The ancient Greek word translated shaken, came from the idea of a dog wagging its tail. Timothy’s ministry would help them to endure their present hardship. That no one should be shaken by these afflictions : As the Thessalonians were established and encouraged, they would not be shaken by these afflictions. “When Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica it was not nearly so much to inspect the Church there as it was to help it.” (Barclay)Ĭ. Encouragement can really only come after we are established in the right direction otherwise, we are only encouraged in the wrong course. Both are necessary but establishing comes first. To establish you and encourage you concerning your faith : Paul wanted Timothy to do two things – to establish and encourage the Thessalonians. Where a word like ‘slave,’ which is often used of Christians, puts the emphasis on the personal relation, this word draws attention to the act of service being rendered.” (Morris)ī. It was often used by the early Christians to give expression to the service that they habitually were to render to both God and to man. “Originally the word denoted the service of a table waiter, and from that it came to signify lowly service of any kind. It speaks of the servant in relationship to his work, stressing his activity of serving.” (Hiebert) The word rather designates one who renders a service of some kind to another. Our brother and minister of God : “ Minister is not an official title and does not connote an ordained minister in the modern sense of the term. It cost him something to send Timothy to the Thessalonians, and he thought it was good to pay that cost. We thought it good to be left in Athens alone : For the sake of the Thessalonians, Paul was willing to be left in Athens alone. He sent his trusted companion and fellow worker Timothy to them. However, since Paul could not be with the Thessalonians himself, he did the next best thing. Sent Timothy… to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith : In the previous chapter Paul explained how much he wanted to be with the Thessalonians during their time of trial (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.Ī. (1-3) Why Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians.
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