1 Thessalonians 3 (BHT-ATN)

1 That is why, when our separation from you became too much for us to endure,+ we decided it would be best for us to remain in Athens by ourselves,+ 2 and sent Timothy—our brother and fellow worker for God+ in proclaiming the gospel about the Messiah—to strengthen you and help your faith, 3 so that none of you would fall away on account of these persecutions. You yourselves, after all, know that we are for such trials appointed.+ 4 Indeed, when we were with you we warned you again and again that we are destined to suffer trials and persecution+—and things turned out just as we said, as you well know.+ 5 That is the reason why I, when I could no longer endure the separation, sent someone to find out about the status of your faith; my fear+ was that the tempter had somehow tempted you and our hard work and effort had been for nothing.

6 Well, Timothy has just returned to us from his time with you+ and has told us the good news about your steadfast faith and love, and how when we come to your minds it brings you joy, and how there isn’t a moment you don’t miss and eagerly desire to see us again, just as we do you. 7 For that reason we have been strengthened, brothers and sisters, because of you, in the midst of our own distress and trials, by the news of your firm faith. 8 Now we can breathe again+—provided you continue to stand firm in union with the Lord. 9 Indeed, how can we ever give enough thanks for you to God, in return for all the joy we have because of you in the presence of our God, 10 as we pray night and day and day and night,+ most earnestly,+ to see you again in person+ and help along the areas of your faith that still need to mature+? 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus open up the way for us to come to you.+ 12 And as for you, may the Lord make you increasingly and abundantly rich+ in love for one another and for everyone else, just as we are for you, 13 strengthening you on the inside so that you may be blameless and holy in the sight of+ our God and Father+ when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.+

+1:1“All of” is drawn from the plural “you” here.+1:1Unless otherwise marked (through superscript—ˢyou), all second person pronouns are in the second person plural.+1:3Or before.+1:4Cf Ac 10-11, 15:14; Col 3:12. Though there were both Jewish and Gentile believers in Thessalonica (see Ac 17:4), Paul is focusing his attention here on Gentile believers (see v 9 below). Cf Eph 1.+1:5Lit in word, or in speech, or in an act of speaking. Looking to BDAG for the more specific sense of λόγος ( logos) here (see BDAG, 599, sv 1.a.α.). Cf 1 Co 2:1-5, 4:18-21; 2 Co 11:6.+1:5Translating in the same way as at 1 Co 2:5 (see translation and note there). Cf also UBSHS (1 Th), 10.+1:5Cf Ac 14:27, 15:3-4, 15:12-14; 1 Co 2:1-5, 4:18-21.+1:5“For certain” is included in translation here to make the comparison with the “knowing” of v 4 (signaled by καθὼς́ [ kathōs]; see, eg, L-N, 64.14) clear, since οἶδα ( oida) was translated as “certain” there. Paul’s point here is that God had furnished proof to them of His acceptance of the Gentiles; likewise, Paul’s life and that of his companions had furnished proof to the Gentiles of the reliability of the message/ministers that God had sent to them.+1:5Lit for the benefit/sake of you. The preposition here is functioning as a marker of benefaction (see, eg, L-N, 90.38). Cf HCSB, ISV, NCV, NET, TEV. Cf also Php 2:4; translation and notes at 2 Co 5:13.+1:8Lit your faith in God. ME. In English, we don’t usually speak of someone’s “faith” going out. The meaning here is that the news about their faith and example has spread (see ESS [1 and 2 Th], 27; UBSHS [1 Th], 13). Cf TEV.+1:8Lit so that we do not have need to speak anything. Cf ESS (1 and 2 Th), 28; UBSHS (1 Th), 14.+1:9Cf Is 44:6-23; Jr 10:1-16; Ac 14:15; Rm 6:1-23.+1:10IT. Cf ISV, NCV.+1:10Cf Rm 4:25; 1 Co 6:9-11; Ga 1:4; Eph 5:1-20; Col 3:1-11; 1 Th 1:10, 4:3-8; 2 Pt 3:14-15; 1 Jn 2:1-2; Re 19:7-9, 21:7-8.+2:2Lit in/by our God. ME. Cf NCV, NIV, NLT; translation and notes at Act 14:3; BDAG, 329, sv ἐν 6.+2:3Cf 2 Co 5:20.+2:4Lit our hearts. ME(H/OTB) (see note at Mk 3:5; UBSHS [1 Th], 26). Cf ISV, TEV. Cf Gn 22:1; Dt 8:2; 1 Sm 16:7; 1 Ch 28:9; 2 Ch 6:30; Jb 23:10; Ps 7:9, 11:5, 17:3, 26:2, 33:13-15, 44:21, 139:23; Pr 17:3; Jr 11:20,17:10, 20:12, 32:19; Ezk 11:5; Rm 8:27; Jm 1:12; Re 2:23.+2:6Or glory, or honor.+2:7Or Although we could have made demands. Lit to be in weight. ME(I/F) (see BDAG, 167, sv βάρος 2; L-N, 65.56).+2:7Lit became small children/babes/infants. ME(H/I). If the idiom in the preceding clause (being “in weight”) is to be understood in terms of status and importance as BDAG and L-N contend (see previous note), then “becoming children” here means doing the opposite, namely, taking on a lowly status: “In first-century thought children were often very little esteemed” ( NAC [Mt], 273). Cf 1 Co 11:1; Ph 2:1-10; the parallelism between νήπιος ( nēpios) and ταπεινόω ( tapeinoō) at Ps 114:6 in the LXX. If the idiom in the preceding clause means “could have made demands” or “could have been strong in our use of authority,” then the point here is weakness. (Cf the textual variant: “gentle.”) For a brief discussion of the variant here, see NET Bible Notes, 1 Th 2:8.+2:9Lit our labor and toil. ME (see ANLEX, 266, sv μόχθος; Ibid, 235, sv κόπος; L-N, 42.47, 42.48; UBSHS [1 Th], 31). Cf NLT, TEV.+2:11Lit as you know how [we were] with each of you as a father with his own children. Cf ISV, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT, TEV.+2:11This gloss is not too strong here (see 1 Th 4:3-8; cf Eh 5:3-7).+2:12Or calls, or invites.+2:12Cf Mt 22:9; Ac 10:44-48, 11:18, 11:27, 15:14, 26:16-18; Eph 1:18; Col 1:12-14; Heb 3:1; 1 Pt 1:5; 2 Pt 1:3; 1 Ti 6:12; 2 Ti 2:10.+2:13Lit When you received the message of hearing from us of God. ME. Cf ISV, NIV.+2:13Cf Mt 10:40; Jn 13:20.+2:13Or which. The antecedent here can be either “God” or “word”.+2:13Or which is continually at work for its own good purpose.+2:13Or in, or within.+2:13Cf Jr 23:29; Rm 2:28-29, 8:1-27; 2 Co 3:7-18; Ga 3:1-5, 5:16-26; Eph 1:18-21, 3:14-19; Php 1:6, 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14, 3:16; 1 Th 4:3-8; Heb 4:12.+2:14Lit became imitators. ME. Here, “become imitators” doesn’t refer to making a conscious decision to follow an example, but to a shared experience (see UBSHS [1 Th], 41). Cf the second part of the verse.+2:14Cf CJB, ISV.+2:14Here, Ἰουδαῖος ( youdaios) obviously doesn’t refer to all Jews, but to those hostile to the gospel (see BDAG, 478, sv 2.c.), and especially leaders (see note at Ac 9:22). This has been made explicit in translation here (though I’ve tried not to mitigate the emotion present contextually) because of the long history of anti-Semitism in the church, which has often marshalled and distorted verses like these to foster hatred and arrogant attitudes towards the Jews (God help us! [see Rm 11:17-21]).+2:15Lit God not pleasing. The opposite of “please” in this context is to provoke to anger (see v 16; cf UBSHS [1 Th], 43). “Constantly” is drawn from the verbal aspect in this context, where regular/habitual action is meant.+2:16Lit from telling the Gentiles that/how they may be saved, or, from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Following the lead of the UBSHS in translation here (see UBSHS [1 Th], 44). Cf Mfft.+2:16Cf Ac 22:21-22.+2:16Lit so as to fill up their sins always. ME(OTB). Cf TEV at Gn 15:16. The closest parallel to Paul’s statement here is Gn 15:16 (cf LXX; see also BDAG, 70, sv ἀναπληρόω 1). Cf also Lk 11:47-51; Mt 23:29-39. The meaning in Gn 15:16 is clear: God restrains his judgment over a period of time while unpunished sins continue to pile up, and at some point, according to God’s timetable, they reach a point, a limit, when he is no longer willing to hold back judgment.+2:16Or against them in the end. Cf Lv 26; Dt 27-32; Ps 83; Is 1, 9-14, 29-30, 40, 63; Jr 30-31; Ezk 38-39; Zc 12-14; Dn 12; Jl 2-3; Am 9; Zc 12-14; Mt 23:29-39, 24:9-25; Lk 11:47-51, 21:20-24; Rm 9:27.+2:17Lit in face, not heart. ME(I/F) (see L-N, 85.26; UBSHS [1 Th], 47; note at Mk 3:5).+2:17Lit after being torn away the time of an hour. ME. Following the lead of the UBSHS in translation here (see UBSHS [1 Th], 47).+2:17Cf Ac 17:1-15.+2:17Lit we were all the more/exceedingly eager to see your face in great longing. ME (see L-N, 85.26; UBSHS [1 Th], 48); Cf CJB, NEB, TEV.+2:18Cf Ac 17:5-15; Re 2:9, 3:9.+2:19Lit our victor’s crown of boasting. When used in the genitive with στέφανος ( stephanos), καύχησις means something like “honor” or “glory” (cf Pr 16:31 and Ezk 16:31 in the LXX; cf also BDAG, 537, sv καύχησις 1). Note the presence of δόξα ( doxa) in the supporting clause that follows.+2:19Cf Ps 21:3-4, 103:4; Is 28:5, 62:3; Zc 9:16-17; Php 4:1; 2 Ti 4:8; Jm 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4; Re 2:10.+2:20Lit the glory of us, or the glory [coming to] us. The language here is highly compressed. The context indicates that “glory” here means the “glorious reward” which Paul and his companions will receive when Jesus returns.+3:1Lit no longer enduring. ME (see UBSHS [1 Th], 52).+3:1Cf Ac 17:13-15.+3:2Or our brother and co-worker of God. Cf ISV, LEB, NET, NRSV, TEV.+3:3Cf Ac 14:22; Php 1:29-30; 1 Pt 1:27-24, 3:17, 4:19.+3:4Cf Mt 20:23; Ac 14:22.+3:4Lit just as also it turned out and you know. ME. Cf NIV, NLT, TEV.+3:5Lit lest somehow. Fear or concern is in implied here (cf Ga 4:11, where the concern is made explicit). Cf CJB, ESV, HCSB, ISV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT, NRSV, RSV.+3:6Lit has come [back] to us from you. ME.+3:8Lit now we live. ME. Cf NJB. The NJB captures the intended meaning well here, in my opinion, and has thus been followed in translation.+3:10νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ( nuktos kai hēmeras) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and thus repetition has been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+3:10Lit quite beyond all measure, or superabundantly. ME (see ANLEX, 390, ὑπερεκπερισσου; UBSHS [1 Th], 64). Cf ESV, NIV.+3:10Lit see your face. ME(I/F) (see L-N, 85.26). Cf NET, TEV.+3:10Lit supply the things lacking in your faith. ME (see UBSHS [1 Th], 64).+3:11Or direct our way to you. Lit make straight our road to you, or guide our road to you. ME (see UBSHS [1 Th], 67; cf 2:18 above). Cf Brc, NCV, NIV, TEV.+3:12Lit cause you to increase and abound. ME (see BDAG, 824. sv πλεονάζω, 3.b.; BDAG, 805, sv περισσεύω 1.a.γ., 2.a., 2.b.).+3:13Or in the presence of.+3:13Lit so as to strengthen your hearts blameless in holiness before our God. ME (see BDAG, 325, sv ἔμπροσθεν 1.b.β.; ESS [1 and 2 Th], 100; L-N, 83.33, 90.20; UBSHS [1 Th], 70; notes at Mk 3:5. Cf Brc, ISV, JB, NCV, NET, NIV, TEV). Cf Eph 1:4-5, 3:14-19, 5:27; 2 Co 7:, 11:2; Php 1:9-11; 1 Th 2:19, 5:23. Cf also Mt 10:32-33; Mk 9:38; Lk 21:36; Jud 24; Re 3:4-6; 19:6-8.+3:13Or holy people, or saints. Cf Zc 14:5; 1 Th 4:16; 2 Th 1:7; Jud 14.