Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 THESSALONIANS #2 - 2:13-3:13)
D. 2:13-16 CONVERSION AND ENDURANCE: BECAUSE OF CONFIRMED WORD
a. 2:13 HOW THEY RECEIVED THE WORD
Kai diA TOUto kai heMEIS eu-cha-riSTOUmen [2168] toTheO a-di-aLEIPtos [89],
And for this we also thank :God without ceasing,
HOti, pa-ra-laBONtes [3880] LOgon a-koES [182]par' heMON tou TheOU,
that, when you received from us the word of :God's message,
eDExas-the ou LOgon anTHROpon, alLA, kaTHOS a-leTHOS es-tin, LOgon TheOU,
you accepted it not as men's word, but, as it is in truth, God's word,
hos kai e-nerGEItai [1754] en huMIN tois piSTEUou-sin.
which also works in you that believe.
b. 2:14-16 BECOMING FOLLOWERS OF THE CHURCHES
huMEIS gar mi-meTAI [3402]e-geNEthe-te, a-delPHOI, ton ek-kle-siON tou TheOU
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of :God
ton ouSON en teIouDAIa en ChrisTOIeSOU:
which are in :Judaea in Christ Jesus:
HOti ta auTA ePAthe-te [3958] kai huMEIS huPO ton iDIon sum-phu-leTON [4853],
because you also suffered the same things of your :own countrymen,
kaTHOS kai auTOI huPO ton IouDAIon;
even as THEY did of the Jews;
ton kai ton KUri-on a-pok-teiNANton [615] IeSOUN kai tous proPHEtas [4396],
15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets,
kai heMAS ek-di-oXANton [1559], kai TheO mea-reSKONton [700], kai PAsin anTHROpois e-nanTIon [1727];
and drove out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men;
ko-luONton [2967]heMAS tois ETHne-sin [1484]laLEsai HIna soTHOsin [4982];
16 hindering us from speaking to the nations that they may be saved;
eis to a-na-pleROsai [378]auTON tas ha-marTIas [266]PANto-te:
to fill up their :sins always:
EPHtha-sen de ep' auTOUS heorGE [3709]eis TElos [5056].
but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
E. 2:17-3:13 THE HEART OF PAUL
1. 2:17-20 PAUL'S DESIRE
a. 2:17-18 PAULS' DESIRE TO SEE THEM
HeMEIS de, a-delPHOI, a-por-pha-nisTHENtes [642]aph' huMON pros kaiRON [2540]HOras [5610]
But we, brethren, bereaved of you for the season of an hour
proSOpoou karDIa,
in presence not in heart,
pe-ris-soTEros [4056]es-pouDAsa-men [4704]to PROso-pon huMON iDEIN en polLEe-pi-thuMIa [1939]:
endeavored the more exceedingly to see your :face with great desire:
di' HOti etheLEsa-men [2309]elTHEIN pros huMAS,
18because we would fain have come unto you,
eGOmen PAUlos kai HApax kai dis, kai eNEko-psen [1465]heMAS ho Sa-taNAS [4567].
I Paul both once and twice, and :Satan hindered us.
b. 2:19a For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying?
tis gar heMON elPIS [1680], echaRA [5479], eSTEpha-nos [4735]kauCHEse-os [2746]?
c. 2:19b Are not even you, before our :Lord Jesus at his :presence?
ekai ouCHI huMEIS, EMpros-then tou KuRIou heMON Iesou en teauTOU pa-rouSIa [3952]?
d. 2:20 For you are our :glory and our :joy.
huMEIS GAR es-te heDOxa [1391]heMON kai he chaRA [5479].
2. 3:1-10 PAUL'S CONCERN
a. 3:1-3 TIMOTHY SENT TO THEM
Di' ho meKEti STEgon-tes [4722],
Wherefore when we could not longer forbear,
eu-doKEsa-men [2106]ka-ta-leiphTHEnai [2641]en A-THEnais MOnoi; kai ePEMpsa-men TiMOthe-on,
we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; 2and sent Timothy,
ton a-delPHON heMON kai diAko-non [1249]tou TheOU en toeu-ag-geLIotou ChrisTOU,
our :brother and :God's minister in the gospel of the Christ,
eis to steRIxai [4741]huMAS, kai pa-ra-kaLEsai [3870]huPER tes PIste-os huMON;
to stablish you, and to comfort concerning your :faith;
to meDEna SAInes-thai [4525]en tais THLIpse-sin TAUtais; auTOI gar OIda-te eis TOUto KEIme-tha [2749].
3 that no one be moved by these :afflictions; for yourselves know that to this we are appointed.
b. 3:4 AFFLICTION FORETOLD
kai gar, HOte pros huMAS Emen, pro-eLEgo-men huMIN HOti MELlo-men THLIbes-thai [2345];
For truly, when we were with you, we told you afore that we are to be afflicted;
kaTHOS kai eGEne-to, kai OIda-te.
even as it came to pass, and you know.
c. 3:5 POSSIBILITY OF DEFEAT
diA touTO ka' 'GO, meKEti STEgon [4722], Epem-psa eis to GNOnai ten PIstin huMON,
For this cause I also, when I could no long forbear, sent :to know your :faith,
mepos ePEIra-sen [3984]huMAS ho peiRAzon [3985], kai eis keNON [2756]GEnetai ho KOpos [2873]heMON.
lest somehow the tempter had tempted you, and our :labor be in vain.
d. 3:6-8 TIMOTHY'S RETURN
ARti de elTHONtos Ti-moTHEou pros heMAS aph' huMON,
But when Timothy came even now unto us from you,
kai eu-ag-ge-li-saMEnou [2097] huMIN ten PIstin kai ten aGApen huMON,
and brought us glad tidings of your :faith and :love,
kai HOti Eche-te MNEIan [3417] heMON a-gaTHEN PANto-te,
and that you have good remembrance of us always,
e-pi-poTHOUNtes [1971] heMAS iDEIN, kaTHAper kai heMEIS huMAS;
longing to see us, even as we also to see you;
diA TOUto pa-raKLEthe-men [3870], a-delPHOI, eph' huMIN
7for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you
ePI PAseteaNAGke[318] kai THLIpsei [2341]heMON diA tes huMON PIste-os:
in all our :distress and affliction through your :faith:
HOti nun ZOmen [2198], eAN huMEIS STEke-te [4739]en KuRIo.
8for now we live, if you stand fast in theLord.
e. 3:9-10 PAUL'S JOY
TIna gar eu-cha-risTIan [2169] duNAme-tha to TheOan-ta-poDOUnai [467]peRI huMON,
For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you,
ePI PAsete chaRA heCHAIro-men [5463]di' huMAS EMpros-then tou TheOU heMON;
for all the joy in which we joy for you before our :God;
nukTOS kai heMEras hu-pe-rek-pe-risSOU [4053]deOme-noi [1189]eis to iDEIN huMON to PROso-pon,
10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your :face,
kai ka-tarTIsai [2675] ta hus-teREma-ta [5303]tes PIste-os huMON?
and may perfect what are lacking in your :faith?
3. 3:11-13 PAUL'S PRAYER
AuTOS de ho TheOS kai paTER heMON, kai ho KUri-os heMON IeSOUS,
Now may :God himself and our Father, and our :Lord Jesus,
ka-teuTHUnai [2720]ten hoDON3598]heMON pros huMAS:
direct our :way unto you:
huMAS de ho KUri-os ple-oNAsai [4121] kai pe-risSEUsai [4052] teaGApe eis alLElous,
12and the Lord make you to increase and abound in :love one toward another,
kai eis PANtas, kaTHAper kai heMEIS eis huMAS; eis to steRIxai [4741]huMON tas karDIas
and toward all, even as we also dotoward you; 13 to thestablishing of your :hearts
aMEMPtous [273] en ha-gi-oSUne[273]EMprosthen tou TheOU kai paTROS heMON,
unblamable in holiness before our :God and Father,
en tepa-rouSIa [3952]0tou KuRIou HeMON IeSOU meTA PANton ton haGIon auTOU.
at the presence of our :Lord Jesus with all his :saints.
NOTE: 2:13-16 - In Mark 16 we read that Godconfirmed the word of the apostles with signs following. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they saw his apostolic ministry to them thus confirmed. The Thessalonians before them had the same confirmation of the Word of God, and indeed saw it notas the word of man, but the word of God. Paul spelled this out to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 14:37, by declaring that his words were nothis, but the Lord commanding through him. Then Paul contrasted the attitude of the Thessalonian believers with that of the unbelieving Jews, who rejected God's word through Jesus and the prophets, and killed them.
2:17-20 - The heart of Paul is not understood by some, but passages such as this more than show his yearning and longing over the new converts that came to the Lord through his word. He knew his presence with them could result in a deeper discipleship and intimacy with the Lord as a result of his heart-ministry for them. No wonder Satan opposed and hindered his desire! And again in 2:19 he declares the importance for believers to stand firm until the Lord returns, whether through sleep (death) prior to His return - or at His coming again - the hope that purifies. Paul again returns to the great theme of Christ's Second Coming.
3:1-10. It is because of Paul's great concern for the growth and establishment of the Thessalonian believers that he denied himself the help of Timothy, and sent him to take his place with them. He knew the temptation to fall back from the Lord, under hardships and fiery persecution. The Thessalonians knew this fiery trial, both from the Jews, and from the Gentiles that the Jews influenced. Paul had forewarned them of such afflictions. Many missionaries failed to clearly warn new Chinese believers of such persecution, and as a result multitudes fell away. Mao's wife said, Soon there will be no more church and no Christians.” She was wrong! Brother Yun, the Heavenly Man, confirmed that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Tens of millions came to the Lord starting in the 1970's to the present in the underground church of China, composed of small churches in homes. It is a parallel situation to what the Thessalonians faced. They experienced the 7thand 8thBeatitudes of Matthew 5. They were persecuted for living righteous lives! And - they were persecuted for being identified with Jesus, and not being ashamed of Him, even under heavy persecution. He that endures to the end shall be saved. The underground church of China should shame and humble us for our materialism and easy-believism in America!
In 3:11-13 - Paul continues in lifting up these dear and beloved new converts. “Unblamable in holiness” is the way hearts are established! “Through tribulation to Glory” is the example of today's Underground Church in China. God in His mercy is raising up trouble and persecution for the church of the Western World to humble us and direct us back to Jesus and the early church, and the church of suffering in other lands such as China. Materialism can be a curse. God through Solomon wisely said - “Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me: 9Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8b-9). J.A.W.