WHY PAUL SENT TIMOTHY

      We have already had some glimpses of Paul's great love and anxious concern for the Thessalonian Christians. He had been there so short a time, and had to leave them before, it seemed, they could have been established, rooted and grounded in the faith. Moreover, he had to leave them in the midst of riot and persecution. It was a severe test for those poor babes in Christ. Would they stand fast? Would they endure sufferings for Christ's sake? How this weighed on the apostle's mind! So (he writes) "when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; and sent Timothy, our brother and God's minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith; that no man be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed."

      To be left alone was a sore trial to Paul. When the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples He sent them two by two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1). He well knew how needful the mutual help was in the difficult work they were to do. "Two are better than one" says the wisdom of the "'Preacher," "for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth." (Eccl. 4:9, 10.) There is needed strength in Christian fellowship and companionship; in the mutual encouragement, and the joint prayers of two believing souls. ("One of you shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight.") Paul's sensitive nature felt this need most keenly. Did he not once leave a promising field and an open door because he did not find Titus his brother? (2 Cor. 2:12, 13.) But he was willing even to be left alone for the concern he had for his [14] beloved Thessalonians. Alone at Athens! What that meant to him words cannot express. (But see his work there, in spite of all that. Acts 17:16-34.) And alone he came to Corinth--"in weakness and fear and in much trembling" (1 Cor. 2:3)--all for the sake of those Thessalonians.

      Although Paul was so well assured of their "election" (for all the circumstances indicated it) and had spoken in such confidence concerning it (1 Thess. 1:4-7), he nevertheless was not taking anything for granted. All the tests had not yet been passed. What would they do "when the sun was risen" with scorching heat? Would they hold up or would they wither? (Mark 4:6.) The event must tell whether the seed fell on rocky ground or into the deep soil of good and honest hearts. He sent Timothy therefore to see about their faith, "lest by any means the tempter had tempted you and our labor should be in vain." (1 Thess. 3:5.) Evidently the divine election does not release the elect from personal responsibility; nor is the preacher absolved from concern for God's elect ones. (See 2 Tim. 2:10.) "Wherefore brethren give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure." (2 Pet. 1:10.) Though we can rest and rejoice in it, we may not presume upon it.

      Paul had faithfully told them to expect tribulation. (Comp. Acts 14:22.) "For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction; even as it came to pass, and ye know." Alexander Campbell said well what he said upon this point: "The New Testament is only written and adapted to Christians in a suffering state--not as triumphant, not as having the reins of government in their hands. . . . . From the Sermon on the Mount to the 4th verse of the 20th chapter of Revelation, every address delivered to Christians contemplated them as suffering adversity. . . . . Till Jesus appears in the clouds of heaven His cause and people can never gain the ascendent. Now is the time for fighting the good fight, the time that tries men's souls, the time for the perseverance of saints, the time for suffering with Him, that with Him we may reign." (Mill. Harb. 1833, pp. 119-122.) Again, in another article (M. H. 1833, pp. 71-72) he says, "There never has been a genuine follower of Jesus Christ that was not an afflicted and oppressed man, either in person, property, or character, and while the dragon's head has life in it, it will not, and cannot be otherwise. . . . All that is wanting for Christians to be more hated, and to be more slandered and persecuted, is more similarity to Jesus in character. . . ."

CHRISTIANS MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION

      Persecution is one of the inevitable things of the Christian life. It may not be upon us all the time; but it will come in some form sometime. For "hereunto we are appointed"; and "all who would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12.) We are not to court it; but neither should we shrink from it, or think that some strange thing has happened to us. Its slightest and [15] commonest form is sneers and criticisms and contempt on part of associates or even members of one's family. Also there may come the loss of friends, alienation of loved ones, ostracism from former companionships, monetary loss, loss of employment, business boycott and failure; in its grossest shape personal mistreatment, violence, bodily injury, imprisonment, death. All these things have been suffered by faithful Christians throughout the centuries; and some, if not all of them, will come to us also, if we stand for Jesus. "Behold we call them blessed that endured."

      But not always did such a storm break upon new converts at the very beginning of their Christian life. Paul did not know how the babes in Christ in Thessalonica would stand the shock of the sudden onslaught. Short days ago they were living in tranquillity in their accustomed way and place; now suddenly all was changed. What furor, what strife, what rage and clamor has broken loose, what overturning of everything has taken place! Will they give way under this stress and turn back to their old life and their idols? No doubt the pressure was great: whether by pleadings of friends and threats of foes, all efforts had been made to turn them from the faith. So Paul sent Timothy to see. And we may be sure that in the meanwhile Paul's prayers went up for them "day and night exceedingly," that by the grace of God they might come forth victorious out of the conflict.

TIMOTHY RETURNS WITH GOOD TIDINGS

      Paul was in Corinth when Timothy came to him and brought him the good news from Thessalonica. It was indeed a "gospel" to Paul. The Thessalonians had stood fast; their faith held; their love had not grown cold; and they treasured the remembrance of Paul and his message in their hearts. Paul was under a heavy mental and spiritual burden while in Corinth (1 Cor. 2:3); but this comfort revived his soul. "We were comforted over You in all our distress and affliction through your faith: for now we live [i. e. now life is worth the living to us] if ye stand fast in the Lord." (1 Thess. 3:6-8.) Paul's words here (and in verses 9, 10) seem almost extravagant. We can hardly understand such intensity of feeling. It seems as if this preacher's life and soul was bound up with the weal or woe of these Thessalonian converts. Did Paul really so feel? Or was it hyperbole, or emotional overstatement? No--it was even so. Such was his care, such his deep interest, such his consuming love for these brethren.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN PAUL

      On a volume of sermons in a book-shelf shone this title: "The Spirit of Christ in Saint Paul." Now it must be remembered that though Paul was a "saint," he was no more a saint than any other of those who are in Christ, even the humblest man or woman, or boy, or girl, in Christ. All Christians are "saints"--that is, "sanctified ones." Nevertheless the title was a good one. The Spirit of Christ was in Paul, and found full expression in his consecrated life. There [16] is no other explanation of Paul's extreme concern, and his tender care, and his surpassing love for a people who, from the worldly point of view, were nothing to him. You would seek in vain for any human motive in all this. It was not natural--it was supernatural. There was no earthly reason why those Thessalonian Christians should mean so unspeakably much to Paul. It was indeed "the Spirit of Christ in Saint Paul." The love which filled Paul's heart was the Divine love; the concern he felt was Christ's concern; the joy over them that welled up in his soul was the joy of the Holy Spirit. And by the extreme love and concern which was shown toward the Thessalonian brethren by this devoted servant of the Lord, we can see something of the love and care that burns in Christ's heart for each one of us, yea, even for the poorest and least of us. For the stream can never rise so high as its source.

THE FINAL PRAYER

      The chapter concludes with a running prayer--two petitions: (1) that God the Father Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ might guide Paul's way to them (see how anxious he was for that, in v. 10); and (2) that the Lord might make them to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men--to what extent?--"even as we also do toward you." And we have seen what the measure of that was.

      This latter petition has a purpose and an end in view. It is "to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father." And when would such a consummation as that take place? "At the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints." That is, therefore, that when the time comes for the Lord Jesus' return from heaven with all His saints, that they, among the rest of His saints, and together with them all, may be established "unblameable in holiness before our God and Father." This is the same wonderful prospect which is held out to us elsewhere in the epistles: that we shall stand unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:8); that He will present us "holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him" (Colossians 1:22) "in exceeding joy" (Jude 24.) This is "the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 1:13.) To prepare us for that blessed consummation may the Lord, as the apostle prayed, "make you to increase and abound in love one to another and toward all men."

      The word for the "Coming" in 1 Thess. 3:13 is literally, "the Presence" (Greek, parousia); always and only used of His literal, personal presence; always the presence consequent upon the arrival of the One [17] that had been absent; therefore properly translated as the "Coming." It is never used of Christ's first coming.

[FST 14-18]