Gospel ministry (all who belong to God’s Family) are involved in a spiritual battle. But equally he recognises that the weapons we can fight with are God’s Word (which encourages and strengthens) and prayer.

We have an enemy who would seek to ‘kill, steal, and destroy’- we must never underestimate Satan’s determination to destroy the work of God and steal our joy in Christ. And we must never become complacent in the spiritual war we are called to fight.

However, we must never doubt God’s power- Satan is a defeated enemy. We must remember we are engaged in Spiritual warfare when we join God’s Family. So we must make use of the weapons we have been given. And we must fight together in the power that God supplies.

Lastly, living for Jesus will mean suffering with purpose. As those who belong to God’s Family we must accept the reality of suffering.

Paul doesn’t want the Thessalonians to be surprised by suffering and particularly trials and afflictions which come from the active persecution of Believers. Paul had warned them in his brief visit that such things would come. In his original visit he had spelt out the cost of following Jesus.

We need to be clear that suffering is part of the normal Christian life. But we must also see that through it God’s purposes are not derailed but furthered in ways which we often cannot even imagine.

We must never doubt God’s purposes in suffering. However, when we may be tempted to do so then we must look to Christ and the Cross and find strength and encouragement.

In Christ we see the One who endured the ultimate suffering which achieved the ultimate purpose. In Christ we see the One who won our salvation by enduring the Cross and rising again to glory- glory that gives us hope and true joy.

In Christ we see that suffering is the path to eternal glory and God’s perfect purposes. In Christ we are called to walk that path, but we walk with the One who has gone ahead of us, who knows the way, and will lead us safely home.