3 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone. 2 We[a] sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God[b] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know.[c] 5 So[d] when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.
6 But now Timothy has come[e] to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection[f] and long to see us just as we also long to see you![g] 7 So[h] in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters,[i] through your faith. 8 For now we are alive again,[j] if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For how can we thank God enough for you,[k] for all the joy we feel[l] because of you before our God? 10 We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person[m] and make up what may be lacking in your faith.
11 Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, 13 so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.[n]
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 3:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:2 tc A variety of readings occurs in this verse. Instead of “and fellow worker for God” (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, kai sunergon tou theou), B and 1962 have “and fellow worker” (καὶ συνεργόν); א A P Ψ 0278 6 81 629* 1241 1739 1881 2464 lat co read “and servant of God” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ, kai diakonon tou theou); D2 1505 M al and a few versional witnesses read “and a servant of God and our fellow worker” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ συνεργὸν ἡμῶν); and F G have “servant and fellow worker for God” (διάκονον καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ). The reading of the text (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ) is found in D* 33 b d m o Ambst Pel. It may be argued that all readings that do not collocate συνεργόν with θεοῦ are secondary, as this is certainly the harder reading. Indeed, in only one other place in the NT are human beings said to be συνεργοὶ θεοῦ (sunergoi theou; 1 Cor 3:9), and the simplest (though by no means the only) interpretation is that the genitive should be taken associatively (“a fellow worker in association with God”). It is difficult to account for συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ here unless it is authentic because of the theological difficulty that would be easily seen in this wording. (However, the text in 1 Cor 3:9 is solid [Χριστοῦ(Christou) is found in 2400, a thirteenth-century minuscule; no other variants are known]. This gives some pause to attributing theological difficulty as a cause for scribal alteration in our passage.) A genealogy of the readings suggests that various scribes may have deleted τοῦ θεοῦ or swapped διάκονον for συνεργόν to remove the offense. The readings of the Byzantine text and two Western mss (F G) appear to be conflations of earlier readings, but the reading of F G nevertheless indirectly supports καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ since it does not remove the offense. Although the witnesses for καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ are minimal, the internal evidence is quite strong in favor of this reading. With hesitation, it is adopted as authentic.tn Although 1 Thess 3:2 is frequently understood to mean that Timothy is “God’s fellow worker,” such a view assumes that the genitive θεοῦ (theou) is associative for it is related to συνεργόν (sunergon). However, a genitive of association is not required by the syntax (cf. ExSyn 130), and it almost certainly is contrary to Paul’s theological outlook. See sn at 1 Cor 3:9.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:4 tn Grk “just as it also occurred and you know.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:5 tn Or “for this reason.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “but now Timothy having come,” a subordinate clause leading to the main clause of v. 7.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “you have a good remembrance of us always.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “just as also we you.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:7 tn Or “for this reason.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:7 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:8 tn Grk “because now we live,” in comparison with his feelings of dread in not knowing how they were doing (cf. 2:17-3:5).
- 1 Thessalonians 3:9 tn Grk “what thanks can we render to God about you.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:9 tn Grk “all the joy with which we rejoice.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:10 tn Grk “to see your face.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:13 tc ‡ Significant and early witnesses (א* A D* 81 629 lat bo) have ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”) at the end of this benediction, while the majority of mss, including several excellent authorities (א2 B D2 F G Ψ 0278 1175 1241 1505 1739 1881 2464 M it sy sa), lack the particle. A decision is difficult, but in light of Paul’s habit of adding the ἀμήν to his notes of praise, even in the middle of his letters (cf. Rom 9:5; 11:36; 15:33; Gal 1:5), one might expect scribes to emulate this practice. Although a decision is difficult, since there is little reason for scribes to omit the particle, it is best to follow the shorter reading. NA28 has the particle in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.