1 Tesalonika 3:1--4:12

3:1 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens ¹  alone. 3:2 We ²  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ³  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3:3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 3:4 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. ⁴  3:5 So ⁵  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.

3:6 But now Timothy has come ⁶  to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection ⁷  and long to see us just as we also long to see you! ⁸  3:7 So ⁹  in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁰  through your faith. 3:8 For now we are alive again, ¹¹  if you stand firm in the Lord. 3:9 For how can we thank God enough for you, ¹²  for all the joy we feel ¹³  because of you before our God? 3:10 We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person ¹⁴  and make up what may be lacking in your faith.

3:11 Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 3:12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, 3:13 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. ¹⁵ 

A Life Pleasing to God

4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, ¹⁶  we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how ¹⁷  you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) ¹⁸  that you do so more and more. 4:2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy, ¹⁹  that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own body ²⁰  in holiness and honor, 4:5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. 4:6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, ²¹  because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, ²²  as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. 4:7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 4:8 Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority ²³  but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

4:9 Now on the topic of brotherly love ²⁴  you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 4:10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ²⁵  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ²⁶  4:11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. 4:12 In this way you will live ²⁷  a decent life before outsiders and not be in need. ²⁸ 

[3:1]  ¹ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[3:2]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[3:2]  ³ tc A variety of readings occurs in this verse. Instead of “and fellow worker for God” (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, kai sunergon tou qeou), B has “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 qeou); D² Ï 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 qeou; 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. 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.

[3:2]  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 (qeou) is associative for it is related to συνεργόν (sunergon). However, a genitive of association is not required by the syntax (cf. ExSyn 130).

[3:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “just as it also occurred and you know.”

[3:5]  ⁵ tn Or “for this reason.”

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “but now Timothy having come,” a subordinate clause leading to the main clause of v. 7.

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Grk “you have a good remembrance of us always.”

[3:6]  ⁸ tn Grk “just as also we you.”

[3:7]  ⁹ tn Or “for this reason.”

[3:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[3:8]  ¹¹ 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).

[3:9]  ¹² tn Grk “what thanks can we render to God about you.”

[3:9]  ¹³ tn Grk “all the joy with which we rejoice.”

[3:10]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “to see your face.”

[3:13]  ¹⁵ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א* A D* 81 629 lat) have ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”) at the end of this benediction, while the majority of mss, including several excellent witnesses (א² B D² F G Ψ 0278 1739 1881 Ï 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, it is probably best to follow the shorter reading. NA²⁷ has the particle in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[4:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:1]  ¹⁷ sn As you received instruction from us about how (Grk “as you received from us how”). The Greek word translated received is used for accepting instructions passed on as fixed traditions from teacher to follower. Paul speaks in these terms about doctrinal traditions as well as ethical instruction that he passes on to his converts and expects them to keep (cf. 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:1-3; Gal 1:9; Phil 4:9; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6).

[4:1]  ¹⁸ tc This parenthetical clause is absent in several later witnesses (D² Ψ Ï), but it may have been expunged for sounding redundant. The longer text, in this instance, is solidly supported by א A B D* F G 0183^vid 0278 33 81 104 326 365 629 al co and should be unquestionably preferred.

[4:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “your sanctification.”

[4:4]  ²⁰ tn Grk “to gain [or possess] his own vessel.” “Vessel” is most likely used figuratively for “body” (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). Some take it to mean “wife” (thus, “to take a wife for himself” or “to live with his wife”), but this is less likely. See J. Smith, “1 Thess 4:4 – Breaking the Impasse,” BBR 10 (Fall 2000), who argues that “vessel” in this context is very likely a euphemism for the sexual organs.

[4:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “not to transgress against or defraud his brother in the matter,” continuing the sentence of vv. 3-5.

[4:6]  ²² tn Grk “concerning all these things.”

[4:8]  ²³ tn Grk “rejecting man.”

[4:9]  ²⁴ tn Grk “concerning brotherly love.”

[4:10]  ²⁵ tn Grk “brothers”; this applies to the second occurrence as well. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:10]  ²⁶ sn To do so more and more. See 1 Thess 4:1.

[4:12]  ²⁷ tn Grk “that you may live,” continuing the sentence of 4:10b-11.

[4:12]  ²⁸ tn Or “not be dependent on anyone”; Grk “and have need of nothing,” “of no one.”