3:6-7 Timothy had evidently rejoined Paul in Corinth (v. 16; cf. Acts 18:1). He brought good news that the Thessalonians were holding up well against the winds of persecution. They continued to trust in God and to love others as well as to remember Paul fondly and to desire to see him again (cf. Phile. 5). This news comforted Paul who felt distress because of his concern for all the churches and because of other external afflictions.
3:8-10 Things could not have been better for Paul, however, so long as his readers were standing their ground. God was enabling them to stand firm, and for this Paul gave thanks.61The apostle and his companions kept praying earnestly by night and by day that God would give them the opportunity to return to Thessalonica. They desired to return so they could minister to the continuing needs of their spiritual children. These Christians were doing well, but they needed to grow more. They were only baby Christians at this time. They lacked maturity.
"Contemporary Christians can learn from Paul's missionary practice by recognizing that meaningful evangelism must aim for more than acceptance of Christian beliefs by converts. Evangelical Christianity needs to strive to create a social context or community in which converts may be resocialized into a new and distinctively Christian pattern of behavior and practice."62
